Hellobee Boards

We have 2 Clek Foonfs:

Cons:
Monster seat (although it is only 17" at its widest, but it's tall)

Confusing install instructions

Pros:
Steel and magnesium substructure.

Has what Clek calls “REACT,” (“Rapid Energy Absorbing Crumple Technology) which is much like the way that cars are designed to crumple to diminish the impact of a collision (the Foonf utilizes a honeycomb of aluminum fibers that crumple to reduce collision forces by up to 40 percent

Deep wings on the sides of the headrest protect the noggin during side-impact collisions

The upholstery is thick and cleans up easily, and there’s plenty of padding

Rear-facing until your LO weighs 50 pounds and measures 43 inches in height

@allison: My LO puked in the car 2 weeks ago. So, I can attest to the fact that the Foonf fabric cleans up easily/well!

ETA: And I agree about the install . . . no hard to do, but the instructions are just all over the place (referring you to other pages constantly!).

@Periwinkle: I don't have any of the 3 you mentioned, but I refer you to the thread called "why britax convertibles" because the ladies are there are comparing Britax seats and radian seats too.

Pssst, I recommend reading this, which profiles all those seats. I may or may not be very close to the freelancer who wrote it.

http://www.consumersearch.com/car-seats

I think the Foonf's straps are really easy to adjust! Just like my infant seat. I'd read that the Radian straps are harder to adjust, and that turned me off.

Definitely not Foonf or Radian if you're looking for something lightweight. Probably not a Britax, either! Is weight an issue? Will you be moving the seat often?

How old is your lo? Just to get an idea b/c P is 18mth and only 30" so we know she'll get a lot of use of just about any seat. If your lo is around/under a year old & already 28" I wouldn't recommend the Britax just because they have a low rf limit.. you'd ultimately have to get another seat to continue rf to the NHTSA recommendation through the 3rd year. We currently have a Combi but b/c of it's low rf limits we'll have to upgrade in the future ourselves.

The Radian, Nextfit, Foonf, & Graco MySize are all great high limit seats. Foonf & Radian are narrower seats so they're good if you'll have another lo before this one is out of it's seat without losing your whole backseat.

Here's some of the pro/con info on them from CSFTL

Diono Radian R120:
Stats: $220 , rear facing to 45 lbs, 44”, head 1.5” from the top of the 25” shell. Forward facing to 80 lbs, with 17.5” top harness slots, Expiration is 8 years harness mode, 10 years booster mode.
Pros: Narrow, low profile makes it great for 3-across situations, high rear facing weight limit, push button LATCH connectors, allows for tethering rear facing.
Cons: Can be difficult to install, often requires the angle adjuster to avoid taking up a large amount of front to back space. Booster mode isn’t very functional because of the 50 lb minimum and the short belt guides, it will be outgrown at the same time as the harness function.

Graco Size4Me/MySize/Headwise:
Stats: $180, rear facing to 40 lbs / head to 1” from the 28” red adjuster. Forward facing to 70 lbs with 17.5” top harness slots, 7 year expiration.
Pros: Tallest available rear facing seat, easy to install, no re-thread harness, recline for forward facing mode, fits average sized newborns.
Cons: Some parents have experienced issues with tightening and loosening the harness properly.

Chicco Nextfit:
Stats: $250, rear facing to 40 lbs / head 1” from the top of the 26” fully extended headrest. Forward facing to 65 lbs with 17.5” top harness slots, 8 year expiration.
Pros: Easy to install, has seat belt lockoffs, push button LATCH connectors, no re-thread harness.
Cons: Large strap covers that are required are sometimes uncomfortable.

Clek Foonf:
Stats: $400, rear facing to 50 lbs, 43”, head 1” from the top of the fully extended 26” headrest. Forward facing to 65 lbs with 17” top harness slots, 9 year expiration.
Pros: Highest rear facing weight limit available, narrow, has magnets to hold the harness straps out of the way when buckling the child, water-resistant fabric, rigid LATCH connectors for forward facing, narrow enough for 3-across, anti rebound bar.
Cons: Sits very high up in the vehicle, can be difficult to assemble, crotch buckle is uncomfortable for some kids, high price.
CSFTL Foonf Review: http://csftl.org/foonf-world-problems

You can also join the group & get more recommendations from the techs that are familiar with installations in your specific car.

@MsLipGloss: Is the Foonf a carseat for infants as well as older babies? (Clearly I am planning ahead here....)

@MrsMcD: I just saw this, but I would definitely NOT put an infant in the Foonf! I didn't switch my LO until he could sit up unassisted. It doesn't recline to 45 degrees (the most recline I could get in my Jeep Liberty was 50 degrees) and the headwings push the head forward a bit so you get head slump when they're sleeping. Not safe for an infant, for sure.