Cybex Libelle Stroller Review

Cybex Libelle

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How it Compares

The Cybex Libelle is most similar to the gb Pockit+ in our group of twenty strollers. It has a similar frame, folding mechanism and fold size. Overall the Libelle gets high marks for stroller weight and fold size. It has decent maneuverability and falls short in most other areas. It makes a good travel stroller because folded, it fits in airplane overhead compartments.

A Few Criticisms

We reviewed the negative and positive customer feedback about the Cybex Libelle and summarized the most important complaints below. We’ve added our own response to those criticisms, both our agreement and in some cases disagreement.

Criticism	Our Experience
Too small	Agree. While the manufacturer recommends it for children up to 55 lbs, in reality the 7 inch seat depth and 18 inch seat height are not adequate for bigger children.
Doesn’t recline far enough	Agree. It reclines to a 43 degree angle which is almost the least amount of recline of any of the strollers we tested.
Crotch strap is too tight	Possibly. The crotch strap is 4.5″ from the upward bend in the seat back which is a fairly typical measurement for lightweight strollers. It varies from 4 to 5 inches. The shape of the seat is a bit rounded which results in the pelvis sliding forward and in a slouched position. This could contribute to tightness in the crotch area, but our kids haven’t complained.
Not durable	We haven’t experienced quality or durability problems.
Difficult to fold	True. It is more difficult to fold than many other strollers, particularly more than one-hand fold strollers.
Folding mechanism broke over time	We haven’t seen loss of function.
Toddler slouches in seat	True. The seat back is curved at the bottom, and seems to encourage a slouched position.
Shoulder straps are difficult to adjust	Agree. We aren’t the only ones who think that. The good news is that they don’t have to be re-threaded.
Tips backward	Agree. We hung a 12 pound bag on the handle and the stroller tipped backward.
No carry strap	True, you have to buy a separate stroller bag or carry it by the frame.
No peekaboo window	True.
Doesn’t roll well on rough terrain	Agreed. It is better than the gb Pockit+ in this regard, but still not great.
Shakes too much	Disagree. This buggy had one of the best scores in our vibration and ride smoothness test as measured by an accelerometer.
Handle too short for tall people	It is 39 inches high. This is a typical handle height, but it is true that it is a little too low for taller parents.

Testing and Research

We purchased the most popular strollers that are 20 pounds or less and compared them in over 100 tests and measurements. Multiple parents and children help us try out the strollers and we continue to use them and monitor their durability over time.

Weight and Folded Size

The Cybex Libelle is designed as a travel stroller, competing with other umbrella strollers on weight and folded size. It is a light 13.7 lbs and 1.07 cubic feet folded. The folded dimensions are 12.6″ x 7.8″ x 18.9″ making it an acceptable size to be accepted by most airlines as a carry-on and easily fit in overhead bins of aircraft, trains, and buses.

Steering and Maneuverability

The Cybex Libelle has decent maneuverability on smooth surfaces. Its frame flexes some when turning, but its wheels are responsive. Ease of Steering:

As well as the Libelle does on flat surfaces, it is challenged anywhere there are bumps and cracks. It did not perform well in our rough-terrain testing, but to be fair, few lightweight strollers do well off the sidewalk.

Rough terrain rating:

We tested curb jumping by measuring the force it takes to push down on the handles and jump a curb with a fully loaded stroller. The Libelle required 11 kg of force which was about average for the group.

The Libelle’s wheels don’t shake much, which helped it in our noise testing, where it performed well (see below under quality).

However, this stroller is inclined to pull to one side. In our veer tendency testing it performed below average. Unfortunately, it does not have front wheel locks that can be used to force the wheels to point straight ahead.

So despite having an average steering rating, the Overall Steering and Maneuverability Rating is not strong:

Ease of Use

The Cybex Libelle storage basket is not large at 0.50 cubic feet, but it is very accessible compared to many strollers. It is rated to hold a maximum of 11 pounds.

The bar going across the middle of the basket is inconvenient and unfortunate.

The stroller is not equipped with any other storage pocket or compartment.

It also doesn’t have cup holders of any kind. You should NOT hang a diaper bag on the handles because it will make the American Association of Pediatricians angry with you, and it will probably tip over the stroller (it did for us.)

There is no peekaboo window adorning the canopy:

I don’t know if it is a design flaw or a feature but the canopy does this weird thing where it can be open on one side and closed on the other.

The handles have a simple foam covering. If their position is uncomfortable, the stroller pushes fine with the handlebar going across. The handle height is fixed at 39 inches, which is fine for most people but low for taller care givers.

The frame does not feel rigid when pushing and turning the stroller. There is flex apparent in the handles when you turn although it is less evident in the Cybex than the gb Pockit+ with a similar frame.

The brake is a single pedal mounted in the back center of the stroller. It isn’t obvious which side to step on, but the left side engages the brake and the right side releases it. The pedal affects both wheels at the same time. It is easy to use and easy on the feet!

We love the buckle operation because it is simple to clip in the harnesses and they release with the right amount of pressure. There are only two clips to fasten instead of 4 like many strollers have.

The harness straps are difficult to adjust. The padding has to be removed and then sliding the straps through the shoulder clips is time-consuming. Fortunately, it is still easier than rethreading the straps would be.

The recline mechanism requires two hands to incline (lift back up) and one hand to recline. As you can see, the seat doesn’t recline much.

Car seat adapters are included with the stroller. The adapter is compatible with any Cybex infant car seat so this Cybex stroller may be used as a travel system. Note: the seat must be removed before mounting a car seat to the car seat adapters. The picture below is just to show what the adapters look like.

Removing the stroller seat and canopy is a multi-step process that we didn’t perform because we don’t currently have a Cybex infant car seat to test with.

The Cybex Libelle is available in Deep Black, Classic Beige, Magnolia Pink, Navy Blue, River Blue, and Soho Grey.

Accessories include:

• Rain Cover
• Bumper Bar
• Travel Bag
• Seat Liner for warm days

Folding and Transport

Here is my “How to fold the Cybex Libelle” video:

The Libelle is a compact stroller that folds down to 1.1 cubic feet, which is the smallest folded size of any stroller apart from the gb Pockit that we are aware of. Its folded dimensions are 12.6″ x 7.8″ x 18.9″ and it meets the size requirements of most airlines for a carry-on that can be placed in an overhead bin.

The world’s smallest folded strollers are pictured below:

It stays folded unless you accidentally pull on the latch instead of the frame when you carry it. Yes, I speak from experience.

The Libelle took us 6 seconds to fold, on average, and 3 seconds to open. The fold process requires two hands. I’ve tried it while holding a baby, but it is not safe or easy, and I got it folded but not completely latched.

There is no carry strap for the Libelle. You can carry it by the frame or buy a stroller bag with a shoulder strap.

Fold Ratings:

Kid Comfort

The Cybex Libelle was the best performing stroller in our vibration and bumpiness test. We used a device to consistently compare the motion in the seats of each stroller while pushing on the same path.

The seat back curves (or bends) before joining with the bottom of the seat, causing some kids and parents to complain of slouching and discomfort.

The padding is reasonably thick, and it extends past the knee bend area and down the calves.

There is a nice leg rest extension that makes it more comfortable for napping. The recline to 43 degrees is better than no recline, but much less than what most other strollers in the group offer.

The seat isn’t big enough to be comfortable for bigger kids. It is only 7 inches deep and the back is 18 inches high. The manufacturer says the stroller is capable of seating children up to 55 pounds or 41 inches, but children at the maximum height or weight probably won’t be comfortable.

In its upright position, the seat is inclined at 62 degrees. A slightly more upright position makes it easier for kids to see.

There is no snack tray or kid cupholders.

The 5-point harness is padded on the shoulders but not elsewhere.

The canopy doesn’t extend forward or down enough to provide sun protection for the legs. The fabric of the sunshade is UPF50+ rated.

Quality and Safety

The Cybex Libelle received 8 out of 10 stars in our pinch-point testing. We looked for places on the stroller where a finger could get caught or be pinched. This may happen in a wheel, as the frame is folding, when the canopy is closing or elsewhere.

The pinch points we found on the Libelle were in the folding process. Make sure you keep children separated from the stroller when folding it.

In order to test tip-over risk we hung a 12-pound bag on the handlebar. The stroller tipped over backward. We also hung weights on the side of the stroller to test the sideways tip potential. This stroller is less likely to tip over sideways than many in the group.

The Cybex performed well in our noise testing where we measured the average decibel level of the stroller being pushed around a course.

The parts and materials of the Libelle are high quality and have held up well for us. The moving parts like the folding mechanism, the brake pedal and the canopy hinges operate consistently well.

The front wheels have spring suspension. The treads are EVA foam and the wheels are hard plastic. The wheel assemblies are solid.

gb Pockit+ All-Terrain vs Cybex Libelle

The Cybex Libelle and gb Pockit+ All-Terrain strollers are similar in their frame style, handles, weight and fold size. The Libelle scored better in most every category and we prefer it over the Pockit+.

See our full review of the gb Pockit+.

The Cybex is 1.4 lbs heavier than the Pockit+, and the Cybex fold size is slightly larger. Both will be accepted as carry-ons by most airlines. Both are considered high-end travel strollers.

These strollers have similar folding processes and both are comparatively difficult to fold. That said, the Libelle is easier than the Pockit+ because it has fewer steps. The Libelle also unfolds without drama, whereas the Pockit+ often gets stuck in the unfold process and has to be kicked or madly shaken.

Another important difference between the strollers is in storage space. Neither have a great amount of space but the Libelle’s basket is slightly bigger and more accessible.

Other advantages of the Libelle over the Pockit+ include:

• better maneuverability
• better canopy coverage
• better brake system

The Pockit+ reclines farther back but it doesn’t have an extendable footrest.