Clek Foonf vs. Graco Contender 65: Which is Better? (2024)

Hi there! We're here to help you decide between the Clek Foonf and the Graco Contender 65.

Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to feel confident that you're choosing the optimal car seat for your family's needs and budget. Let us know if you have any other questions!

At A Glance

Our Thoughts

The Clek Foonf car seat is a marvel of style, safety, and advanced features. As a parent, one of the preferred features of this convertible seat is its adaptability—it can be expertly adjusted to accommodate our children from infancy to toddlerhood. Its integration of top-tier safety technology, including a steel anti-rebound bar and energy-absorbing foam layers, is highly commendable. While this seat transitions smoothly from rear-facing to forward-facing modes, its distinguishing characteristic is that it enables children to ride in the safer rear-facing position for a more extended period—up to 43 pounds, compared to the standard of 40 pounds in most car seats.

The Foonf's narrow design allows for fitting multiple seats in a vehicle, a beneficial feature for larger families. However, this feature comes with a weighty trade-off—this seat is quite heavy. Not only does the seat weigh 38 pounds, but it's also noted that installation can be challenging. If you anticipate needing to transfer the car seat between different vehicles often, the Foonf may not be the most convenient choice because of its weight and cumbersome installation process.

In contrast, the Graco Contender 65 provides an affordable alternative to the Foonf while still offering robust safety and convenience features. The adaptable nature of this convertible seat is valuable—it grows with our children from infancy to toddlerhood and can manage a weight capacity up to 65 pounds in the forward-facing mode. The Contender 65, weighing 15.2 pounds, is less than half the weight of the Foonf, making it easier to move between vehicles and install with its practical design.

Despite its lower price point, the Contender 65 doesn't compromise on safety. Its construction is sturdy and impact-resistant, and it offers the much appreciated safety feature of an easily adjustable harness system. However, it's worth noting that the Graco Contender 65 can only accommodate a maximum weight of 40 pounds in rear-facing mode, less than the Foonf.

In terms of cleaning, both options present challenges. Based on user feedback, the Foonf requires disassembly to be thoroughly cleaned, while the seat cover for the Contender 65 is not machine washable.

When looking at both these seats, the Clek Foonf and the Graco Contender 65, you're essentially deciding between high-end, lengthy usage, and stylish design against cost-effectiveness and straightforward practicality. If being able to keep your child in the rear-facing configuration longer and having a stylish, narrow design are vital to you, the Clek Foonf offers these advantages. However, if affordability, practicality, and simplicity in transferring the seat between cars are your priority, we recommend the Graco Contender 65. Although it lacks some of the advanced features of the Foonf, it still meets the crucial necessities of safety and comfort that we as parents value for our children.