Mia Moda Cielo Review



Review by: Annabel

Introduction



The Mia Moda Cielo converts from a full sized stroller, with a reclining seat, hood and storage basket, to a folded bundle the size of a briefcase. There is no doubt that a stroller with such a small fold can be extremely useful, especially when travelling. The question is, how useful is this stroller when being used to push a child? The following review explores this question and others, and includes many detailed photos of the Mia Moda's features.

Seat design and function


Seat in upright position.



Seat fully reclined.



Seat adjust pullstring -seat upright.



Seat adjust pullstring -seat reclined.



Padded seat pad comes away from frame.



The seat on the Cielo is made of hard board with padding. The seat back has a padded cushion which can be very quickly removed from the stroller using a zipper at the bottom and some velcro at the top.

The seat has a minimal recline using a pull string behind the seat back. Apart from two small wings on the seat cushion which are in no way supported by the stroller, the seat on the Cielo does not have any side wings. With the minimal recline I question whether a child's head would be sufficiently supported in the stroller, and even when upright a child's arms fall off the edge of the stroller.
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The Cielo has a large and solid footrest which is not too far below he seat so that children don't have to be very tall before they can reach it.

Seat dimensions
Height of seat back: 43cm or 16.9 inches
Width of seat back and bottom: 34cm or 13.4 inches
Depth of seat bottom: 27cm or 10.6 inches


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Child safety harness




The Cielo has a fairly typical harness that pinches your fingers if you're not careful! The backrest has slots at two heights to feed the harness through to accommodate a growing child. The harness also has pads on it so that the harness webbing does not rub on a child's skin.

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Hood or Canopy




Hood has no rear flap.



The Cielo has quite a good hood for such a small stroller, although it is quite clunky to put into place, and makes a noise as it goes. Unlike most strollers, there is no flap running from the hood to the seat back, which means you can easily see your child while you are pushing the stroller. The disadvantages of this design are that the sun can come through the back of the seat onto a child, and there is no protection whatsoever from the wind in winter.

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Handle design and function




The Cielo has a hard plastic handle which is shaped like an elongated oval. This shape means that you need to hold your hands closer together than I normally would when pushing the stroller. At 102cm (40.2in) it is at a decent height for such a small stroller.

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Storage




Zip in bottom increases size of bag.



Instead of the typical under seat basket, the Cielo has a bag which hangs from a frame at the back of the stroller. Access to the bag is limited when the seat is reclined, however when the seat is upright the storage bag is roomy enough to hold two loaves of bread, and is at a nice height for quick access without having to stop to bend under the stroller. The bag can be easily removed from the stroller and has two carry handles.

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Wheel brakes


Central brake pedal when engaged.


The Cielo has large foot lever on the centre of the rear axel which easily engages and disengages the brakes by kicking it up and down.

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Fold mechanism


Fold buttons on handle.






The Mia Moda Cielo is quick and easy to fold, once you have the hang of it! My advice is to practice folding the stroller at home a few times, before you try doing it at a crowded shopping centre (this is from personal experience!).

The stroller unlocks by simultaneously pressing the two fold buttons on the handle bar. The top half of the handlebar folds down towards the seat. This further unlocks the frame so that the folded handlebar and seat back can fold back towards the rear wheels. Then you simply lift the black bar which is exposed between the seat back and the seat bottom and the two parts come together and lock easily in place. The black bar then becomes a convenient carry handle, and when not needed the Cielo stands when folded which is a very handy feature.

One word of warning, when opening the stroller, do not have your fingers anywhere near the black carry bar, as the seat back and seat bottom come together at that point and there is a fairly serious finger entrapment risk.

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Wheels

Rear wheels.


Front swivel wheels.


The Cielo has 19cm or 7.5 inch solid plastic rear wheels and single 13cm or 5.1 inch front swivel wheels.
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Manoeuvrability

The Cielo manoeuvres reasonably well for an ultra compact and lightweight stroller. As would be expected it handles lighter weights much better than heavier weights, and it is not intended for use on uneven surfaces. I didn't particularly like having to steer with my hands so close together on the handlebar, and there is a certain amount of play in the handlebar and frame which is never a good thing. But for a quick trip to the shops the Cielo handles easily enough.

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Size

Unfolded dimensions
44cm or 17.3 inches wide
102cm or 40.2 inches high
88cm or 34.6 inches long

Folded dimensions
44cm or 17.3 inches wide
27cm or 10.6 inches high
53.5cm or 21.1 inches long

Weight
6.7kg or 14.7lbs





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Accessories


Travel bag.



The only accessory the Cielo comes with is a travel bag. The stroller easily fits into the bag and can be carried either by using the bag's shoulder strap, or by the strollers carry handle which can be accessed via an opening in the top of the bag. The bag also has a zipped storage pocket.



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Summary and Rating

Pros

  • Small and very compact fold
  • Stands when folded
  • Decent sized storage bag that is easy to access
  • Large footrest

Cons

  • No raincover included
  • No side wings on seat to support a child's arms
  • Serious finger entrapment issue when unfolding stroller

Conclusion

The Mia Moda Cielo is one of several strollers on the market with an ultra compact fold. Typically these strollers have to trade off features and manoeuvrability for their compact fold. The Cielo has managed to strike a better balance than some others on the market, particularly in regards to its manoeuvrability. In essence, however this is still a bare bones stroller, that is best suited to those who genuinely need a stroller that takes up as little space as possible when folded.

Rating

star star star half star



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