Combi Shuttle

I was counting down the days until the Combi Shuttle infant car seat arrived! My 5-month-old baby girl hated what was her current car seat. Unless she was magically asleep, she screamed every time she was in it. Being a mom of two kids, I am constantly on the go, running errands, dropping my son off at preschool, playdates, etc., and I dreaded every time we got in the car. My husband even had me ask her pediatrician if her screaming was normal.

Let’s just say, we were all ready for the arrival of the Combi Shuttle! I was happily surprised when I opened the box, and there was no assembly required! The installation in the car was so simple, or so my husband said. (He does all the installation work.) He had to jimmy rig a towel at the base of our previous car seat to make it level, but this one fit perfectly without a towel! The base even has four different reclining levels with a recline indicator, which provides comfort for baby while letting mom know it is sturdy and safe.

You need to angle the car seat just right before it clicks into the base. When the car seat first arrived, it took me a few minutes each time I was clicking it into the base. However, after having the car seat for a few weeks, it is becoming much more natural.

I noticed right away that it appeared more comfortable for my baby girl. I haven’t seen any other car seats with as much padding as this one has. Not only is the amount padding comfortable, but also the material of the padding is soft. One great thing is that the headrest padding can be adjusted up and down to accommodate my baby as she grows, without losing comfort.

The real test came the next morning when it came time to drop my son off at preschool. It might have been coincidence, but she was awake and not screaming the entire drive. Let’s just say I was sold immediately. Since then, she’s had her moments of tears, but I can honestly say the tears have been less. It may not have been the car seat, as she is getting older and is generally a happier baby; however, the timing of the car seat’s arrival unquestionably coincided with her being happier in the car. (Take that for what you will.) She’ll even occasionally play with her toys attached to the carry handle when she’s awake.

Speaking of the carry handle, one of the minor downsides of the car seat is that adjusting the carry handle is a little awkward. It requires you to push the handle adjustment buttons on each side of the car seat, and often times, I’ll have to push and hold a few times before it moves.

But let’s get back to the positives because there are so many! Another great feature of the car seat is the large canopy. Our busy lives require us to take our baby girl everywhere with us. I love the option of pulling the canopy up to block her from the sun (or even strangers while out and about).

The car seat is engineered for safety. It has an anti-rebound bar in the front of the car seat, that I thought would be bulky and bother me, but I honestly haven’t thought twice about it.

Overall, I’d recommend this car seat to family and friends. I love the large canopy and—most of all—the comfort it provides my baby girl.

Weight limits: Rear-facing, 4-35 pounds
Price: $200
Where to buy: combiusa.com