At first sight, I wished there were a larger version that I could personally try out.  With plush memory foam padding, a generous headrest, and three levels of recline, this seat is very inviting.  Apparently, my daughter had the same thought as I did and jumped right in to give it a try.  By the look on her face, I’d have to guess that the seat did not disappoint.  One hesitation with a seat so plush is that the seat could get incredibly warm in hot temperatures, but Snugli has addressed this by introducing Outlast technology, which uses a temperature-regulating fabric to keep the seat from every getting too hot or too cold.  Really a great feature considering how much my daughter would sweat in her previous car seat, even in moderate San Francisco weather.

In terms of safety, the Snugli All-In-One meets federal safety standards and is certified for aircraft use.  It even bears a small badge on the headrest that reassures you that it’s been side impact tested with three layers of foam that reduce crash forces by 50%.  The seat also has several convenient features that will help ensure that you properly install your car seat and secure your child every time you use it.  For example, the seat include SureLatch connectors that make engaging your car’s LATCH system a breeze.  (Note that should your car not have LATCH, you can still install your seat using your seat belt and achieve a secure installation.)  When in forward facing mode, you’ll also want to use the top anchor tether strap for added stability.  To make your life easier here, Snugli’s TruTether Adjuster includes a green indicator that shows when the strap has been pulled tight enough and no slack remains.  Any reassurance when securing a car seat is always welcome!

One of my favorite convenience features that adds to secure fit are the highly adjustable harness straps that can easily be tuned to your child’s height without any rethreading or removing of padding.  Just hold onto the harness tabs from the front of the seat and pull up or down.  By not having to rethread through designated slots, you also have far more options for adjusting perfectly to your child’s size.  In terms of tightening and loosening straps with each seating, this is also a breeze as the harness release button is highly accessible, even in rear-facing mode.  With other seats, I’ve found that once the foot of the seat is pressed up against my car’s backseat, it’s impossible to reach into to easily reach the release button.  The headrest also slides up and down without much effort, making it simple to put it at the proper height for your growing child.

The seat can accommodate a newborn starting at 5 lbs and 19 inches and comes with an infant insert that provides a little one with extra padding and head support for a snug fit.  It’s recommended that you keep the car seat in rear-facing mode for as long as possible, and the All-In-One is rated to hold your child in this position up until she reaches 40 lbs or 37 inches.  After that you can turn the seat around to forward-facing mode, and when your child outgrows that stage, you can still get use out of this seat as a booster by pulling the harness straps out of the way and removing the crotch strap.  Booster child will safely hold your child up to 110 pounds and 57 inches, so you really do get your money’s worth out of this investment since it will serve you well throughout the time your child will require a car seat or booster.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the colors and patterns on the Snugli All-In-One are sophisticated and gender-neutral, making for an attractive car seat that you’ll be pleased to show off in your car.  The cover can also be unhooked and machine washed, making any car messes worry-free.  With so much to offer, this car seat really is an excellent choice.  In recap, here’s the quick rundown of pros and cons:

PROS:

• Outlast technology keeps seat from ever getting too hot or too cold

• Memory foam and a generous head rest provide for a plush, comfortable ride while also adding safety

• Harness straps can be easily adjusted from the front, eliminating any need to remove the seat to get to the back of the seat, unhooking padding or rethreading

• EZ Off seat pad unhooks easily from the frame and can be machine washed and tumble dried.

• Easy-to-reach harness release button, even in rear-facing mode, so easy to loosen and tighten harness straps to ensure proper fit with every sitting

• Easy-adjust headrest with a lever just at the back of the headrest

• SureLatch connectors to easily and securely attach to your car’s LATCH system

• TruTether Adjuster with a Tightness Indicator that displays green when the top anchor tether strap has been tightened appropriately

• Accommodates your child throughout her car seat/booster years from rear-facing to front-facing and finally to booster mode

• Great, neutral colors and mature patterns that adults will enjoy

CONS:

• The tradeoff for a plush, comfortable seat is that it does take up more space, which could potentially pose an issue if you’re constrained on space

• My daughter’s head flops forward a bit in forward-facing mode, though she still tends to sleep well through car rides

The Snugli All-In-One Car Seat retails for $329.99.  Learn more about it and where you can purchase one at www.snugli.com.

The foonf stands out with modern design, sophisticated colors and even Paul Frank patterns.  The one I have is in lime green against a white frame, and our neighbors definitely noticed our beautiful new car seat.  You’re sure to get comments as it looks dramatically different from all the standard colors, patterns and designs currently on the market.

The foonf’s rigid LATCH system greatly simplifies front-facing installations, letting you simply snap the car seat right into your car without having to struggle with straps and buckles.  Given the importance of correctly installing the car seat, this is a huge plus.  Should your car not have the LATCH system, the car seat’s LATCH connectors can be pulled into the unit and out of the way, and the seat can also be installed using your seat belt.  For front facing mode, you’ll also have to use a top anchor to fully secure the seat.

The foonf is narrow (under 17”), ideal for those hoping to accommodate multiple car seats or additional passengers in their back seat. In rear-facing mode, it also takes up less space (33”) front-to-back with a wedge base that provides a level of recline without encroaching on your front seats. The wedge adds height, however, so prepare to lift your child higher to get her in and out of the car.  Even without the wedge, the seat does sit higher than most, which has been a plus for my 2-year old daughter who really loves that she can see more from this higher vantage point.  I’ve also found that this seat is really comfortable for her.  Even with what seems like less padding than some seats, she is very happy in it for long car rides, and her head stays in place without flopping forward when she falls asleep – a huge benefit for sounder naps!

While the foonf’s seat does not include a removable cover that can be machine washed, it does consist of a fabric that resists stains, moisture and odors, making it easy to clean.  Another plus is that the entire car seat can be recycled through clek for a small fee, so you can feel better about making yet another large gear purchase.  One thing to note is that a child must be able to sit upright to use this seat, so another seat will be needed for baby’s first months.

PROS:

• great safety features including crumples zones, an anti-rebound bar, a steel and magnesium frame and longer rear-facing usage

• easy installation with a unique rigid LATCH system

• comes in great colors and patterns

• one of the narrower seats I’ve seen, which is great for accommodating more in your backseat

• magnets to hold straps out of the way to make it easier to load your chid into the seat

• entire seat is recyclable

CONS:

• height may be an issue as you need to lift your child higher to get her in and out of the seat, especially in rear-facing mode when the wedge is in place

• no removable, machine-washable cover, but material wipes clean easily

• a bit difficult to get to strap release lever

• requires child be able to sit upright by herself so cannot be used as baby’s first carseat

• on the heavier side, but not a problem as long as you don’t plan on moving it around much

Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the clek foonf.  This is a great car seat for the older child who can sit up by herself and can be used both rear and forward-facing.  It’s a bit pricy at $489.99 on Amazon, but for the safety features and the ability to fit well in my small Honda, this seat is well worth it.

Pros:

• This is a big, open car seat that makes it really easy to navigate your child into place.  With no need to contort your or your child’s body to wrangle her into the seat, your back will be very happy.
• The height of the harness straps can be adjusted simply by pulling levers on either side of the car seat and sliding them up and down.  You never have to undo the straps and pull them through the car seat to accommodate your growing child.  If you’ve ever had to do this with another model, you know what a relief this is!  In addition, you can adjust the position of the connecting belt that sits between your child’s legs to really get the right fit.
• The seat pad is removable and washable, which is great for cleaning off food stains and spit-up, as well as any other accidents.  However, do note that the manual recommends hand washing the pad, so it’s not quite as easy as throwing it in the washing machine.
• This seat is amazingly comfortable, especially with the highly padded headrest in place.  Before we installed the seat in grandma’s car, we had it on the floor in our living room, and our daughter loved sitting in it. Watching her made my husband and I wish they made the seat in adult size! 
• As a convertible car seat, this should be the only seat my daughter ever needs.  According to the manual, it can safely accommodate children weighing 5 to 65 pounds.  For infants, there is an insert that provides extra padding for a more snug fit. If you’re looking to buy only one car seat, this could be it.
• Installation is relatively easy – at least as easy as car seat installations go.  We’ve only installed it in rear-facing mode but imagine front facing isn’t much harder.  If you choose, you can install using the LATCH system. 
• This car seat is safe.  We went to AAA for an inspection to make sure we installed it correctly, and the inspector assured us that there had never been a recall on this model.  In addition, this model has a 5-point harness and a flip-up rebound bar for rear-facing mode as extra safety features.  As a parent, that’s always very welcome news!

Cons:

• In the installation process, buttoning the fabric cover back down over the seat base is fairly clumsy since it butts right up against the backseat of the car when in the rear-facing position.  You have to have really strong and nimble fingers to get the snaps securely in place. 
• Because of the tight fit between the rear-facing car seat and the backseat of the car, it’s hard to adjust the harness straps by pulling the strap that protrudes from the foot of the car seat.  You can do it, but it’s not without effort.
• The car seat is on the large side.  With the headrest in place, it takes up the entire space between the back seat and the back of the front seat.  Luckily, grandma is pretty petite.  Otherwise, she might have had to sacrifice front seat legroom for the sake of the car seat.

All in all, this is a top car seat.  It’s safe, it grows easily with your child and it is the most comfortable looking car seat I have ever seen.  A great car seat and possibly the only one you’ll ever need!