Is the Petite Star Zia+ as good as the Zapp Xtra?

In a word, yes. In fact, I’d say it was better.

Shortly after the end of my QuinnyCaster stint, I was lucky enough to become the owner of a Petite Star Zia+.Which, if DH is to be believed, takes me to a grand total of 12 pushchairs….

Now I have seen these around a fair amount in Bromley. I’d assumed that they were an interloper, a wannabe, a pretender. I was therefore truly surprised to find that it actually isn’t.

Firstly, there’s the price: it’s cheaper than the Quinny Zapp Xtra, which is important in such financially stringent times. In fact, it’s pretty much half the price.

Secondly, there’s the function: it does everything the Zapp does. It has three wheels, all of which steer very well. It’s lightweight and compact. It has a raincover and a hood and collapses down very neatly. It has a five point harness and a foot rest.

Thirdly there are the things it has that the Zapp, and Zapp Xtra, doesn’t. It reclines, easily (yes, I know the Zapp Xtra reclines, and easily, but the Zapp doesn’t at all). The raincover is simple to attach and stays put once on. It also covers any bag you might have dangling form the handles. Which is another thing: you can attach a bag to the frame without the pushchair automatically keeling over. Which is not much to ask in my opinion. It has adjustable handles, which make a surprising difference. And it handles very well indeed, over the same terrain that the Zapp does. It has an integral basket, at no extra charge. Oh, and you can actually unfold it one-handed, which I never achieved with either the Zapp or the Zapp Xtra. And I can easily attach a buggyboard to it, something else that was nigh-on impossible with the Zapp. In fact I’d say pushchair manufacturers underestimate how essential it is to the buggy-buying market that a pushchair be able to easily accomodate a buggy-board.

The negatives are that the fabric definitely doesn’t have the quality feel of the Zapp. To me, this is not a deal breaker, since it’s not something you’d really be aware of when you buy, unless you have used them both. It also doesn’t compress quite as small as the Zapp frame. That said, when folded, the Zia + still takes up less room than the two sections of the Zapp Xtra, and is so much easier to fold down and unfold that I defy you to feel hard done by unless you have a boot the size of, well, a boot. If I’m honest, I really liked the new hood of the Zapp Xtra with it’s fold-down sunscreen too. But it’s not something I pine for.

In short, if you are all about the brand, nothing is going to stop you from buying the Zapp Xtra, and good luck to you. But if you want all the functionality of the Zapp Xtra, without the hefty price-tag, the Zia + offers you everything the Zapp does, and more.