Petite&Mars Vario
The Petite&Mars Vario is an affordable stroller with a light urban chassis. Before the company was renamed, it was formerly known as the Monza Vario - the newer models come with solid foam wheels instead of the former air-filled and a carrycot with an added sun visor.
You can attach the carrycot and the seat unit a seat forward- as well as rearward-facing. Using adapters, you can convert the stroller into a travel system. Besides the Egg car seat, you can also attach Concord, Jané or Be Cool car seats to the chassis. The Spider is usually available as a stroller system. With the purchase of a separate chassis and the desired parts, you can convert it into any set you’d need. The limited Blue Channels edition was released in 2017; in 2018, the Premium Line with an elegant pattern was introduced.
The Petite&Mars Vario is an affordable stroller with a light urban chassis. Before the company was renamed, it was formerly known as the Monza Vario - the newer models come with solid foam wheels instead of the former air-filled and a carrycot with an added sun visor.
You can attach the carrycot and the seat unit a seat forward- as well as rearward-facing. Using adapters, you can convert the stroller into a travel system. Besides the Egg car seat, you can also attach Concord, Jané or Be Cool car seats to the chassis. The Spider is usually available as a stroller system. With the purchase of a separate chassis and the desired parts, you can convert it into any set you’d need. The limited Blue Channels edition was released in 2017; in 2018, the Premium Line with an elegant pattern was introduced.
Petite&Mars Vario Features & Specifications
The Basics
- Type
- Pushchair (seat and chassis only), 2in1 stroller system, 3in1 stroller system, Chassis-only
- Stroller weight
- 11.5 kg
- Unfolded dimensions (h×w×l)
- 115 cm x 60 cm x 94 cm
- Folded dimensions (h×w×l)
- 80 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm
- Chassis material
- Aluminum
- Country of origin
- Czech Republic, Slovakia
The Seat unit
- Maximum weight capacity - seat load
- 15 kg
- Recommended age range (best to use with a child of)
- 0-24 months
- Reversible seat unit
- Yes
- Easy-release memory button(s) on the seat or the carrycot
- No
- L-shaped, bucket-type seat unit
- No
- Reclining backrest
- Yes, 4 positions
- Full-recline backrest (a bigger-than-a-150-degree-angle to a lie-flat)
- Yes
- Backrest recline type
- Rear-located recline mechanism (e.g., lever-operated)
- One-hand backrest recline system
- Yes
- Extendable backrest
- No
- Legrest positioning
- Yes, 2 positions
- Extendable leg rest
- No
- Wipe-clean layer on the leg rest
- Yes
- Footrest
- No
- Backrest height
- 43 cm
- Width and depth of the sitting surface
- 28.5 x 23 cm
- Total length of the seat unit
- 83.5 cm
- A higher seat unit's position on the chassis
- No
- Height-adjustable seat
- No
- Seat unit's proper attachment indicator
- No
- 2in1 convertible carrycot/seat unit (pramette travel system)
- No
- Fabrics removable for cleaning
- Yes
- Seat fabrics cleaning
- Machine washable
- Safety harness type
- 5-point
- Harness padding
- Yes
- Height-adjustable harness belts
- Yes
- Ventilation integrated into the seat
- No
- Second seat can be attached (single-to-double convertibility)
- No
The Canopy (Hood)
- Seat unit equipped with a canopy/hood
- Yes
- Extendable canopy/hood
- Yes
- The canopy/hood features a sun visor
- Yes
- Floating, follow-the-sun canopy
- No
- Height-adjustable canopy
- No
- Removable canopy
- Yes
- Waterproof canopy
- Yes
- UV protection in the (canopy) fabrics
- No
- Ventilation integrated into the canopy
- No
- A pocket integrated into the canopy
- No
- Peek-a-boo viewing window present on the canopy
- No
- Reinforcing side clasps present on the canopy
- No
The Bumper bar
- Bumper bar
- Yes
- Bumper bar type (style)
- Bar
- Removable bumper bar
- Yes
- Gate-opening (swing-away) bumper bar
- Yes
- Height-adjustable bumper bar
- No
- Bumper bar features a fabric (non-wipe-clean) cover
- No
- Bumper bar features an extra crotch strap
- No
The Wheels
- Number of wheels
- 4
- Front wheel(s) type
- EVA foam-coated wheels
- Rear wheels type
- EVA foam-coated wheels
- Front wheels diameter
- 18 cm
- Rear wheels diameter
- 27 cm
- Swivel wheels
- Yes
- Lockable wheels
- Yes
- Removable wheels
- Yes
- All wheels are double wheels
- No
- All-terrain version of wheels available to purchase separately
- No
- Wheels equipped with mudguards
- No,
- Two-wheel mode
- No
The Suspension
- Suspension
- No
- Rocking chassis
- No
The Brake
- Central brake system/type
- One-step rocker pedal (flip-flop friendly)
- Deceleration handbrake
- No,
The Fold
- Folding system
- Flat (compact) fold
- One-hand fold
- No
- Plane-travel-friendly stroller with an ultra-compact fold (suitable as carry-on luggage)
- No
- Folds with the (forward-facing) seat attached
- Yes
- Folds with the rearward-facing seat attached
- No
- Self-standing fold
- No
- Auto-lock feature of the folded chassis
- Yes
- Folded stroller can be pulled behind like luggage
- No
- Stroller folds and/or unfolds by itself
- No
- Equipped with a carry strap/carry handle
- No
- Outward fold (the seat fabrics are on the outside after folding)
- No
The Handlebar
- Handle height adjustment
- Pivoting
- Handlebar material
- Foam
- Handlebar height
- 76-110 cm
- Reversible handlebar (handle can be flipped to the other side)
- No
- Safety wrist strap
- No
The Basket
- Shopping basket
- Yes
- Large shopping basket
- Yes
- Basket's weight capacity
- 4 kg
- Closable basket
- No
- An extra basket can be attached to the frame
- No
- A pocket integrated into the seat/elsewhere on the stroller frame
- No
The Carrycot
- Carrycot compatible
- Yes (without adapters)
- Internal dimensions of the carrycot - mattress measurement
- 75 x 32 cm
- Carry handle on the carrycot
- Yes,
- Inclining carrycot mattress
- No,
- Foldable carrycot
- Yes,
- Rocking-base carrycot
- No
- Ventilatilated carrycot base (bottom ventilation system)
- No,
- Carrycot installable in the car instead of a group 0+ car seat (Auto carrycot)
- No,
- Carrycot positioned high on the frame
- No
The Car seat
- Car seat compatible
- Yes (without adapters)
- Car seat sold separately
- No
- Maxi-Cosi/Cybex car seat attachment-type adapters available
- No
- Britax Römer car seat attachment-type adapters available
- No
The Accessories & Extra features
- Parent tray/organizer on the handlebar (included)
- No
- Cup holder can be attached
- No
- Reflective elements
- Yes
- No pushchair mode/seat-unit configuration available
- No
- Rain cover included
- Yes
- Mosquito net included
- No
- Leg cover (apron) included with the seat unit
- No
- Seat liner/insert included
- No
- Changing bag included
- No
- Carry bag/transport cover for the folded stroller included
- No
- Motorized/Baterry-powered
- No
- LED light(s)
- No
- Built-in audio speakers
- No
- A storage/bag can be attached instead of a seat
- No
Parent reviews of the Petite&Mars Vario
- Light
- Compact
- Nice, clean design
- Very hard ride, no suspension
- Low quality fabrics
The stroller itself is not bad, it's very light and foldable, but I really miss some suspension. It's a stroller for the mall or a completely smooth road/sidewalk. It can't handle any unevenness, it shakes my daighter even on a tiny pebble. Another minus is the poor quality fabric, it has faded a lot and we now have a brown carriage (from a dark grey one). I would definitely not buy it again.
- Great manoeuvrability
- Rubberised wheels
- Leather handles
- Highly positioned carrycot (both facing mother and world)
- Solid frame without squeaking
- Can handle any terrain
- Gently cushioned
- Carrycot tilts slightly to keep baby's head higher
- Waterproof covers
- Beautiful colors that haven't faded in the sun so far (we'll see in a year)
- Deep and large shopping basket
- Adjustable handle and footrest
- Full set of accessories = rain covers on all 3 parts of the set + mosquito net
- Choice of colours (four, of which - dark grey, pale grey, cream and blue)
I've tried many strollers from the Stokke Trailz to the Britax B-Motion Plus, but they weren't better than the Vario.
- Spacious large bassinet
- Easy handling
- Lightweight stroller
- Easy folding
- Large canopy on the seat
- The seat can be put on in both directions
- After a longer use, the frame creaks
- Stroller more flat roads
- Snow gets into the front wheels when used during winter, so they are not spinning
- The seat cannot be fully reclined
Stroller for our firstborn.
- Easy to steer with one hand
- Large basket
- Long enough bassinet, fits a large footmuff
- Large canopy
- Adjustable handle
- Easy to fold
- No suspension
- Very rattly
I am satisfied with the bassinet. It is long and deep - we have an autumn baby and it has plenty of space even with a footmuff.
The stroller is very easy to operate with one hand and the basket can carry quite a large purchase. The stroller is easy to fold.
But it has one big disadvantage, namely the foam wheels + it is without suspension - already from a distance we are heard because of how it rattles, every grain or small pebble shakes the frame... so it's only suitable for completely smooth trails. Every little irregularity on a city sidewalk I have to walk carefully and lift the front wheels so the little one doesn't shake too much. When we trade for a pushchair, I'll be looking for off-road - inflatable wheels first.
- Light
- Foldable
- Easy to use
- Spacious
- There's nothing to reproach
Lightweight, compact stroller not only for the city. It can handle light natural terrain, meadow, well-travelled dirt road... The wheels are not very hard, I would compare them to well inflated inflatable wheels. Spacious bassinet, wonderfully long and deep, just a tad bit bigger. Spacious basket under the stroller. A great foot brake. And it's perfect to "jump" up and down the stairs thanks to the lack of suspensions - it's not a rocking stroller, but the last really rocking strollers were the ones when we were little 😉
- Pretty
- Large canopy with possibility of further extension
- Spacious enough - fits a 90cm two year old just fine
- Large shopping basket
- Sports seat can rotate in both directions
- 4 recline positions including full recline
- It does not have a window in the canopy for checking the child
- Not colourfast - so faded after less than a year of use that the canopy extension and the footrest look like they belong to a different stroller ☹️
We bought the Vario chassis and the seat separately, so I won't be reviewing the bassinet or the car seat. The pushchair is great, easy to use, roomy, goes to full recline with one hand (and you can lift it with one 😉 ), and you can adjust the legs. For us, the fact that you can turn the seat in both directions was a big must, as we bought it for a 6-month-old and I wanted to keep an eye on him.
But it does have two faults - the canopy doesn't have a pee-a-boo window so you can't see the baby when it's pulled open, and I don't know if it's everyone's fault or if we bought a faulty piece, but after less than a year of use, the colour has completely faded wherever the light hit the pram.
- Light as a feather
- Easy to fold
- Nimble
- Large basket
- Perfect seat part
- Lower quality air wheels
I had a Monza Vario on inflatable wheels, it had a perfect Concord Ion car seat... I was very satisfied with the whole stroller. The only problem was the inflatable wheels, which quickly wore out.
- Suspension
We bought it as a pushchair, so I can't rate the bassinet/cot part. The pushchair is lightweight, easy to use, compact and not unnecessarily big. It's perfect for the city, but can survive rough roads and bumps (we've also taken it on a trip up to a castle, so it can handle terrain based on that experience). For me, it's a great stroller, and it looks beautiful too.
- price
- compactness
- seat has a great canopy
- seat can face both directions
- inflatable wheels
- a hard ride
Our first stroller. We actually used it more around the apartment in anticipation than outside with the baby.
It's one of the smaller strollers, we didn't even have to put the carrycot in the trunk of the car. It rode well, too bad about the lack of suspension.