Petite Star: Zia plus Review

Quick Summary: The Petite Star Zia+ definitely punches above it’s price range. It is a great looking stroller that would suit urban living, grandmas house or even as a keep-in-the-boot buggy. We love the handle grips, the compact fold and especially the fabric. We are not as impressed with the limited access to the basket when the seat is reclined.

Compact and bijoux, the Petite Star Zia + is a little gem that comes in at a great price. Our Facebook competition prize and review victim is the luscious Purple Berry, a glorious colour that’s just that little bit different and a great colour to buy if you don’t yet know the sex of your imminent arrival because it crosses the genders without really falling into either camp.

Chassis

The Petite Star Zia+ has a wonderfully modern look that makes it a clear winner when stacked against conventional umbrella strollers. The frame has a 3D fold, meaning it contracts both ways; horizontally and vertically resulting in a neat and compact 75cm x 36cm x 34cm footprint.

Opening could not be easier; grab the handle and expand the frame, everything clicks into place. The crossbar in front of the handles must be clicked into line by a firm pull to tension the frame, it has a knuckle similar those found in travel cots.

As you open the Petite Star Zia+ you can feel the suspension that the frame design delivers; it has lots of ‘bounce’, handy if your path has a few potholes or kerbs are part of your shopping obstacle course. The handles are a grab style, set at a comfortable angle for the best control, they can also be adjusted to whatever height suits Mum or Dad.

Our review sample is the three wheel version, although it also comes in a four wheel that has a wider front axle. The small, solid wheels are suitable for an urban setting, but you wouldn’t find them very practical on anything more than a conventional hard pathway. The front wheel is lockable and all are removable.

The brake is applied by stepping on the bright red lever located on the back left axle and released in the same way by the grey button in front. The subtle cable ensures the brake affects both of the back wheels, giving the optimum ‘stop’, although the smooth, no-tread, wheels could compromise this if parked on anything too hilly or slippy.

Folding takes zero instruction, and if you are a hands-on sort, you would soon figure it out without the instructions. Press the button on the top of the right handle while pulling up the catches on the underneath of both, super speedy when you get the hang of it.

Two plates form the bottom of the box shaped basket that hangs below the chair, these overlap during the folding process, they also form a firm bottom to a deep basket. Our only criticism here is that the basket is difficult to access if your child is laying flat.

Seat

The Petite Star Zia+ is labeled as from-birth pushchair that reclines to almost flat via the drawstring on the back of the seat.  We think it would be ideal to use ‘from-birth’ if you have a large baby, but a small infant would get a little lost in the wide seat and the padded five point harness would simply not work on a little newborn, although an alternative smaller harness could be fixed to the D rings.

We love the fabric that makes up the seat and the vented no-nonsense hood, it is a more supple version of that used on the Uppababy Vista, a higher end pushchair with a price to match. It is durable and soft and has a lustre that exaggerates this funky colour in any light. The footmuff (sold as an accessory) can match or accent the seat colour and is lined with a super-fluffy fleece. It turns the simple stroller into a better dressed version of itself; the cherry on the cake!

On occasions, pushchair reviews can be let down by a disappointing raincover. Might sound stupid, but we live in the UK, if it’s not wet, it’s certainly windy and that includes what we loosely term as summer! The Petite Star Zia+ raincover fits like a glove, carefully considering front access to the passenger and  full coverage of the hood. Plus there is enough room for the child to breathe without feeling claustrophobic. Caught in a shower, you could easily throw it over the handles, stretch it to hook around the foot plate..job done.

Conclusion

The Petite Star Zia+ definitely punches above it’s price range. It is a great looking stroller that would suit urban living, grandmas house or even as a keep-in-the-boot buggy. We love the handle grips, the compact fold and especially the fabric. We are not as impressed with the limited access to the basket when the seat is reclined.

Altogether, for a 3 month+ stroller, we would recommend the Petite Star Zia+. It has been certified from birth but we think it better suits the slightly older child. It's a good looking and practical follow on pushchair.