Clek Olli

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Magna Clek Olli Backless Booster

olli.jpg


Vehicle belts are designed to fit an average 160 lbs. man, not your average 4-10 year old child. That's why we have booster seats. A booster seat, like the Clek Olli, raises the child up so that the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt falls across the bony hips, not the soft, easily injured abdomen. Booster seats should always be used with a lap/shoulder seat belt.

Who should use this seat?

The Olli is recommended for children 40-100 lbs. and 40-57” tall. A child 40” tall is small to be in a backless booster and should still be harnessed. I recommend harnessing for as long as possible when a child is on the smaller end of the spectrum, especially since s/he is likely to be younger.


Assembly and Installation

Assembly? Pull it out of the box!

The Olli didn’t fail in its promise to easily LATCH right onto the LATCH anchors. I had more trouble keeping the fabric flap covering the lower LATCH anchors on my van’s captain’s chair out of the way than I had attaching the Olli’s LATCH connectors to the LATCH anchors. Disconnecting the seat was equally easy with a quick pull of the release strap on the front bottom of the seat and pulling the Olli forward at the same time. The Olli also installed very easily in my other vehicle, a Lexus in which the lower LATCH anchors are difficult to access.


Fit

When *I* sat in the seat, I fit comfortably and I’m comfortably over the 100 lbs. weight limit. Because of its rectangular shape that doesn’t angle toward the back, I think it will fit larger bums quite easily where other boosters with more angled designs can’t. I buckled the seat belt and was able to easily fit the belt under the armrests. When I tried the same thing with my son’s Graco AirBooster, I barely fit and it was difficult to buckle the seat belt. I did find the length of the booster to be short; my thighs felt cut in half. Enough about me! How does my 8 yr old son like it? He really likes it a lot! He says it has great padding and likes the armrests. It’s easy to buckle and he loves that he doesn’t have to buckle the Olli in when he gets out of it when I drop him off at school (loose boosters are projectiles in crashes). He clearly doesn’t have the best leg support (pictures comparing his legs to his 5 yr old sister’s legs to follow), but he says he’s not uncomfortable. Quite the contrary: he claims it’s his most comfortable booster.


Cover and Instruction Manual

The cover, called a jacket, is machine washable and there are several from which to choose. The jacket is attached with Velcro and easy to remove. The camouflage we have is soft and comfortable. The manual is clear, easy to read, and includes a LATCH availability chart for model year 2001-2002 vehicles since LATCH wasn’t yet fully standard in those vehicles.


The Not-So-Good

My two biggest concerns with the Olli are the lack of thigh support because of the short seat and the release strap on the front of the seat. For curious children, the release strap could pose an irresistible challenge and it’s just easy enough to release the LATCH connectors that a parent might not know a child has done it. My son is one of those kids who would pull a strap just because it’s there, so I tucked the release strap under the seat, but I’m afraid it might come back out given the way he bounces onto the seat when he gets into it.


The Final Word

My son and I are really enjoying our new booster. Yes, I’m a car seat geek and I feed off new seats ;). But, he’s becoming a car seat connoisseur too and appreciates quality when he feels it. The Clek Olli is made of EPS foam, which makes it very lightweight to carry, yet it’s a sturdy booster. The armrests are high enough to actually be comfortable for my son and he sits better in the Olli than he does in any other booster. Overall, it’s been a great seat for us.


Summary

So, here’s the summary you’ve been waiting for:

Pros:
installs with rigid LATCH
40-100 lbs.
tall armrests
padding
lightweight
different jackets from which to choose

Cons:
no cupholder
short seat (measures 12.5” wide by 13” deep)
release strap on front of seat
it’s expensive
 

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murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
You know, I've got to get one of those SideRiders ;). Julie would be a better person to ask about that. There's a pocket on the right side of the seat for "stuff," but it's pretty flat and maybe good for a McD's character toy. The other side might work for one.
 

bethng

Active member
Are these available online only or is there a place I can check one out in person and see how my 10yo fits? Too much money to just buy one and chance it.
 

amjbmommy

New member
Are these available online only or is there a place I can check one out in person and see how my 10yo fits? Too much money to just buy one and chance it.
I was on the clek website and you can put in your zip code and it gives you stores in your area that carry them. I did order mine online though (from Amazon) but I found out after the fact Target.com as well as Walmart.com carries them (so returns could be done in store) We LOVE ours btw :D
 

clek

New member
Thanks for the great review. I wanted to address a couple of your points in the cons section.
- cargo-thingy. The cargo pocket can fit just about anything. Any drink in a spill proof container should fit perfectly. I can easily fit my fist in the pocket with room to spare.
- thigh support/seat depth. This is on purpose. The deeper you make your seat the more likely it is for smaller kids to slouch. The foam pad on olli wraps over the front edge of the seat. This allows us to create a short seat that is still comfortable. olli provides enough support for even the longest trips.
- release strap. olli can be released two ways: with the quick release strap or by pressing the red button on each of the latch connectors. It takes about 10 pounds of pull force on the quick release to unlatch the seat. If you're worried about the quick release being pulled you can tuck the strap inside the cover and release the seat using the buttons. I have had people ask about this before they buy, but I have had no complaints from owners.
- price. Yes, it is expensive. We set out to build the best seat possible with no compromises. Although we are more expensive than most, I truly believe that it is worth the price and a good value.

Thank you again for the great review.
 

sirrahn

Active member
- cargo-thingy. The cargo pocket can fit just about anything. Any drink in a spill proof container should fit perfectly. I can easily fit my fist in the pocket with room to spare.
-

:thumbsup:Yes, I can attest that it does hold a cup very well. I didn't think it would either, but it does. My 10 yr old usually uses the cup holder in the van door, but we tuck my 3 yr old's Funtainer in his Olli all the time and he hands it to her. She has a siderider, but I'm not overly thrilled with it....her cup always tips back and then she can't reach it.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Great review! I am almost finished with a review I am doing on another model and will compose some comments about the Olli. I will probably piggy back my review into this thread and just add comments, since it will be nearly identical.

In brief, I love rigid LATCH. It's easy, it's convenient, and it may add safety (especially in side impacts), too. My DD loves the Olli. It's one of the only seats we've tried that doesn't yet give her a headache (i.e. motion sickness) the moment we start moving..
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Thanks for the feedback, Michael. You're right about a fist fitting in the cargo-thingy. I don't know why I didn't try it before, but I did after I read your post--my fist does fit easily in it. A sippy cup or similar would fit well in it.
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
Are these available online only or is there a place I can check one out in person and see how my 10yo fits? Too much money to just buy one and chance it.

They have them at Seigal's. Do you ever get to Oregon? I will be up in WA tommorrow. I just happen to have one in my car!
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
can you tell us how tall the seat portion is, please????

I'm trying to find out to compare to the Monterey's thickness for when Ruthie outgrows the Nautilus.
 

MustangMama

Active member
I saw this seat today and was very impressed by it!

A couple questions:

1. Can the LATCH be taken off and seat used with just a seat belt?

2. Is the distance from one LATCH anchor to another in every car the same? I just can't imagine how this seat would be "universal" and work in every single car.

TIA!
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Using the Olli with LATCH is optional and it may be used with the seatbelt only. All dedicated sets of lower LATCH anchors in vehicles have standard spacing of 11 inches apart. Due to its rigid LATCH design, if it's used with LATCH, the Olli would need to be installed in a lower LATCH anchor seating position with standard spacing.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
The LATCH doesn't come off or retract, but in most cars it can be stuck down into the seat bight if you don't have LATCH. It's still really stable and fits in the car well :thumbsup:
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
From page 21 of the Olli manual:
Installing Booster Seat in Vehicle without using LATCH connectors
Step 1.
Select a forward facing vehicle position which has a lap and shoulder belt. Position the booster seat firmly against seat back with LATCH connectors tucked into the crease between the seat back and seat cushion.
There is no step 2. ;)

The Olli isn't compatible with the center seating position in the 3rd row of my Honda Odyssey, if there's a seat installed in the passenger-side outboard position, because the LATCH anchors aren't centered, and the outboard seat pushes the Olli over so that the LATCH connector on the right side of the seat hits the hinge on the 40/60 split of the vehicle seat.

Also, the front seat of my Ody is contoured in a way that the LATCH connectors don't go into the bight, but it seems to fit OK, otherwise. While I wouldn't use the front seating position if I didn't have to, I would use the Olli in that seating position if the child fit well.
 

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