Europe and the US adhere to their own safety norms for high chairs. While they’re similar in their specs guiding openings, stability, harmful substances and durability, they differ in their requirements on the device used to secure a child to the seat. Here’s what they say.

Europe
The TÜV, Europe’s preeminent independent safety testing authority, has determined that either a safety bar with crotch strap or a 5-point harness is needed to effectively secure a child.

Stated in section 5.6 of the European high chair safety norm: “The high chair shall be such as to prevent the child from slipping forward out of the seat. The requirement can be met either by a restraint system comprising of a crotch restraint and a horizontal component or by an integral harness.”

Bottom line: a hard safety guard and crotch strap OR a 5-point harness is required to meet the safety standard. A 3-point harness is not acceptable.

European safety specifications are set by the European Committee for Standardization and their norm for high chairs is EN 14988-1:2006.

America
The American safety standard is defined by ASTM and the designation for high chairs is F 404-07. Regarding restraint systems, section 6.8.1 states “A restraint system shall be provided to secure a child in the seated position…” and 6.8.1.1 goes on “The restraint system shall include both waist and crotch restraint designed such that the crotch restraint’s use is mandatory when the restraint system is in use.

Bottom line: 3-point harnesses are required on all high chairs and safety guards with a crotch strap are not recognized as acceptable.

Conclusion
Based on differing norms, there’s no way to conclude whether or not the guard with crotch strap or 3-point harness is more suitable. Both seem acceptable so it becomes a matter of personal preference.

It’s worth noting that both European and American norms require all high chairs to carry a warning label stating that a child should never be left unattended in their high chair.

What about the HandySitt?
The HandySitt portable high chair has been designed and tested to the European norm and therefore ships with a safety guard and crotch strap but not a safety belt. However, a 5-point harness is sold as an accessory and can be used instead of the safety guard. While the guard is suitable for most kids, the harness is perfect for really squirmy ones.

The safety guard is designed to be used with kids 6 months to 3 years old. Once toddlers hit 3, it can be removed and the HandySitt wooden high chair operates as a portable booster seat.