However, as we mentioned earlier, you can still get your hands on some Petite Star products and buggies and even spares that are floating around on the internet.
With all secondhand products there's guidelines you should check before buying.
You'd be hard pushed to find the quality and functions that the Zukoo by Petite Star offers for a more affordable price. Yes, there are cheaper options, and if all you want is a basic, slimline buggy that folds flattish, go forth and shop. However, if you want a buggy that’s sturdy, means business and will outlast more than one child, I give you the Zukoo.
Having manufactured a tidy range of other buggies, Petite Star felt there was a gap in the market for a value lightweight buggy with an umbrella fold that could be used from birth. Petite Star realised that many parents buy a durable but heavy pram for their baby's first few months, and it's only after they've got passed the weaning stage, that they come up for air and think about buying a lighter buggy.
Petite Star want parents to forgo the idea that they need to buy a pram first and a lightweight buggy second, hence the Zukoo can be used from birth. It doesn't offer the secluded protection of a pram, but the complete recline of the seat means your baby's back will be supported while asleep. This is a great feature, but it’s also worth noting it’s not unique to petite Star – there are other lightweights suitable from birth currently on the market.
The Petite Star Zukoo comes in three colours - Lagoon (blue), Fuchsia (pink) and Raven (black).
What we love
One of the main problems I’ve found with buggies is getting them up kerbs easily. There's often no place to put your foot on the rear axle to give you leverage and I often strain my wrist pushing down on the handles. With the Petite Star Zukoo this isn't a problem. The buggy is so light (7.2kg) and even with the 25lb of my 16-month-old son Nathaniel sitting in it, a slight touch on the handles and it's almost as if it flew onto the pavement.
As soon as I came home from Nathaniel's first outing in the Zukoo, I noticed there was more space than usual in my hallway to manoeuvre Nathaniel in the buggy and yet Nathaniel isn’t squashed or in any way uncomfortable in the slim design.
It’s annoy when you find a buggy you like at a reasonable price and then realise that the price doesn't include a footmuff and raincover – two essentials for the UK weather! With the Zukoo you get both of these, plus a matching changing bag, included in the £125 price tag.
Nathaniel is very use to air-filled (pneumatic) tyres and I wondered how he'd get on with the rigid type on the Zukoo, but he seemed happy enough as I trudged the three mile into the town centre, did our shopping and then came back. Although the tyres are showing a bit of wear, I think this is quite normal for rigid tyres.
What to watch out for
I'm definitely a mum who likes neatness, and so I’m impressed with the simple way that the Zukoo folds, but find it annoying that to achieve the proper fold, and for the fastening clip to lock into place, you have to remove the whole of the footmuff. This is tiring – and as it eats into Nathaniel's playtime when we get home, he’s a bit disgruntled about it!
One thing I love about my usual buggy is that I can keep the raincover on and unzipped all the time, just in case it rains, and it doesn't interfere with getting Nathaniel in or out or attending to him as we go along. The Zukoo raincover, although it has a Velcro window, couldn't be kept on all the time, which is the case with most buggies. If there’s a chance of rain I have to take it with me and it takes up all the space in the small basket underneath.
There’s an infinite number of recline positions, as you just let out the back pulley system as much or as little as you want. The seat fully reclines, which is perfect for a newborn, but apart from the small shield of fabric between your baby's head and your legs, it doesn't offer much protection. The seat also didn't go up to a straight 90 degrees and I found Nathaniel slouching as we went along.
Who is the Petite Star Zukoo lightweight buggy best for?
Budget-watching, space-limited parents after a great all-rounder buggy that’s also light.
A versatile and multifunctional lightweight buggy, the Petite Star Zukoo comes complete with much-needed accessories. However, faffing with the footmuff before folding and a small shopping basket may put people off.
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