High chair injuries are common enough — largely from falls during climbing in or out, tipping, or a child sliding out from under the tray — that the safety basics are worth understanding before comparing style or features.
The harness: legal minimum vs. better practice
In the US, the mandatory federal safety standard for high chairs requires at least a 3-point restraint system with a crotch restraint (a post or strap between the legs, preventing a child from sliding down and potentially becoming caught under the tray). A 5-point harness — adding straps over both shoulders in addition to the waist and crotch restraint — isn't the bare legal minimum, but it's widely recommended over a 3-point system since it holds an active, wiggling child more securely and is harder to slip out of. Whichever system a chair has, the tray itself should never be relied on as the primary thing keeping a child in the seat — it's not designed or tested as a restraint, and pushing against it can actually help a child work their way out from underneath.
Stability testing matters as much as the harness
High chairs sold in the US must also pass stability testing designed to prevent tipping in normal use — including a child leaning, pushing against the tray, or a sibling bumping into the chair. A wide, stable base and a genuinely secure connection between any tray-table attachment (for hook-on style chairs, which fall under separate standards) and the surface it attaches to are both worth checking directly rather than assuming from the product photos alone.
Certification labels are worth checking, not just assuming
Look for compliance with the current mandatory US standard, and consider independent certification labels from recognized industry safety organizations as an added layer of verification beyond a manufacturer's own claims. These labels indicate a product has been evaluated against established safety criteria, rather than simply asserting compliance on the box.
The one thing people forget
Never leave a child unattended in a high chair, even briefly, and always engage every lock and buckle before walking away — a large share of documented high chair injuries happen specifically when a child is left alone in the chair, not from a defect in the chair itself. This is true regardless of how well-reviewed or highly rated a specific chair is.