Bugaboo Butterfly vs Babyzen YoYo2 Stroller Comparison

We own both the Butterfly and YoYo². The Butterfly performed better overall in our testing in folding, maneuverability, ease of use and kid comfort, but the YoYo² is lighter and has a few features missing in the Butterfly.

We purchased the Butterfly and YoYo² along with 18 other lightweight strollers and ran them through 100 tests and measurements over 6 months.

Specs Overview

Here are the summary scores and a specification comparison between the two strollers. The Butterfly comes out on top in most categories, but the YoYo² has its own set of advantages like its lighter weight which may make it compelling for your situation.

Common Complaints vs Our Experience: Bugaboo Butterfly

Although the Butterfly is a fantastic choice, no stroller is perfect, so we’ve summarized a few of the most common criticisms here, with our own experience.

These are the highlights. To see a full list and our complete review, check out: Bugaboo Butterfly Stroller Review.

Criticism	Our Experience
Folding and unfolding is awkward	We found the Bugaboo to be easier to fold than most strollers we tested, and much easier than the YoYo2.
Carry strap hidden when folded	Yes, we didn’t even realize it was there as it gets sandwiched in the fold process.
You must push a release button to fold	True, like many one-hand fold strollers, you have to hold down a release button in order to pull the main fold button. It isn’t difficult.
Leg rest can’t be opened with one hand.	True. You have to push buttons on both sides of the leg rest at the same time to raise and lower it.
Doesn’t fold compactly	Yes and no. The Butterfly is only 2 cubic feet when folded which is among the most compact. However, the folded dimensions are 22 x 18 x 9 inches which is larger than many airlines accept as a carry-on bag.

Common Complaints vs Our Experience: Babyzen YoYo²

The Babyzen YoYo² also receives high marks from customers. Here are a few of the most frequent complaints and whether we experienced the same problems.

Here is our unabridged list of criticisms and our response: Babyzen YoYo² Stroller Review.

Criticism	Our Experience
Difficult to fold	Completely true. Although it gets easier with practice, it still takes more time and has more steps than the Butterfly and many other strollers. Unfolding of the Babyzen is fast and easy.
Small storage basket	The YoYo2 basket is .47 cubic feet. This puts it in the bottom quartile, and smaller than the Butterfly basket.
No accessories	It comes with a travel bag. We wish that it had one parent cup holder at a minimum, but the Butterfly doesn’t have one either.
Noisy wheels	We haven’t noticed any wheel noise.
Seat doesn’t sit up straight enough	Agreed. It is at a 51 degree angle and we would prefer at least 65 degrees.

How We Researched and Tested

We have reviewed hundreds of strollers and there are many things to consider but the most important categories for us are:

• Kid comfort
• Ease of use
• Folding
• Steering and maneuverability
• Quality

For lightweight and umbrella strollers we also score based on folded size and weight. Here is how the YoYo and Butterfly compared in each category.

Related Reading: Comparison of All 20 Lightweight Strollers

Value

Here is how the strollers fall in terms of price vs testing performance:

Weight and Folded Size

Both strollers are small when folded. Carry-on bag size varies by airline but many US domestic airlines use 22 x 14 x 9 inches as a maximum size.

	Folded Dimensions
Bugaboo Butterfly	21.5 x 17.7 x 9 inches
Babyzen YoYo²	20.5 x 17.5 x 8 inches

Here is how they compare to other similar strollers. Both fold to a compact size and the YoYo is 2.5 lbs lighter.

Parent Ease of Use

Small strollers tend to have small storage baskets. The Butterfly’s basket measures .75 cubic feet and is rated for 18 lbs. The YoYo’s is .47 cubic feet and will hold up to 11 lbs. The Butterfly’s basket is wider and a bit more accessible from the back.

Both of these strollers let you access the basket from the front, which is a helpful benefit. Unfortunately, the Babyzen has two rods that block the basket and limit what you can put in.

Clearly the Butterfly has more useable storage than the Babyzen, but the Babyzen has a small-item pocket under its handlebar that the Butterfly does not have.

Neither of the strollers have an adjustable handle. The YoYo’s 40 inch high handle is an inch higher than the Butterfly’s. That extra inch may be important for taller parents.

Both handles are made of synthetic leather and have a soft luxurious feel. Both also have a safety strap for your wrist.

The Bugaboo has a large, mesh peekaboo window built into the canopy. You get to it by unzipping the canopy. It is big enough that it allows for extra airflow on hot days.

The Babyzen has a small, plastic peekaboo window with no cover, that is adequate for seeing your little one.

It took us only 3 minutes to unbox and assemble the Bugaboo Butterfly while it took 15 minutes to set up the Babyzen YoYo². This due in part to the YoYo²’s color packs which are seats and canopies that can be purchased separately. Unfortunately, you have to attach the color pack to the frame. We didn’t care for the installation manuals of either stroller, but it wasn’t as important for the Butterfly.

The recline mechanism is another area where the Butterfly is easier to operate. As we demonstrate below, the Butterfly’s seat can be reclined and raised with one hand, while the YoYo² requires two hands for both functions.

I found the YoYo²’s harness buckle easier to use than the Butterfly’s. The YoYo²’s harness clips can slide together so that only two things need to be clipped into the buckle, whereas the Butterfly requires all four clips to be slid in every time.

Both strollers have harness straps that adjust easily.

Both strollers have car seat adapters that can be purchased separately. They are compatible with specific car seats so you’ll need to check the listing carefully to make sure the seat you want is supported. As of the publication of this article, the YoYo² adapter works with the Cybex Aton Q, Cybex Aton 2, Nuna Pipa Lite, Nuna Pipa, Clek Liing, Maxi Cosi, and Mico Max Plus infant car seats. The Butterfly is compatible with certain Nuna, Clek, Cybex, Kiddy Evolution and Maxi-Cosi infant car seats and with the Bugaboo Turtle Air and Turtle One car seats.

There is a single brake pedal on both of these strollers that operates the rear brake. Both of them are easy to access and comfortable with sandalled feet but we found the Butterfly’s brake to be less consistent.

The Babyzen gets a few extra points for throwing in a travel bag!

Overall the Bugaboo Butterfly scores higher in the Ease of Use category.

Steering and Maneuverability

In our steering test where we pushed both strollers on the same obstacle course, the YoYo² received a 9 star rating versus 8 stars for the Butterfly. Both strollers are responsive and easy to steer.

Over bumps, cracks, and rough terrain, both strollers received 7 out of 10 stars. Neither are made for bumpy surfaces.

Some strollers tend to veer to one side or another when pushing along a straight line. We found that the Bugaboo veered off course quite a bit less than the Babyzen.

When we jumped over curbs with loaded strollers we measured how much force it took to jump the curb. The YoYo² took 8 kg of force while the Butterfly took 11 kg.

While the Butterfly had a slightly higher score overall in the Maneuverability category, both strollers do well and are a pleasure to push. Overall Steering and Maneuverability Scores:

Folding and Transport

Let the numbers speak for themselves. In our experience, the Bugaboo Butterfly folds in 2 seconds and opens in 3 seconds. The Babyzen YoYo² folds in 6 seconds and opens in 4 seconds. The YoYo² fold process is complicated, requires two hands, and takes several coordinated steps. Watch our two folding videos below to see the difference in the process.

Both strollers conveniently stand when folded and both have shoulder straps for carrying the collapsed strollers. As mentioned previously, the Babyzen also comes with a travel bag with its own carry strap.

The Butterfly makes a nice travel stroller, but the YoYo² is even better if you expect to travel by plane, where it is slightly smaller and likely to be accepted by more airlines to stow in an airplane overhead compartment.

Kid Comfort

We measured ride smoothness with an accelerometer and found the Butterfly to have a less bumpy ride than the YoYo². The YoYo² has front-wheel suspension, with rear suspension built into the frame, and the Butterfly has 4-wheel spring suspension.

The Butterfly’s canopy extends farther than the YoYo²’s and provides more sun coverage. But we found that neither sunshade covered our children’s legs or knees. Both have good side coverage so between the overhead shade and sides, their torsos are well protected.

The kid size limit on the two strollers is similar. YoYo² is 48.5 lbs or 40 inches and the Butterfly is 50 lbs. The Butterfly seat back is 22 inches whereas the YoYo²’s is 17.5. Taller children fit better in the Butterfly.

Both strollers have nicely padded seats. The YoYo²’s seats are among the most comfortable we’ve tested. The Butterfly has padded covers on the crotch, hip, and shoulder harness straps.

In the fully upright position, both strollers lean back too far for our liking.

One advantage of the Butterfly is its extendable leg rest. It is operated with white buttons on each side that need to be pressed simultaneously to raise and lower the rest. The YoYo² doesn’t have one.

Fully reclined, the Babyzen goes back to a 35 degree angle and the Butterfly reaches a 28 degree angle. More is better, but nice naps are possible in both strollers.

Unfortunately, neither stroller includes a kid cup holder, snack tray or bin.

Quality

The Babyzen YoYo² and Bugaboo Butterfly are both high-quality strollers. The fabric on both strollers feels and looks nice, and cleans up easily.

Both are tri-fold strollers and we found the folding mechanisms to be reliable after much use. The frames on both strollers feel rigid, not shaky like some strollers feel because of loose hinges where they fold.

We measured the noise level of all the strollers and found the Butterfly to be tied for quietest of all strollers we tested, and the YoYo² with a slightly higher average decibel level:

The Bugaboo and Babyzen wheel treads are made of rubber and the wheels themselves are well constructed. The rubber provides a nice ride but can be cut by sharp rocks. The solid sides of the YoYo² wheels help keep little fingers from getting caught in them.

We tested both strollers to find pinch-points as pinching and amputation are common safety concerns. These are places near the hinges or elsewhere where a limb or finger might get caught or pinched. We found more pinch-points on the YoYo² than most other strollers we tested. The Butterfly had fewer by comparison.

It is recommended to always keep children away when a stroller is being collapsed or opened.

We also performed backward and sideways tip-over testing. Both strollers tipped over backward when we hung a 12 lb bag on their handlebars.

In our sideways tip-over test, the results were similar, but the YoYo² took slightly less force to tip over sideways.