Consumer Reports tests newest high chairs

For families with young children, high chairs are essential. But some are more user-friendly than others.

Consumer Reports just safety-tested 9 new high chairs that promise to make meal time easier and safer.

"When Daniel eats, there is food all over him from head to toe. We have to change his outfit, and he also leaves food all over his high chair," said mom, Rebekah Shackney.

In fact, ease of cleaning is so important for parents that Consumer Reports recently added it as part of its high-chair ratings. Joan Muratore, who oversaw the testing, found some of the high chairs hard to clean.

The Graco Slim Snacker has lots of fabric flaps where food can collect, and it doesn't have a tray insert.

"Which is basically a second tray cover that fits over here. It's nice to have, so you can just take that off and wash that at the sink rather than take the whole tray," says Joan.

The Mia Moda Alto has a tray insert, but it doesn't fully cover the main tray, so you'll need to wash food off of both the insert and the base tray underneath.

A better choice is the Fisher-Price EZ Clean. At $85, it's a Consumer Reports Best Buy.

"The tray insert covers the entire tray, so you might get away with cleaning the insert each time," said Joan.

Testers also found the straps simple to wipe off and the seat cover is machine washable.

Another feature that can add value is a high chair that can grow with your child.

The Joovy HiLo chair rotates to become a booster chair. And it's easy to clean because it's made of molded plastic. But it's expensive at $400 and the testers found the harness hard to use.

Consumer Reports found one flexible high chair to recommend - the Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 Deluxe. The seat comes off and can be used as a booster seat and then the base can be used as a toddler chair. They also add that the whole thing is easy to clean. At $90, it's a Consumer Reports Best Buy.

Consumer Reports stresses that no matter which high chair you use, your child should be fully buckled into the harness system every single time you use the chair.

For more information, visit Consumer Reports' website: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/high-chairs/buying-guide.htm