Magna Clek Olli Backless Booster
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
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
