Stokke YOYO3 vs Bugaboo Butterfly 2: Which Travel Stroller?

The Stokke YOYO3 is lighter and folds into a thinner package, and its separate newborn pack gives a young baby a dedicated lie-flat setup. The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 costs more and weighs about a pound more, but it uses one seat from birth, has larger wheels with full suspension, and carries the same 22 kg (about 48.5 lb) child limit. Bugaboo's own pages disagree on whether the Butterfly 2 seat reclines fully flat; the Butterfly 2 Plus does, so confirm on the listing. Pick the YOYO3 if carrying weight and a slim fold matter most. Pick the Butterfly 2 if you want one seat from birth without buying a second seat unit, and larger wheels.

Both fold small enough that their makers market them for airplane cabins. Whether either goes in the overhead bin on your flight is up to your airline, not the stroller.

Stokke YOYO3 Stroller, Lightweight & Compact Travel Stroller

Lighter, slimmer fold

Stokke

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About 14.8 lb complete with the 6+ seat, folds to 20.5 x 17.3 x 7.1 in, with a separate 0+ newborn pack for babies from birth.

weight:About 14–15 lb complete (Stokke advertises 13.7 lb; its spec table lists 14.8 lb / 6.7 kg)

fold:Compact fold, sized for most overhead bins (airline limits vary)

recline:Multi-position recline

age Range:6 months+ (newborn with 0+ pack)

Pros

• ✓Fits in airplane overhead bin
• ✓Compact fold with carry strap
• ✓Smooth ride for a compact stroller
• ✓Premium build quality that lasts

Cons

• ×Premium price
• ×Small underseat basket
• ×Canopy could be larger
• ×Seat is narrower than full-size strollers

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Bugaboo Butterfly 2 Ultra-Compact Travel Stroller

One seat from birth

Bugaboo

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16 lb fully assembled, one-second fold, one seat from birth to about 4 years, and full suspension on 5.5 and 6 inch wheels. Confirm the recline on the listing; Bugaboo's pages disagree on whether it lies flat.

weight:16 lb (7.3 kg), per Bugaboo

fold:One-second ultra-compact fold

carry On:IATA-compatible folded dimensions

age Range:To approximately 48 months

recline:Multi-position, upright to relaxed

ride:Larger wheels with full suspension

Pros

• ✓Folds in about one second into a genuinely small package
• ✓IATA-compatible folded size for overhead bins
• ✓Full suspension and larger wheels than most ultra-compacts
• ✓Usable to roughly 48 months, longer than most travel strollers

Cons

• ×Premium price
• ×Bugaboo's own pages disagree on whether the Butterfly 2 reclines fully flat; the Butterfly 2 Plus does — confirm on the listing
• ×Small storage basket typical of ultra-compact folds

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How do the specs compare side by side?

All figures below are from Stokke's and Bugaboo's published product specifications. Price tiers are relative; check the current price on Amazon.

Two things stand out. The weight gap is smaller than Stokke's headline figure suggests: Stokke advertises 6.2 kg / 13.7 lb, but its own spec table lists 6.7 kg / 14.8 lb for the frame with the 6+ seat. That is still about 1.2 lb lighter than the Butterfly 2. And the two weight limits are the same 22 kg; the 50 lb figure on Bugaboo's US page is a rounding of that metric limit, not a higher rating.

Which folds smaller?

It depends on the shape you need. Multiplying out the published dimensions, the YOYO3 folds to roughly 2,500 cubic inches and the Butterfly 2 to roughly 3,700. The YOYO3 is a flat, wide slab only 7.1 inches thick. The Butterfly 2 is narrower at 17.6 inches but 9.6 inches thick and 21.8 inches tall.

In practice, the YOYO3's thin profile slides into tight spaces such as a car trunk beside luggage or a train rack. The Butterfly 2's shape is closer to a small wheeled carry-on. Neither stroller decides whether it is allowed in the cabin: Stokke itself notes that cabin luggage standards vary by airline and tells you to check with your carrier. Look up your airline's carry-on dimensions for each flight, and keep a gate-check bag as a fallback for small regional aircraft.

Can either one be used from birth?

Yes, in different ways.

The YOYO3 needs a different seat unit for a newborn. Stokke's 0+ newborn pack lets a baby lie flat from birth up to 9 kg (19.8 lb); when your child reaches 6 months, you swap it for the 6+ seat. That gives a young baby a dedicated lie-flat space, but you pay for and store a second seat unit, and you swap parts as your child grows.

The Butterfly 2 uses one seat. Bugaboo lists it as suitable from birth. Bugaboo's own pages disagree on whether the Butterfly 2 reclines fully flat: its spec sheet says "lay-flat recline," while its US comparison table lists the Butterfly 2 as "no flat recline" and the Butterfly 2 Plus as "fully flat recline." Confirm on the listing you buy from. Its US specification adds that a car seat is recommended for newborn comfort, which uses car seat adapters sold separately. If your baby is very young, budget for the adapters and a compatible infant car seat, which you may be bringing anyway.

If your child is already past 6 months, this difference disappears. Both work from 6 months to about 4 years.

Which is better for naps on the go?

Neither maker settles it clearly. Bugaboo's spec sheet describes a Butterfly 2 seat that goes from fully upright to lay-flat, 11.8 inches wide and 9.4 inches deep, with 26.8 inches of sitting height under the canopy. But Bugaboo's US comparison table lists the Butterfly 2 as "no flat recline" and gives a fully flat recline only to the Butterfly 2 Plus. Stokke describes the YOYO3's 6+ seat as multi-position and has redesigned the seat pad with a taller backrest, but it does not publish a recline angle on its product page.

If stroller naps decide it, confirm the Butterfly 2's recline on the listing you buy from, or look at the Butterfly 2 Plus, which Bugaboo lists with a fully flat recline. If your child is older and mostly sits upright, the difference matters less than weight and fold.

Which rides better on rough ground?

Bugaboo publishes 5.5-inch front and 6-inch rear wheels with full suspension, which is on the larger side for a stroller that folds this small. Stokke describes the YOYO3 as sturdy and maneuverable but does not list wheel sizes in its spec table. Neither is built for trails, sand or deep gravel; both are city and airport strollers. If you expect cobbled old towns, the published wheel and suspension details favor the Butterfly 2.

Choose the Stokke YOYO3 if…

• You will carry the folded stroller a lot (stairs, transit, long walks to gates) and want the lightest of the two.
• You need the thinnest possible fold for trunks, racks or tight storage.
• Your child is over 6 months, or you want a dedicated newborn pack rather than relying on a car seat for the early weeks.
• You want the larger basket: 22 lb capacity versus 17.6 lb.
• You prefer the lower price band.

Before you buy, check the serial number. A November 2024 recall (CPSC 25-044) covers about 2,890 strollers sold in September and October 2024 whose parking brake can disengage: serial numbers starting 142AA and below 0062239, on the label under the seat. Other YOYO3 strollers are not part of it, and Stokke refunds affected ones.

Read our full Stokke YOYO3 review.

Choose the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 if…

• You want one seat from birth to about 4 years without buying a separate newborn unit.
• You want a flatter nap recline and have confirmed it on the listing (Bugaboo's pages disagree for the Butterfly 2; the Butterfly 2 Plus lists fully flat).
• Larger wheels and full suspension matter for the surfaces you walk on.
• An extra pound or so of weight and a higher price are acceptable for those features.

Read our full Bugaboo Butterfly 2 review.

Are there cheaper alternatives?

Yes. Two lower-priced travel strollers cover much of the same ground:

• GB Pockit Air All-Terrain: 10.4 lb on gb's US page (4.7 kg internationally) and folds to a handbag-sized package, with double wheels and a mesh backrest. The trade-offs: gb publishes no recline, and the basket is very small. It is for travelers who put the smallest fold first.
• Mompush Nexis: 11.5 lb with a carbon fiber frame, a one-hand fold that stands on its own, and a recline from near-upright to 170 degrees. It is the closer budget match if you want a published nap recline.

Both cost well under either premium stroller. See our best travel strollers for flying for the full field.

How we put this together

This comparison uses the manufacturers' published specifications, from Stokke's YOYO3 6+ and newborn pages and Bugaboo's Butterfly 2 specification sheet (published in English on its French store). Bugaboo's US store currently sells the Butterfly 2 Plus, which lists the same weight, folded size and limits plus a padded headrest extension and newborn foot cover; the newborn car seat recommendation comes from that US listing. We have not tested either stroller. Specifications and prices change; check the manufacturer's page and your airline's carry-on limits before you buy.