A new convertible seat, named their compact convertible seat, from the stylish innovators over at Clek, the Clek Fllo, which is essentially the little sister to big sis Foonf. Now, just because she is the little sister, don’t count her out just yet.
Fllo has some serious safety features and a super sleek design (not unlike her big sis) that might just make her your convertible seat of choice. There is only a comparision between the Foonf and the Clek Fllo.
Quick Specs
- Item Weight: 29lbs
- Orientation: convertible; rear-facing and forward-facing
- Rear-facing Limits: Weight, 14-50lbs and Height, 25-43in
- Forward-facing Limits: Weight, 22-65lbs and Height, 30-49in (age 2+ recommended)
- Harness: 5 point
What are the pros of the Clek Fllo?
- Energy-Absorbing Crumble Technology (EACT) – Specially designed by Clek, this feature helps to reduce the amount of force transmitted to your child in the event of a crash. It is an aluminum honeycomb system integrated into the seats base that reduces crash forces by taking in those forces and keeping the away from your child.
- Extended Rear-Facing – Now rear facing extends to 50 lbs. Most convertible seats only go up to 35lbs, so this is a pretty substantial increase.
- Side-Impact Protection – With deep sides, an adjustable head rest, energy absorbing foam, and a reinforced structure the Fllo provides optimum protection.
- Compact & Sleek Design – At its widest point the Fllo is 17 inches across making it one of the narrowest convertible seats on the market. If you’re looking for a way to fit three seats in the back, the Fllo can make it happen.
- Anti-Rebound Bar – The anti-rebound bar is used while the seat is in rear-facing mode, Clek says it improves stability by limiting seat rotation and protecting your child’s head in the event of a crash. Clek is right on, this bar make the seat feel so sturdy, sturdier than any other car seat I’ve ever installed. There is no way with this bar that the seat would move during a crash.
- Travel Approved – Approved for Aircraft in case you’re looking to take it on a trip.
- Recycle program – Like the Foonf, this seat is 100% recyclable with program set-up throughout the US and Canada.
- Comfort and Fabric – The fabric is GREENGUARD Select Certified Crypton Super Fabric, which basically means its stain, moisture, and odor resistant, and free from any brominated and chlorinated products. Your kids could basically eat this fabric and they would be fine…not that I’m recommending this though =) This seat is also super easy to clean which is awesome for any of us parents with messy eaters or drinkers on our hands.
And the Cons?
- HEAVY! – As this is the little sis, she weighs a bit under the Clek Foonf, but at 29lbs this is a heavy heavy seat. A bit deceiving considering how narrow the seat is…guess it’s all that steel reinforcement =/
- Manual Assembly – Just like the Foonf, the Fllo is a bit of a project to put together. My recommendation would be to grab a cold lemonade, make sure you have a couple of hours, and definitely read the directions to help you put it together. It can be done, it just takes a bit more effort than other seats.
- Harness – With a seat at this price point, it’d be better if it had a no-rethread harness as this one needs manual adjustment.
- Infant-thingy – Again the Fllo on its own is only for infants starting at 14lbs, recently though Clek came out with the infant-thingy, an insert that allows you to use the seat rear-facing for infants from 5-22lbs. This isn’t so much of a con, it’s actually great they came up with it, I just wish it came stock with the car seat itself instead of having to buy something additional.
What’s it going to cost?
The Fllo is about $70 less than the Foonf, it is the little sis after all. It retails for $379.99 while the Foonf retails for $449.99. If you don’t need or want any fancy colors or designs on your seat the lowest price can be found on Amazon for $349.99 in a nice sleek simple black design.
What are the main differences between the Clek Foonf and Clek Fllo?
If you’ve read both of my review now you can see that these seats are very similar, so what makes them different? There are 4 main differences between the Foonf and the Fllo.
- Foonf comes with Rigid-LATCH Forward-Facing Installation which Fllo does not. This set-up makes forward-facing installation much easier and helps take some of the guess work out of installation leading to a more secure and proper install.
- The recline positions of the two seats are a bit different; Foonf has 3 different positions while Fllo can be adjusted by child’s weight. Either one really works just fine though.
- Foonf has lower LATCH weight limits than Fllo, about 10lb lower than the Fllo. I don’t find that this makes a large difference either due to other installation methods.
- EACT vs REACT. Both of these technologies were developed by Clek, the Foonf uses REACT while the Fllo uses EACT. Essentially both technologies serve the same function of absorbing some of the crash energy for a forward-facing child so the child experiences less force. The difference is that EACT works best with seat belt installation, while REACT requires the rigid LATCH connectors for maximum benefit.
The Bottom Line – Foonf or Fllo?
These are both great seats, full of safety options, super easy to clean, easy to install, and ecofriendly. Clek definitely has my vote overall, but which would I choose when deciding between the two? Being a big sister myself I have to go with big sister Foonf. Foonf has just that little extra to add and can be found for the same discounted price online.
However, if I was only buying this seat to be used forward-facing and with seat belt installation rather than LATCH I would choose the Fllo, as you will get the full benefit of the EACT system. Hope this review helped clear up some confusion between the two seats. Check them out and let me know what you think =)
