If you’ve ever talked car seats with your friends, you or one of you, may have had that moment where you try and recall the name of a car seat you heard about that was really sleek looking, had a lot of great features but the name totally escaped you. If I had to guess I would say it was the Clek Foonf car seat. For obvious reasons the name escaped you. All I can conclude after hours…okay minutes of research is that Clek invented the name because it sounds cool, and when you here a name like Foonf, you want to know it is.
What is a Foonf?
Foonf is Clek’s convertible car seat; offering both rear and forward facing options. Clek is a brand with clear vision to change people’s perception of what a car seat should look like; they shoot for high performance, high quality, and lots of innovation. One thing that really caught my eye about the brand is their car seat recycling program. Clek has partnerships in both the US and Canada to manage the recycling and reintroduction of the materials used in their seat. Clek has jumped onto the current “green” movement and I’m loving it!
Quick Specs
- Item Weight: 38lbs rear-facing and 33lbs forward-facing
- Orientation: convertible; rear-facing and forward-facing
- Rear-facing Limits: Weight, 14-50lbs and Height, 25-43in
- Forward-facing Limits: Weight, 20-65lbs and Height, 30-49in
- Harness: 5 point
What are the Pros of the Clek Foonf?
- REACT Safety System – The REACT system is Clek’s own innovation developed to keep with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to keep children rear-facing until 2 years old. This system mimics the crumple zones in the cars we drive, which is designed to keep us safer during an accident. In the event of a crash, the REACT system slows down collision forces and making them happen over a longer period of time. This results in less force transferred to the child, offering more protection.
- Easy Installation – Installation was actually super easy with this seat, with both LATCH install and seat-belt install, the seat felt secure and snug.
- 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.
- Reinforced Structure – Sturdy steel rods reinforce the seat covered in energy-absorbing foam from top to bottom, providing advanced impact protection.
- Narrow Design – At its widest point at the top the Foonf is 17in, down to the base where the seat is just 13in. This is a seriously narrow design that allows three Foonf seats to fit in the backseat of a car.
- Travel Approved – Approved for Aircraft in case you’re looking to take it on a trip.
- Recycle Program – As a mentioned above, this seat is 100% recyclable.
- Comfort and Fabric – The Foonf looks super sleep, like there couldn’t possibly be any comfortable padding, and you’re right, the padding is minimal but it’s not uncomfortable. Also, 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. The seat is wicked easy to clean which is awesome for any of us parents with messy eaters or drinkers on our hands.
And the Cons?
- Infant-thingy – The Foonf 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.
- Assembly – The weird thing about this seat is that when you get it, you have to assemble it yourself. In my mind I was thinking “No, I’m no car seat technician, I can’t possibly be the best person to do this.” But I was, and I did. While it took me almost 2 hours to do it, it was also kind of a cool experience. I got to know the seat, and feel its different parts, which made me feel more comfortable with how sturdy it actually was.
- Weight – At 33lbs forward-facing and 38lbs rear-facing because of the base, this seat is H-E-A-V-Y! I guess this is all the steel reinforcing they have in there, which is great safety wise, but if you want to travel with it (since its aircraft approved) I highly recommend getting a carrier for it.
How do consumers rate it?
Oh my gosh is this seat rated highly!!!! I mean 4.9 out of 5 stars highly. Parents love how sturdy the car seat is and the sleekness of the seat. Although it’s heavier, it is a lot loss bulky then other car seats, it’s easy to keep clean, and has way more extra leg room than most other seat rear-facing. Even kids in top height percentiles will still have leg room at 2 years old in this seat…spectacular!
What’s it going to cost?
Basically…a pretty penny. The price is steep compared to other convertible seats, $499 direct from Clek or about $409 on Amazon, who offers the same manufacturer warrantee. I will say though, I think this price is pretty justified. The construction, quality, and materials of this seat are at the top of their class. You really do get what you’re paying for in this case, and you won’t be disappointed.
The Bottom Line
Now comes the part where I ask myself, “Would I buy this seat if I was in the market for a convertible car seat, would the Foonf be my choice?” The answer is YES! I do love a bargain, and may have been super torn about buying something cheaper and been able to justify it, however, the quality and safety of this seat are amazing!
There are certain things that I can cut back on, like my coffee or shoe addiction, but having peace of mind that my child is in the best and safest car seat isn’t something I can cut back on. Pull your resources and check out the Clek Foonf, you won’t regret it. So go and check in for The Clek Foonf Car Seat and do leave your comments below
