Another stroller question-Combi I-thru

[justhat]

Okay, I know the Combi I-thru is a very new stroller, I think it was released in late January, but does anyone own this yet? If so, what do you think of it? Or if you have another Combi do you like it?

We already have 3 strollers (a Graco Coachrider, Graco Literider-we keep that at my mom's, and a Maclaren Techno Classic) and weren't in the market for a new one, but my mom has this coupon that expires on 2/13 at Buy Buy Baby and she saw this stroller and thought it looked good and really wants to get it for us. I initially said no, as we have 3 and do not need anymore. I love our Coachrider (despite its incredible size) and use that often at home, as my daughter can face me, it fully reclines, and it has the cold weather boot to keep her warm. The Maclaren I use a lot too, as we live in DC so if I'm going on the Metro it's much easier to take that since it's smaller and lighter. We also bring that one on vacation now that my daughter is older and it's great. I was able to carry the Maclaren, baby in the Bjorn, and diaper bag onto the Disney buses myself.

But anyway, my mom kept asking me about the stroller, so I finally looked it up online, and it sounds almost exactly like the Coachrider, but it has an extendable canopy with a mesh viewing window (Coachrider has a good canopy, but no viewing window), has a padded seat, 5 point harness, and is half the weight of the Coachrider (Coachrider is 29 lbs. and the I-thru is 16 lbs.). So when I heard the weight of the I-thru, it suddenly got very appealing. Our Maclaren is 12 lbs., and I love that about it, but my daughter won't stay in it too long cause she can't see me. I thought she'd be okay with that by now, but she's almost a year and still prefers to see me. She'll sit in the Coachrider much longer than the Mac, and I think it's cause she can see me (though I guess it could be more comfortable, I don't really know). The new Coachriders seem to have some of these features (we got ours in 2003), but not mine.

The thing is, I'm not totally sold on getting it because we have one pretty similar. But since it's so much lighter, I am considering taking it to Disney with us in April instead of the Mac because she might stay in it longer if she can see me. Our last trip to Disney I ended up keeping her in the Bjorn most of the time cause she'd cry in the stroller. I didn't mind that when she was very young (did that on our 1st 2 trips at 3 and 4 months) but now she's 19 pounds so it's hard to carry her all day.

So are Combi strollers good? Do they push and steer well? I love that about the Mac and when I used my SILs BabyTrend it was so hard to push and steer that I really appreciated the Mac more. The Coachrider isn't bad in that dept. either, it's just heavy. It goes up to 35 lbs, and since Madison is about 19 lbs. at almost 1, I'm guessing we'd get decent use out of it, plus we plan to have more kids so she wouldn't be the only one using it. Do Combi's hold up well? So, any opinions on this stroller?

 

[Brina]

I have the combi savvy z. It is a very good stroller and we used two of them on our last trip to disney. combi makes a good, sturdy stroller, and as you point out, light. I think my maclaren steered better.

 

[lynetteSC]

I am not much help with the new stroller, but we have a new combi savvy soho dx and I LOVE it! We will test it out in May at WDW. It seems pretty sturdy, but we have only had it about 6 weeks! Good luck!

 

[lurontravel]

I don't have the new Combi you are talking about either, but have the Combi Savvy Z. I love that it is light weight, that it folds up very small, but the steering is terrible. I use my big stroller a lot more then I thought I would since I got this stroller almost 5 years ago. My big one steers and rides better, has bigger storage, I can fit both kids in it in a real pinch, and if I had it to do again, I'd look more closely at the Maclarens, and probably end up with one of those instead. It was not cheap, and I don't know if I'll have another little one to ride in any stroller or not! I guess my suggestion is to go to Babies R Us or someone near you who carries this new one to see if it is worth it to you. Our Savvy Z did well when we were in Russia and had to carry our stroller up and down the metro escalators which were massive...

 

[Colinsmom]

My experience is that Combis have a unique feel to them (not sure about the I-Thru, I haven't tried it yet) that not everyone likes. It is a flexible frame, so will sway side to side easily, though not dangerously. I prefer a solid feeling stroller, so the Combis aren't for me. They are also traditionally not built for taller people. Is there a way for you to try it before buying?

Also, is 16lbs the frame weight or the stroller weight (with canopy, padding, etc)? And note that it does not have a reversible handle (according to the description I just pulled up) but a reversible seat, which means you have to take baby out and remove and reattach the whole seat. Not as smooth as the reversible handle.

For the price, how about a Peg Perego Venezia, which has a reversible handle? It also goes to 45lbs rather than just 35lbs. I've tried many brands, and keep on coming back to Peg Perego. I'm quite partial to them!!

 

[seetheworld]

I don't have the new Combi you are talkng about, although I purchased a lightweight full feature travel Combi a couple of months ago and LOVE it! I got my first Combi 12 years ago w/the birth of my first baby. I have 4 kids now & and many Combi's later, I am still a fan. I love Combi! I'll have to check out the newset one you are talkng about. I recommend them highly! Kim

 

[DisneyPhD]

We have a combi travel savey DX (bought in 2002). We like it. It is a great Disney World stroller. Folds up well, good canapy, good tray with cup holders (that opens.) Pushes and handels well.

It is rather wobbly, and that is in the design. It makes it hard to curb hop. It is comfortable for the kid. Basket is uselless. You can get a travel savy now a days for around $100. You can even get one at traget on line for 30 or 40 (a thread was posted on here a month ago.) I would not pay the 300 for the new combi. That is as much as a double. I just don't see it being that much better.


If I got a new single stroller I think I would get a peg pergo Piko 3 (I think that is the name.) That way the older kid could use the bar to stand on. However I have a Peg double SAB and hubby won't let me get any more (even though it was on sale!)

But yes I like my combi and it has served us well. I love how it folds down.

 

[justhat]

My experience is that Combis have a unique feel to them (not sure about the I-Thru, I haven't tried it yet) that not everyone likes. It is a flexible frame, so will sway side to side easily, though not dangerously. I prefer a solid feeling stroller, so the Combis aren't for me. They are also traditionally not built for taller people. Is there a way for you to try it before buying?

Also, is 16lbs the frame weight or the stroller weight (with canopy, padding, etc)? And note that it does not have a reversible handle (according to the description I just pulled up) but a reversible seat, which means you have to take baby out and remove and reattach the whole seat. Not as smooth as the reversible handle.

For the price, how about a Peg Perego Venezia, which has a reversible handle? It also goes to 45lbs rather than just 35lbs. I've tried many brands, and keep on coming back to Peg Perego. I'm quite partial to them!!

Don't tell my husband, he loves Peg Perego! Before our daughter was born, he picked out the Peg Perego (forget which one) and said we had to get it. Well, we didn't ever get it and he's still upset about it.

The 16 lbs. is the total weight, not just the frame. That's really what I like about it. The Peg Perego that is reversible is really nice (what my husband wanted), but it's 23 lbs., which is almost the same weight as the Coachrider so it makes it harder to justify getting another stroller. I do like the moveable handle, but you have to take the seat out and switch it on the Coachrider and it's not that bad. My husband really preferred the handle to the seat, which is why he wanted the Peg Perego.

We did go to the store to try it out today, and it seemed easy to push, turn, reverse the seat (way lighter than the Coachrider seat), and get my daughter in and out. The seat felt more comfortable than the Maclaren we have (though I looked at the new model of the Mac Techno Classic and it's way more padded than the one we bought in July). I should have looked at the Pliko while we were there, but I didn't think of it. We're going to return a dysfunctional Disney Sing a Long tape tomorrow so I'll try it out again and my husband will be with me so that should help too. My main draw to it is it's weight-our Coachrider is great but just sooooo heavy.

It's really just the price that is scaring me. My mom's got a coupon, so it would be $200 (+ tax) rather than the $300 list price, but still, it's a lot. I think we'd get good use out of it as my daughter much prefers to see me while she's in the stroller and living in DC we do walk almost everywhere, but then if we do we won't really be using the other 2 we have here, so either way I feel like I'm wasting money, but might be missing out on a good product. Ugh, I hate decisions! Thanks for the help though everyone!!

We went to the store to try it out today and it seemed pretty good.

 

[lurontravel]

I know exactly what you mean about owning three stroller. I own three. I got the first one "integrated with the carseat", and it was GREAT for the first year with both kids, then when we went to Russia, we decided we really needed a small stroller b/c we had to take our own booster seat/high chair, a bed rail (b/c they didn't have cribs or high chairs), and my own diapers and wipes b/c I didn't want to count on finding them there, and I brought my own (hand held) baby food grinder that I used at home b/c I didn't want to worry about finding babyfood over there that he would like (he never ate it at home anyways...), so since I had all of that stuff to lug for a nine month old, I needed a small stroller. Then the third was purchased on a whim by my husband at a garage sale. It was a double (we were up to two kids at this point), and I'd have replaced it if I could have found a new one that laid down flat like a bed. Now they are too old to justify a new one, so I ust bring whichever one I think will suit my purpose best (and the room I have to put it depending on where we are travelling and which car we take).
Good luck. If you think you want a new one, try them ALL and even the one your husband wanted just to be sure that you don't want that one the most. You may have a bit of living down to do for the rest of your life, but it beats not having the one you like best three strollers later!
Good luck!
Laura

 

[Colinsmom]

You don't want to know how many strollers I own - and how many I've sold off already! If you like the stroller and your mom is buying, then I say go for it! You could even sell off your Graco if you are feeling guilty, since it sounds like this would pretty much replace the Graco functionally. I'd hold onto the Maclaren because it is great for a toddler, even if it isn't your favorite right now.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I would have to agree with Colinsmom about the Maclaren.

I was thinking about strollers and how it rather is a nessesity to get more then one. When you are pregnant they sell you on buying a stroller and it is the only one you will ever need. Well needs change as your family and child grows.

You need the travel system one for the car seat (that really does help, I still use my old evenflo one, even though I hate it, but it holds the car seat instead of me!) You need a smaller one because those a big and bulky and if you have 2 kids you need a double. That is 3. Buy time you have 3 strollers and have researched and learned about them, it becomes an obbession. Why stop there?

My husband just don't understand.

 

[justhat]

We'll definitely be keeping the Maclaren cause it's invaluable to have in the city. My husband still thinks I'm crazy for wanting another stroller, but I think it might be a good purchase. I have one day left, so I'll be checking it out again today to be sure.

 

[daisylove]

I know these posts are a year old butI am curious to know if you bought the I-thru? I was looking at one for a friend and I cant decide.

 

[justhat]

Yep, we did! I do like it a lot and my daughter seems to also, but the only problem is that when I recline her the top of the seatback folds up, I guess so the kid doesn't slide out. Great in theory, but now that my daughter is 2yo and 35 or 36 inches it means she doesn't have much room. She still fits okay, but her legs dangle much lower than when she's reclined in the Graco. Of course, that's the trade off for getting a much lighter stroller though. I think it will be great with our son though since he'll fit in the reclined position really well for at least 1-1.5 years.