Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When our 4 and a half year old finally outgrew his awesome Peg Perego Primo Viaggio convertible carseat which we LOVED, I looked long and hard to find just the right booster to replace it. Just FYI, he's 4 and a half, 46 pounds and is also autistic. The only reason I bring that up is because he generally has a lot of trouble with change. I was really worried that removing his old seat and replacing it with a new one was going to cause us a lot of problems and crying when it came time to ride in the car. Even though there are many cheaper options of still high quality booster seats to be had, I opted to spend the big bucks on this one. Here's why and what I think after having used it for a few months now... - Safety: First and foremost, my biggest concern is for the safety and comfort of my kiddo, just like any mom. The Clek Oobr definitely is at the top of its class in terms of safety. I <3 the rigid latch system! SO many of the boosters I looked at don't use the latch system. I'm not saying they aren't safe, but this rigid latch system not only makes this seat the easiest to install and remove of any seat you will EVER find (more on that later), but you can rest assured that this seat will stay firmly attached to your vehicle in the event of an accident and won't wiggled around and add to whiplash or even become a projectile with your kid in it. It's built with a magnesium metal frame surrounding the child and the deep side wings protect against too much head and torso movement if the car is hit from the side. It also has an energy absorbing foam layer over the metal frame to absorb the motion transferred upon impact and the lap belt guides ensure that the seat belt is always properly positioned. The safety element of this seat gets 5 stars! - Look/style: You can call me vain all you want, but the look and style of a seat for my car is important to me. We recently bought a brand new red Mazda CX-5 with black leather interior. I take pride in keeping my car clean and organized and fight the battle to keep my car from looking like a 'mom car'. Lest you think I judge anyone who has sippy cups rolling around on the floor of their minivan at every turn or cheerios smashed into the seats, I DON'T!! But keeping a clean and nice looking car that we paid good money for is important to my husband and me. I don't believe that the family car has to look like the family car. Plus, sometimes my husband uses this car for business to pick up the company CEO from the airport or drive other important people and clients around and we want it to look nice and for any accessories that go in the car to fit the chic look of the car itself. This is another area in which the Clek Oobr earns five stars from me! This seat is hands down the best looking booster seat on the market. It's style and design is minimal, chic and elegant. The materials used are very fine and the craftsmanship is impeccable. We don't have to worry about this seat fraying, tearing or coming apart and looking cheap. I LOVE all their color options which are very classy and the black and red option we went for is PERFECT for our black and red car. It blends right in!! - Comfort: I mentioned before that my son is autistic and doesn't handle change well. After we installed this seat and took it for a test spin, it only took a few moments of hesitation and inspection before he was willing to get in and once he was in, he seemed totally comfortable! We have not had a single problem since! He's a big boy and it's plenty roomy. - Easy of use: I'm telling you right now, you will fall in love with the rigid latch system employed by this seat instantly! It is SO EASY to put in and take out!!! No fussing with tightening or adjusting straps. The adjustable headrest is genius. It's just like the headrests in your car! The only thing that isn't so easy about this seat (which is one of the reasons I didn't give it a full five stars) is that the belt positioners make it a little difficult to buckle the kid in sometimes. At least in my car, the belt has to be fed through and given slack manually and then adjusted manually and doesn't pull tight or slacken on its own. This is a little bit of a pain, but I can't honestly say that it wouldn't be the same with any high back booster seat. The belt has also twisted in or come out of the positioner a couple times but some of that might have been first time user error. - Seat fabric: While this isn't designed to be unzipped, removed and thrown in the wash when it's spilled on, the fabric is pretty awesome. I saw the video where the Clek designer poured Coke right on the seat. It didn't soak in at all, just beaded up on the surface and was wiped off with a diaper rag leaving no stain at all. As soon as I saw that I was like, "shut up and take my money". - Recline feature: This is another five star feature for sure! Because the seat is attached to the car itself, it can be safely (and SO EASILY) reclined for a sleepy kiddo on a long road trip. You don't even have to stop the car to recline it (assuming you're not driving). I am able to reach back from the passenger seat and recline it with one hand! Usually when kids fall asleep in a car seat, their head falls forward and their chin rests on their chest. That's not the safest (or most comfortable) way to sleep. The recline makes it so the head can lean back and the big side wings make it much easier, safer and more comfortable to catch some Z's in the car. A few additional notes on my experience with this seat: The seat was very easy to assemble right out of the box and comes with a great, high quality and easy to follow instructions. My only other minor quibble is I wish the boost was a little higher. My son used to be able to see everything out the window in his car seat and now I find him straining to sit up tall enough to see out. Maybe that's just what comes with switching from a carseat to a booster until he gets taller, but I wish there could be a height adjustment for the bottom of the seat so he could still see out the window. All in all I am very, very happy with this booster seat and glad I spent the money as I know it will last and will hold up well to abuse and still look nice. I fully acknowledge that it's a lot of money and that for some, having the fancy features and stylish design isn't worth it, but you can't argue with the safety features and to me it was worth it. We bought a few cheap boosters for grandparents cars and my husbands car and nanny's car that he rides in sometimes, but for the main family vehicle, this was the perfect choice. For the record, I am writing this review because I know how hard it can be finding and deciding on the right stuff for your kids. I relied on Amazon reviews from other moms to buy stuff earlier on with my first child so I want to give back! I did NOT receive this seat at a discount or for free and just want to help other real moms who are paying full price for stuff too! I hope this helps someone else!