Customer Reviews

Combi Shuttle Infant Car Seat in Ember

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love the compact size of this carseat-a major selling point for me since I drive a compact car. The anti-rebound bar is a safetly feature I liked-and has the added bonus of being an extra "handle" when getting in and out of the car. In an ideal world, the canopy wouldn't be attached to the back of the seat and would have full range of motion, but that's minor compared to the other features I enjoy.

I really like this lightweight car seat. Before buying this, we shopped around quite a bit. We also read several reviews about this car seat and we thought we took a bit of a risk by purchasing this as in majority of reviews it said that it's hard to get the car seat out of the base.
Initially, it was difficult for us as well but by applying WD-40 near the pulling latch, it became really easy to un-latch it.
It was a relief that it became loose and my wife was able to get it out the base without stuggling.

I strongly recommend people to buy this and also have WD-40 handy. You won't be disappointed.

I recently attended a car seat safety class and I learned that car seats have been known to pop out of their bases in side-impact crashes. There's no safety advantage to using the base (it's convenience of not having to strap in the carrier each time, and it helps fit into some oddly angled backseats). It's now a side note that you shouldn't use the base unless you need to.

That being said, like some other posters have suggested, a little bit of WD40 on the pull in the back will make it operate quite smoothly, as opposed to the strain it usually takes. I've owned dozens of car seats (read: foster parents, many nephews and nieces) and I've experiences the improper seat-to-base locking situation with many infant seats. If you don't drop them in quite right, they don't lock in properly. Combi isn't alone in this situation.

I agree that the shade is flimsy, but I never use it anyhow. I think a receiving blanket thrown over the top works best on any kind of car seat.

Anyhow, the rebound bar is great, and I feel comfortable with the amount of head protection given by the halo (the foam around the head). I'm very very particular about car seats, and this is the one I chose for my own kid.

Not too fond of this car seat. It's ridiculously hard to unclasp from the base, so much so that I ended up buying a whole different car seat.

We get so many compliments on this car seat (and the compatible stroller). People ask if it's the pricey bugaboo. It's compact and easy to carry (though I should definitely have been doing some bicep exercises pre-baby). Our baby has always seemed comfortable in it. Get this seat if you also plan to get the stroller. The biggest PRO of this system (after style) is portability. It's been so easy to take on flights, fold up for the trunk, store in our coat closet, etc.

The CONS:
1) Canopy ... I wish the shade was bigger or could be moved to stay in place when the sun is at different angles. This is somewhat solved when used in combination with the stroller as it has a canopy that overlaps. The gear mechanism on our canopy also broke. Though the company did quickly replace it for free (plus $8 shipping).

2) Release Mechanism ... it took me forever to figure out how to muscle this seat off the base. It takes some hand strength. My husband had better luck. Now, however, I can usually get it without too much straining.

3) Base ... If your car doesn't have the LATCH system (ours doesn't), the base tends to come loose after a few releases. It comes with a locking mechanism, but you still have to tighten it pretty regularly.

A note on the matching stroller. It's great save two things ... the wheels are a plastic and wear quickly if this is your main stroller. The company gave us a free second set (at a cost of $8 shipping) as it was under warranty. Also, the sun shade is rather short once your baby no longer needs to be in the car seat inside the stroller. So, we bought a Kiddopotamus UV protective shade to use in addition on sunny days.

Perks:
Super cute
Nice bar by the feet that makes carrying it easier
Easy installation
Easy strap adjustments
Effortlessly falls and locks into the base


Not so perky:
Seems really heavy, but I'm not sure how heavy other seats are
Really hard to get out of the base

We bought this car seat for my first baby and he was just so tiny. He fit comfortably in this seat with the back adjusted to the smallest height. It is cushioned well and the padding on the seat belt part held his little neck perfectly. It is such a comfortable seat for him. The safety bar is an excellent feature. While talking with a car seat specialist at the hospital, she told me this was one of the best seats you can buy for safety because of that bar. While the child is in the seat you are also suppose to leave the handle up on this seat. I couldnt find the instructions manual on this seat when it came to my house...but after searching this seat, it is located on the back under the canopy...A convenient little pocket for the manual in case you should ever need it. The only thing I absolutely hate about this seat is the canopy. It does not stay up. Every time I carry my baby anywhere in this, it always falls down. Sun, rain, snow..you name it, it gets in his eyes. This seat would be perfect if the canopy would stay up. Everybody always complements me on how nice it looks. It snaps in easily to the base and is easy to get out.

Let me first say that this is my first carseat (only 1 child so far) so I don't have anything to compare it with.

Pros:
I love the design and style.
Lightweight (but like other reviews, I dont know if it's that light).
I like the rebound bar.

Cons:
It is very hard to get out of the base.
It is hard to get the handle up and down.
The sun shade is a bit flimsy.
The carseat doesn't fit in a shopping cart.
A few times it clicked into the base but later I found it really wasn't latched in correctly.

When I purchased this carseat there were no reviews. When I decided to give it my own review I was surprised by all the descent reviews because I thought this product wasn't that great. But then again this is also my first infant carseat. If I had to buy another car seat, I might check other ones out before I settled with a combi again.

I did an obnoxious amount of research for the car seat/stroller purchase prior to the birth of our first child. Obviously safety was primary, but once I established that among all the contenders I settled on this car seat with the combi helio stroller (DL or something like that) for a few main reasons:
1. Compact. This was one of the only systems that would fit in my car and still allow me to have groceries in my small trunk. Since I love my compact car and am resisting moving up to a "mom car" this was huge for me. Also, I didn't want a system so bulky that I would forego it for the umbrella stroller ASAP. I haven't yet with this one (my daughter is 8 months) and I don't think I will. The stroller is compact enough to be versatile but still sturdy. A nice little hybrid if you will. The seat itself is much smaller and lighter than what my friends carry around. It's no feather...but then again, this is what is supposed to be protecting my child, so I don't want it to be too light!
2. Design. Okay, I admit it. I am sacrificing a lot to be a mother. I at least wanted a hip, fun stroller and car seat for my efforts! This is perfect. We got the black on black model, and it's fun enough to be a kid's stroller without my having to push something around with cartoon characters plastered all over it. win-win

So, how did it work? Great! I love the anti-rebound bar, all the adjustments are parent-friendly, and I like that I can install it with or without the base if necessary. My daughter has never seemed uncomfortable in it, and after reading all the reviews I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to get it in and out of the base, but I never found that to be an issue. Yes, the unlocking mechanism was kind of tight at the beginning, but it loosened up appropriately after the first few uses (I had my wd-40 on hand but never needed it). Even recovering from a c-section I had no problem unlatching it. The canopy is a bit of a joke, but let's be real, no canopy is going to cover every possible angle, so most of us end up with those stick-on glare protecters on our windows anyway, who do we think we're kidding? :) All in all, I am very pleased with this seat and the stroller, and two of my friends who have had babies since ours was born have gotten the same system after playing with ours. As a side note,it does NOT fit onto grocery carts and that is probably by design. It is very dangerous to have an infant seat on the front of the grocery cart even if it seems to fit...it makes it top-heavy and more likely to tip over...no thank you! This is small enough that I can put it in the cart itself and squeeze a good amoung of groceries around it (the dog food has to go underneath). It's never been a problem.

It may not be for everyone, but it was perfect for us!

I love the extra bar across the foot area. Its an extra safety feature that prevents the front of the seat from tipping backward when in an accident.