Travel systems are one of the greatest inventions for parents. They make it SO easy to transfer your child from the car to the stroller and vice versa when you’re out running errands. In my experience, my newborn son would fall asleep during almost every car ride, so I was so thankful that I could just click his whole car seat out of the car and place it into the stroller without waking him!
The Urbini Omni Plus Travel System is popular because it is affordable, yet comes with features that typically are only found on higher-end strollers. It is a multi-modal stroller and has a lot of adjustability for the parent pushing it.
Because of problems with the wheels and fabric, I do not recommend the Urbini Omni. There are better options available like the Graco FastAction as you will see in this article and full reviews of all the best travel systems.
What is a travel system?
Travel systems come with a stroller, a car seat, and a car seat base that is installed in your car, sometimes called a “combo”. The car seat can be clicked onto the stroller to be used as one system.
The neat thing about travel systems is that you can easily transfer your infant from the car to the stroller without having to take them out of their car seat. This is awesome when your child falls asleep in the car and you arrive at your destination. You just click them out of the car, click them into the stroller, and you’re good to go.
Probably the only downfall of travel systems is, unfortunately, the infant seats that they come with will only last you until around your child’s first birthday, so you will end up spending money on another car seat in a short amount of time. I think it’s worth it for the flexibility they offer, but if you’re on a tight budget, look into convertible seats that are good for newborns!
Urbini Omni Plus Travel System
Basic Features
- Car seat weight limitations: 4-35 lbs
- This is pretty standard for rear-facing infant seats. The 4 pound minimum ensures it can fit almost any newborn, even preemies!
- Car seat height limitations: 32 inches
- The height and weight limit of this car seat should get you to your child’s first birthday, when you’ll want to start looking into convertible seats!
- Removable preemie insert
- This insert is great for newborns – it helps cradle them to provide head support until they gain some of their own!
- Stroller maximum child weight: 50 lbs
- This maximum stroller weight is pretty standard among travel systems strollers.
- 5 point stroller harness
- A must on strollers, in my opinion. Keeps your little one safe and snug.
Additional Features
Stroller can convert to bassinet
This is a feature you won’t find on many strollers in the lower price ranges. This allows you to lay your infant flat in the stroller if they are sleeping. This is also a useful feature for on-the-go diaper changes. It can be challenging sometimes to find a flat, safe spot to change your child’s diaper. But if you’re ok with doing it in the stroller (which I certainly am), it’s nice to be able to lay your child completely flat!
Stroller seat can be forward or backward
This is a feature that you won’t get on all strollers. A lot of travel systems just have the option to have your child rear facing when using the car seat with the stroller, and then once they are big enough to sit in just the stroller, they’ll sit forward-facing. I like that the Urbini Omni has this feature because it gives you more adjustability based on how you’re walking against the sun, what you’re using the stroller for, etc.
Adjustable handle
If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I love adjustability! Most lower priced strollers don’t have this feature, so among all of the other features, this is a big one for me. Pushing a stroller that is too short for you becomes tedious very quickly. Being able to adjust the handlebar allows for taller parents to be more comfortable.
Concerns with the Urbini Omni
Rough fabric
You want your newborn to be embraced by only the softest of materials. Unfortunately, the Urbini Omni Plus system doesn’t have premium fabrics. This leaves the car seat feeling rough and scratchy. This is a big downfall for me, because I don’t want to put my child in something that I myself wouldn’t want to sit in.
Wheels
So let’s talk wheels. When I was shopping for my son’s stroller before he was born, I would see people saying things in reviews about terrible wheels and think well, that’s just one part of the stroller, if the rest of it’s fine, it’ll be good enough. Wrong.
The wheels truly make the difference between a good stroller and a bad stroller. On the stroller that I use now, the tires are inflatable and for the longest time I was using it with the tires low on air. Boy, once I pumped those tires up, it made all the difference! Suddenly I could more easily make turns, and it was ten times easier to push.
The reason I mention this is because the wheels on the Omni Plus stroller are just not good enough. After just a few months of use, they get stuck and have trouble turning, making it next to impossible to maneuver the stroller around. This isn’t just a minor issue. Without good-working wheels, you’re not going to want to use the stroller. While this travel system is an affordable and aesthetically pleasing option, it’s just not going to last you long enough. Therefore, despite the fun features, the Urbini Omni Plus is not a good travel system in my opinion.
Better Options
Graco FastAction Fold
The Graco FastAction Fold. I’m a huge fan of Graco strollers, because they are affordable, yet they last a long time. They aren’t as convenient as, say, the BOB (which come jam-packed with every feature you could think of!), but they do what they need to do.
Additionally, the Graco Click Connect car seats are very safe, and easy to use.
The Graco FastAction Fold line of travel systems has a variety of options, no matter what your budget is. The Graco FastAction Fold Click Connect Travel System is their base model, but if you want more features, you can check out the rest of their line, including the Sport, which features a jogging stroller and more storage space.
Downsides
At around 22 pounds, these strollers are fairly heavy, and while they fold easily, they don’t fold as flat as higher end strollers. If you have a small car, you may want to look into more compact strollers. However, the Graco FastAction line are among the lightest strollers within this price range.
Britax B-Lively Flexfit Travel System
It is hard to go wrong with the Britax B-Lively Flexfit Travel System because of the high quality of both the stroller and the car seat and also the safety features of the car seat.
What makes these options better?
The Graco FastAction strollers aren’t as adjustable or multi-functional, but they are built to last. The wheels are quality, and won’t lock up on you after just a few months of use. Plus, the fabric is soft and durable. When it comes down to it, you’re not going to care about all the bells and whistles if your stroller can’t be pushed easily or leaves your child feeling uncomfortable.
Still looking for more options?
Check out this review of the best travels systems of 2018, which features a variety of options, no matter what your budget is.
My Recommendation
As with most things in life, when it comes to the Urbini Omni Plus Travel System, you get what you pay for. It has neat features that you usually have to pay top dollar for, but when it comes down to it, it just isn’t great quality. Honestly, I would rather pay extra upfront on a higher quality stroller than to have to purchase a new stroller down the line because the Urbini Omni Plus got too frustrating to use.
If you’re looking for a travel system in the same price range of the Urbini Omni Plus, check out the Graco FastAction Fold Click Connect. It doesn’t have as many features as the Omni Plus, but it is a quality stroller that will outlast the Omni Plus big time. So while you may not get all the features you want, you’ll have a dependable stroller that you can use for years to come!
Best Travel Systems
Best Travel Systems for Joggers and Runners
Best Travel Systems Overall
FAQ’s About Urbini Omni Travel Systems
Does Urbini make a good car seat?
The car seat is well reviewed, but the stroller is not, due primarily to quality issues and problems with the wheels.
Who makes Urbini?
Goodbaby International makes both the Evenflo and Urbini Travel Systems.
Which is the better travel system? Evenflo or Urbini?
The two are very similar, and similarly rated by consumers. Moms seem to prefer the fabric of the Evenflo Pivot travel system.
Which travel system does ExperiencedMommy recommend?
Each of the following three travel systems comes highly recommended by ExperiencedMommy.
● Graco Fastaction Fold Jogger Travel System
● Baby Trend Expedition LX Travel System
● UPPAbaby Vista + Mesa Travel System
When can a baby sit in a stroller without the car seat?
When your baby sits independently, he or she no longer needs the added support of the infant car seat for strolling. For most babies this milestone is reached at around six months.
Should I get a travel system, or a convertible car seat and stroller?
This is a personal choice. A baby will grow out of an infant car seat, which might make a convertible car seat the more economical decision. On the other hand, some parents have felt that their convertible car seat is not appropriate (comfortable, even safe) for their newborn.
Too, many prefer the convenience of moving the sleeping baby from car to stroller (or stroller to car) without having to switch seats.
