Do I need a footrest for my IKEA Antilop highchair?

Much like the Klammig support pillow (Why do you need a support pillow for a highchair?), I get lots of questions asking “Does my highchair need a footrest?” or words to that effect.

If you already own the infamous IKEA highchair without the footrest then you may have witnessed your baby frantically swinging their legs whilst eating. I myself have videos of our daughter sat in her highchair with her little legs swinging back and fourth the whole time she’s in the chair, eating or not. Which did lead me to wonder how easy is it for her to eat whilst frantically moving/swinging her legs all the time?

Posture is so incredibly important when you begin weaning, in fact one of the requirements of starting weaning is that your baby has to be able to sit upright safely before you can begin. It has huge effects on the success of a meal, so if you are struggling with weaning or if baby is upset in their highchair/at meal times it may be a priority for you to consider that they are not properly supported in their highchair causing discomfort and frustration.

I was honestly shocked to see all the scientific evidence to support the promotion of good posture with using a footrest on your highchair, but after reading up on it it made complete sense. Demonstrating how proper support leads to better and safer eating at meal times. Not only does concentration go up when their legs are no longer thrashing around, so that they are then able to focus on the task in hand, but better support for their strengthening muscles leads to safer eating and swallowing making them less likely to choke.

Our adjustable footrest allows you to move it up and down your highchair to grow with baby. You can order our bamboo footrests here.