I’m a minimalist when it comes to camping: I don’t believe you need a lot of expensive gear to enjoy the outdoors. However, after having my second kid, I’m starting to appreciate the merit of some extra gear – and that includes baby camping chairs (aka portable high chairs or portable booster seats).
Note that most portable baby chairs won’t work well for camping. They are hard to clean, aren’t stable on uneven ground, or simply annoying to use. From my own experience and what other outdoorsy parents have said, here are the best baby camping chairs.
Quick Picks:
- Best overall: Baby Delight Go With Me Camping Chair
- Best low chair/booster: OmniBoost folding chair with tray
- Best camping high chair: Summer Infant Pop and Sit High Chair
Best Baby Chairs for Camping
1. Baby Delight Go With Me Camping Chair
Choose If: You want a chair that your baby can use as they grow up too
This is a great camping chair for babies because it is an all-around great height: It is tall enough that you can use it as a high chair to feed your baby without having to lean down. When your baby sits in it as a chair, she won’t be able to grab dirt/rocks/etc. from the ground.
The baby camping chair also has lots of useful features. It has a canopy to block sun, which you can also remove. The plastic tray is removable. Unfortunately, the tray does slant forward, which means plates of food might slide towards your child.
The 5-point harness is a big plus, especially for squirmy babies. Even without it, the camping chair is very stable and you don’t have to worry about your baby toppling over. There’s a storage area under the chair too.
The chair is suitable for babies once they can sit on their own and for children up to 75lbs. This means you can get a lot of use out of the camping chair. The dimensions of the chair are 24.5″ tall x 23″ wide x 22.75″ deep Weight: 4.9 lbs. It folds down to: 8″ x 8″ x 24.5″.
Pros:
- Good height
- Suitable for older children too
- Removable sun canopy and tray
- Build-in cup holder
- 5-point harness
- Fabric wipes down
- Storage pocket
- Easy to fold/unfold
Cons:
- Tray slants forward
***Get It Here***
2. OmniBoost Folding Travel with Tray
Choose If: You want a lightweight, sturdy and affordable baby chair and don’t mind sitting on the ground
The OmniBoost folding chair is designed a lot like normal camp chairs, just smaller and with a tray. The material is easy to clean by wiping it down. You can also remove the material completely; it’s machine-washable. I love that the chair is very lightweight at just 2lb 10oz so it’s easy carry around with you. The base is approximately 12.5 inches square (which unfortunately is too large to sit on a picnic table) and it’s almost 12 inches tall. It is suitable for 6 months up to 3 years. The weight limit is 250lbs!
Pros:
- Removable Plastic Tray
- Removable material is machine-washable
- Tray doesn’t slant
- Lightweight
- Won’t topple over
- Storage pocket
The Bad:
- No 5-point harness
- Base too big for picnic tables
***Get It Here***
3. Summer Infant Pop and Sit Booster Seat
Choose If: You like the low booster above but want a leg divider instead of straps to keep your baby in place
The Summer Infant folding chair is very similar to the OmniBoost chair above. It also is lightweight, has a removable tray, folds down small, and is very stable so you don’t have to worry about your baby or toddler toppling over. The fabric is also removeable can can be washed in the machine.
However, there is one major difference with this chair: the straps are sewn into the bottom of the seat and not the back. This makes the straps sit low on the baby and not hold her in place well. There is a leg divider built into the tray though, this helps prevent your baby from sliding forward and might be a bit more comfortable than straps between the legs.
Pros:
- Removable fabric and tray
- Tray doesn’t slant
- Lightweight
- Easy to clean material
- Won’t topple over
- Storage pocket
Cons:
- No 5-point harness
- Waist straps sewn in a weird way
***Get It Here***
4. Summer Infant Pop and Sit High Chair
Choose If: You want a high chair instead of a booster
If you want a highchair for your baby while camping so you can feed her while at a table, this is the best bet. It has wide legs so you don’t have to worry about your baby toppling over. The non-slip legs are made for using on dirt and other outdoor surfaces.
The seat and straps are identical to the booster version of this seat (sewn into the bottom and won’t secure a child in very well). The high chair does have a wet/dry storage pocket which you can detach. It’s actually a really nice feature; you can put gross napkins in the pocket and then just detach it when you walk to the camp trashcans. I wish the sippy cup holder was deeper, but it’s not a big deal (I actually tie my kid’s cup to the chair so it can’t fall on the ground).
The dimensions are: 24×24 inches at the legs and 33 inches tall. Ground to seat is 21 inches. The tray is 16 inches across.
Pros:
- Very stable
- Easy to clean
- Folds down compact
- Easy to setup/fold down
- Lightweight
- Suitable for 6 months to 45lbs
- Removable storage bag
Cons:
- Tray a bit difficult to detach
- Waist straps sewn in a weird way
***Get It Here***
5. Fisher Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat
Choose If: You want lots of features, even if it means a bulkier chair
This is a really affordable booster seat which works really well for camping or picnics. You can just set the seat on the ground and put your baby inside.
There are some nice features to the booster. The legs are adjustable to two heights. Everything is plastic and easy to wipe down. The lid stays on so you don’t have to worry about your baby knocking the entire thing off. On the Deluxe version, the tray actually has three parts, one of which has a sippy cup holder. There aren’t any weird crevices, so the entire thing can easily be wiped down.
The booster has 3 safety straps: You can remove the back panel and use it for older children. The legs adjust to two positions, or can even be removed. With the legs at the lowest position, the booster is two inches high. It’s rated up to 50lbs.
Pros:
- Very easy to clean
- Affordable
- Three built-in trays
- Fits children up to 50lbs
Cons:
- Can only use on the ground while camping
- Bulky even when folded
***Get It Here***
6. Ciao Baby High Chair
Choose If: You want a high chair that your baby can’t slide out of, even if it means the chair and tray sags
Ciao Baby is one of the most popular travel high chairs for babies. It’s cheap and looks a lot like a normal camping chair. It has a lot of flaws. The only reason I’d still recommend it is because of the height: your baby will be almost level with you while sitting around a campfire.
The main issue is that the chair sags a lot. This means that the tray (which isn’t removable) also sags. Older children might not mind, but it won’t be great for older babies/young toddlers. There are built-in leg holes in the chair. While this does mean babies can’t slide out, it is annoying to get your baby into the chair. It will be even more difficult to get older children into the chair. Kids also won’t be able to get in/out by themselves. So, despite it being rated up to 3 years old, it’s really only suitable for babies.
Pros:
- 5-point harness
- Stable; won’t topple over
- Easy setup
- Cup holder
Cons:
- Chair sags and tray slants forward
- Tray can’t be removed
- Leg holes are too small
- Older children can’t get in/out by themselves
***Get It Here***
Is It Worth Bringing a Baby Camping Chair?
I’m a minimalist camper and generally try not to bring too much stuff. But having a chair for your baby makes camping a lot easier.
Easier and Cleaner Feedings
A baby chair means you won’t have to hold your baby up while attempting to feed her. It means you can eat in peace. Your baby is also a lot less likely to get food mush all over her. A messy baby isn’t a big deal at home, but can be a pain when camping since you don’t have a bathtub handy.
Baby Can Sit and Play
If you get a baby chair with straps (recommended), you can put your baby in it while you do camp chores.
Enjoy the Campfire
You can put your baby in the chair around the campfire (at a safe distance, of course). That leaves your hands free to poke the fire. And who doesn’t like to poke the fire?
Once your child is older, you could just use her car seat as a booster, or have her sit on something like a cooler. Until then, hold your baby or get a baby camping chair!
Types of Baby Camping Chairs
Plastic Booster Seats
Boost seats are meant to be strapped onto a chair. They cannot be strapped safely onto camping chairs or picnic tables. However, you can put them on the ground.
Pros:
- Better back support
- Easy to clean
- Can use at home or while camping
- Removable trays and adjustable height
Cons:
- Don’t fold; are bulky
- Have to be used on the ground
Folding Baby Chairs/Boosters
These chairs look like normal camping chairs, just baby-sized. Depending on the model, you might be able to attach a food tray or the tray will be built-in.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Fold down very compact
- Some suitable for older children
- Legs designed for use on ground
- Fabric easy to clean
Cons
- Fabric often sags
- Trays often slant due to sagging
- Proably need to use it on the ground
Portable High Chairs
Some portable high chairs can work for camping. It’s important that it has four legs or it won’t be stable enough on uneven ground.
Pros:
- Can use at home too
- Lots of options and features available
Cons:
- Big and bulky, even when taken apart
- Annoying to put together at camp
- Lots of parts make it difficult to clean
DO NOT Use These Baby Camping Chairs for Camping
Wrap Baby Chairs:
These chairs are terrible for camping because:
- You’ll need an adult chair to wrap baby onto. Doesn’t that defeat the point of bringing a baby chair?
- Baby will still be too low to eat at the table with you.
- They are made from FABRIC. This isn’t an issue when you are at home (and have access to your wonderful washing machine). But do you really want to worry about cleaning gunk off of it while camping?
Hook-on high chairs:
I used one of these at home for our daughter. But, for camping, these chairs have some serious problems:
- You can’t safely hook them onto most camping or RV tables.
- They only make sense if you are 100% sure that you’ll have access to a picnic table.
- It can’t be moved anywhere else, like in front of the fire.
Portable high chairs or boosters without food tray:
- These can’t be safely used on camp chairs, plastic chairs or picnic tables.
- You won’t have anywhere to put food or toys for your baby.
Folding High Chairs with Only Two Legs
- Not stable on dirt or sand! You need a baby chair with 4 legs for stability.
- They usually aren’t made to be portable and are bulky and heavy.
Image credits: From this YouTube video by Ciao Baby
“IMG_5199” (CC BY 2.0) by abbybatchelder
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