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The Chicco Zest highchair promises years of use — so how did it cope with 4 children?

We tested the Chicco Zest 3-in-1 highchair at home with children aged 14 months, 3.5 years and 7 years to find out whether this budget-friendly multi-use seat is worth buying.

Chicco Zest highchair review featuring product shot

Published: May 18, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Our Rating

3.8

A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.

GBP £59 RRP

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In a nutshell

A sleek, lightweight 3-in-1 highchair designed to take children from first weaning meals to early-years seating, though some adjustments are fiddly.

What we tested

Overall Rating

3.8

A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.

Pros

Cons

The Chicco Zest is a 3-in-1 highchair designed to grow with your child from first weaning meals through to the early school years. Suitable from around 6 months in highchair mode, it then converts into a toddler chair from 3 years and finally into a youth stool for older children up to around 8 years or 40kg.

At £59 RRP, the Chicco Zest sits firmly at the budget-friendly end of the multi-use highchair market, undercutting similar grow-with-your-child designs such as the Red Kite Feed Me Combi (£100), Infantino Fox Grow-With-Me 4-in-1 (£119.99) and Miniuno Yumo MultiPlus 4-in-1 (£129.99).

This Chicco Zest highchair is available from Argos, Kiddies Kingdom, Amazon and Chicco

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Key SpecsChicco Zest 3-in-1 highchairPrice£59Suitable fromfrom 6 months (max 40kg)Best forBudget multi-use highchairFoldable?YesDimensionsH86xW53xD71cmWeight4.5kgWheels?No

About our parent tester

Faye reviewed the Chicco Zest 3-in-1 highchair at home with her 4 children: Raphy, aged 14 months, Leo, aged 3, Orla, aged 5, and Noah, aged 7.

She tested the Zest in highchair mode with Raphy during baby-led weaning and family mealtimes, in toddler chair mode with Leo for snacks, playtime and drawing, and in older-child chair mode with Orla and Noah. She also assessed how easy it was to assemble, clean, convert between modes, move around the home, fold and store.

How easy is the Chicco Zest to set up?

In the compact, lightweight box, I found the seat unit along with 8 legs, a tray, tray support and footrest — so far, so simple.

The instructions were mostly simple diagrams with very little text, so at first it looked like a simple, 5-minute job. However, I found the little buttons a bit tricky to push in enough and managed to push one in too far, which created a new challenge when trying to fix it.

Once sorted, I did find getting the footrest on and the last leg in a bit difficult and had to have a few attempts to finish it. Overall, though, it was assembled in less than 20 minutes.

My first impression was that the chair looked sleek and modern. It also felt sturdy yet lightweight, making it easy to move around the house.

Chicco Zest highchair set up in highchair mode with child sitting in it

What is the Chicco Zest like in highchair mode?

We tried the Zest in highchair mode with our son Raphy, aged 14 months. He's very much enjoying baby-led weaning still and getting in plenty of messes.

We found the harness less easy to adjust and secure than expected, and it took some getting used to. I feel it may work better for a smaller baby. Even though he's not overly tall and weighs 10kg, the shoulder straps seemed to sit quite low, and he was able to slip out of them fairly easily. I also found it difficult to extend around his waist properly.

Raphy seems to be comfortable in the highchair with the tray on and eats well in it. We also used the highchair without the tray, which Raphy enjoyed, and he seemed secure.

I was particularly looking forward to using it as a table-height seat, as Raphy often feels left out at mealtimes and is always trying to climb up to join his siblings. Unfortunately, because of our chunky table design, we couldn’t get the chair close enough to the table for this to work well for us. Another inch or 2 of height adjustment would have been helpful.

2 pictures of toddler in Chicco 3-in-1 Zest Highchair

How well does the Chicco Zest work as a toddler chair?

We converted the highchair into the lower toddler chair to use with our toddler table, testing this mode with Leo, aged 3.5. It worked well as a more supportive seat for playtime and snacks. Compared with our existing toddler chairs, this felt more supportive thanks to the sides of the seat.

The back legs also fold in when used in this position, creating a slightly more space-saving frame which is handy for storage or transportation.

2 pictures of older child sitting in Chicco 3-in-1 Zest Highchair child seat

What is the Chicco Zest like for older children?

Orla, aged 5 (19.5kg) and Noah, aged 7 (24kg) tested it as an older child chair, using it at full height without the harness or tray. They both declared it very comfortable.

As mentioned, unfortunately we can't use it fully at our dining table due to the design of the side support and our chunkier table frame, but they both manage to climb in and get comfy with ease. The chair still feels very sturdy and robust in this mode although one small concern was that it slid quite easily on my tiled kitchen floor.

Chicco Zest highchair in youth stool mode with child sitting in it

How easy is it to move between rooms?

We have used this chair mainly in the kitchen where we eat, but we’ve also brought it into the lounge as a toddler chair, where the toddler table often is during the day for snacks and play. We’ve even taken it into the garden for alfresco dining.

It's so easy to move around even the children can do this (debatable if this is a pro or a con actually!)

How easy is it to use day-to-day?

We have been mainly using the highchair in both low and high 'highchair' mode with the removable tray with Raphy at all meal times and so far, we've been very happy with this.

It’s sleek and stylish enough that I don’t mind having it on display and when left up, its footprint is fairly small.

I’ve also lifted it onto the table on occasions when I’ve wanted it out of the way and as it's so light it's not an issue at all.

Can you fold the Chicco Zest highchair?

Yes, which I think is a useful addition for this style of solid, one-piece highchair. I did, however, find this quite difficult to do, as you have to pinch 2 parts and fold the legs inwards. It’s not a one-handed job, and I haven’t yet managed to do it quickly without tipping the chair up from the floor.

It's also not free-standing like this and has to be leant up against a wall, or placed lying down. For this reason, this function hasn't been as regularly used by us.

2 pictures of Chicco 3-in-1 Zest Highchair folded

How easy is the Chicco Zest to convert between modes?

I found the feeding tray support difficult to remove and haven’t yet managed to do this without catching my fingers.

I also had some difficulty removing the harness from the seat unit and had to call in the “big guns”, who also struggled and said I should “definitely put that in the review”.

I also need to reiterate that fitting the footrest is awkward and takes practice, which matters because it’s involved each time you convert the chair. So far, I've done it around 10 times and still have to think twice each time. I would've also liked to have seen some type of liner for younger babies, although I believe that comes with the 'Zest Plus' model (£74).

However, it’s quick and easy to convert back and forth once you get the hang of the footrest buttons, and I can now do it in a few minutes.

How easy is the Chicco Zest to clean?

The absolute best part of the chair for me is how easy it is to clean!

It's a one-piece, moulded seat so there are no nooks and crannies to trap food in. With a swift wipe over, it's as good as new.

The tray is easily removed and can be emptied and rinsed off. It's also so far evaded the curse of tomato-based foods and even after a particularly messy mealtime with spaghetti bolognese, the chair and tray wiped clean without even a trace of pomodoro (unfortunately can't say the same for the straps! Highchair straps are always a bugbear for me!).

What's in the box?

Is the Chicco Zest worth the money?

It's at a very competitive price point and I think offers good value for money.

It feels like a smart buy because you don’t need to replace your highchair with a separate toddler chair after around 12 months. One purchase can cover several stages until your child is ready for a standard table and chair.

It feels strong, sturdy and durable, and like it would last through the stages, store well and even be fit to hand down.

Where can I buy the Chicco Zest highchair?

It is available from Argos, Kiddies Kingdom, Amazon and Chicco

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MadeForMums verdict:

The Chicco Zest 3-in-1 highchair is a strong option for growing families, whether you’re buying for a first child to grow with them from weaning through to play, snacks and early-years seating, or looking for a chair that can be shared between siblings. It offers impressive longevity thanks to its classic design and clever multi-use modes, although the harness, footrest and folding mechanism take some getting used to.

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Authors

Emma Osborne

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