After kids pass the age of 2, it’s tempting to travel without a clunky feeding seat anymore—after all, even though they're too little to sit tall at most tables, most preschoolers cry foul at anything resembling a "baby" seat.

The Kaboost may change their minds. The x-shaped contraption has spring-loaded arms that hug chair legs and can raise any regular dining room chair up to four inches; its non-slip feet promise to be stable without wreaking havoc on floors.

When we took the 3.5-pound Kaboost on a family trip with our 2- and 4-year-olds, we were a little skeptical at first. While it took up much less space than our old feeding seat, it still inhabited one third of a medium-sized duffle bag. But we were happy to have it once we got to Nana's. It installed quickly (and on every chair we tried!) and was an instant hit with our two girls, who could now easily climb up into the chair and, as a result, sit at the table much more like the big kids and grown-ups. We probably wouldn't take it on a road trip where restaurant booths would make it a moot point, but for Nana's or a rental condo—any place where you'd be eating most meals at a regular table—the Kaboost would be an asset. The proof: Somehow, it didn't take up as much space in that bag on the way home.

Best  for: ages 2 to 5

Retail price: $37.95, or $41.95 with travel bag