Customer Reviews

Combi Flare Lightweight Stroller

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I actually tried this out at a local retailer with my son. The rear wheels we have on our current stroller are worn down and it would cost me $50.00 to replace them on top of other issues I have with the thing. So I thought I'd start researching other strollers and see if I could find something I'd be happier with. This steered very nicely and folds into a square shape, the canopy seems to be ok and the back wheels locked easily. It is very lightweight and the attached carrying strap is a nice feature. I like that it is supposed to go up to 55 lbs and my son liked the cup holder. But this is a VERY narrow stroller, my son's shoulders barely fit in the seat, he's average size as in 50th percentile. I don't see how a 55 lb child could fit in here when a 28 lb 2 year-old barely does.

We have a big baby who won't be getting smaller anytime soon. This stroller goes up to 55lbs. which is bigger than other umbrella strollers. This is strictly an "umbrella" stroller. If you're expecting the conveniences of a larger stroller, this is not for you. If you want something compact that folds up in a flash, then great. The bonus with this little number is that it reclines, unlike traditional umbrellas. It also has a handy cup holder and a somewhat useful mesh basket below. Although, I didn't buy it for the storage capability. We're very pleased with it.

My original COMBI purchase was a universal stroller frame. I thought surely it couldn't get any better. It was time to upgrade my stroller and that's when I found the Flare stroller. WOW!! It's light, easily portable, and the colors are very pleasing. I get lots of compliments on my stroller as I'm trekking about in the city. It is great for on-the-go moms and their babies. The stroller weighs almost nothing, so I don't need any help getting up and down stairs or other non-stroller friendly areas. I highly recommend this stroller!

We bought this stroller for a trip to Japan. Space would be at a premium, so we wanted something compact, yet with a recline so we could let our 3-year-old daughter nap if needed.

CONS:
-The wheels sometimes stick, making maneuvering a little hard (although it's not inoperable by any means).
-The tri-fold requires two hands. Can be difficult to fold in very crowded places.
-The sun canopy isn't designed to move (other than open and close). So if you're walking toward the sun, you can't lower the canopy in such a way as to block the sun.

PROS:
-The handle is quite tall - tall enough for me to push for miles and miles a day while on vacation (I'm 5'7"), and even tall enough for my husband to push for short distances (he's 6'5").
-The single handle can be used with one hand, which makes doors easier than with a two-handle model.
-The stroller is lightweight. Many times I had to carry this down stairs in subway tunnels with a sleeping child still in it. Every ounce mattered, I can assure you.
-This things has fairly generous size limits. My daughter is 3.5 years old, weighs 38 pounds and is 43" tall. She outgrew her Chicco before she turned 3. She still fits in this one and will probably fit for another year. Of course, now she's "a big girl" and generally hates strollers anyway.
-The footprint is small - even open this doesn't take up a lot of floor space. On crowded subways this becomes very important.
-The basket, while not huge, is sufficient to hold a few things (potty seat, snacks, change of clothes).
-When folded, this will stand on the two back wheels. I got more use out of that feature than I expected. It also has a strap for carrying.

Everybody's idea of a good or bad stroller is different. This one suited my needs well, and I was very happy with it.

We were attracted to this stoller becasue it is lightweight and smaller than our other stroller. And while it has been a good stroller for most every outting we have has two instances in which our daughter's fingers have gotten pinched under the front bar. Right where the bar attaches to the frame there is space where little fingers can rest. If someone reaches for the stroller by the bar and the bar moves upwards fingers get caught. Too bad - if it wasn't for this design flaw I would highly recommend this stroller.

This is a great stroller, lightweight, folds very compact, nice long handle that accomodates myself (5'7") and my husband (6'2") with no problems. I love that it reclines as I have not found many of the umbrella type strollers that do. The only thing I absolutely do not like is the seat belt as it does not have snap fasteners but you have to manually unlace them and lace them back up. Very tough when trying to put a squirming toddler into the stroller. The majority of the time I end up not even fastening her in and just using the safety tray so that she can't just hop out. Otherwise it is very good stroller for the money.

I purchased this stroller because of the price and the maximum weight limit (55 Ibs). It is a great stroller for the money you spend and my kids love it! It was so easy to put together and it folds so easily as well. I love that the handles are tall, so I don't kick the back wheels when I'm pushing it. I would recommend this stroller to anyone thinking about purchasing a light weight, yet very well put together stroller.
I also wanted to mention that I purchased the stroller on the 29th of January and they told me it would ship out on the 30th or 31st and arrive at my house between the 4th and 7th of February. It was shipped on the 30th and I got it today, the 1st of February. Wonderful, fast service!!!!!

I searched and searched for a lighter weight stroller for us to use when traveling by car and on the subway. I also needed a stroller with brakes placed in such a way the stroller can be bumped up and down a few steps with the baby in it so we can leave our NYC house without having to first take the stroller outside then the toddler. Most strollers have huge brakes that catch on stairs. The Combi Flare brakes will catch on stairs with a large lip on them like unfortunately the subway stairs, but otherwise work great on our own front stairs which has already made my days 10 times easier. I can fold it small and carry it easily for the subway so I've dealt with that okay. It also surprisingly does just fine on very bumpy, historic bluestone sidewalks and pushing over the grass in the park, all of which I worried about when buying a lightweight umbrella stroller. It is narrow in width but that's a matter of perspective and priority; I am thrilled with its narrow width because it's much more maneuverable through doors and store aisles or into restaurants. And of course doesn't take up so much room in the foyer. My son is 18 months old, average percentile in weight like around 60th percentile, and tall, 99th percentile in length and he fits this stroller great. He's not snug in the seat, there's a bit of room still on the sides. He's very comfortable. He'd let me know if he wasn't. My husband and I are both tall and the height of the handlebars is higher than Maclarens or most strollers so we're very comfortable pushing it. This stroller is also less tippy than the Maclaren. I can hang a fair amount of weight on the handles and it won't tip backwards even when the our son isn't sitting in it. The basket is small and just a nylon fabric but I find I can still fit a carton of milk and a few groceries in it. The sun canopy is typically tiny and there is no window in it. It wouldn't keep me from recommending this stroller but if Combi made the wheels bigger so it could take the subway stairs better and if the visor were bigger and with a window it would be the perfect city stroller.

we bought this stroller when we were traveling on the road with our 5 month old baby. we regularly use the chicco car seat and stroller, but it was far too bulky to take with us in a toyota prius with all of our travel gear and bags.

(+): this stroller was just what we needed. it can be easily lifted and just as easily folded up and stored at half (or less) the room of our full size chicco stroller. it was so easy to use in while traveling in a small-ish vehicle across country. the canopy / sun shade is quite ample even in the reclined position.

(-): the stroller is not as sturdy feeling as our chicco and the front wheels don't always turn smoothly and often get stuck in one position creating a dragging sensation. the canopy / sun shade does not stay in the down position and must be continually moved back into position.

this stroller really worked for us while on the road and was definitely the best buy for the money. i would recommend this stroller for people looking for a lightweight no-frills stroller that is super easy to use.

I bought this stroller specifically to travel in Japan and Korea. It held up very well during all the travel abuse and the features I liked, lightweight and compact, were perfect for traveling. We used the subways in both countries and often we had to climb up stairs. We would just collapse the stroller and go up and down the stairs. The stroller is so lightweight that I was able to carry the baby and the stroller on my shoulder at the same time. The canopy is ok, not great. One of our wheels squeaked for a while, but after a couple days of wearing it down it stopped squeaking all together. When the stroller is overloaded, 25 lbs baby and giant heavy diaper bag, the wheels don't turn as well. The wheels are the worst feature on this stroller. They held up and will do the job, but because they are so small and flimsy, I find the stroller is not as easy to maneuver as others. The basket is adequate and I used it to store a blanket and my beco carrier. I also bought the sunshine kids attachment which came in handy. I left it on when folded. Sometimes it would bend the metal frame of sunshine kids bag, but you can just bend it back into shape. If you travel during the spring, fall, or winter, I highly recommend getting a plastic rain cover for this stroller. In both countries, parents used the cover to protect the little one from the wind and the cold, which seemed to work well. I didn't have one and my little one was freezing at times due to the cutting wind. The stroller usually can balance on it's own if you have diaper bag hung over the handles, but if it is overloaded, (we once also added heavy jackets to the bag) it will tip backwards (but we really overloaded the thing). You can definitely travel with and use a stroller in both Japan and Korea. Even with the crowds and narrow uneven streets, we were glad to have the stroller, especially if you have a big baby. I would switch off with carrying the baby in the beco and letting her ride the stroller throughout the day. The stroller does recline, but not flat. But it's enough for the little one to fall asleep. My baby really liked the belly bar and would often sit straight up holding onto the bar to see what's going on. If you want a decently priced stroller, which is compact, light, and will hold up for heavy duty traveling, then this is the one. I had the money to buy a more expensive one, but I knew if the stroller was too heavy and difficult to carry around when collapsed, it would just sit in the hotel room. If they would just add some better wheels, it would be almost perfect.