REASONS TO BUY
Folds up small
Nice cushion
Shoulder pads
Adjustable footrest
REASONS TO AVOID
Wobbly
Unremarkable
Expensive
Baby Jogger City Bistro Review
A fine product if you are short on space or need to fold up the chair in between mealtimes, but it is not necessarily worth the price
Baby Jogger City Bistro has an adjustable footrest, making it comfortable for babies of different sizes.
Credit: Katie Brown
RELATED: Best High Chairs
Our Verdict
The Baby Jogger City Bistro came out of the box, ready to go. The buttons were all intuitive and easy to use, meaning we barely had to glance at a user manual. In addition, this chair folds up quite small, including the tray, so it's easy to store if you are in a small space or need it for travel. The cushion is soft and machine washable. The shoulder straps have padding similar to a car seat and adjust for a tall baby. The footrest also adjusts for a variety of baby sizes.
The chair raises and lowers, although we found this feature somewhat lacking, as it is never quite tall enough to feed the baby while standing, nor quite low enough to slide under a dining table. In addition, the chair's small footprint, while convenient for small spaces, felt a bit wobbly and might potentially be prone to tipping. Overall, we found this chair a fine product and good for small spaces, but perhaps not worth the hefty price tag.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Baby Jogger City Bistro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Wood Chair | Best Overall Rolling Chair |  Best for Durable Lifetime Use |  Best Budget Chair | |
| Price | $300 List $249.97 at Amazon | $228 List $228.00 at Amazon | $330 List $329.99 at Amazon | $362 List | $165 List $153.43 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Ready to go straight out of the box, the Baby Jogger City Bistro is convenient and compact, but a bit unstable and there might be better options out there for the price | Cool long-term chair good for baby to adulthood with an adjustable wood design and useful features | A quality folding high chair that is easy to clean | Quality chair for children older than three years | Great, budget friendly option that still has the 'wooden high chair' vibe |
| Rating Categories | Baby Jogger City Bi... | Abiie Beyond Wooden | Peg Perego Siesta | Stokke Tripp Trapp... | Skip Hop EON 4-In-1... |
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (25%) | |||||
| Quality (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Set Up (10%) | |||||
| Footprint/ Portability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Baby Jogger City Bi... | Abiie Beyond Wooden | Peg Perego Siesta | Stokke Tripp Trapp... | Skip Hop EON 4-In-1... |
| Use Range | 6 mo - 40 lbs | 6mo-12y+ Max weight: 250 lbs |
Recliner: Birth to 19.8 lbs Upright: 6mo to 45 lbs |
6 mos with Baby Set to 242 lbs | 6 mo - 33 lbs/3 yrs, 80 lbs for chair |
| Harness | 5-point | 3 and 5-point | 5-point | 5-point | 5-point |
| Dimensions | 42" H x 19.5 W x 25" D | 21.5"L x 17.5"W x 35"H | 29.2"L x 23.5"W x 41.2"H | 22"L x 18"W x 32.5"H | 26.4" L x 27.4" D x 36" H |
| Footprint (sqft) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 4.8 | 2.8 | 4.9 |
| Weight (lbs) | 15.4 | 18.3 | 23 | 15.6 | 11.9 |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
Baby Jogger started out as a stroller company — founded in 1984 by avid runner Phil Baechler, who wanted a stroller with which he could also run. The company quickly grew and expanded to include a whole line of travel and movement-inspired baby gear. The Baby Jogger City Bistro was launched in 2020 as the smallest folding high chair on the market.
Performance Comparison
The Baby Jogger has a comfy padded chair and shoulder straps but the cleanup could be a struggle regularly.
Credit: Katie Brown
Ease of Use
The Baby Jogger didn't perform as well as others for ease of use. The plastic tray cover is dishwasher safe but a bit clunky to remove. The tray has a two-lever system, making getting the tray on and off a bit awkward. This feature also makes it difficult to tell if the tray is completely on. And since the leg restraints are attached to the tray and not the seat, there is a concern about baby safety should the tray not be on correctly. When the tray is off, the leg restraints are also off, meaning that the baby could fall out should the five-point harness not be used. We recommend you always follow all instructions and take safety precautions when using any baby gear item.
Baby Jogger City Bistro has a lot of exposed hinges and hardware that could collect gunk and food over time.
Credit: Katie Brown
The five-point harness is nice and easy to use. It also seems comfortable for babies due to additional padding at the shoulders, and it can be adjusted for taller babies. These are all good things since the tray's design means the baby must be strapped in to be safe.
Baby Jogger City Bistro Shoulder Straps are cushioned and comfortable, and can be removed for wash.
Credit: Katie Brown
The adjustable footrest is a nice feature, making it more comfortable for babies.
The City Bistro Tray is an open surface with no place for food to hide or get stuck.
Credit: Katie Brown
Ease of Cleaning
The Baby Jogger is about average for ease of cleaning. This chair is made entirely of plastic, making it a bit less aesthetically appealing, but overall, perhaps easier to clean. The padding is all removable and machine washable. We suspect that the frequency with which the padding will need to be cleaned will end up with the chair often being used without it. Since the bottom portion of the tray is attached to the leg restraints, it must be hand-washed. However, the attachment point for the tray and seat is also plastic, so although that may make it more breakable, it also means less chance of rust.
Quality
Overall, the quality of this product seemed average. Since it is entirely plastic, we worry about longevity. It also feels a bit wobbly when set up, giving the impression of a lower-quality product.
Ease of Set Up
Setup for the City Jogger was easy and intuitive. This item was basically ready to use straight out of the box.
Footprint and Portability
The Baby Jogger impressed in our tests for footprint and portability. Designed for just that, the City Bistro is one of the smallest high chairs on the market. It has a minimal footprint and folds to a slim 8"x 29"x 21". Once folded, it has a handle on top for easy carrying.
Should You Buy the Baby Jogger City Bistro?
If you live in a very small space or find that you need to travel frequently with a high chair, this might be a compelling choice. Otherwise, we did not feel that it was worth the price point. This chair had a narrow footprint that made it feel wobbly, and we have concerns about the potential for tipping, especially if an older sibling or pet might jump on the side. While it is not a terrible high chair, we think for the price, there are better options in the lineup to suit most needs.
What Other High Chair Should You Consider?
We would consider the Peg Perego Siesta a better alternative to the Baby Jogger. The Peg can also fold and be moved out of the way, and it has wheels that make moving it from place to place much easier. The unique system includes brakes to prevent accidental movement. The Peg is easy to clean and use, making it one of our favorite options regardless of your high chair goals.
Manufacturer Video
—
Katie Brown
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