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Last updated: July 2026
Two ultra-lightweight compact pushchairs, both aimed at parents who want the minimum weight without sacrificing quality. The Cybex Libelle at 5.9kg and the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 at around 7.3kg are among the most searched lightweight options in the UK — and the decision between them is sharper than the spec sheets suggest. One fold separates them more than anything else.
How this comparison was made
Tested by: Mark — the Cybex Libelle road tested in store with daughter K, who is a daily public transport user and the target buyer. The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 tested in store and at Hesketh Farm, West Yorkshire. Both full reviews are linked at the bottom of this page.
Start here — the decision that settles it for most parents
Do you regularly fold your pushchair one-handed — with a child on your hip, at a bus stop or train door?
YES
Buy the Bugaboo Butterfly 2.
Honestly, I’d stop comparing at this point. The Butterfly 2’s one-second one-handed fold is in a class of its own. The Libelle needs two hands — buses don’t wait.
NO / BOTH HANDS USUALLY FREE
Keep reading.
The two-handed fold may not bother you at all — and the Libelle has real advantages worth knowing about.
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If weight is your single overriding priority…
The Libelle is lighter. 5.9kg versus approximately 7.3kg for the Butterfly 2 — a 1.4kg difference that sounds modest but is entirely real on the third staircase of the day. For K, who is slight of frame and manages a toddler on public transport daily, that 1.4kg is the difference between a pushchair that works for her life and one that slowly becomes a burden. For a grandparent lifting it in and out of a car boot, the same logic applies.
If absolute minimum weight is the only thing that matters and the two-handed fold is acceptable to you, the Libelle wins this comparison on that single metric.
Minimum weight above everything else, and fold method doesn’t matter? → The Cybex Libelle at 5.9kg.
If you fly regularly or need cabin luggage compatibility…
Both pushchairs are marketed as travel-friendly, and both are genuinely compact when folded. The Libelle is lighter, which matters for overhead locker lifting. The Butterfly 2’s near-instant one-handed fold is a significant advantage at airport security and boarding gates, where speed matters as much as size. Always check your specific airline’s dimensions before travelling — cabin baggage policies vary and neither pushchair is guaranteed to fit every aircraft.
For regular flying, the Butterfly 2’s fold speed tips it — you’ll do it dozens of times at airports and the one-second one-handed fold never gets old. For occasional travel where weight in the overhead locker matters more, the Libelle’s 5.9kg is the stronger argument.
Frequent flyer who folds constantly? → Bugaboo Butterfly 2. Occasional traveller where overhead weight matters most? → Cybex Libelle. Also worth reading our pushchairs for flying guide.
If premium build quality matters…
The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 has Bugaboo’s engineering and finish behind it — it feels premium in a way the Libelle doesn’t quite match. The Libelle is well-made for its weight class and price point, but the Butterfly 2 is the pushchair that still feels good after a year of daily use rather than just in the showroom. If you’re keeping a pushchair for two or three years and quality of feel matters, the Butterfly 2 is the stronger long-term choice.
Premium build and long-term quality matter? → Bugaboo Butterfly 2.
If budget is the deciding factor…
The Libelle is typically cheaper than the Butterfly 2 — sometimes significantly so depending on current pricing. In a segment where all four main rivals (Libelle, Butterfly 2, YOYO³, Joolz Aer2) are genuinely good, price and personal preference on styling and fabric often become the real deciding factors. If the Libelle is £100 cheaper and the fold method doesn’t bother you, that’s a legitimate reason to choose it.
Budget is tight and the two-handed fold is acceptable? → Cybex Libelle — you’re getting an excellent ultra-lightweight pushchair at a more competitive price.
Category winners at a glance
Fold speed and method
🏆 Bugaboo Butterfly 2
One-second one-handed fold — the best in its class. The Libelle needs two hands.
Minimum weight
🏆 Cybex Libelle
5.9kg vs 7.3kg — 1.4kg lighter. Meaningfully different on the third staircase of the day.
Premium build
🏆 Bugaboo Butterfly 2
Bugaboo engineering and finish. Feels premium after a year of use, not just day one.
Value
🏆 Cybex Libelle
Typically cheaper — sometimes significantly. Legitimate deciding factor in a close segment.
Public transport daily use
🏆 Bugaboo Butterfly 2
One-handed fold at bus stops and train doors. Buses don’t wait while you work out a two-handed mechanism.
Grandparent usability
🤝 Depends
Libelle wins on weight. Butterfly 2 wins on fold simplicity. Depends which matters more for the grandparent in question.
Head-to-head specs
| Cybex Libelle | Bugaboo Butterfly 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 5.9kg | c.7.3kg |
| Fold | Two-handed, compact | One-handed, one-second |
| Wheels | Small plastic — smooth urban surfaces | Larger — better on mixed surfaces |
| Build quality | Good for weight class | Premium Bugaboo finish |
| Price | From £229 | £435 |
| Suitable from | 6 months (birth with car seat adapters) | 6 months (birth with car seat adapters) |
💬 If this were my money…
If I needed the lightest pushchair possible for daily train journeys and both hands were usually free when folding, I’d buy the Libelle and feel good about it. If I folded one-handed regularly at bus stops, I’d buy the Butterfly 2 — because I think the fold changes daily ownership more than the Libelle’s weight advantage. Remove price from the equation and I think the Butterfly is the better product. Put the real-world prices back in and the decision becomes much closer.
If we were standing in the shop together…
If somebody offered me both pushchairs at exactly the same price, I’d take the Butterfly 2. The fold alone would settle it — it’s one of the genuinely great engineering moments in the compact pushchair market, and once you’ve used it you don’t want to go back.
If you told me you commute daily by train with a toddler and fold one-handed at barriers, I’d point at the Butterfly 2 without hesitation. If you told me you needed the absolute lightest thing available and both hands were always free when you folded, I’d point at the Libelle — and tell you to spend the saving on something else.
Parents like you usually choose…
Parents who choose the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 usually say one thing: “The fold.” They tried it in the shop, did it once, and that was the end of the comparison.
Parents who choose the Cybex Libelle usually tell me weight was the deciding factor — either they’re slight of frame, managing stairs daily, or the price difference was meaningful enough to tip it. They’re rarely disappointed.
My recommendation
Buy the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 if:
- You fold your pushchair dozens of times a week — at bus stops, train barriers, car boots
- You commute daily with a child and need a one-handed fold without thinking about it
- You want the easiest, most premium ownership experience in this weight class
- You plan to keep it two or three years and long-term quality matters
Buy the Cybex Libelle if:
- Every kilogram matters — you’re slight of frame, managing stairs regularly, or lifting it solo into a boot
- You fold with both hands free and the two-handed mechanism genuinely doesn’t bother you
- Budget is a meaningful factor and the saving is real enough to tip the decision
- You want outstanding value in a genuinely capable ultra-lightweight pushchair
Read the full reviews
Cybex Libelle
Full hands-on review — road tested in store with K, plus a real owner verdict from Louise who uses one daily. Honest on the two-handed fold and plastic wheels.
Read the Libelle review →Bugaboo Butterfly 2
Full hands-on review — tested in store and at Hesketh Farm, West Yorkshire. Honest verdict on the suspension and why the fold is the standout feature.
Read the Butterfly 2 review →Also worth reading
About the reviewer
Mark founded MyPushchair.co.uk in 2006 after struggling to find honest, straightforward pushchair advice as a new dad. With more than 30 years in the family travel and leisure industry — and after returning to relaunch the UK’s original independent pushchair review site — he continues to test products with one aim: helping parents buy the right pushchair the first time. Read the full story →
Still not sure which is right for you? Get in touch — happy to help.