Clek Liing Review

Best Metal Base

Overall74

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Clek Liing

Crash test8/10

Ease of install (LATCH)9/10

Ease of install (belt)8/10

Ease of install (no base)8/10

Ease of use6/10

Comfort & durability5/10

Weight6/10

Pros

• All-metal base with rigid steel LATCH and a metal load leg, no play, fast to fit
• Recline dial adjusts from outside after the base is locked in
• Firm pelvic wedge holds the hips back so the head rests neutrally rather than dropping forward. It is the reason technicians reach for it for preemies and small babies
• Cover unzips and goes in the machine without touching the harness
• Short front-to-back profile fits a small sedan without crowding the front seat

Cons

• 10.5 lb with canopy and insert (Clek quotes 9 lb for the bare carrier). It is a seat you carry from car to stroller rather than around the stores, and it is happiest left on a stroller frame.
• The crotch buckle needs a firm thumb press. Worth trying in the shop if you have joint pain or long nails.
• Manual rethread harness, done once every few months.

Our Verdict: Clek Liing

The Clek Liing scored 74 out of 100 across the seven criteria we score every infant car seat on, and took Best Metal Base in our infant car seat guide.

The base is the story: all metal, rigid steel LATCH and a metal load leg with no play. A firm pelvic wedge holds the hips back so a small baby's head rests neutrally.

The carrier is a heavy 10.5 lb with canopy and insert, the crotch buckle needs a firm thumb press, and comfort scored 5.

Our Analysis, Comparisons and Test Results

Crash test

Eight. Rigid steel arms clamp to the anchors with no webbing to stretch, and a metal load leg takes the pitch into the floor. Two separate structures stopping the shell rotating, where most seats here have one.

Ease of install (LATCH)

Nine. Push until it clicks and it is right. There is no technique to learn and no way to leave it loose, which is the single most common way a car seat ends up compromised.

Ease of install (belt)

Eight, unusually good for a rigid-base seat. A belt door plus a European path means a taxi or a rental car is not a problem.

Ease of install (no base)

Eight. The European belt path on the carrier is well marked and the shell is stiff enough that the belt does not deform it. Baseless is a real option here, not a fallback.

Ease of use

Six. The recline dial adjusts from outside the base after it is locked in, which is genuinely useful. Against that, the crotch buckle needs a firm thumb and the harness is a manual rethread from behind the shell.

Comfort & durability

Five, the surprise in this profile. The cover unzips for washing without touching the harness, which is excellent, but the padding is firmer than most and the seat is less forgiving on a long drive.

Weight

Six. 10.5 lb with canopy and insert (Clek quotes 9 lb for the bare carrier) makes this a car-to-stroller seat rather than one you carry round the stores. Plan on a stroller frame.

Should You Buy the Clek Liing?

Buy it for preemies and small babies, or when a solid, quick-fit base matters most.

It's happiest left on a stroller frame rather than carried around shops. Its score rests on owner reports and published specs.

The same seven criteria applied to every infant car seat in this guide. That makes the comparison fair, and it makes the choice yours: pick for the use you cannot avoid, not the one you aspire to.

What Other Car Seats Should You Consider?

We scored the Clek Liing against 12 other infant car seats on the same criteria. The three closest on score:

Specifications

Conclusion: Clek Liing

The Liing took the metal-base award with 74. Comfort at 5 is its lowest mark.

For the side-by-side, and for the infant car seat we would buy instead, read Best Infant Car Seat 2026: 15 Seats Compared.

Tested against 14 other car seats in Best Infant Car Seat 2026: 15 Seats Compared. See all car seats guides and reviews.