The Petite Star Zia X Review

The Petite Star Zia is a model that I have passed countless times on the street, and it is also one of the pushchairs I have always thought looked the part, but I wondered whether it would live up to expectation. My initial thoughts were that it was perfect for an older baby/toddler as it is a lightweight stroller that will spread the weight and continue to get them from A-B. It is the kind of stroller that I would say is perfect for families looking to leave behind the bulk of a full size pushchair. 

Back in the Summer we were sent the Zia X to try out, it arrived a little later than hoped as I was planning on using it for our trip to Cyprus. We actually didn't get it in time to use for the trip, but my first impressions told me that it seemed like the perfect stroller to take abroad. The Zia X is compact and easy to fold so this would make collapsing it just before getting on the plane a doddle.

What's in the box?

In the Zia X box you will find everything you need to get you on the road:

- Stroller

- 3 Wheels

- Canopy

- Rain Cover

The set up is really simple and just involves clicking the wheels into place. The hood comes already attached and once the wheels are on it is simply a case of learning how to put it up and down. Again this is something that is really simple, and a feature that I always take into consideration on a pushchair.

First Impressions Of The Zia X

When I first got the Zia all set up out of the box, I did wonder just how sturdy it was going to be. It felt a bit rickety but I have now learnt that this is actually the suspension in play. I liked the adjustable handle bars and the soft grip that they are encased in. I noticed that the seat was nice and deep, with lots of room for my 2 year old toddler. 

Looking at the hood I couldn't help thinking that it could do with having a extra extension to stop the sun glaring in Leo's eyes, but I figured we would find out if this was an issue as time went by.

The Zia X has 3 wheels, so for some people this may be a love or hate feature. For me I do like a stroller with 3 wheels and I was looking forward to see how it handled. The frame of this stroller is made out of aluminum and you can definitely feel this in how easy it is to push and maneuver.

Getting Out and About With The Zia X

We have now been using the Zia X for around 6 months and we have used it in many different scenarios. For me the Zia is the perfect stroller for urban use, I didn't feel it fared to well on grass and felt it struggling and getting stuck. In terms of using it around the shops or for going abroad this is absolutely perfect. I will definitely be using this next time we jet off anywhere, or even if we have to pack the car full of luggage to venture off on a UK break. I can fit this stroller compactly in the boot of my 206, so this would be very convenient if we needed to get luggage loaded too.

The brake is operated by pushing your foot down on the red pedal and released by pushing down on the grey pedal. This is pretty standard and was easy enough to work out even without reading the instructions. I have found that you have to apply brute strength as the brakes can be a bit fiddly.

In terms of the hood, I do feel that it could benefit from either being a bit bigger or even having an additional pull out panel to protect from the elements. We have suffered with the sun blaring in Leo's eyes and now as it has got colder, it would provide extra shelter.

The 5 point harness on this stroller is easy enough to adjust, and it didn't take me long to get it adjusted for Leo's use. It grows with your child so you can adjust it as your child grows. The Zia X is suitable from birth as you can completely recline the seat by pulling the tog behind the stroller. Personally for me I would much rather have a lever that I could use to control the recline and incline, but this tog does do the job.

One thing that I quickly realised that I couldn't do was to hang a changing bag off the handle bar, it isn't designed to hold weight on the handle bars and this can cause it to become unsteady and tip over. This brings me onto the basket, this is something that I use all the time on a pushchair. Admittedly I did find this basket a little small for my needs. With it being an umbrella fold stroller that has such a compact design I figure that this was one of the allowances made to give it such a compact design.

How to put the Zia X Up & Down

Putting the Zia X Up

To open up the stroller you simply need to open the travel lock and expand the frame, then you just need to click the middle bar into place. Viola... The Zia X is up and ready to go.

Putting the Zia X Down

Putting the Zia X Down requires you to push down the button on the center bar, and then pushing down the button on the right hand handle, while pushing backwards. You can then collapse the Zia into it's self.

Conclusion

I will be keeping the Zia X around, I think it is perfect for nipping out and about around urban settings. Leo sits comfortably in the seat and Granny finds it easy to use with her arthritis, I always have to consider this in any pushchair that we intend to let Granny use with Leo. 

I don't think that I would personally use this stroller from birth as I like to have a pram, but I would happily use this from around 6 months when we decided to bring in a stroller as a  replacement to the bulky pram we first had. If you were considering this as a stroller for your newborn, it does completely depend upon preference. If you are looking for a lightweight, compact stroller within a certain budget, this may be perfect for you.

The Petite Star Zia X retails at £144.99 and can be purchased from Mothercare.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Petite Star Zia X for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

The Petite Star Njoy Bubble Review

I have to admit when it comes to pushchairs, I have a weakness.

An infalliable lust that keeps me wanting to see what each and every one of them can do, where they can go and the different adventures that can be shaped.

My latest test subject is no other then the Petite Star Njoy Bubble.

This light weight stroller is one of a kind on the design front, I have never seen a stroller like it.

Why is it so different?

Well! it is an umbrella fold combined with a reversible seat allowing this stroller to be parent facing or outward facing! The beauty of it is that unlike other strollers that boast parent facing (my favourite feature in a pushchair) you can alter the position of the seat unit without removing it from the chassis.

I have always loved having Leo face me while we are out and about, over recent months he has been facing out into the wonderous wide world but when the Bubble arirved I could not resist taking Leo out in the parent facing mode. We walked around Tesco grabbing the essentials having a lovely little chit chat and Leo used the words that he knew to chatter back to me, very content facing me all the while.

The seat positioning is operated by a handle at the top of the unit and you will find that it is the same handle that reclines and inclines the seat. In both parent and rear facing positions you can lie the seat flat, so that when the little rugrats fall asleep you can cosy them up and give them their full sleep out.

Assemblying the Bubble

In the box:

- Instruction Manual

- Chassis

- Wheels

- Head hugger

- Rain Cover

Putting the Bubble together is simple as all you need to do is attach the front wheels by popping them into place and attach the hood.

At first I found the hood a little fiddly but once I got it lined up with the runners correctly I realised how easy it really was. With all four wheels now in place and the hood attached, that completes the assembly process for the Njoy Bubble.

Simplicity at it’s best.

With the Bubble now completed in front of me I looked it up and down forming my initial impressions.

So what did I think?

The ice white of the aluminium frame looks great against the black material of the hood and side panels, and the electric purple seat unit adds a welcome splash of colour to the stroller. At first I wasn’t too sure if I had fitted the hood correctly as it felt a little wobbly, but as the hood is made entirely out of Nylon fabric and moves with the positioning of the seat it does need the leeway. I have found that due to this the hood does not feel as supported and sturdy as on other strollers I have tried but it is a generous size offering shelter from the elements.

The seat unit offers the passenger lots of room to stretch out and enjoy the ride, and with the included head hugger it is possible to use this stroller from newborn. What I especially liked about the seat was that you can sit it upright with the incline, with some strollers I have found that leo can never sit completely upright as the incline doesn’t go that far forward. Leo likes to sit up and see everything as we go around, and we often have a struggle if I dare recline him before he falls asleep! So for us this is fantastic, and I know if Leo could he would give it a big thumbs up!

When out and about with Leo I do still tend to have a changing bag with me, especially if I am out for a rather long day, if I have Leo in parent facing mode then there is not really anywhere that I can hang my changing bag, and I do worry that if I do hang anything off the handles that I risk tipping the stroller as it is very light. There is a shopping basket based underneath the Bubble but due to the seat design it is rather fiddly to get to. Petite Star have compensated by adding a zip on either side of the basket so that you can have better access but the space available is still rather tight and realistictally you probably wont get anything in there other than the raincover.

Now I have already mentioned that this is a light weight stroller, but I don’t feel that this gives it the justice that the Bubble deserves. The entire stroller is incredibly light, even with my 18 month old in the seat, it is effortless to push and goes up curbs like a dream. As babies grow into bigger babies, and then into little people it gets harder to cruise them around with their weight becoming more apparent they often weigh down the stroller… So the Bubble is a great choice for those of us who have older babies who still need a pushchair.

Leo is far off being able to walk for the duration we are out and we do still need a stroller. This pushchair is light enough for me to push one handed, so while I have Leo on the reignes I can still keep up with him and control where the pushchair goes! And when Leo’s little legs get too tired, he can go straight back into the Bubble for a rest.

Over the last 15 months I have had the pleasure of trying various different strollers, and one thing I find very important is the ease of putting it up and down. After all this is something that you will be doing on a very regular basis and you don’t want to be faffing with fiddly elements. So I am pleased to report that this umbrella fold stroller is very simple to put up and down. It is very similar to other umbrella fold pushchairs that I have used and simply has a push up button in the middle of the back frame, and a push down switch on the right hand side. Then by pushing the stroller forward it collapses and automatically locks with the clasp on the side.

You can fold the stroller in both seat positions and don’t have to fiddle around to alter the seat before collapsing it, and the collapsed stroller is the perfect size to fit easily in the boot of my 206!

Putting the stroller back up is just as simple, by firstly releasing the clasp and pushing down on the middle pedal at the back of the stroller to re-tension the frame.

It really is that simple!

When I first touched the EVA foam wheels I will admit that I wasn’t to sure of them, you could maybe even say I didn’t like them. However after giving this stroller a real test run I have been forced to change my mind. The wheels run smoothly providing you with great control!

The raincover fits the pushchair securely in either parent facing mode or outward facing. When the raincover is on it gives Leo plenty of room to manuever and stays out of his way. I have been storing the raincover in the basket so that it is always there if we suddenly need it, which with the British weather is always a possibilty!

Over all I think this is a fab little stroller with big capability. I know a lot of parents want the oppurtunity to be face to face with their baby while out and about so this feature is a big attraction.

Petite Star really have done themselves proud with this nifty little number, by providing a stroller that can be used in both parent facing and outward facing positions without the need to remove the seat from the chassis and it is bound to be a big success!

With the added head hugger you can use this stroller from birth and realistically you will only need one pushchair. For £199.00 RRP this is a very attractive price for a pushchair that has the potential to carry your little one through to a time when you no longer need a pushchair.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Petite Star Njoy Bubble for the purpose of this review, however all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.