... so what exactly IS the FOONF?

The people at Clek are doing a marvelous job keeping all of us at the seat's edge!

Clek introduced their newest line of car seats at the ABC show with this placard:

WTF?! (What's the Foonf?)

Clek’s goal is to make the safest convertible seat on the market. They have a patented energy absorbing crumple system in the base to significantly reduce chest forces on the occupant. The very impressive base is re-inforced with Magnesium, like the Oobr, and also offers rigid LATCH for forward facing use. The frame is steel re-inforced throughout. The Foonf will appear at Clek flagship retailers as early as June, 2012, possibly appearing in Canada slightly before or at the same time as USA retailers, depending on how the initial shipment is processed. Other retail outlets will be later in the summer. The price point for both countries is estimated to be around $449 for standard fabrics, $499 for premium fabrics. You do get a lot for the price! Rear-facing, the Foonf installs with premium IMMI/SafeGuard flexible LATCH attachments with adjusters on each side. You can also install with a seatbelt of course, using built in lockoffs. The Foonf will not be rated for newborns, having an estimated minimum age of 6 months and minimum weight of 15 pounds. The bottom harness slot is around 10 inches torso height. The click-on recline wedge for rear-facing will provide a recline of at least 35 degrees in a worst-case vehicle scenario and will be more upright than 45 degrees in some vehicles. The integrated head restraint is very similar to the one on the Oobr and is structurally re-inforced. That means a very generous height limit al the way to the maximum adjustment! We measured about 27″ of seated Torso height (to one inch below the top) at the maximum adjustment on the prototype and were told there would be one higher adjustment on the final version. The Foonf will probably be rated to 40 pounds rear-facing. There is a padded, clip-on anti-rebound bar system for use rear-facing. We love rigid LATCH, and the Foonf offers this great feature when front-facing. It can be used to 48 pounds, possibly higher if future testing allows for it. There are 5 harness strap slots that go up to about 17.5″ tall on the prototype. Harness system components are also provided by IMMI/SafeGuard. It will be rated to 65 or 70 pounds forward facing. There are two crotch buckle positions, about 6″ and 7.5″. The seat is tall, but relatively narrow for 3-across possibilities. It measures 17″ maximum external to the dual-layer energy absorbing side impact protection both in the torso and head restraint. Inside width was about 11-12″ at the torso wings that flare outward for more room, relatively wide given the narrow external dimensions. There are very nice built-in lockoffs for front facing, too, and a separate closed belt path to keep seatbelt components from being uncomfortable to a child. There is a great front recline adjustment, 1 for Rear Facing, 2 for Front Facing. The seat itself will weigh about 30 pounds and is very impressive in terms of safety. The base itself is a novel of technology, with an innovative crushable metal honeycomb insert to crumple and manage energy dissipation in a crash. The steel bars in the frame are also very sturdy. There’s no question this is a very solid child restraint in the heritage of the Oobr booster! Aside from safety, fashion is a guarantee with all the same fabrics that will be available on the Oobr. There will be a comfort insert and cupholders, too, though we did not get to see those. With the solid construction, a 9-year expiration should be no surprise! Like all Clek products, it will be 100% recyclable! Click here to preorder the Clek Car Seat