Combi launches new infant car seat, plans
to relaunch Avatar

Combi plans to
launch a third infant car seat, the Combi Centre DX in October. The infant seat
is rated for infants up to 22 lbs and 29? and retails for $120. It
features an infant body pillow, EPS foam and a harness adjustment that works
without rethreading. The Centre will work with a new collection of Combi
strollers, the ?Metro Life? series. That series includes two new
strollers, the Cosmo ST and DX ($59 and $79, respectively). Both are re-tooled
versions of the Strollee STS stroller now sold in Target. The Cosmo, however,
has a steel frame and is less expensive the Combi?s City Life
series.

In other Combi news, the company
plans to relaunch the ill-fated Avatar, which failed a Consumer Reports crash
test and was recalled earlier this year. The revised Avatar II will add EPS and
correct the latch attachment that was the fault in the crash tests. It will sell
for $230 for a basic version and $250 for a ?plus? model that will
also include a separate backless booster (the
Dakota).

Finally, we should note that
Combi has dropped their partnership with Team Tex, the controversial company
that was founded by a French car seat magnate. As a result, Combi will
discontinue all its Team Tex-supplied car seats, including the Victoria and
Everest as well as their Strollee counterparts. Many Strollee strollers will
also be dropped, as Combi found that market to be tough to crack at a profit
(for those scoring along at home, Combi is 0-2 for trying to tap the low-end
part of the stroller market).

Also: the
three-wheel stroller we reported in our book will add a fourth wheel for
stability and will now be known as the Combi IV ($200). Unfortunately, the front
wheels will now be fixed. This stroller will be released in September. Also new:
the Kobuk booster (33-100 lbs, $90) that will debut in July. It features EPS
foam, Egg Shock foam padding and belt guides that adjust both vertically and
horizontally.

If that weren?t
enough, Combi will reenter the tandem stroller market in late 2005 with the
?Counterpart.? This 25 lb stroller will have a unique middle wheel
that will turn for better handling. It will work with the Combi Centre and
Connection car seats. Price $200.

And:
Combi will give the high chair market another shot with the Streamline ($130,
October). It replaces the Easy Glider, which never really clicked in the market.
The new high chair will have the same full recline and five height positions,
but will have a compact fold (something the Easy Glider lacked).


Combi launches new infant car seat, plans
to relaunch Avatar

Combi plans to
launch a third infant car seat, the Combi Centre DX in October. The infant seat
is rated for infants up to 22 lbs and 29? and retails for $120. It
features an infant body pillow, EPS foam and a harness adjustment that works
without rethreading. The Centre will work with a new collection of Combi
strollers, the ?Metro Life? series. That series includes two new
strollers, the Cosmo ST and DX ($59 and $79, respectively). Both are re-tooled
versions of the Strollee STS stroller now sold in Target. The Cosmo, however,
has a steel frame and is less expensive the Combi?s City Life
series.


The new Combi Centre and the Cosmo
DX

In other Combi news, the company
plans to relaunch the ill-fated Avatar, which failed a Consumer Reports crash
test and was recalled earlier this year. The revised Avatar II will add EPS and
correct the latch attachment that was the fault in the crash tests. It will sell
for $230 for a basic version and $250 for a ?plus? model that will
also include a separate backless booster (the
Dakota).


The Avatar
II

Finally, we should note that Combi
has dropped their partnership with Team Tex, the controversial company that was
founded by a French car seat magnate. As a result, Combi will discontinue all
its Team Tex-supplied car seats, including the Victoria and Everest as well as
their Strollee counterparts. Many Strollee strollers will also be dropped, as
Combi found that market to be tough to crack at a profit (for those scoring
along at home, Combi is 0-2 for trying to tap the low-end part of the stroller
market).

Also: the three-wheel stroller
we reported in our book will add a fourth wheel for stability and will now be
known as the Combi IV ($200). Unfortunately, the front wheels will now be fixed.
This stroller will be released in September. Also new: the Kobuk booster (33-100
lbs, $90) that will debut in July. It features EPS foam, Egg Shock foam padding
and belt guides that adjust both vertically and horizontally.


The Combi
IV


The new Combi Kobuk
booster

If that weren?t enough,
Combi will reenter the tandem stroller market in late 2005 with the
?Counterpart.? This 25 lb stroller will have a unique middle wheel
that will turn for better handling. It will work with the Combi Centre and
Connection car seats. Price $200.


Combi’s new tandem stroller, the
Counterpart

And: Combi will give the
high chair market another shot with the Streamline ($130, October). It replaces
the Easy Glider, which never really clicked in the market. The new high chair
will have the same full recline and five height positions, but will have a
compact fold (something the Easy Glider
lacked).


Combi Streamline high
chair