Clek Foonf Review: Some Assembly Required

The Clek Foonf goes by the tagline, “Mother of all convertible car seats,” and it’s a pretty unique offering amongst the vast array of different types of seats we now have available. The Foonf has been around for 14 years and has remained largely unchanged since then. It features rigid LATCH, a slim width, a 50-pound rear-facing limit, an anti-rebound bar, and chemical flame retardant-free fabrics.

For a long time, it was one of, if not the only, car seat to offer these features. That’s no longer the case, but the combination of features is still a pretty unique package. What was once “the really expensive car seat” has now been surpassed by many in price, and it has maintained its standing as a high-end option that still offers something out of the ordinary.

Hi! I’m Carly, a CPST and mom of three, and full disclosure, I’m a Clek stan. Although I’m always trying out different car seats, Clek convertibles have been my primary car seats over the last 7 years. I’ll admit that they’re not for everyone, but I’m happy to return to my tried-and-true every time.

Still comparing? See my picks for the best convertible car seats, from a CPST.

Consider the Clek Foonf If:

• You need a slim seat. At 16.9 inches wide, the Foonf is a slim option. (Comparing options? Here are the slimmest car seats for family vehicles.)
• You want to be very in tune with all of your car seat’s parts and functions. There’s a decent amount of assembly, a few weird names to learn, and some rules that are unique to this seat.
• You want a North American made seat.
• You’re planning on extended rear-facing. With a 50-pound rear-facing limit, extra legroom from the anti-rebound bar, and low sides kids can hang their legs over, my two older kids both rear-faced in the Foonf until right around their 5th birthdays.
• Your child doesn’t like “C”-shaped seats. The Foonf is an “L”-shaped seat with a wide open, flat seating area, and it’s been known to be a problem-solver for kids who don’t like other seats.
• Your vehicle has non-removable head restraints. In forward-facing mode, the Foonf allows a gap behind the car seat, and its shorter seat length can make it a workable option for third rows with limited legroom.

Keep Looking If:

• You want a straightforward seat with as few rules as possible. You’ll need to read the manual just to assemble it, and forward-facing installs come with a 35-pound rule you’ll want to know about (more on that below).
• You want a lightweight seat. The Foonf weighs 38 pounds.
• Visibility is already an issue in your vehicle. The Foonf sits up very high on the vehicle seat, which can affect visibility from the rear and from the side it’s on.
• Your vehicle manual doesn’t allow a seat belt and lower anchors together. You can still install the Foonf with just the seat belt, but you may want to consider its sibling seat, the Clek Fllo, instead.

Clek Foonf Height, Weight + Key Specs

• MSRP: $559.99
• Expiration: 9 years
• Width: 16.9 inches
• Seat weight: 38 pounds
• Rear-facing weight range: 14–50 lbs (or 5–50 lbs with the separate infant insert)
• Rear-facing height range: 25–43” (or 19–43” with the separate infant insert)
• Forward-facing weight range: 26.5–65 lbs
• Forward-facing height range: 30–49”
• Top harness position: 17”

Setting Up the Clek Foonf: Some Assembly Required

The Clek Foonf is very different from most other car seats. There’s a decent amount of assembly required, and although you should thoroughly read the manual before using any car seat, you likely won’t even be able to get this one put together without it.

To set up for rear-facing mode, which is most likely what you’ll be doing out of the box, you’ll need to attach the headrest, anti-rebound bar, and rear-facing wedge before you begin installation.

Since this little tidbit doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else in this review, I’ll add here that the Foonf has one of the easiest-to-tighten harnesses of any car seat, and it also never (but never say never) becomes twisted.

How Long Your Child Can Use the Clek Foonf

Starting Out: Newborns and the Infant Thingy

The Foonf is different from most other convertible car seats in that it is not designed for use from birth. To begin using the seat, a child must be at least 14 pounds, 25 inches, and able to sit up independently.

Otherwise, you can purchase the infant insert, called the Infant Thingy (yes, that’s literally its name, so get used to the weird names!), and begin using the seat at 5 pounds and 19 inches. This turns the seat into one of the best-fitting convertibles for newborns, including babies right at the minimums.

I appreciate this “a la carte” approach, since it keeps the cost down for the majority of people who will start with an infant seat and transition to a convertible somewhere between about 6–12 months.

Rear-Facing Up to 50 Pounds

The Foonf can be used rear-facing up to 50 pounds, 43 inches, or when there is no longer at least 1 inch of space between the top of the child’s head and the top of the headrest.

Because of the unique combination of a rethread harness and a separate headrest, the Foonf is not likely to be outgrown by the 1-inch requirement. On seats with no-rethread harnesses, children may outgrow the seat well before the stated height limit because the harness and headrest get adjusted together. In order to keep the harness at or below the shoulders for rear-facing, the headrest no longer provides at least an inch of space above the head.

Although the rear-facing height limit is rather short compared to the 49” limit found on many seats, my two older kids both stayed rear-facing in the Foonf until they outgrew it by height, 2 months on either side of their 5th birthdays, and nowhere near the 50-pound weight limit. That said, I appreciate the buffer, because my middle child did surpass 40 pounds, which is a common rear-facing limit, before she reached 43 inches.

Forward-Facing and the 17-Inch Top Harness

In forward-facing mode, the 65-pound, 49” limits are standard, but the 17” top harness position is on the lower end. For many kids, this will cause no issue, but for some it is just a little short to get them to booster-readiness.

The seat is outgrown if the harness straps are no longer even with or above the child’s shoulders, and this tends to happen in this seat before the height or weight limit is reached.

Clek Foonf Vehicle Fit

Despite its massive-looking size, the Clek Foonf isn’t entirely as large front-to-back as it might appear at first glance, especially when used on the more upright setting, which is allowed once a child reaches 22 pounds. The Foonf also sits up very high on the vehicle seat, which means that it often clears a hump on the back of a front vehicle seat better than other car seats might. It is by no means a compact car seat, but it can fit surprisingly well in some vehicles.

Height, Visibility, and Small Cars

One of the big downsides to the height of the seat is that it can have an impact on visibility, both from the rear and from the side that it is on. It also may not fit in some vehicles with lower ceilings, and in small cars in particular, it is notorious for head bonks as you’re moving the child in and out.

Shopping for a smaller vehicle? Here are the best car seats for small cars, from a CPST.

Non-Removable Headrests and Third Rows

In forward-facing mode, the Foonf does allow a gap behind the car seat created by protruding head restraints, so it can be a good candidate for seating positions in which they are not removable. This, along with its shorter seat length, can often make it a workable (low profile) option for third rows with limited legroom.

Clek Foonf Rigid LATCH and the 35-Pound Rule

One of the major selling points of the Foonf is its rigid LATCH system for forward-facing use. This is an additional energy management feature, and also an ease-of-use feature for installation.

However, once a child reaches 35 pounds, you must add the seat belt to the installation to continue using the rigid LATCH. For most car seats, this is strictly prohibited by the manufacturer, but it is a hallmark of the Foonf.

Unfortunately, some vehicle manuals specify that they do not allow a car seat to be installed this way, so check your vehicle manual prior to purchase if you’re considering this seat! You can still safely install the seat with just the seat belt, but you may want to consider the Foonf’s sibling seat, the Clek Fllo, instead in this case.

Clek Foonf Installation

Rear-Facing Installation

In rear-facing mode, there are no especially helpful features for installation, though the built-in lock-offs do help keep the installation secure. Unlike most seats in which you lift the padding out of the way, the entire seat pad gets removed, leaving a very open belt path with excellent visibility and room to work.

Because the lower anchor weight limit for rear-facing is just 25 pounds, it almost always makes sense to use a seat belt installation from the start. The hardest part about the installation is keeping the seat from tilting to one side while tensioning the seat belt and closing the lock-offs, because the base is so tall and it tends to want to dig its corner in on the buckle side.

Forward-Facing Installation

If you’re using the seat belt and lower anchors together, I recommend routing and loosely buckling the seat belt before pushing the car seat towards the back of the vehicle seat along the rigid LATCH attachments. It’s not exactly easy to route the seat belt through the belt path, and it’s much more difficult when you have less space to work with. Aside from this little hurdle, you have a guaranteed tight installation with this method.

If you’re using just the seat belt, the built-in lock-off helps make easier work of the process of achieving a tight installation.

Clek Foonf Fabrics and Comfort

The Foonf got a recent upgrade, and now its chemical flame retardant-free fabrics also zip on and off for easy removal and replacement for cleaning! They have a high-end, tailored look, and come in several neutrals and a couple of almost-colors. Clek used to be known for its bright colors and even fun collab prints, but alas, it’s in with the neutrals like everyone else now!

The Clek Foonf is noticeably lacking in padding, which may seem like a turnoff, but fluffier doesn’t always mean comfier. The wide open, flat seating area gives kids plenty of room to situate their legs however they like, and as an “L”-shaped car seat, it has been known to be a problem-solver for kids who don’t like “C”-shaped seats.

The anti-rebound bar places the seat several inches away from the vehicle seatback, providing extra legroom, and the low sides also make it easy for kids to hang their legs over the edge. This is especially helpful if one of your motivations for this seat is extended rear-facing.

Another unique and flexible feature of the Foonf is the adjustable crotch buckle. There are two positions and two different lengths, which can generally be mixed and matched for best fit. I found that the extra length was especially helpful for a comfortable fit with cloth diapers.

Clek Foonf Accessories

In line with the model of a separate infant insert for only those who need it, Clek also sells several separate accessories so you can customize your Foonf to your liking:

• Cup holders
• Mats for your vehicle seat
• A waterproof insert, which has the added benefit of keeping the crotch buckle forward in the seat for easy loading
• A rear-facing tether, which is an additional energy management feature

Clek Foonf vs. Fllo: What’s the Difference?

One of the biggest questions people have when talking about the Foonf is what the difference is between it and the Clek Fllo. The biggest one is that the Fllo doesn’t have the rigid LATCH system. Because of this, it is lighter and sits lower on the vehicle seat. Sometimes it also fits better or worse front-to-back, depending on the vehicle.

There are pros and cons to each, and I personally have two of each that have been shuffled throughout my children and their different modes of use and different vehicles over the last 7 years, with a significant preference for one or the other depending on the situation.

Is the Clek Foonf Worth It?

What was once “the really expensive car seat” has now been surpassed by many in price, but the Clek Foonf has maintained its standing as a high-end option that still offers something out of the ordinary. Rigid LATCH, a slim width, a 50-pound rear-facing limit, an anti-rebound bar, and chemical flame retardant-free fabrics are still a pretty unique package.

I’ll admit that Clek convertibles are not for everyone, but they’ve been my primary car seats over the last 7 years, and I’m happy to return to my tried-and-true every time.

Still weighing your options? Browse more of our convertible car seat reviews.

Clek Foonf FAQs

How much does the Clek Foonf weigh?

The Clek Foonf weighs 38 pounds, so it’s not the seat to choose if you want something lightweight.

How wide is the Clek Foonf?

The Foonf is 16.9 inches wide, which makes it a good option if you need a slim seat.

Can a newborn use the Clek Foonf?

Only with the Infant Thingy, the separately sold infant insert, which lets you start using the seat at 5 pounds and 19 inches. Without it, a child must be at least 14 pounds, 25 inches, and able to sit up independently.

What are the Clek Foonf rear-facing limits?

The Foonf can be used rear-facing from 14–50 pounds and 25–43 inches, or until there’s no longer at least 1 inch between the top of the child’s head and the top of the headrest. Because the headrest adjusts separately from the harness, kids aren’t likely to outgrow it by the 1-inch rule.

When do you have to add the seat belt to a Clek Foonf rigid LATCH installation?

Once your child reaches 35 pounds forward-facing, you must add the seat belt to keep using the rigid LATCH. Some vehicle manuals don’t allow a car seat to be installed this way, so check yours before you buy.

Does the Clek Foonf fit in small cars?

It can. It isn’t as large front-to-back as it looks, but it sits very high, which can affect visibility and lead to head bonks in small cars with lower ceilings.

What’s the difference between the Clek Foonf and Fllo?

The biggest difference is that the Fllo doesn’t have rigid LATCH. That makes the Fllo lighter and lets it sit lower on the vehicle seat, and front-to-back fit can be better or worse depending on the vehicle.

When does the Clek Foonf expire?

The Foonf has a 9-year expiration date.