Foonf safer?

Kel

Well-known member
I know all carseats pass the safety tests.

But...are any of you buying the Foonf because you think it "might" be safer? I like what Ive heard and seen so far, It just seems so much $$$$. I'm not sure I even like it, I think putting a toddler in it will be a pain. I like the colors though.

My RN'S work fine in my van, so no need to switch. But I feel a little guilty not switching if theres even a small chance that they are the safer choice. KWIM?

Kel
 
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canadiangie

New member
I won't be buying one because it's safer.

I'll be buying one because I'm betting it's going to install like a dream in both of my vehicles, and keep my dd rf until age 4+. :)
 

bnsnyde

New member
I have Radians too and I keep thinking maybe a Foonf would be a good idea. Well, not the older two kids b/c they will need the Frontier height eventually so might as well go with that.

As for ease of use, we would not use latch and maybe never even use it FF.

So I don't have enough information.

I think it looks like a cool seat, but I'd need evidence of passing side-impact to European testing, etc., just a reason or two...
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
I might buy one eventually for FF, if (and only if) I get to a point where I'll be using LATCH for an install.

I'm quite happy with my Radians for RF, but the ease of installation with LATCH for FF is tempting. At the moment, we only have one car that's LATCH equipped and DD rides in the center position where there's no LATCH anyway so that feature would be useless to me. In a couple of years, though, maybe. And I'm impressed with the crumple zone technology for FF kiddos.

It seems too hard to load/unload for RF, however, and I don't see any real advantage to it over a Radian for RF.
 

Kel

Well-known member
Can someone explain what the crumple zone does different or better than say a FR85?
Thanks Kel
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
They say it absorbs crash forces so there is less force applied to the child in an accident. And it's designed to work in FF mode, not RF. They set out to design a great FF seat, and then found a way to make it work RF also, and IMO it shows. Not that it's a bad RF seat (certainly a contender) but it doesn't pull out far enough ahead of the competition to warrant the price for RF, IMO.

Their website explains the crumple zone technology at least as well as I ever could: http://clekinc.com/foonf/
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I will not buy one because of the price tag. I think it's hideous as well. :eek:

I'm content with my Radian and Nautilus safety wise.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
They set out to design a great FF seat, and then found a way to make it work RF also, and IMO it shows. Not that it's a bad RF seat (certainly a contender) but it doesn't pull out far enough ahead of the competition to warrant the price for RF, IMO.

Their website explains the crumple zone technology at least as well as I ever could: http://clekinc.com/foonf/

no, they bought the patents to a great ff concept and found a way to make it work as a convertible. ;) Clek didn't develop the crumple zone, but the guy who did made if ff only- not even a combo.

see here - http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2061473&postcount=191 :)
 

hope41more

New member
I saw the foonf today. The rep installed it and met with me. She said in their crash tests they put it in an outboard position and side impacted it with a force equal to a Mack truck- her words- and the seat kept baby UNHARMED due to the magnesium body. I called her a liar :blush: who was just trying to sell seats, but she said the crash data will be released and show its strength That makes my plastic and styrofoam symphony look cheap, and I'm sold.
 

luckyclov

New member
Yes, clek will be making their crash test results public.

I'm still not sure if I will be a member of the Foonf club or not. It's not exactly what I would call easy to get my toddler in and out of...and when I had it in my vehicle, he wouldn't keep his hands off my second row climate/air controls, which are located on the ceiling above the door. Those are pretty big negatives to me, but I want the seat...

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Moot for me, but if I had a kid who'd fit in it, I don't think I would rush to replace a seat I was otherwise happy with. If I needed a new seat, it would certainly be a contender, though the price tag would be firmly on the CON side of the list.
 

jeminijad

New member
I am in the minority here in that I would buy a seat that I perceived to be safer. Actually, it drives me nuts when posters, including techs say "all seats are equally safe," because that is not necessarily true. I guess "all seats pass a minimum standard and we don't know which are safer" isn't as reassuring.

Anyhow... as of right now, I don't plan on a Foonf, but I do hope that maybe we are heading in the direction of releasing crash testing info. Although that then opens up a can of worms with laypersons & journalists interpreting things incorrectly, like happens with medical study data.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I never say that all seats are equally safe. What I will say is that they all pass the same testing, and we don't know if one is safer than another. Saying that a seat is "safer" also assumes that seats perform equally in all scenarios. What if whatever makes the foonf great in a side-impact makes it worse in a frontal? What if a seat that performs great on a test sled performs horribly in a Mazda?

That said, yes I do PERCEIVE some seats as safer than others, and there are some I won't use because they don't FEEL safe, but I realize I could be totally off-base.
 

Kel

Well-known member
This is what I mean, It sounds safer. That where the guilt come in.

I have 6kids. DS4 just turned 2 this mo. I was planning on RF until at least 3 in the RN, then switching him to his FR85. I got a deal on one so bought it early.

DD2 is only 2mo. Shes in a Maxi Cosi Mico. I have a RN put for her in primrose, another great deal.

Now I don't know....I'm having doubts.

Kel
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
I was already planning on getting one because we need a second convertible anyway, so why not the Foonf?!? And now that I am having a 5th baby I will have to turn my son ff at 2 and I will feel better about him ff in the Foonf than any other seat.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org
 

oxeye

New member
I'm getting one for a variety of reasons -

1: DS will outgrow his Marathon 70 (his primary seat) RF by height very shortly. His weight isn't that far behind. He is about 37 pounds now.

2: I've had Radians in the past, and do not like the install in the second row in my Sienna, which is where he rides. I'm not a huge fan of the angle adjuster as a fix for that.

3: I do have a Multi-Tech as his seat in our second car, but I dislike this as a day-to-day seat for a variety of reasons.

So .... Foonf it is. Apparently I am hard to please when to comes to carseats! Notice that none of these reasons is that I believe it is safer than any other seat on the market. It should just work best for my needs at this time, which is a US RF seat that fits a kid heavier than 40 pounds.
 
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amyd

New member
I'm getting one cause (in no particular order): the name is cool, it has a monkey on it, and Clek is a Canadian company. I don't think it's safer than the Radian J is riding in right now, but it's new and different and I want one:cool:
 

hrice

New member
DaniCPST said:
I was already planning on getting one because we need a second convertible anyway, so why not the Foonf?!? And now that I am having a 5th baby I will have to turn my son ff at 2 and I will feel better about him ff in the Foonf than any other seat.

Sent from my iPad using Car-Seat.Org

How did I miss that?! Congratulations!

And why can't Brecken still RF? You've got a Yukon girl!
 

creideamh

Well-known member
I'm getting one because I hate my Radians, not because I think it's SO MUCH safer. And I have the money to spend after selling my extra/unused seats.
 

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