Customer Reviews

Combi Avatar Convertible Car Seat

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This seat is pretty nice all around - it rated high by Consumer Reports (after a recall defect was eliminated in later models), we love the reclining features, and my son seems very comfortable in it. A friend has the Britax version, and feels it is a little too narrow for her baby, and it doesn't have the recline.
We were frustrated at first with the buckle, which seemed unnecessarily challenging to clasp, but we're used to it now, and I haven't given it a thought in months - just took some adjusting.
My biggest complaint is the cover. It says it's machine washable, but the integrated foam started disintigrating with the first wash, which was on gentle cold and no dryer. Every time my son messes up the seat, the cover falls apart a little more. Certainly not a safety concern, but it is very functionally limiting.

We bought the Combi Avatar seat as a second step for our son after he outgrew the carrier type infant seat. We have been very pleased. The seat is well cushioned and the straps easily adjustable. The seat fits into our Honda CR-V (a mini-SUV) without problem. We do not have the "latch" system, so I cannot comment on that. The conversion from rear to front facing is simple. Like all car seats it is important to read the instructions when installing. It is not intuitive. The seat rotates on its base to provide the appropriate angle. A great feature that I was looking for is that the seat has three recline positions and very easily adjusts, even with the child in the seat. Although too big to be carried in the seat, our baby is still a baby. He can sleep comfortably or sit up and look around. My only complaint would be that the straps twist. I attribute that to user error, and it is an easy problem to untwist. I recently saw the same seat in a store for $200.

I purchased this seat after it received a favorable review from Baby Bargains. I was fairly happy with the seat at first -- it reclines much more than our Britax seat and is good for long trips with a baby. The fabric seems cheap and the straps and buckle are difficult to work with, though. After approximately six months of use, we went to turn the seat forward and found that the seat foam was actually disentegrating under the outer cover. I had to vacuum out the car to get it all up (and I've never even put the cover through the wash). I'm contacting Combi to try and get a return.

My daughter outgrew her initial car seat very quickly. I needed something that would support a baby (rear facing seat) but could also be used by a toddler (forward facing seat) when the time came. This seat met my needs. It was easy to install and I loved the fact that it could transition from a rear facing seat to a forward facing seat.

I love this seat. I returned the Alpha Omega Elite for this one. It is super cushy and comfy, comparable to a Britax. It reclines while the baby is in it, so if he falls asleep, I just reach around and lay him back a little without disturbing him. The Baby Bargains book gave this one an A- too. The only thing that takes some time to get used to is the belt fastener. You must hold the two pieces together as you insert it into the latch. But I definately would not pay $100 more for a Britax, this seat has it all!