Bugaboo Butterfly vs Silver Cross Clic: Is the Upgrade Worth It? (2026)

The Silver Cross Clic has quietly become one of the most popular budget cabin strollers on the market, and it's easy to see why: it self-stands when folded, it's genuinely light, and it costs around £295 for the current Clic 2. The Bugaboo Butterfly sits higher up the price scale, at around £435. That's a real gap, but not the huge one it's sometimes made out to be.

So is the Butterfly worth the extra £140 or so, or is the Clic doing most of the job for noticeably less outlay? We've put the specs and the real-world experience side by side to answer that properly. For a wider comparison of the Clic against another compact rival, see our Silver Cross Clic vs Cybex Libelle guide.

Specs at a Glance

The Butterfly folds within most airline cabin limits, but cabin allowances vary by carrier. Check your specific airline against the stroller airline checker before you book, and see the Airline Compatibility section below for the Clic's gate-check situation.

Bugaboo Butterfly

Best for: families who want one pushchair that works equally well for the school run and for the airport. The 8kg basket, near-flat recline, and noticeably better suspension justify the price if you'll use it often.

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Silver Cross Clic

Best for: occasional flyers and anyone who wants a genuinely light stroller without paying premium prices. It comes with a rain cover and travel bag included, and the self-standing fold is a small but useful daily convenience. Bear in mind the current Clic 2 is not IATA cabin approved, so it isn't the right choice if you fly often and need to guarantee cabin storage.

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Also Consider: Cybex Libelle and Joolz Aer+

If neither of these two feels quite right, the Cybex Libelle is worth a look. At around £180 to £220 it sits close to the Clic on price but folds down even smaller, at the cost of a shallower recline and a basket that's better suited to babies from six months rather than newborns. We compare it directly with the Clic in our Silver Cross Clic vs Cybex Libelle guide.

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At the other end, the Joolz Aer+ sits between the two on price, around £429 to £449, with a near-flat recline and a smooth fold that's closer to the Butterfly's feel without quite matching its basket size. It's a sensible middle ground if the Butterfly feels like too much outlay but the Clic's smaller basket puts you off.

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Fold Mechanism

The Butterfly's two-step fold (pull the handle, then fold the seat) becomes instinctive within a couple of days and the folded unit stands upright on its own, which is handy at bag drop. The Clic folds with a similar self-standing result, and Silver Cross has clearly designed it to compete directly with pricier rivals on this point. In practice, both are quick enough that fold speed isn't the deciding factor here. What separates them is smoothness: the Butterfly's mechanism feels more solid and requires less force, while the Clic is perfectly usable but has a slightly more mechanical, budget feel to the action.

Weight and Portability

The Clic is the lighter of the two at 6.5kg against the Butterfly's 7.3kg, which matters if you're carrying it up stairs, onto buses, or through a station with a baby on your hip. That 0.8kg difference doesn't sound like much until you're doing it repeatedly on a travel day. For more options if weight is your priority above everything else, see our lightest strollers UK guide.

Recline and Nap-Friendliness

Both recline further than most budget cabin strollers, which is part of why the Clic has built such a strong reputation. The Clic's seat is genuinely lie-flat from birth, which is a real strength for a stroller at this price. The Butterfly's near-flat recline is excellent for naps too, and the seat padding is noticeably more generous, but from birth you'll need the separate car seat or Bugaboo baby nest rather than the seat unit itself. On a bumpy pavement the Butterfly's suspension makes a nap easier to settle into, even if the recline angles themselves are closely matched.

Basket and Storage

This is where the price gap shows up most clearly. The Butterfly's 8kg basket is exceptional for this category, easily swallowing a changing bag, snacks, and a layer or two. The Clic's basket, at 5kg, is workable for a single trip out but fills up faster than the Butterfly's, and you'll notice the difference within the first supermarket run. If storage matters to you day-to-day rather than just on holiday, this is the single biggest reason to consider paying more for the Butterfly.

Build Quality and Ride

The Butterfly's suspension and frame feel more premium in hand, and it copes with kerbs, cobbles, and uneven pavements with noticeably less jolt transmitted to the seat. The Clic rides acceptably on smooth surfaces such as airport terminals and shopping centres, but on rougher ground it feels more like the budget stroller it's priced as. Neither is a bad ride, but the Butterfly's extra weight and more sophisticated engineering translate into a smoother experience for a baby who's in the pushchair for hours rather than minutes.

Price and Value

At around £295 against the Butterfly's £435, the Clic costs roughly two thirds of what the Butterfly does, a gap of about £140 rather than the £200 or more it's sometimes quoted as. That still makes it strong value, particularly for parents who fly once or twice a year and don't mind gate-checking, and want a light stroller without a premium price tag. The Butterfly earns its higher price through the basket, the ride, and cabin approval, but only if you'll actually use those extra features regularly. Buying the Butterfly purely for two holidays a year where you're happy to gate-check is arguably overspending; buying it as a daily pushchair that also flies well makes the £140 gap much easier to justify. For budget options beyond these two, our best travel stroller guide covers the full price range.

Airline Compatibility

This is the sharpest difference between the two. The Bugaboo Butterfly folds within most airline cabin size limits and is used successfully on budget and full-service carriers alike, though rules vary and enforcement at the gate is inconsistent, so it's still worth checking your specific carrier before you fly. The current Silver Cross Clic 2, however, is not IATA cabin approved, so most airlines will expect you to gate-check or hold-check it rather than take it into the cabin. If you fly regularly and want to guarantee cabin storage, that alone may settle the decision in the Butterfly's favour. Check your specific carrier's current policy with the stroller airline checker before you travel, and plan for a gate-check if you're taking the Clic.

Choose the Bugaboo Butterfly if…

• You fly regularly and need a stroller that's actually cabin approved rather than one you'll need to gate-check
• This will be your everyday pushchair as well as your travel one
• You need the largest possible basket for daily shopping and outings
• You regularly walk on uneven pavements, cobbles, or kerbs and want a smoother ride
• Budget is a secondary concern to getting the best all-round product

Choose the Silver Cross Clic if…

• You fly occasionally and don't mind gate-checking, since the current Clic 2 is not IATA cabin approved
• Weight matters more to you than basket size
• You want a genuinely lie-flat seat from birth without paying the Butterfly's price
• You're buying a second stroller specifically for travel, not daily use
• You want the self-standing fold convenience, plus the included rain cover and travel bag, without the Butterfly's price tag
• You're comparing budget options and want to see how it stacks up against the Cybex Libelle too

Our Verdict

The Clic is not a lesser Butterfly, it's a genuinely well-designed budget stroller that covers most of what most families need, and its lie-flat seat and included rain cover and travel bag make it excellent value at around £295. But the Butterfly isn't just marketing gloss for the extra £140 or so: the basket, the ride quality, and crucially the IATA cabin approval the Clic 2 lacks are real, tangible advantages that show up every single time you fly. If you fly regularly and want to guarantee cabin storage, or you'll use this stroller daily too, the Butterfly earns its price. If you're an occasional flyer who's happy to gate-check, the Clic does the job convincingly and saves you real money. For a similar budget-versus-premium comparison from a different angle, see our UPPAbaby MINU vs Bugaboo Butterfly guide, and for more cabin-friendly options overall, browse our top cabin-friendly strollers roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bugaboo Butterfly worth £200 more than the Silver Cross Clic?

The real current gap is closer to £140 (around £435 for the Butterfly versus around £295 for the Clic 2), not £200. Whether it's worth paying depends mainly on how you'll use it: if you'll use it daily as well as for travel, or you fly regularly and want a stroller that's actually cabin approved, yes. The larger basket, smoother ride, and IATA cabin approval are genuine, everyday differences rather than marketing claims. If it's purely for one or two holidays a year and you don't mind gate-checking, the Clic delivers most of the same benefit for noticeably less money.

Which is lighter?

The Silver Cross Clic is lighter at 6.5kg versus the Bugaboo Butterfly's 7.3kg. That 0.8kg difference makes a real difference when you're lifting the stroller onto buses, up stairs, or into an overhead locker repeatedly on a travel day.

Are both cabin approved?

No. The Bugaboo Butterfly folds within most airline cabin size limits and is widely used as hand luggage on budget and full-service carriers. The current Silver Cross Clic 2 is not IATA cabin approved, so most airlines will expect you to gate-check or hold-check it rather than bring it into the cabin. Always check your specific airline's current policy using our stroller airline checker before you fly.

Which is better for bumpy pavements?

The Bugaboo Butterfly. Its suspension and frame absorb kerbs, cobbles, and uneven ground noticeably better than the Clic, which is fine on smooth surfaces like terminals and shopping centres but feels its budget price on rougher terrain.

Can I use either from birth?

Yes, with caveats. The Silver Cross Clic 2 has a genuinely lie-flat seat suitable from birth, no separate newborn nest required. The Bugaboo Butterfly can only be used from birth with the separately purchased car seat or Bugaboo baby nest; the seat unit itself is suitable from around 6 months. If you need lie-flat newborn sleep as standard without buying an extra accessory, the Clic has the edge here.