Do I actually ^need^ a highchair?

[babyignoramus]

I have a highchair that was given to me - it is the traditional metal frame with flip up tray. It's bloody awkward getting DS in and out and he's only 6 months. (Plus I live in a flat so it's taking up vaulable space!) I have been using the bumbo instead. I was thinking of getting one of those cloth chairs that you attach to any seat - has anyone used them exclusively? I would just push him up to the table instead of him needing a tray. I can't see a problem with this? I think I've just been blinded by the Mothercare 'you will need the following....' list!

As long as they were high enough and stable enough there should be no problem. (unless they are like my dd1 who needed to be bound down at the dinner table to avoid escape attempts!)

I would go for something like this booster seat. The cloth highchairs will be too low, and you should get a few years of use out of the bosoter seat.

Handysitt are good too but more expensive and no tray.

We have one of those plastic boosters and it's great for visiting friends and family and taking on holiday etc

for day to day use at home though we have a couple of wooden highchairs from IKEA that cost £30 and have no tray so pull up to the table and take up no more space than a standard chair and because they are wooden fit in with our decor nicely. The bar can be removed to make them into a big boy or girl's chair when they are older as well so none of the too big for a highchair/too small for a normal chair issues. If budget is a concern though, the £9 plastic IKEA Antilop is just as good.

I've tested some highchairs for a magazine and really hated the plastic tray confections; they take up way too much room and look horrible as well as isolating the baby from the family as they are two feet back from the table and any spoon feeding needs to be done at arm's length!

I'd get an Ikea Antilop - you can use them with or without tray, and they push up nicely to the table when used without, keeping them out of the way.

I think a little one would be far too low down in a booster seat

Agree that handsitt are great.

The cloth ones leave the child too far low down, and are also less stable with younger, wrigglier children (say 6-15m).

we had this when we lived in a flat - sturdy, tray optional so you can push it up to the table, folds away, and is the same price as a handisitt. And it's fairly neutral so good for open plan living.

The cloth booster ones, that fold up into a little siutcase type shape are great. The thinner cloth one great for bigger babies, e.g. 9 months +, and much smaller to stick in your bag.