Joovy Hook

There are highchairs—huge, plastic, a drag for traveling—and then there are hanging highchairs—the kind that hook right onto the table or countertop. The Joovy Hook falls into the second category, with a few extras thrown in that make it stand out from the crowd.
The Joovy Hook bills itself as the only deluxe leatherette fabric hook-on chair on the market. The term “leatherette” worried me a little—it sounds cheap, right?—but, it’s actually a nice fabric with low sheen, and it wipes up nicely. The Hook comes in a standard black and two additional colors of Greenie (bright lime) and Orangie (tangerine). Aesthetically, it’s great, and it’s well done from a design and safety standpoint, too.
When the Hook arrived, it was folded tidily in its zippered pouch, which includes an adjustable shoulder strap. At 15.25 inches high by 13 inches wide and 5 inches deep, the Hook is actually compact enough to fit into larger diaper bags, but a handy little bonus is that it comes travel-ready in its own pouch too. The anodized aluminum frame and die-cast aluminum components makes the entire seat relatively at a little over 5 pounds (compare that to a regular highchair!), yet it’s still strong enough to support a child up to 37 pounds.
When I slid the Hook out of its bag, there was no assembly required. I unfolded the arms, pushed two buttons to rotate them out (you’ll know they’re locked when you hear the click), pulled up the back of the seat and it was ready to hang. There are three components: the short arms (which have non-slip rubber gripping for safety and to protect the table), the turning knobs and the hook arms. To hang the chair, it’s a simple matter of angling it toward the table so that the short arms are on top, pushing it into place, rotating the knobs so they’re vertical and then tightening them. An important note is that the Joovy Hook is intended for use on tables that are only one to two inches thick.The seat is quite deep—over ten inches—and it has a three-point safety harness for those little escape artists. The back of the seat also folds up, which is a thoughtful addition. Most of the hanging highchairs I’ve seen don’t have that feature.
All in all, the Joovy Hook is a great hanging highchair. It’s easy to use, sturdy and secure, nice to look at and it seems comfy to sit in. It’s great for use at home and even better if you’re traveling or just going out to eat with baby in tow. If you’re debating highchairs, this one is worth a second look.
Price: $70
To buy: joovy.com