High chairs from China: evidence and delivery checks

Agree the evidence and intended child

For Great Britain, start with the safety route and standards review in our baby-product safety guide. Add a high-chair acceptance brief covering the hazards below. Ask the laboratory to identify the applicable standard, edition, test methods and acceptance limits in writing. Treat convertible seats, reclined positions and chair-mounted products as configurations needing their own scope assessment.

For upright feeding, choose a chair suited to a child who can sit upright unaided. Obtain the manufacturer's stated age, weight, size and developmental limits, then check whether the harness adjusts securely and the seat and footrest suit the intended child. Seek specialist advice where additional postural support is needed; avoid improvised cushions or straps.

Request the complete report with sample photographs, configuration details, results and any exclusions. Use our test-report verification guide to check its authenticity and model coverage. Agree how production changes will be reviewed before ordering.

Follow the restraint back to its anchorage

Ask for drawings or close photographs showing where each strap attaches to the seat or frame. Specify the webbing, stitching, buckle, adjusters and anchor fixings. Request laboratory results covering the restraint assembly and its attachment points, rather than accepting a buckle certificate as evidence for the whole system.

On delivered samples, check strap routing against the instructions, inspect stitching and concealed anchors where accessible, and operate the buckle and adjusters. Look for missing fittings, damaged webbing, sharp edges and straps that slip during normal adjustment. Use the complete restraint as instructed; do not treat the tray as a substitute. Leave strength testing to an agreed laboratory method.

Require tipping evidence for the usable settings

Ask the laboratory to explain which height, recline, tray, footrest and accessory settings its stability tests cover. Request results for tipping resistance in the relevant directions and a written basis for selecting the most adverse configurations. A photograph of a wide base or a chair standing upright does not establish this.

On arrival, assemble samples on a firm, level surface. Check that legs, braces, feet and any wheels match the approved construction, and operate brakes where fitted. Record rocking, distortion or incomplete leg engagement. Keep the chair away from surfaces a child could push against, follow placement instructions and never use a child as a test load.

Check folding and adjustment locks

Ask for evidence addressing unintended folding, lock release and durability of the mechanism. Have the laboratory explain how its assessment covers foreseeable incomplete engagement and access to releases. Include height and recline locks as well as the main folding mechanism in the brief.

With the chair empty, open, close and adjust delivered samples as instructed. Confirm that locks engage fully and that engagement can be recognised. Inspect catches, pivots, rivets and hinge covers for damage or looseness. Record partial engagement or unexpected movement and hold affected stock. A clicking sound alone is insufficient evidence that the mechanism is locked.

Assess gaps with proper test methods

Ask the laboratory to map head, torso, limb and finger entrapment risks around the seat, back, sides, tray and moving joints. Request the specified probes, methods, results and photographs, including relevant adjustment positions and permitted removable parts. Do not invent a universal safe gap or rely on a ruler check alone.

An OPSS report on a wooden baby high chair describes a child's head or torso becoming trapped in its gaps. On delivery, compare joint spacing, tray positions and padding with the assessed sample; flag loose joints or substitutions that change openings. For separate tray material evidence, use our food-contact materials guide.

Hold delivery until the checks reconcile

Agree who checks incoming stock and who authorises release. Photograph carton labels, product identification and damage before assembly. Reconcile the delivered model, restraint, fittings, instructions and configuration with the accepted evidence. Record each inspected sample and exception against its batch; a signed delivery receipt does not establish product safety.

Quarantine chairs with cracked seats, loose anchors, unreliable locks or unexplained differences. Keep photographs and reports, and obtain a written investigation and laboratory review where safety may be affected. Our laboratory testing guide explains the distinction between inspection and testing. Before use, confirm child fit, follow the instructions and maintain adult supervision.