Not-A-Pram: The Combi Silver Car

Over three?  Love strollers?  Feeling left out?  Not to worry:   A desire to shop with a cart, an accident, or simply aging sufficiently may land you in the hands of one of the better stroller-makers once you are past toddlerhood.   Pushchair aficionados, does this frame remind you of anything?

I thought so.  I recognized its Combi-wonderfulness from across the room.  (Asian art museum, San Francisco, if you must know.)    Identifying it was another matter, but diligent web sleuthing turned up everything I needed to know.  Combi makes Savvy-like walkers/carts for the Asian market.  This one’s the Konbikyarisurun N (a version of the “Surun” or “Silver Car”):

Combi claims that it’s not necessary to remove the shopping when folding or carrying the cart; you can easily attach a cane or umbrella, and the front wheels can be fixed or remain in the swivel position, depending on the terrain.  See the little side bars below the storage pouch?  That’s where the seat rests if you need a break, are at a sporting event, or waiting for the bus.  Oh, and the handle height is adjustable.

It’s yours for 20,790 yen, which translates out to something over 200 USD, plus shipping from Japan, if you’re paying in USD.  For 27,090 yen, you can get it with “oil dampers braking”.

The front tires are curious:

They’re designed to go over curbs, hoses and miscellaneous bumps without causing a tumble.  Other models include variations on the shopping bag, including a thermal cooler under the seat.  You can see all the variations on this page.  (You may want a web translator, or the assistance of a Japanese friend while checking it out.)

The sad news is that it’s not available in the USA, and there are no plans, at least at the moment, to market them here.  (I emailed, and got a charming Engrish reply.  I can only hope my Japrish was half as good.)

So why am I posting this on a pram blog?  I’m glad you asked. Call it “industry trend-watching”.  Combi has historically made very compact, very portable strollers with a clever (and distinctive) fold, which are widely available in the US.  The international company acquired a “wellness” division, from whence these walkers/carts have sprung.  It’s not much of a stretch from strollers to walkers, when you think about it.  It’s all mobility, of one kind or another.

Combi is not the only corporation to hop on this particular bandwagon:  According to The Guardian (UK), Dutch stroller maker Bugaboo is also entering the disability market.  Target date for what The Guardian calls Bugaboo’s “pimped-up version of a walking frame” is 2012.  (It could have been worse; The Guardian could have called it a “Frog Walker”, which would have been REALLY unkind.)

It will be interesting to see how this develops; healthcare delivery is an economic sector that grows and grows as populations age; baby making tends to slow during economic downturns.  (Parental willingness to spend $1000 on a stroller does, too.)  Manufacturing strollers and walkers together looks like the same kind of business plan an enterprising small business owner might develop:   Lawn mowing, say,  in the summer, combined with snow blowing in the winter.  Smart.