Among a sea of options, the Clek line of car seats and boosters truly shines. Ever since discovering the Clek Foonf car seat, I’ve been enamored with how well Clek products are designed – in terms of safety, comfort, ease of installation and aesthetics. Both parents and kids love them! Now that my daughter is in Kindergarten, we’re excited to learn about Clek’s line of boosters, including the Oobr, a Full-Back Booster that can convert to a Backless Booster, and the Olli, a highly portable Backless Booster.
To ease my daughter out of her car seat, I started with the Oobr in Full-Back mode. In this mode, the booster accommodates kids aged 4 and up that stand between 38-57 inches and weigh 33-100 pounds. It provides front, rear and side impact protection with a metal substructure and a padded headrest. While this substantial frame does add weight, it gives me reassurance that my child will be well protected in the event of an accident – my number one concern in choosing a booster. Additional safety features include belt guides that correctly position the shoulder and lap belts across my child and a rigid LATCH that makes it easy and foolproof to correctly install the seat in my car. In ensuring safety, the Oobr doesn’t skimp on comfort. Unlike other full-back boosters, it provides a recline option, allowing up to 12 degrees of tilt. The headrest can be adjusted to grow with a child, providing ample head protection while allowing enough room for wider shoulders. The seat is padded with energy absorbing polypropylene that helps minimize the feel of bumpy roads. All of this combines to make a booster that my child is actually happy to sit in – a factor not to be taken lightly given the older-aged, and correspondingly more opinionated, children who are required to remain in boosters.
When your child reaches 40 inches in height and 40 pounds in weight, you can convert the Oobr into a backless booster. In this mode, the Oobr is similar to the Olli, which is accessible at a similar height and weight but goes up to a 120-pound limit, compared to the Oobr’s 100-pound limit. Both models lift your child about 4 inches, so that your vehicle’s shoulder and lap belts rest where they should. The boosters are equipped with armrests as well as removable cup holders that come in handy for both drinks and small treasures.
Highly portable at 5 pounds, the Olli includes a carry strap that attaches via the LATCH connectors for easy transport. I can personally attest to what a great travel seat this is. During a recent trip, I traveled solo with my two kids and loved that I could simply throw the Olli over my shoulder, freeing my hands to deal with luggage and corralling kids through the airport. Once at my destination, I could quickly snap the booster into my parents’ car, and I was ready to go! Please note that the booster seats are not recommended for use on the airplane itself.
The rigid LATCH system makes both seats easy to install, with a reassuring click that confirms a successful connection. Should your car not have LATCH, you can also use a seat belt to secure the boosters. In Full-Back mode, the Oobr has an additional top tether for attaching to your vehicle’s top anchor. With such easy installation, it’s painless to transfer the boosters from car to car.
Like the Clek car seats, the Oobr and Olli attract a lot of admiration for their sleek, clean look and bright colors. While some parents might shy away from bright colors for car seats and boosters, leaning instead towards dark colors that mask stains, we’ve been very pleased to find how stain resistant the Clek fabric is. Should you face an especially messy spill, the bottom seat cover can be removed for easy hand washing or replacement. Clek has a great assortment of additional covers that you can choose from if you want to switch up the look of your booster. This can be especially nice, if you want to refresh the booster for a second child. All fabrics are free of chemical flame-retardants.
When your kids have graduated from the boosters, the seats can be recycled through Clek, so you don’t have to worry about how to responsibly dispose of them. Find out more about Clek’s recycling program and their fantastic line of products on the Clek website.
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