Bugaboo Butterfly
.eli
The Bugaboo Butterfly is, after the reversible ultra-compact Bugaboo Ant, another ultra-compact stroller that is even approved by IATA (Internationa Air Transport Association), which means fuss-free traveling with the Butterfly as a piece of cabin luggage. The Butterfly, unlike the Ant (and much more like the well-made Joolz Aer), is forward-facing only, which means you cannot make the child parent-face, but it also means much larger seat which a higher backrest that reclines partially, an adjustable leg rest, and a pivoting bumper bar as well. Lastly, the BGB Butterfly stands by its 22 kg weight capacity in the seat plus 8 kg in the basket, meaning a whopping 30 kg maximum capacity overall. The 56cm seatback is also the tallest on the market in the ultracompact category, and is not that slanted, meaning a quite upright seat for a travel pushchair.
The Butterfly, launched in April 2022, is, therefore, a quality travel buggy for parents of babies to toddlers, boasting not just an adjustable world-facing seat unit but also a car seat compatibility for use from birth as a travel system (using of this stroller without a car seat is best from about 8 months on). There's also the extendable hood with a ventilation mesh part, an all-wheel suspension, a carry strap, and a one-second, one-hand fold. The Butterfly was launched in three base colors and poses a real competition to very similarly-functioning Aer.
The Bugaboo Butterfly is, after the reversible ultra-compact Bugaboo Ant, another ultra-compact stroller that is even approved by IATA (Internationa Air Transport Association), which means fuss-free traveling with the Butterfly as a piece of cabin luggage. The Butterfly, unlike the Ant (and much more like the well-made Joolz Aer), is forward-facing only, which means you cannot make the child parent-face, but it also means much larger seat which a higher backrest that reclines partially, an adjustable leg rest, and a pivoting bumper bar as well. Lastly, the BGB Butterfly stands by its 22 kg weight capacity in the seat plus 8 kg in the basket, meaning a whopping 30 kg maximum capacity overall. The 56cm seatback is also the tallest on the market in the ultracompact category, and is not that slanted, meaning a quite upright seat for a travel pushchair.
The Butterfly, launched in April 2022, is, therefore, a quality travel buggy for parents of babies to toddlers, boasting not just an adjustable world-facing seat unit but also a car seat compatibility for use from birth as a travel system (using of this stroller without a car seat is best from about 8 months on). There's also the extendable hood with a ventilation mesh part, an all-wheel suspension, a carry strap, and a one-second, one-hand fold. The Butterfly was launched in three base colors and poses a real competition to very similarly-functioning Aer.
Bugaboo Butterfly Features & Specifications
The Basics
- Type
- Pushchair (seat and chassis only), Travel system
- Stroller weight
- 7.3 kg
- Unfolded dimensions (h×w×l)
- 102.4 cm x 45 cm x 92.5 cm
- Folded dimensions (h×w×l)
- 54 cm x 45 cm x 23 cm
- Chassis material
- Aluminum
- Country of origin
- Netherlands
- Stroller available as a pushchair (seat unit configuration) only; newborn accessories (like a carrycot) need to be purchased separately
- Yes
The Seat unit
- Maximum weight capacity - seat load
- 22 kg
- Recommended age range (best to use with a child of)
- 0-42 months
- Reversible seat unit
- No
- Easy-release memory button(s) on the seat or the carrycot
- No
- L-shaped, bucket-type seat unit
- No
- Reclining backrest
- Yes, infinite recline
- Full-recline backrest (a bigger-than-a-150-degree-angle to a lie-flat)
- No
- Backrest recline type
- Strap-operated, Rear-located recline mechanism (e.g., lever-operated)
- One-hand backrest recline system
- Yes
- Extendable backrest
- No
- Legrest positioning
- Yes, 4 positions
- Extendable leg rest
- No
- Wipe-clean layer on the leg rest
- Yes
- Footrest
- Yes
- Backrest height
- 56 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
- Yes
- Ventilation integrated into the canopy
- Yes
- A pocket integrated into the canopy
- No
- Peek-a-boo viewing window present on the canopy
- Yes
- Peek-a-boo window can be closed/covered
- Yes
- Quiet (magnetic/no velcro) peek-a-boo window
- 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
- Rubber-coated wheels
- Rear wheels type
- Rubber-coated wheels
- Front wheels diameter
- 11.9 cm
- Rear wheels diameter
- 15.2 cm
- Swivel wheels
- Yes
- Lockable wheels
- No
- 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
- Yes
- Wheels with suspension
- All
- Suspension type
- Open springs, Mechanical (internal spring-loaded mechanism), Frame
- Adjustable suspension softness
- No
- Rocking chassis
- No
The Brake
- Central brake system/type
- Push down-lift up pedal brake
- Deceleration handbrake
- No,
The Fold
- Folding system
- Flat (compact) fold
- One-hand fold
- Yes
- Plane-travel-friendly stroller with an ultra-compact fold (suitable as carry-on luggage)
- Yes
- Folds with the (forward-facing) seat attached
- Yes
- Folds with the rearward-facing seat attached
- Yes
- Self-standing fold
- Yes
- Auto-lock feature of the folded chassis
- Yes
- Folded stroller can be pulled behind like luggage
- Yes
- 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
- No
- Handlebar material
- Leatherette (PU/eco-leather)
- Handlebar height
- 102.4 cm
- Reversible handlebar (handle can be flipped to the other side)
- No
- Safety wrist strap
- Yes
The Basket
- Shopping basket
- Yes
- Large shopping basket
- Yes
- Basket's weight capacity
- 8 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
- Yes
The Carrycot
- Carrycot compatible
- No
The Car seat
- Car seat compatible
- Yes (with adapters)
- Car seat sold separately
- Yes
- Maxi-Cosi/Cybex car seat attachment-type adapters available
- Yes
- 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
- Yes
- Reflective elements
- No
- 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
Best Deals for Bugaboo Butterfly
Parent reviews of the Bugaboo Butterfly
- Smooth push, even on slightly rougher ground
- Giant hood
- Roomy basket
- Loads of growing room
- Great compact fold
- Can hear the slightest rattle sometimes but I'm nitpicking
Absolutely love it. The push is incredibly smooth and it's easy to push one handed. Have had no trouble on hills or even on woodland paths. Obviously it's not as smooth as an all terrain buggy but it didn't have any problem and toddler was perfectly happy.
- wheels and wheelbase
- flexibility
- wight
- agility on simple surfaces
- design
- newborn support missing
- fixed seat direction
- seat position adjustable in two levels only
- price
Ant successor due to profitability/margin reasons: try getting an Ant.
In Short:
I bought a Babyzen Yoyo 2 (Air France style) inc. Newborn kit, a Bugaboo Butterfly, and as a lucky shot I got an unused Bugaboo Ant (spare stroller from an colleague). The Babyzen is a master of its own but very limited in terms of accessories and the materials felt kind of inexpensive (overall best ride and size). My wife is very skinny and needed something lighter for lifting it up the stairs. But the basket of the Yoyo was a kind of nothing and almost too deep for accessing. The Butterfly, well the basket is amazing and the built quality from outside is amazing - from outside mostly.
The suspension as such was a bit confusing as I expected to be better then the Yoyo but we were wrong. On flat surface it was perfect but the soon you change pavements or have a slight loose underground it felt for the small one like a roller coaster. Suddenly, a friend offered me his Ant and I was surprised like hell. Then we figured out the suspension built into the frame and the stiffness compared to the other two models when pushing and lifting it up the stairs. Wow - but it’s discontinued - why? IMO better not to think further, BUT we realized, the Butterfly wheels fit 1:1, really!
So, the build quality is better due to the combination of aluminum parts, frame construction and suspension. We finally sent back the Yoyo 2 and the Butterfly. as a preventive measure I bought some pair of Butterfly wheels inkl front base and some further spare parts of Ant from the Bugaboo store. Finally, we use the Ant with the white Butterfly wheels and it feels good, looks good, has the best folding mechanism and is our every day stroller. Hope we could help. Greetings from Frankfurt am Main.
- Looks nice
- Basket size
- Unstable
- Rattles
- Not suitable for anything other than indoor flat ground
- Fold buttons are janky
The pram looks good. That’s about it.
We took this home hoping to use it as an everyday pram, we are lucky to get maybe an hour a day out of my daughter in the pram, so we wanted something small and easy to fold and store (we previously had the Bugaboo Fox 3, which was amazing but way too big to take anywhere). Our streets all have flat footpaths, but they do have slight slopes due to being in a hilly area.
This pram tips over.
Every time I attempted to course correct, the pram would tip on two wheels to the side and it would take my entire strength to keep it upright.
I believe this is due to the high centre of gravity and the back wheels being closer together than the front.
For something that holds an infant, there should be no tipping whatsoever and I shouldn’t have to use my upper body strength to keep it upright- I may as well carry my kid.
Minor notes: the pram rattles right out of the box. The fold-down buttons are stiff and require some jiggling. The fold-down motion is a little awkward. And the unfold requires you to push the pram together to you can “unstick” the buttons, but this may be just that it was new and needed some breaking in. If you are taller like me, your feet will hit the cross bar between the wheels as you walk.
But the pram does look good. The fabric is nice. If you’re only ever going to use this pram in a shopping centre or the airport, it’s for you. But anywhere outside of those two places, buy something else.
We returned and ended up buying Uppababy Minu V2, while a bit heavier I am in love with this pram and have no complaints so far.
I can only assume that all the good reviews are people who think it’s normal to assist a pram to stay on 4 wheels?
- Smooth push
- Great for toddlers and my 7.5 month old
- Easy fold with one hand
- Limited accessories
A great stroller.
- Smooth one handed steering, glides on flat terrain
- Exceptional sun canopy coverage
- Easy to fold
- Compact for travel
- Struggles on even slight curbs, need to tip buggy back to mount the pavement
- Seat does not allow child to sit completely upright
- Basket is large but items may slip out
- Not all terrain but not advertised as such
Excellent but with some drawbacks.
- fantastic quality
- great looks
- great to push 😍
- compactness
- tall seat back
- price
- not all the colors and accessories available
Sooo lovely. The fabrics are high-quality and very comfortable to touch. I was afraid of the half-lie-flat but the position is actually comfortable for my son.
I am sorry the mesh after prolonging the hood not being UPF protective, however. And, at the moment, only the black color was available, which makes me afraid it might fade after the summer - but they said they have spare fabric sets in the shop. My last niggle is the belly bar which I don't have as they did not have it in stock, so I have to wait (missing that!).
- Design
- Comfort
- Compactness
- Tall seatback
- Price
- You always wish for larger wheels with these small buggies
Totally waited for this travel pushchair, tall seatback being so rare in this folded size category. The stroller feels quality even if not the sturdiest, and it is comfortable for a taller (3.5 yo) toddler girl.
- size
- quality
- suspensions
- basket
- maximum weight
- materials
- padding
- cleaning
- backrest
- small front wheels
- narrower seat
I am incredibly glad Bugaboo came with this one. I searched for something cabin-sized but with enough space for my 2.5 years old. So yeah, the Butterfly can fly with you ;-) and is the perfect solution for a toddler as well (not like the Ant which I gave up on after trying out in a shop). Not even talking about the quality.
The front wheels are, of course, very very small, so don't expect an all-terrain monster, but the suspension is nice enough for your regular bumpy sidewalks. Loving the basket, nice for the size of the buggy, and the canopy, too!
Super small, super high back rest. Loving it, the quality is superb, and you can bring it on pretty much any airline.
Your questions about the Bugaboo Butterfly
Hi Eli,
I’m currently torn between the Bugaboo Butterfly (new) or and the Ergobaby Metro (first version, used) or the BJ City Tour 1 (used)… I’m looking for an airplane friendly, tall seat backed stroller with good wheels and a good sunshade - I know the Butterfly kinda ticks all these boxes, but I’m wondering is it really worth that very hefty price tag?
Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Hey, Fran,
The Butterfly truly is the tallest-seatbacked stroller here, and the other two are far from that. The Tour 1 I would not actually get, it is not bad but not that good either, nor it is too spacious. The Metro, if you'd be going for one of the two pre-owned ones, would IMHO be the better choice.
Try checking the Joolz Aer too, also used - it is also on the roomier side, comparable to the Butterfly. And the Recaro Lexa also has a nice space in the seat - and is not as expensive.
Hi,
I’m considering buying the Butterfly as our traveling / holiday stroller. We tend to go to warm sunny places and I’m concerned about the canopy sun protection, it seems when opened there is a mesh part that will let the midday sun break through. I would love to know your opinion about this. Thanks!
Hey, Sara,
The mesh parts are always an advantage as well as a disadvantage. It will let some of the sun get through, yes, but also it will allow air to go in easier, which is a good thing. I think that adjusting that, opening or closing depending on the sun's angle, plus, in the summer, a UV-protection in the form of a cream or spray, plus, if needed, a universal sun shade accessory can solve this if all else about the stroller fits your needs.
Also good to note is that most ultra-compacts have small or, in some cases, even almost non-covering canopies so I think this one is actually decent compared to most, especially the cheaper alternatives.
What is it like travelling on flights with the Bugaboo Butterfly and can we take on board like cabin luggage?
Hi, Dino,
The Butterfly is approved by IATA (Internationa Air Transport Association), which really means you can travel with the buggy as a piece of cabin luggage with pretty much any major airline. Some smaller, budget airlines can have different requirements, though, so be sure to check those.
And what's it like? Like any other regular traveling, though, you will have the folded stroller instead of the little piece of luggage. You might need to have checked luggage, though, if needing things of your own.
Hi Eli, just wondering what travel bags fit the Butterfly?
Hiya, Livy,
There is no dedicated transport bag for the Butterfly yet. So you will need to get a universal one. Pretty much ANY will fit, as the buggy is airplane-compatible, and thus, very small. Just search for any universal cabin travel stroller / ultra-compact sized bag, and you'll be fine (e.g. the Ergobaby Metro's).
Hi!
I’m in need of a travel stroller, cabin friendly! My concern is that I’m quite tall (5”10) and my husband is over 6ft so I’m worried how comfortable the Bugaboo Butterfly will be to push as the handlebar is not adjustable.
Any further info on comfort to push for tall people?
Thanks!
Hiya, Mags,
Unfortunately pretty much all travel strollers are a bit of a pain for really tall people, and there is not that much you can do. I honestly think that for that occasional and travel use you should be fine.
However, if it really would concern you, you can also check the Ergobaby Metro+ with an adjustable handle, OR you can search for 'stroller extension handles' on Amazon / eBay. You will, unfortunately, need to remove that prolongation accessory when folding.
Hello Eli,
Does the seat on the Butterfly not move to a fully upright position like the Bee? It seems very reclined for my 2 year old to sit up straight and enjoy the view?
Thank you!
Hiya, Sam,
It will not go completely upright, no, I am sorry. As an ultracompact, thus a travel stroller meant for occasional and not demanding use (more about those here), this is a simple, as small as possible stroller, which has its price. I mean, just compare the Bee and this one's folded size ^_^ So, it is actually more upright than many in that category, but it is not completely upright, no.
Hi Eli,
My boy is 2 years old, quite tall for his age. I still can’t decide between the EW Jackey or the Bugaboo Butterfly. We live in the Netherlands so eventually old/stone streets are very popular here. Could you please tell me which buggy could be the best choice for me knowing that my boys still naps twice per day?
Hi there,
From these two, definitely the Butterfly. I mean, a 2 years old is already a larger toddler, and he's going to just get bigger. The Butterfly has a MUCH taller backrest and a longer le rest, so even without the full lie flat, your boy will nap more comfortably and will have more space overall to grow in.
Remember, though, that BOTH are ultracompacts for OCCASIONAL use, meaning not really made for cobblestones, terrain, nor everyday multi-hour use and naps. I personally would go here for a bit larger stroller, not a travel stroller which both are. People seem to forget that you don't need, want the smallest thing possible for everyday use - it's use will always be limited - by the small wheels, the narrower seat, the less sturdy frame... Just food for thought, I personally would rather go for comfort of a larger seat of a mid-site pushchair (e.g. Oyster Zero with a nice wide seat).
Are there any plans for a carrycot for the butterfly as there is with the Joolz Aer and Babyzen Yoyo?
Hi, Karen,
I cannot promise, as bugaboo did not mention anything like that so far, so nobody knows anything - but often it ends up like that, as customers demand that. I believe they just might, but if it even happens, it's going to take time as this pushchair is completely new. In the meantime, a reclinable car seat (like the Joie i-Level) or maybeee, just maybe the Cot To Go from GB (that fits the same adapters as the car seats) could be used for a newborn with the Butterfly adapters.
Does the seat lie completely flat?
Hiya, Adelle,
No, the seat reclines only partially, so it is not suitable for newborns or children that don't sit by themselves just yet. For an older toddler, though, the recline is quite ok for a nap.
Btw this info is also under The Seat Unit part on the stroller's page ^_^
Will there onky be 3 colours to the Butterfly, or will more colours get launched?
Heya,
For now, as it is totally new, there only will be three colors for a time. It is very possible that after a season or a year, multiple colors will be added, depending on the popularity of the pushchair. I cannot guarantee that, of course, but usually, Bugaboo adds colorways and configurability over time.