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Canada-based Clek is a newcomer to the world of infant products, launching in 2012 with the Clek Foonf. They are a company based on the idea that car seats should employ the latest and greatest safety technologies from around the world, using innovative materials and car seat innovations from around the world. For that reason, Clek car seats are considered some of the safest in the world, with exceptional crash test results that far exceed current requirements and standards.
The Clek Foonf was an immediate hit, but it's also an extremely heavy car seat. In an effort to make a lighter, more affordable car seat, the company introduced the Clek Fllo.
Who is the Clek Fllo most suitable for?
The Clek Fllo is an exceptionally safe convertible car seat, designed with advanced technologies and subjected to safety testing that far exceeds federal standards. It is also exceptionally slim, at just 17 inches, making it small enough to fit 3 across in most vehicles.
It is not, however, a convenient car seat. Both parents and the NHTSA find it difficult to install. It has a lot of fussy little pieces for assembly and cleaning.
The car seat has to be completely removed from the vehicle in order to adjust the harness. And the advanced moisture-resisting fabrics, where liquids just bead up and roll off the surface, cause liquids to bead up and slide down into the buckle slot and beneath the seat cushion, into the mechanism of the car seat. This is very frustrating for parents if a child has an accident and pees in the car seat, or if a child spills fragrant, sticky drinks down their lap, because it is extremely difficult to clean out.
Even though the Fllo is already an expensive car seat, Clek also sells a number of high-priced accessories that are included for free with other car seats. The Clek newborn insert pillow that would allow parents to use the Fllo with infants from 5 – 14 pounds, costs over $40. The cupholder costs nearly $20. And Clek doesn't make or sell a car seat cover that would prevent liquids from spilling down inside the seat.
These are not trivial drawbacks, considering that there are a number of other convertible car seats that are also extremely safe, more convenient and easy to use, and are more affordable as well. We love the exceptional safety of Clek car seats, but hope that the next generation is easier to use and easier to clean.
Pros and Cons of Clek Fllo
Pros
Cons
Overview of Clek Fllo
The Clek Fllo is a convertible car seat that can fit children from 14 – 65 pounds, or from 5 – 65 pounds with the optional purchase of an infant insert. It has incredible safety features, including an anti-rebound bar, an adjustable protective headrest, an automotive-style crumple zone, and layers of energy-absorbing foam. And it's just 17 inches wide, slim enough to fit 3-across in most vehicles.
Safety
What are this model’s NHTSA ratings? Every car seat sold in the United States must meet strict federal safety and crash test standards, so the NHTSA does not rate car seats for safety. Instead, the NHTSA provides ratings for overall usability.
The Clek Fllo has earned (for the rear-facing installation):
The Clek Fllo also has an overall NHTSA rating of 3/5 stars in the forward-facing position, for different reasons.
- Side impact protection? Yes
- Energy-absorbing base? Energy absorbing foam
- Metal frame? Yes
Longevity
Ease of Use
Ease of Installation
Comfort and Quality
Video Overview of Clek Fllo
Clek Fllo Specs
FEATURE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
Rear-facing height limit | 25 – 43 inches |
Rear-facing weight limit | 14 – 50 pounds |
Rear-facing age | Able to sit upright alone |
Forward-facing height limit | 30 – 49 inches |
Forward-facing weight limit | 22 – 65 pounds |
Forward facing age | 2+ years |
Car seat weight | 25 pounds |
Car seat dimensions: rear-facing and reclined: | 23.5" high x 32.5" deep x 16.9" wide |
Car seat dimensions: forward-facing | up to 31" high x 29" deep x 176.9" wide |
Car seat lifespan | 9 years |
Clek Fllo Features
FEATURE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
Safety features | |
Ease of use | |
Longevity features | |
Quality and comfort features |
What is included with the Clek Fllo?
The Clek Fllo comes with an anti-rebound bar that is recommended for use in rear-facing installation. The most popular accessory for the Clek Fllo is the Infant-thingy insert, which allows you to use the Fllo with infants from 5-14 pounds. You may also want to consider the Drink-thingy, a cupholder that can be attached to either side of the Fllo car seat.
Clek Fllo Installation
The Clek Fllo is a fairly complex car seat to install, and there are several YouTube videos that can be helpful to review.
This video shows the unboxing of the Fllo, which is useful because the car seat requires some assembly before use:
This video shows how to install the anti-rebound bar on the Foonf model, but installation is very similar on the Fllo:
This video shows rear-facing and forward-facing installation, with both LATCH and vehicle belts:
Clek has themselves produced a number of videos as a companion to the owner's manual, so they offer short, step-by-step instructions for specific tasks. The best way to navigate these videos is not on YouTube, but through the Clek website here: Fllo Installation Videos and Manuals
Clek Fllo Manual
The Clek Fllo owner's manual for car seats manufactured in 2018 and 2019 can be found here:
Clek Fllo vs. Clek Foonf convertible car seat
The Foonf is Clek's original and most famous car seat, and the first car seat to use pioneering automotive safety features like honeycomb crumple zones, along with car seat safety technologies used in Europe, like mandatory anti-rebound bars. The Clek Fllo was launched a few years later, as a lighter alternative with a more approachable price tag.
Both car seats offer high-tech safety features, advanced fabrics, and a slim footprint, at just 17 inches wide. They are both backed by Clek's excellent warranty and recycling program, and all Clek carseats pass stricter European crash tests as well as the North American standards. They both fit children in the exact same height and weight ranges, which means the differences can be summed up in two categories:
Installation
The Clek Foonf has a European-style Rigid LATCH installation system, using steel connectors built into the seat, rather than the flexible belt systems of American LATCH systems. This makes the car seat more integrated with the vehicle, preventing rotation and more effectively channeling impact energy.
It also makes the car seat easier to install (although many parents find both of these car seats difficult to install, and it's a common complaint about Clek cars eats). The Clek Fllo has a traditional, flexible LATCH installation system.
Construction
The Foonf has an integrated base, that gives the car seat two rear-facing recline angles and one forward-facing recline angle. The Fllo has a flip-out foot that sets a single angle for the seat in both installation modes. The Foonf requires the anti-rebound bar in the rear-facing installation, while it is optional on the Fllo. This means that the Foonf, with its steel attachment system, reclining base, and mandatory anti-rebound bar, weighs a whopping 33 pounds (38 pounds with the anti-rebound bar installed), while the Fllo weighs 25 (or 28 with the optional bar installed).
Both car seats are tested at levels that exceed federal safety standards, and are considered to be among the very safest car seats available. By its very nature as a heavier car seat with steel attachments, the Foonf performs better on crash tests, but only by 5-10%, and the Fllo still performs very well on these tests.
Since both car seats are rated for children of the exact same size and weight, both are extremely safe, and both have very similar advantages and drawbacks, the Fllo, at 8 pounds lighter and offered at a more affordable price, seems like the natural choice.
Video Comparison of Clek Foonf vs. Clek Fllo
Conclusion
For parents who want the best, most cutting-edge safety technology in a convertible car seat with a narrow width, the Clek Fllo is a great car seat.
For such parents, the ease-of-use features like limited recline, difficulty in installation, and difficulty in cleaning, may be a fair trade-off for the peace of mind knowing that they have one of the safest car seats in the world.
Clek Fllo (click image for more info)
For other parents, the fussy parts, expensive accessories, and inconvenient use may not be worth it in a car seat at this price. In any case, we love the innovative and sustainable design philosophy at Clek, and can't wait to see what they launch next.
With two kids of my own, I’m passionate about child safety! I’m a research nerd who’s on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids – starting with car seats!
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