How do you feed baby while traveling?

We try to minimize the stuff we have to drag along with us internationally, or domestically, when we travel by air or road with baby.  As it is, we are usually hauling twice as many bags for baby on longer trips as for my husband and I combined.  One thing that can come in handy for babies over 6 months that are sitting up and eating solid foods is some sort of a booster seat or high chair.  The following is a list, in order of the most lightweight and travel-friendly, of booster seat or high chair products that I can recommend for travel.  Please reply to this post with what you have done or used that has worked well to feed baby either when traveling internationally or going out to brunch!

Veda looking for dinner

#1: Nothing: We’ve found it’s much easier just to feed baby in our lap, and these days as she’s more mobile and sitting up by herself, we all just eat on the kitchen floor together, picnic-style.  Baby eats off our plate.  It works, baby is happy, and we save a lot of space not lugging (even a portable) high chair around.  It’s one less thing to worry about and pack.  Our baby is also a grazer, so she seems to eat more if she’s able to take a bite, wander off and inspect the cupboards, and then come back for more.  In general, she isn’t a fan of being strapped into a static space.  Who is?  The majority of babies in the world don’t eat in high chairs or seats; it is possible to put food in a baby’s mouth without them being strapped into something.

If you must bring a baby-containing food area along with you, and cannot fathom the idea of letting baby go on unstrapped while eating, the following chairs are great lightweight, portable options.  All of these can be easily packed in checked luggage and don’t take up too much space, some less so than others.

#2: My Little Seat Infant High Chair:  This I think would be the best option for a contained baby feeding space if that is something required for baby on-the-go.  It weighs less than just about half of a pound, folds down to the size of a diaper, is all material and no stiff parts making if packing-friendly, and is also washable.  It can strap to any chair while traveling, and works for babies from six months that are able to sit unassisted up to 35 pounds.  I have not personally used this chair, but would definitely make this my first choice for packing due to its size, weight, and versatility in being able to secure it to any chair with a back.

#3: Regalo Easy Diner Hook-On Chair: This one is on the heavy side at around six pounds, but it does fold up for packing and clips on to the side of any *sturdy* table.  I have not used this one myself.  There are lots of different brands, makes, and models similar to this concept.  It’s definitely on the heavier side and bulkier than the all-cloth option, but if you are looking for something a bit sturdier that can still travel easily, this might be a good option.

#4: Regalo My Chair Portable Chair:  This one weighs less than three pounds, folds up into a carrying bag, and can be strapped onto a regular chair.  I have not personally used this chair, but I would think drawbacks may be bulkiness of the chair if you are trying to fit it into a checked bag.  I would think it might have similar limitations as compared to the hook-on chair as far as taking up valuable luggage space, but it is a bit lighter and perhaps a bit more versatile since it straps to a chair rather than a table.

#5: Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat: This option is still portable and relatively light-weight and folds down into a neat rectangle with a carrying strap, but is the largest and bulkiest option.  This seems to be the only good portable option that comes along with a tray, however, which can also be washed in the dishwasher as well.

Related Pages:

Travel Gear

Packing for Baby

Travel Logistics



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