Joie Mimzy Snacker Review The Best Budget High Chair in the UK?
A full review of the Joie Mimzy Snacker — the UK’s bestselling budget high chair. We look at the features that genuinely matter: footrest quality, tray design, cleaning ease, recline practicality and how it compares to the IKEA Antilop and Stokke Tripp Trapp.
The Joie Mimzy Snacker is the best new high chair available under £100 in the UK, and is the high chair we recommend for most families who are not specifically choosing between the IKEA Antilop’s extreme simplicity or the Stokke Tripp Trapp’s lifetime use case. At £59 it includes a dishwasher-safe tray, an adjustable footrest (the feature most commonly missing at this price point), three recline positions, a 5-point harness, and a compact fold. It does more than the Antilop, costs less than any Stokke accessory, and is available from every major UK retailer without requiring a trip to IKEA.
① Full Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | From £59 (tray included) |
| Age / weight limit | 6 months to approximately 3 years / 15kg |
| Frame | Steel tube frame |
| Seat | Padded wipe-clean seat with removable cover |
| Tray | Included — one-hand release, dishwasher safe |
| Harness | 5-point |
| Footrest | Yes — 4-position adjustable |
| Recline | 3 positions |
| Seat height | Non-adjustable — fixed to frame |
| Folds | Yes — compact fold for storage |
| Weight | ~7.5kg assembled |
| Colours available | Multiple — varies by retailer |
② Key Features Reviewed
③ Cleaning in Daily Use
The Mimzy’s padded seat is the primary cleaning consideration versus the IKEA Antilop’s fully smooth shell. The seat cover is wipe-clean and removes for more thorough washing — the padding beneath can absorb food if the cover is not wiped promptly. In practice, wiping the seat immediately after meals prevents any accumulation in the padding. The tray dishwasher compatibility is the standout cleaning advantage — it goes in the bottom rack and comes out spotless.
The recline mechanism and footrest joints have small grooves where dried food can collect with extended use. A damp cloth with a cotton bud for the grooves addresses this adequately in the weekly clean. This is the one area where the Antilop’s total absence of moving parts gives it a cleaning edge — but the difference in daily effort is minor for parents who wipe down promptly after meals.
④ Footrest — Why It Matters and How It Performs
The footrest is the Mimzy’s most significant ergonomic advantage over the IKEA Antilop and many other budget high chairs. Research on children’s seating posture consistently shows that supported feet improve trunk stability — the ability to maintain an upright posture without tiring — during seated activities including eating. A child with feet dangling unsupported must work harder to maintain balance, which reduces attention available for eating and shortens the comfortable duration of a meal.
The Mimzy’s four-position adjustable footrest provides adequate support through the full age range of the chair. At position 1 (lowest), it accommodates young babies at 6–9 months whose legs do not yet reach a higher platform. Positions 2–4 step up as the child grows. The adjustment is not quite as smooth or intuitive as the Stokke Tripp Trapp’s infinitely-sliding board system — but it covers the necessary range at a fraction of the Stokke’s price.
⑤ For BLW — Is the Mimzy a Good Fit?
The Mimzy works well for baby-led weaning. The tray surface is large enough for a spread of finger foods without them sliding off the edge. The wipe-clean seat handles BLW’s inevitable mess adequately. The adjustable footrest supports the trunk stability that BLW benefits from — a child who is comfortable and well-supported engages more actively with self-feeding.
The Mimzy’s tray cannot be removed to allow the chair to pull up to a dining table without a tray surface — the chair is designed for tray-based feeding rather than direct table feeding. Families who want to use the baby-led weaning approach of sitting the baby directly at the family table (as with the Stokke Tripp Trapp without a tray) will find this limiting. For most BLW families using the tray surface, it is not a practical constraint.
The best all-round budget high chair in the UK. If you want a new chair under £100 with proper ergonomics — this is the one.
The Joie Mimzy Snacker’s 9.0 score reflects that it genuinely delivers more than its price should allow. The combination of adjustable footrest, dishwasher-safe one-hand tray, three recline positions and compact fold at £59 is the most complete budget high chair package available from any major UK retailer.
The choice between the Mimzy and the IKEA Antilop is primarily one of priorities: the Antilop is £39 cheaper, cleans more easily and stores more compactly, but lacks a footrest and recline. The Mimzy covers more of the ergonomic and practical bases at a price that most families will find easy to justify. Against the Stokke Tripp Trapp — the Mimzy is the right choice for families who want a capable, practical high chair for the weaning years without a five-times price premium. See our full head-to-head comparison for the detailed breakdown.
