Combi Cabria Stroller Review

Combi strollers have gotten some mixed reviews over the last few years. The Combi Flare seems to be holding out OK with 4-star reviews, but the more lavishly appointed Cosmo has suffered only 3½-star reviews.

So when I heard that Combi was releasing the Cabria, I was looking forward to reviewing one so I could see if Combi had improved on the complaints the Cosmo was getting. But I deliberately did not read reviews for other models. I wanted to see the Combi Cabria with fresh eyes.

Combi Cosmo vs. Cabria

I also wanted to explore all the added luxuries and features added to the Cabria. This lightweight baby stroller is a step up from the Cosmo in that it's got an extra-large sun canopy and lots of extra padding in the seat, including the safety harness.

The basket on the Cabria is 25% larger and parents, you get a removable cup holder. Combi gives you their "stroller pack" accessory as part of the purchase, which you attach to the frame. The wheels are a bit larger on the Cabria than the Cosmo or the Flare to smooth out the ride.

For this review I took this Combi baby stroller around my neighborhood with 30 pounds in the seat to test the performance. Then my friend Lauren's 2½-year-old daughter went for a ride to see how she fits and I got another mom's opinion on it.

As you read this review, you'll get the lowdown on everything about Combi's Cabria DX. Let's take a look in detail at the Cabria starting with the features.

Combi Cabria Features:

• Compatible with the SHUTTLE 33 to form a travel system
• Easy to attach and detach car seat
• Easy and Compact 3-Second Fold®
• Removable child cup holder and padded bumper bar
• Extra large sun canopy with mesh viewing windows
  and storage pocket

• Carrying strap
• Infant safety enclosure
• Padded 5-point safety harness
• Multi-position reclining seat
• Removable parent cup holder
• Breathable mesh fabric on padded seat
• Head pillow
• Larger storage basket beneath seat
• Front-end suspension
• Parent console included (Stroller pack)
• Reflective accents for nighttime safety

At what age can my baby ride?

The Cabria has a seat wide enough to accommodate a Combi Shuttle 33 car seat to form a lightweight travel system, so you can start using this stroller at birth.

If you don't want to use a car seat you can still use this Combi baby stroller because the seat reclines flat and there's an infant enclosure you put up to provide your baby with more security. Simply pull out the attached material from underneath the seat's cushion and drape it over the bumper bar. Zip it closed and secure the side tabs with the Velcro.

When the seat is fully reclined for your newborn, you will be pleased to see that the area behind the seat is not open air; instead it is fully enclosed, attached to the top of the seat. The entire seat is enclosed and safe, like a cocoon, for your little one.

Tell me more about the seat

The seat really is one of the highlights of the Combi Cabria. Luxuriously padded with breathable mesh fabric on the bottom seat area, your child stays comfy yet cool enough on those hot summery days. For your child's comfort, especially when napping, a head pillow provides additional support. Remove this padding to wash.

There's lots of room to grow, too. The photo on the right shows a 2½-year-old girl, weighing 25 pounds. Her feet reach the footrest comfortably and while her head clears the seatback by a few inches, she's got a long way to go before reaching the canopy.

Your child has a padded bumper bar with a snack cup on one side and a sippy cup/bottle holder on the other. When you don't need the bumper bar, it's easily removable.

How does the seat recline?

I like that I can recline the seat in infinite positions with the pulley system on the back. It is easy to recline and sit back up.

But another mom mentioned that this push button pulley may wear out, as hers did (on a different brand), and she had to tie a knot in hers to get it to stay up. The good news is that I have not seen this complaint in other Combi stroller reviews.

What safety features does it have?

Of course the Combi Cabria comes with a 5-point safety harness with comfortable shoulder pads. It's relatively easy to adjust the straps to the correct fit. Combi has a unique way to rethread the shoulder straps. Pull the padding at the top of the seatback (secured with Velcro) and it comes forward. The straps are clipped to the lap belt, so you unclip the strap and pull it through the seatback, then back through at the new height. It's very easy!

Reflective accents on the carry strap and the stripe around the hood provide you with better visibility during low lit times of day or night.

Brakes have something to be desired, however. A stroller at this price should have better brakes that are easier to use. The stroller stops, but man, is it a pain to use.

First off, you have to have solid, close-toed shoes to disengage the brakes with any comfort. They're stiff! If the brakes were like UPPAbaby's umbrella strollers it would be a much better experience.

Maneuverability and performance

This is another area where Combi needs much improvement. But let me start with the positives! The Combi Cabria has excellent front-end suspension. Taking this stroller over regular sidewalks with a few bumps was just fine with a nice smooth ride.

I could walk one-handed and sip my drink while walking on a straightaway, more or less. I did have to correct the steering at times, because the stroller would gradually veer off course. But to be fair, it was fine on the straightaways.

Now for the complaints. Steering around corners or maneuvering tightly is challenging with the Combi Cabria. You must always use two hands, there is no turn-on-a-dime maneuverability, unfortunately. Lauren turned the street corner and noticed this immediately. This has been the same complaint with the Cosmo, too.

While the suspension can take small bumps and cracks, the wheels cannot go over anything higher than an inch. So despite the larger wheel size Combi boasts for the Combi Cabria, it hasn't made a difference where it really counts.

Several times during my outing, the wheels would knock up against these sidewalk seams and jolt the stroller to a stop. You've got to lift the front end over these cracks and seams to avoid an accident.

I expect better performance from a stroller that costs almost $177.

What is the fold like?

The fold has gotten mixed reviews and I admit that it took a few practice runs to get it down. The Combi Cabria has a compact 3-second fold. Pull up the levers on either side of the frame, jerk it back for an instant fold. Then you fold it in vertically to save an additional 1.75" of space.

It's the vertical part of the fold that can be problematic for some parents. I even had some trouble with stiffness now and again.

Then you have to make sure that the front wheels are locked straight before folding to avoid damage. While locking the wheels straight is easy to do, I sometimes forget! I do like the stand alone fold, though. More like carefully balanced!

About the sun canopy

The best new feature on the Combi Cabria is the luxury oversized sun canopy. It is fantastic! Fully extended, it completely shades your child's face, giving proper protection from the sun and wind. I really like the Cabria canopy as does Lauren.

When you want the canopy retracted halfway, the extra panel is kept in place with a small clip. Other strollers use a zipper to make the canopy smaller and this would have been better because the small clip could easily break with repeated use. I found it was sometimes difficult to clip back into place. Nice try, but not quite.

The peek-a-boo windows are a different story though. They are large mesh windows, which I greatly prefer to vinyl because of better circulation during hot months. The smaller canopy gives you one window, but with it extended, you get two windows to peek through and say hello!

Storage space and parent amenities

The first thing Lauren and I noticed (besides the fabulous canopy) is the handle height. This is very important to my friend because she's 5'9" and has problems finding a handle height that is comfortable for her.

But her compliments on the handle were short lived because the seams in the handle used for the tri-fold bothered her hands. She felt as though they could pinch her hands between the thumb and finger.

Combi listened to their customers and the new Cabria sports a removable cup holder. Like the canopy clip, it's a nice thought but a bit of a fail because, as you can see from the photo, your drink sits at an angle because of the handle! Even a small bottle of water doesn't sit straight.

When you purchase the Combi Cabria, the stroller pack accessory is included. It is an extra pocket and cup holder made out of the same material as the canopy and you loop the ends around the handle and secure with Velcro.

Combi boasts again that their basket beneath the seat is 25% larger than the Cosmo or the Flare. That may be so, but with the frame's axle going right through the middle of the basket, it doesn't matter that it's 25% bigger, the basket is almost useless! I understand that it's probably needed to do the Tri-fold, but when you get that many complaints, perhaps it's time to ditch that folding style!

The Britax B-Agile costs $20-$30 more than the Combi Cabria and you get access to the shopping basket due to the frame's design. This is a good alternative if you have the extra money in your budget.

See my video review of the Cabria:

Overall Impressions

My overall rating for the Cabria is 3½ stars.

While it is loaded with lots of little extras to make it a better product, each feature stops short of success:

• The canopy is much larger but is connected with a little clip that is hard to use and is bound to break.
• Shopping basket is 25% bigger, but the rear axle runs right through the middle, rendering it almost useless.
• We now get a cup holder, however it is nestled right up against the frame and your drink sits at an odd angle.

In addition to these little annoyances, the maneuverability has much to be desired. The fact that you need both hands to steer this stroller isn't worth it for the money you pay, considering you can get a far superior product for just another $20-$30 more.

The positives of the Cabria are clear, though. I do like the handle height and the front-end suspension. Padding on the seat is superb; children feel comfortable while riding and the seat recline is quite easy. I like the infant enclosure and the extending canopy, despite the little clip, is fantastic! The large mesh peek-a-boo windows are wonderful.

I like the portability and overall size and weight of the Cabria.

Where can I buy the Combi Cabria?

I do lots of comparison shopping and have consistently found a great price for this stroller on Amazon. Other sites you might try for a good deal are Target and Comfort First which are both quite competitive with Amazon. See which retailer offers the best price and remember to check for free shipping!