Parents Swear by This Compact Travel Stroller — So I Traveled Hundreds of Miles With It This Summer to Test It Out

The Bugaboo Butterfly is the company's best-selling travel stroller, and I’ve been using it non-stop for the past six months with my son. So, when the brand launched its new and improved version, the Bugaboo Butterfly 2, in June, I was among the first to test it.

There are some design tweaks to make travelling with a toddler a bit easier — bigger wheels, a redesigned sun canopy with a peekaboo window, and a parent pocket on the back. Is that enough to make it one of the best strollers to buy right now?

And how does it compare to the original Butterfly stroller and other lightweight travel prams on the market?

To find out more, I’ve pushed my wriggly 18-month-old on a month’s worth of journeys, folding and unfolding it on buses and trains, and using it for naps on some of the warmest days of the year.

Bugaboo Butterfly 2 review: price and availability

The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 costs $600/£435 and is available now from Bugaboo directly, as well as third-party retailers. It’s a price hike on the original Butterfly, which cost $549/£419 when it was new. The original Butterfly is likely to be on sale, so if you are on a budget, now is the perfect time to invest.

The Butterfly 2 comes in four colors — black, taupe, forest green, and indigo. For this review, I tested the black colorway.

Bugaboo Butterfly 2 review: design

The Butterfly 2 has an interesting mix of materials, including recycled aluminum for the frame with vegan leather on the handle, and the brand claims it has the lowest CO2 footprint of all its strollers.

Bugaboo says the Butterfly 2 has been engineered to handle over 10,000 folds (seven times more than the industry requirements), and the wheels have been tested over 2,485 miles. The stroller will carry your child until they are around four, but it should last for years longer than that.

The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 came fully assembled, which was a dream, as I was able to unbox it and unfold it in seconds. The fold and unfold mechanism is the same as the original Butterfly; you squeeze a button on the handlebar, and collapse the pram.

When folded, it’s small enough to stow in the overhead locker on a plane, although unfortunately, I have yet to fly with my toddler. I have, however, stowed it on trains and buses, and due to its handy size, I often opt to use the Butterfly 2 over my Bugaboo Fox 5, which is a lot larger when folded in my living room.

The break of the Butterfly 2 is easy to use and sits in the middle of the pram, making it easy to reach from either side. I used it while wearing flip flops throughout the summer, and didn’t have any issues.

The Butterfly 2 is pretty lightweight, but Bugaboo has increased the size of the front wheels to make it more comfortable to push, and it really is. I can easily push the stroller with one hand while holding a coffee on the daycare run.

The basket is also super generous, considering the size and weight of the pram. Plus, the Butterfly 2 has a pocket on the back for extra storage. It’s not huge, but large enough for your phone and keys, or the rain cover.

In the U.S., the stroller can be reclined to 147 degrees; however, the U.K. model reclines to a flat position. Both models are suitable for newborns; however, the U.S. model will not be compatible with the newborn nest, coming to the market this fall. Bugaboo recommends attaching a car seat for more comfort for newborns in the US...

One thing that sets the Butterfly 2 apart from other travel strollers on the market is its large sun canopy, which extends right over your child. It’s great for keeping them safe from the sun, but also for naps on the go. The Butterfly 2 has a peekaboo window, rather than the mesh panel on the original Butterfly, which did let some light in.

In the U.S., the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 doesn’t come with a rain cover, so you’ll have to add one to your order to be prepared for all weather conditions. In the U.K., there is one included, and I loved how the rain cover folds into a neat little pouch with a velcro fastening.

You’ll also need to pay for extras like a bumper bar (which I purchased as an extra safety feature), a cup holder, or a travel bag, which allows you to carry the pushchair like a backpack.

Bugaboo Butterfly 2 review: performance

The Butterfly 2 is a joy to push around, even on uneven terrain. I found it coped well with cobbles, grass, and light gravel, and was extremely nippy in the mall and on a trip to IKEA. It’s easy to steer, and despite the fact that the handlebar isn’t adjustable, both my partner and I found it comfortable to push.

The one-handed fold truly is one-handed — I was able to fold the stroller up at my son’s daycare, while holding him in the other arm. It doesn’t take up anywhere near as much room as my regular stroller when it’s sat in the living room by my front door, or in the trunk of my car.

There’s also a strap that sits in the basket, which allows you to carry the stroller on your shoulder more easily through an airport or station.

I was also impressed with the one-handed footrest, which you can easily click into place using the button underneath the bar. This is a vast improvement on the original Butterfly, which needed two hands and was pretty fiddly.

I was, however, slightly disappointed with the pocket on the back of the seat — it’s too low down to really be useful, and you can’t fit an awful lot in. If I compare it to the pocket on the Stokke YoYo 3, which sits just by the handlebar, it comes up short.

That said, you probably wouldn’t want to store loads of items right behind where your child is sitting anyway, and I did find it helpful to keep the rain cover stowed in the back pocket, as it’s something I often forget.

I loved the redesigned canopy, and found my son was able to sleep well in the stroller on the move, even on a particularly sunny day. He’s a fussy sleeper, so this means a lot. I also thought he looked comfortable in the pram and appreciated the ability to adjust the height of the straps to fit him well.

As any parent will know, it only took a couple of outings for sticky hands to leave food marks and crumbs on the seat of the pram. While I definitely noticed these more in the forest green colorway of my original Butterfly, being able to remove the seat cover and chuck it in the washing machine is a huge bonus.

Bugaboo Butterfly 2 vs Bugaboo Butterfly: is it worth the upgrade?

The answer to this question really lies in your budget — if you’re only going to use this stroller for holidays, the original Butterfly is a great pram, and you’ll likely pick it up at a great price now this new model is out.

If you’re living in a city, or you’re looking to invest in a lightweight pram to use for quick trips out, the little tweaks in the Butterfly 2 make it more comfortable to push and easier to adjust on the go. The peekaboo window in the sun canopy is fantastic, as is the one-handed footrest adjustment.

In the U.K., the lie-flat recline and the option to add a newborn nest later this year are also stand-out features, as the previous Butterfly was only suitable for babies from six months.

Should you buy the Bugaboo Butterfly 2?

I've been using the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 since it launched in June 2025, so I've had almost two months with the stroller. I’d say this is the best of the best when it comes to lightweight strollers.

It’s comfortable to push, it’s super lightweight, and it’ll last your child from newborn until they’re around four years old. While it’s been designed with travel in mind, the large storage basket, lie-flat recline, and large sun canopy all make this more than capable as your daily stroller.

It’s more expensive than other travel prams on the market, but if you can afford it, you’re getting a lot for your money in this portable pram, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other parents.