6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Absolute Ambivalence
Date of Review: Dec 20, 2005
The Bottom Line: It might be great for you, it might be awful for you. It is *both* for us.
As any new parent knows, one of the first must-have items for your new infant is a car seat. The reason is practical and simple: the hospital will not let you take your baby home without one.
While some car seats designed for older children can also accommodate a newborn, the better option for a new baby is a 2-piece infant seat that comes with a base that you install in your car, and a "bucket" that clicks into the base. Because of their size and the way they are oriented, these infant seats are more comfortable and safer for smaller babies. They are also very convenient, as the bucket can go straight from the car base to a stroller frame like the Combi Flash, and vice-versa. Among other things, this means that baby can continue to sleep when you get to where you are going.
Similar in function to its well-known competitors, the Snap-N-Go and the Kolcraft Universal Car Carrier, the Combi Flash is a simple collapsible stroller frame for baby's bucket. Like the others, it is far more compact than a traditional stroller, it has a storage basket underneath the bucket, and a place to put your drink and some other stuff by the handle. But the Combi is a very unique design, and, for better and worse, it has certain distinct advantages and certain distinct disadvantages. Whether it is right for you will very much depend on your circumstances.
Advantages
Tri-fold design
The Flash is definitely the most compact stroller frame you can buy. Combi achieved this size advantage two ways: (1) the Flash is simply a bit smaller when opened, but (2) unlike the others, the Flash has an ingenious tri-fold design, so after you fold it down like every other stroller, the two sides then fold in toward each other. It is very clever, and if you don't have a lot of space in your car or in your home, this compactness is worth a lot.
Snap-In
Another thing we really like about the Flash is that the bucket actually clicks in. You still need to belt in the bucket with the straps attached to the Flash to be fully secure, but it is very reassuring to hear the "click" and know that the bucket is properly seated in the frame. By comparison, Kolcraft actually disabled the click-in feature of its current Universal frame because it feared that people were too reliant on the click and not using the strap. So now, you have to use the strap with the Kolcraft, because that's all you get; there is no click. And while I am sure the Universal is just as safe, it certainly does not feel as secure.
Weight
The Flash is very light-- only 10lbs. And it has a convenient strap for carrying when it is folded up. You will appreciate both of these features when you are laden with all of baby's things (and baby).
Disadvantages
Not Good for Long Legs
The most frustrating thing for me about the Flash may not matter to you at all. Whether it does will depend on how tall you are. Unfortunately, the Flash is simply not designed for long-legged people. The handle does not come up high enough or out far enough out from the frame. As a result, I often wind up kicking the back wheels when I walk. This could have easily been fixed by simply making the handle adjustable. But Combi did not, so if this affects you, there is little you can do to avoid it other than stretching out your arms and walking completely unnaturally. Given how cleverly the Flash is otherwise designed, this oversight is very disappointing. Bottom line: If you are tall, keep this flaw in mind and definitely take the Flash for a test drive before buying.
Smallish Basket
It is also worth noting that compared to the other stroller frames, the Flash has a pretty small basket. Basically you can fit one or two bags of groceries in there, but that would be pretty much it. It is also somewhat difficult to access the basket when the bucket is snapped in. We think that this is a perfectly reasonable tradeoff for the compactness of the Flash, but we can also see that others might go the other way on this.
Brakes Difficult to Engage
The rear wheels on the Flash are actually two independent sets of two wheels each. Each set has a brake, which is essentially a lever in between the two wheels that engages a gear when you press it down. Unfortunately, the wheels are spaced so closely, and the lever is so small, that it is difficult to engage the brakes with your foot. As a result of this unfortunate design flaw, unless you have small feet (or precise and pointy toes) you must often bend down to engage the brake with your hand, which is very inconvenient.
Flimsy Construction
We have had the Flash for about eight months now, and while we have not treated it like a museum piece, we also have not abused it by any means. Frankly, we're not too impressed with the way it has held up. For one, the cloth bottle holder/pouch that comes stretched across the handle has completely frayed and torn. It is now useless. For another, the wheels have also seen better days. They have begun to squeak and the rubber has worn down. Basically, the Flash might make it through another child, but we're not counting on it. And while $60 is not a huge amount for a stroller, we expected it to age more gracefully than this after normal use.
Other relevant fun facts
The Flash is purportedly compatible with most infant car seats, including the Combi Tyro, Graco SnugRide, Century SmartFit, Century Avanta, Evenflo Portabout and Eddie Bauer seats. We can only speak for the SnugRide which works fine.
The Flash can be opened with one hand, but must be closed with two.
The front wheels swivel but can be locked in a forward-facing position. It is inconvenient to lock the front wheels for the same reason it is difficult to engage the brakes. Unfortunately, it is much easier to fold up the Flash when the front wheels are locked, so you often have to bend down and do it.
What's the Bottom Line?
For all of the above reasons, it is difficult to recommend the Combi Flash, but it is also difficult to recommend against it. We really appreciate the size and weight of the Flash, both of which go a long way toward mitigating its many shortcomings. Unfortunately, some of the shortcomings are very apparent in day-to-day use. And the fact that certain aspects of the Flash are so elegantly designed just makes the problems that much more frustrating. The bottom line is that you should definitely check the Flash out. It may be perfect for you, it may be absolutely wrong for you, or, if you're like us, it may be just the right mixture to cause absolute ambivalence.
