The Clek Fllo 3-Across Convertible Car Seat is designed to accommodate. For parents, it delivers convenience and the latest safety technology. For young ones, its built-in performance features ensure a smooth, comfortable and safe ride.
At 16.9 inches wide, the Clek Fllo convertible car seat is narrow and compact. So, if you need to fit three car seats across the back seat of your vehicle, this is the model for you.
One of the Safest Narrow Convertible Car Seats on the Market
In the Clek Fllo, you’ll find industry-leading safety features, putting it among the safest narrow car seats. These features are designed to limit motion of the car seat in the event of an accident. Minimizing motion reduces the potential your child is injured in a crash.
Some of these noteworthy features are:
A steel anti-rebound bar: This is a really good safety feature, but it’s not found on all car seats because it’s not required. Located near the base of the car seat, an anti-rebound bar engages when a crash occurs.
It reduces the forward and backward movement of the car seat from the impact of the crash. The bar catches on the back seat of the vehicle to gently stop the rebound and rotation movements that occur in front and side collisions.
Energy management system: Clek developed and patented what it calls energy absorbing crumble technology. It works by taking the energy from the impact of a crash and transferring it to aluminum honeycomb deformable cores in the base of the car seat.
It sounds pretty technical, but basically it means your child’s body will not absorb the energy from the crash, thus preventing severe injuries.
The system works whether installing using the vehicle’s LATCH system or seat belts.
Advanced side impact protection: This seat is loaded with side impact protection features to prevent serious injury to your child if a side impact collision occurs. Among the features are:
- Energy absorbing foam layers located on the inside and outside of the frame. This lessens the amount of energy crash forces that are transferred to your child.
- An adjustable, structural headrest lined with energy absorbing foam. It is built similar to your vehicle’s headrest. It attaches to the frame using steel rods for maximum head protection.
- The headrest is enhanced with deep side wings for added crash protection.
The car seat’s safety features have successfully met or exceeded rigorous mandated testing. These tests include compliance testing, new car assessment program (NCAP) testing that simulates forces in extreme crashes, side impact testing and structural integrity testing.
Easy Conversion from Rear-Facing Position to Forward-Facing Position
Parents are often confused as to when they should switch their child from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing car seat. Clek Fllo removes the guesswork with clear instructions based on height, weight and age.
According to Clek’s specifications, the rear-facing position is for children 25 to 43 inches in height, 14 to 50 pounds in weight and at an age when he or she can remain sitting upright without any assistance.
The car seat can be used for newborns, but you have to purchase an infant insert, which Clek sells separately. This insert also must be used for any child who cannot sit upright in the seat unassisted.
The Clek Fllo convertible car seat is one of the few rear-facing car seats designed to an extended child’s weight of 50 pounds. It is in response to safety experts and pediatricians who recommend young children ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of a vehicle for as long as possible.
The forward-facing position is for children 30 to 49 inches in height, 22 to 65 pounds in weight, and age two and older.
These guidelines are very much in line with the 2018 updated car seat recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A Versatile, Fairly Easy to Install Baby and Toddler Car Seat
If the seat is being installed next to other car seats in the back seat, keep in mind that while the Clek Fllo is designed to fit three across the back seat, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will fit well in all vehicle makes and models.
According to the car seat manufacturer’s dimensions, the convertible car seat is:
In the Rear-Facing Position:
- Height: 25.5 to 27 inches, depending on height of headrest
- Weight: 25 pounds; 28 pounds when the anti-rebound bar is in use
- Seating Depth: 12.5 inches
- Fore-Aft Measurement: 32.5 inches or 29 inches when anti-rebound bar is removed for extended rear-facing usage
In the Forward-Facing Position:
- Height: 26 to 31 inches, depending on height of headrest
- Weight: 25 pounds
- Base Width: 13 inches
- Seating Width: 16.9 inches
Although the car seat has a narrow profile, it is pretty long in the rear-facing position. You might need to pull the front passenger seat all the way up to fit the car seat in the back seat behind it.
For example, when the seat’s rear-facing, you need 32-1/2 inches front to back and 25-1/2 inches in height, so it might not accommodate smaller, compact cars.
With that said, the Clek Fllo is surprisingly easy to install, with just a few troublesome areas.
One plus is that the seat can be installed using either the LATCH system or your vehicle’s seat belt. However, it does take some muscle to ensure a proper fit when utilizing the LATCH system. The LATCH connectors are button style, which should be easier to connect than clip style, but it still takes some work.
When installing in the rear-facing position, the integrated flip foot and anti-rebound bar help to get a tight installation. Attaching the bar takes some time and effort, though. And, if you’re using rear-facing to the extended weight, you might want to remove the anti-rebound bar so the seat is more upright.
With both rear-facing and forward-facing positions, the Clek Fllo has one fixed recline angle. It’s set at a 40 degree angle for infants under 22 pounds and a 30 degree angle for toddlers over 22 pounds. There’s a recline foot built into the base so there’s no question whether you have the recline angle in the proper position.
When installing in the rear-facing position using the vehicle’s seat belt, it’s a bit cumbersome lifting the car seat to thread the seat belt under it. But, the locking clips for the seat belts are extremely useful, especially for vehicles where the seat belts don’t lock. Installing in the forward-facing position is much easier because there’s no need to lift the seat.
Unfortunately, the harness on this model is rethread, rather than the faster non-rethread style. As such, you have to remove the harness straps from the hook and thread it through the new slot as your child grows. On the plus side, the shoulder straps offer six height positions.
Using the Clek Fllo Convertible Car Seat
This area is where the Clek Fllo loses a few points. For starters, the release button to loosen the harness strap is far inside the seat. While this is probably a good thing since you don’t want your child being able to release the strap, it makes taking your child out of the seat a bit tricky.
Also, you have to adjust the crotch strap from the inner slot to the outer slot when switching from rear-facing to forward-facing. Even so, with only two crotch strap positions, some toddlers sitting in the forward-facing position may find the crotch strap too tight. Although Clek offers a solution to this problem in the form of a longer crotch strap, you have to buy it separately.
On the plus side, there are a lot of convenient features that make using this car seat a breeze. For starters, the headrest adjuster button makes quick work out of adjusting the headrest to your child’s height.
Also, choosing the correct shoulder harness slot for rear-facing and forward-facing positions requires no effort. The metal harness plate is also a timesaver because it allows you to quickly get the snug fit you need on the harness straps.
If you plan on moving this car seat from one car to another, the car seat is all one piece. No removable base makes it compact to carry and maneuver. The metal reinforced substructure adds some weight to the car seat, but it’s not as heavy as some others on the market.
The convertible baby and toddler car seat also travels well and is FAA compliant. However, it’s a bit heavier than seats designed to be lightweight for traveling. So, depending on how much air travel you do, this may or may not be a factor.
Care and Maintenance of Clek Fllo Car Seat Material Needs Some Improvement
Since this car seat will be taking your child from baby to toddler, it’s going to get a lot of use. In fact, the car seat’s expiration is nine years, so Clek expects it to be in use for numerous years. So, one has to wonder why the car seat manufacturer did not make the seat padding machine washable.
The Fllo instruction manual gives several options for cleaning the fabric, but all are by hand, either with a soft brush or the edge of a spoon to scrape off stuck on residue.
Granted, the material contains a stain guard that is supposed to provide “permanent protection” against stains and odors. But, as parents know, young ones’ messes often test those “permanent protection” claims.
One big plus about the car seat’s fabric is its lasting performance. There are several options to choose from, something you rarely see with car seats. The fabric choices are:
- Standard Crypton, which is plush and soft like terry cloth;
- Noire Crypton, which has a soft, micro-suede feel;
- Tailored Crypton, which has a smooth feel and is considered a premium fabric;
- Tokidoki for Clek, which is a micro-fleece fabric known for its softness, lightness and cozy like flannel feel;
- 100% Merino wool, which provides a soft feel and is ideal for all temperature climates.
Parents also will appreciate that all fabrics are free of toxic brominated and chlorinated flame retardants.
Noteworthy Things About the Clek Fllo Convertible Car Seat
- It sits high in the seat, which could be a good or bad thing. Young ones can see out the windows, but drivers might find it difficult to see outside the back side or rear windows.
- The design of the actual seat of the car seat makes it very comfortable.
- The expiration date is nine years from the date of manufacture versus seven years for many other makes and models.
- There’s a two-year extended warranty beyond the one year standard warranty.
PROS and CONS:
- Narrow profile
- Ideal for 3 across car seat situations
- Can install using either seat belt or LATCH system
- Weight limit for rear-facing position extends to 50 pounds
- Exceptional overall quality for the price
- Lots of safety features
- Nontoxic fabric
- Very detailed instruction manual
- No adjustable recline
- Rebound bar takes up some space in the vehicle
- Rethread harness style
- A bit heavier than other seats for airline travel
- Higher price than other seats
- No cup holder, have to purchase separately
- Although made in Canada, it is for use in the U.S. only
Conclusion
The Clek Fllo convertible car seat is perhaps one of the safest baby toddler car seats on the market. It incorporates advanced technologies to ensure child safety in the event of a crash, while not diminishing comfort features.
In terms of fit, at under 17 inches wide, it’s compact and narrow enough for those looking for a 3-across car seat. Although its weight comes in lower than other seats on the market, it doesn’t quite meet the definition of lightweight.
However, the Clek Fllo 3-across convertible car seat is of high quality and very sturdy. The seat is very comfortable to accommodate the many years it will be in use.
Overall, it’s a chic looking convertible car seat that outperforms in safety and functionality. It does have some misses in terms of ease of use, but when comparing quality and price, it’s well worth the investment.
Hi! I love this seat. I am 27, and I don’t find it heavy at all. I carried the box and the seat by myself, installed by myself, and tightened by myself. Haven’t needed my husband just yet! My only question is whether there is a trick to getting it tight to the point that it doesn’t move side to side?? I’ve read leather seats can sometimes cause this but want to check before I give up lol!
I went to a local store where they “dry-fit” it in your car before purchase to make sure it fits properly. So no issues with blind spots or dimensions over here!
Clek Liing, I do not recommend this car seat. Out of the box the load leg had malformed piece that prevented extending the the leg, I have since replaced it.
Today, the car seat is not quite 20 days old and currently our seat will not detach from the base, it is stuck…?
We owned Britax’s for our first two children they were great and trouble free, maybe we got a lemon Liing either way I cannot recommend this seat.
I have mixed feelings about owning this car seat. I am a 57 year old grandmother who did her research and decided that this was the safest car seat on the market for my granddaughter. I read the manual from front to back and also watched YouTube videos and I joined the car seats for the littles on Facebook. I am a nut for safety. I love how the car seat sits high, but Isaac is correct. I have difficulty when checking for traffic at certain intersections. I have to crouch my head a certain way to see around the car seat ( I NEVER DEPEND 100 % ON MIRRORS!) . I often think that the chance of this car seat causing an accident outweighs its benefits!! Audrey is correct that it is easy to install- HOWEVER, it is not easy to tighten the way it should be so that it doesn’t move from side to side. I had to have assistance from some muscular young men and even they had issues tightening it, but eventually got it. That being said, I never want to move it unless absolutely necessary!!! I have it rear facing in my Buick Encore and I can’t have a passenger sit up front as the front passenger seat needs to be pulled up so far.. Would I recommend this car seat. A RESOUNDING NO!!!
Hi Darlene, thanks for sharing your experience. We appreciate hearing from various customers. Car seats will work great for some people and not so great for others. The way it sits high in the back seat was something we noted in our review. It would probably work best for vehicles with a higher roof clearance.
We are currently using the Britax Marathon foreword facing and my daughter’s head in flopping everywhere once she falls asleep. I’ve tried all suggestions by the manufacturer. I am now looking into Clek. Could anyone attest to this issue with their Clek car seat?
Hi Julie, thanks for your comment. Customers haven’t complained about the head slumping in forward-facing mode. You didn’t mention the size of your child, but the Clek Fllo is designed to work for extended rear-facing up to 50 pounds. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room to recline it either in rear or forward-facing. There’s only one position for each mode.
We’d recommend first measuring your back seat dimensions and comparing them to the seat dimensions since this seat has a pretty big front to back footprint rear-facing and sits pretty high forward-facing. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to call Clek and see if your specific car model is compatible. Also, you could possibly find one in a retail store and try it out in person to see how it will work for you.
We have the same issue with this seat : (
We have had this carseat for 2 years now, using it with our oldest from 1yr to now 3 yrs. He is 36″ tall and about 37lbs and still sits rear facing. He likes this carseat better than the cheaper, lighter one in our secondary vehicle. It is heavy, and it is trickier to install than more simple carseats, but it is worth it for the added safety and comfort. I just wouldn’t buy this carseat if I needed to move it from car to car often. He loves sitting up higher so he can see out of the window. And the fabric still looks clean despite two years of use.
It is now time to buy a new carseat for our second who has outgrown his infant carseat, so I am researching carseats again just to make sure this one is still the safest out there. It still looks like the right choice for us. And since we have already been using one for two years, I am not concerned with all the comments about it being heavy, rattling (which we have had no problem with), not machine washable, and harder to install. All those are non-issues in our two years of use.
Hi Lynn, thanks so much for sharing your experience with the Clek Fllo. We’re happy it’s performed well for your family!
I’m not sure why one of the cons says for use in USA only, you can use this seat in Canada too. Its sold in Canada on the websites. The only difference is in Canada the rear facing is only up to 40 lbs instead of 50 lbs.
Hi Chantelle, we inquired at Clek about this and this was their answer:
All Clek models are approved for use when traveling in Canada, USA, Mexico and any other country that accepts child restraints that conform to North American motor vehicle safety standards. Please note however that for extended use, you must purchase the product in your country of residence. Canadian product can NOT be purchased for extended use in the US and US product can NOT be purchased for extended use in Canada.
For travel, it sounds like the US seats can be used in Canada and Mexico for travel, but not for extended use. They do now have Retrofit Kits available for $59.99 including shipping that provides everything you need to re-label and certify your seat to US or Canadian standards when moving to either country. To order, call them at 1-866-656-2462 and have your seat’s date of manufacture and serial number ready. Hope this helps!
Purchase this car seat with the hope that I was getting the best. Well, the high hopes have come crashing down. Let me point out why you should not buy this thing:
1. Super heavy…you will need the help of two or more people to put this together and to fit this thing in your car.
2. Securing it in your car (latch or seatbelt set-up) is extremely hard to do.
3. Once in your car, you will end up with a massive blind spot. This thing is HUGE.
4. It rattles badly…you will hear all kind of metal sounds emanating from it.
5. In rear-facing…your child will be extremely uncomfortable. If he/she falls to sleep his/her head will be swinging forward and to the side. He/she will not be able to layback comfortable. (COSTUMER SERVICE TOLD ME TO PUT A TOWEL UNDER THE SEAT AND TO HAVE MY CHILD NOT USE A COAT SO THE HARNESS COULD BE TIGHTEN).
This is a quote from customer service e-mail:
“…we noticed in the pictures that your son is wearing a winter coat in his car seat. We know it can be challenging to keep kids warm in colder weather, but bulky clothing is not recommended in the car seat. In order to be restrained in the event of a collision, it’s necessary for the harness to be snug to his body. We generally recommend using a thinner coat such as fleece or thin down, and then having extra blankets in the car or else putting the winter coat on backwards like a blanket after they’re buckled in…”
“You can also try placing a rolled up towel or something similar just under the ends of the Rigid LATCH Connectors coming out of the seat base to brace them, as these can sometimes move slightly within the base and cause this type of noise in certain installations.”
DON’T GET THIS THING…..YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR MONEY.
Hi Isaac,
We are sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with this car seat. Unfortunately, not every seat is compatible with every car and back seat design. It’s often a good idea to call the manufacturer before purchasing to verify that the seat will be compatible with your vehicle. Also, we recommend measuring your back seat dimensions and comparing them to the seat before you buy. It saves a lot of time and hassle.
The customer service agent was right about the winter coats, however. Safety experts advise to remove all bulky winter clothing before buckling in the child (or adults for that matter). We have a really good article about it on our blog: https://bestcarseathub.com/blog/learn-why-winter-coats-pose-a-car-seat-hazard-for-children/
The best thing to do in winter is strap your child in without bulky outerwear, and THEN cover him/her with a blanket or with a coat.
1. It is not super heavy, I can lift and install the seat on my own (average sized woman).
2. It is super simple to install unless you are very weak, in which case a second person helping would make it easier.
3. Its big yes, but thats what mirrors are for.
4. It would only rattle if you don’t install it securely, if it can move more than an inch when you install it, tighten it.
5. This would only happen if you don’t have the child restrained securely, if you can fit more than 1 finger under the shoulder harness, tighten. Also, winter coats aren’t meant to be worn in any car seat, thats just common sense nowadays.
In conclusion, you need to learn how to install a car seat properly. Take your car seat and car to a fire department or a certified car seat technician, I’m extremely concerned for your children’s wellbeing
Hi Audrey, thanks for your feedback about this seat. It’s good to hear from parents who have varied experiences with car seats.
What car seat would you recommend?