Is there any comfort padding in Flex Loc?

ZephyrBlue

New member
I just took the funky jungle print Flex Loc that I ordered from Walmart out of the box- it's SO cute (if you like bright green and orange and animals) and while I was really impressed w/the EPS foam in the headrest and along the back, there is NO comfort foam anywhere. The cover is really thin (way thinner than the Snug Ride and Companion we had) and there's nothing behind it but the plastic shell of the seat.

I think I'm going to return it and buy a different seat- I really really like the pattern, but wow, it feels uncomfortable. Wondering if the other Flex Loc seats are the same, or if this was the cheapy Wal Mart special?
 
ADS

Pixels

New member
I posted a pic of mine on the Naked Carseat Thread. No, no foam other than the EPS, no padding other than the cover. DD doesn't mind. She was crawling into the seat this morning on the living room floor. A couple of weeks ago we took a long drive (8+ hours one way, and back) and she slept through the whole way.

Oh, and mine's from Target ;)
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
oh, thanks melissa! hm, i wonder if the target cover is plusher? this is seriously really polyester-y and thin, oh my gosh thin.

do the plastic buckle tongues/tongs (what is it, anyway? tongues or tongs??) bother you? i was surprised to see that- figured they would be metal.
 

Pixels

New member
The cover seems fine to me. I don't have anything on hand to compare it to, though. It's definitely not just one or two thin layers of fabric, and it seems slightly quilted(?). It washes well, too.

No, I actually like that it's all plastic. Nothing gets hot enough to burn baby, even on the hottest summer days. Then again, last summer most of the time we took the carseat with us, so it didn't sit in the hot car anyway. But yeah, it's actually an adjusment that I'm having to go through now with the CS and RN, because the metal can/does get hot!

I don't worry about them being plastic vs metal safety-wise. They passed the test.
 

skylinphoto

New member
I have a flex loc.
I have the grey, suede like one from target.

There is NO padding. But, my dd doesn't mind at all. :)

I don't mind the plastic buckle things. Infact, I like how they have to interlock/puzzle together..because then there's no way to mess it up or not click it in all the way on accident. And it doesn't get hot like metal.
 

sirrahn

Active member
My BRU Latch-loc was the same 4 years ago. I'll just chime in with the others that my DD never seemed uncomfortable in it at all. She rode in it for 15 months.

I also really liked the buckle once I got the hang of it.
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
Well, it sounds like no babies have any problems w/the lack of padding! I was wondering what seats are cushier, but then again, I really like how narrow the FL is, and the non-rethreading harness/headrest thing is so neat. The buckle still weirds me out a bit, LOL, but I'm sure you get used to it.

Maybe I'll keep it after all!
 

Pixels

New member
The other thing to get used to, if you're used to other buckets, is the release to take it off the base is at baby's feet instead of baby's head. It can be a bit tight to get your hand in there depending on exact install method (base/baseless), angle of install, and the specific vehicle. Usually it's not an issue, though.
 

SPJ&E

New member
I don't mean to barge in on your thread here, but I seen a FL at Target the other day and thought it looked really nice. I was very impressed with how narrow it was (would be perfect for my car if we have another baby) and how much foam is in the head area.

Anyway though, I read on another thread here that the FL has a really short shell and doesn't usually last very long. Is that right?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yep. But it could be great for tricky 3-across situations for parents who have babies too small to use a Radian from birth or want to use a bucket the first couple months or so.
 

Pixels

New member
Here is my DD in hers, yesterday. Siggy stats are current. She's the size of an average 6 month old.
picture.php

The headrest portion adjusts up until it's even with or slightly above the outer shell, so she does have a good bit of growing room left.
 

Splash

New member
I had a LL with Charlie, and looooved it. The handle was difficult to put down, but TBH, I rarely did. It was rigid latch, it wasn't gonna rebound into the seat, so I left it up with no worries.

There was no padding other than the cover, but the cover was pretty padded. Add a cloth diapered bum, and he was fine. And he bruises so very easily, he was bruised by the chest clip in the BV for awhile, but I never noticed a problem in the LL.

I loved the plastic buckle. The buckle really doesn't take a brunt in a RF seat, which is why the harness is rarely reinforced like it is for RF. The harness doesn't do a whole lot.
 

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