What the Foonf? And Why You Need One

When I originally set out to buy a convertible car seat for my very tall baby (she was 98% for height at 6 months and rapidly outgrowing her infant seat), I knew very little about the height limits on car seats, how old the typical child is when they hit those limits (since height limits are often hit more quickly than the much-advertised weight limits), or about the insane safety benefits of "extended rear facing".  The only thing on my radar was buying a seat with all of the available safety bells and whistles.  Thus, I happily bought a Britax Advocate and figured it would last me until I needed to move her into a high back booster (HBB).  Wrong!  When she was nearing 3, she was also nearing the top of her Advocate.  The easy solution would have been to flip her to forward facing, but I had since learned about the medical science advocating for children to be kept rear facing for as long as possible (4+ being ideal) and did not want to put a toddler lacking cervical ossification forward facing for the sake of saving the purchase price of a new car seat. Cue Search For A New Car Seat!

Armed with my new information, I set out to learn about the seats that have the tallest rear facing height limits and also have all of the latest safety innovations.  I first ordered a Diono seat, but it was a difficult install in my Prius and ate up nearly all of the front passenger legroom (even with its angle adjuster).  At the time, the Clek Foonf was the only other seat that would accommodate a very tall child rear facing until 4, so I ordered it and crossed my fingers.  I was not prepared for the love affair I would have with this seat!

When it arrived, I was shocked by its substantial weight (this is not a seat you're going to be switching from car to car and you're really only going to travel with it if you're a masochist or very strong).  It's not a scientific statement, but the heft of this seat makes you certain that it will do a great job of protecting your child in an accident.  I was also taken by its fabrics.  My daughter selected Snowberry, which is a vibrant pink with a faint purple undertone.  Like most of the Foonf options, this is one of Clek's Crypton fabrics that resist stains and spills.  It is also a Green Guard Certified fabric. It also shockingly provides the most legroom for the front passengers of any seat I've used! The install was also very easy (I dare say the belt install is even easier than the LATCH rear-facing) and the forward-facing rigid LATCH could not be simpler. Add all of these points to the fact that it will allow for THREE car seats to be installed in the same row, and you can understand why this seat is a winner

Fastforward to 3 years later and we now own THREE Foonfs! I still love this seat for its safety features, comfort for my kids, tall height limit (my oldest did not flip to forward-facing until after age 4 and my 3 year, 3 month old is still happily rear-facing), and even for its fun factor. My kids love the Foonf, too. The seat is a large investment, but I would happily shell out again for one. The Foonf is worth every penny!

If you simply can't stomach the price of the Foonf, Clek now makes the Fllo at a lower price point with very similar safety features. It is a wonderful option as well!