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Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus review: is this the ideal everyday pushchair for city families?

Find out how the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus handles city life, from buses and narrow cafés to everyday walks with a baby.

Published: September 28, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Our Rating

4.9

A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.

From GBP £649 RRP

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In a nutshell

A stylish, sturdy city pushchair that feels compact and easy to manoeuvre without compromising on baby comfort, although the carrycot fold takes a little practice.

What we tested

Overall Rating

4.9

A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.

Pros

Cons

The Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus is the updated version of the original Dragonfly, Bugaboo’s compact city pushchair known for its one-piece fold and generous storage. It’s designed for parents who want something smaller and easier to store than a full-size pram, but still roomy and sturdy enough to use every day from birth.

At £649 for the pushchair, or £899 with the carrycot, it sits firmly in the premium urban pushchair market. It isn’t trying to be as small or light as ultra-compact travel strollers like the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 or Stokke YOYO3, instead, the Dragonfly Plus aims to bridge the gap between a travel pushchair and a more substantial everyday pram.

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About our parent tester

Marina L. García tested the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus in South London with her 4-month-old baby, as well as with her 3.5-year-old using a buggy board. She used it for everyday city life, including Tube stations without step-free access, buses, park trips, narrow shop aisles and cafés, as well as on a family trip to Spain involving busy airports and beach outings.

 

Marina is a freelance journalist covering everything from the environment to parenting, with bylines in publications including the New Statesman and Stylist. 

 

2 pictures of Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair in park

How easy is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus to assemble?

Extremely easy. The Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus comes mostly assembled, so there is very little to do before you start using it.

The instructions are clear and straightforward, and it took me around 5 minutes from opening the box to having the pushchair ready to use. All I needed to do was unfold the carrycot and put the canopy together, which felt very simple.

First impressions were very positive. From the moment you unbox it, it feels like a premium city pushchair: the frame looks sleek, the fabrics feel good quality and everything has the sturdy finish I’d expect from Bugaboo.

2 pictures of unboxing Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair

How easy is it to use the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus carrycot?

Very easy. I’m 5ft 6in and my husband is 6ft 3in, and we both found it simple to lift our baby in and out of the carrycot comfortably.

Removing and attaching the carrycot is straightforward too. We have an older Bugaboo Fox 3, and compared with that model we could definitely notice improvements in day-to-day ease of use.

2 pictures of carrycot on Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair

How comfortable is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus carrycot?

My 4 month old, who is on the longer side, has been really comfortable in the carrycot. It feels roomy enough for him at this stage, and I’m confident we’ll be able to keep using it until he is ready to move into the seat.

I also really appreciated the airflow panels in the carrycot and canopy. We tested the pushchair during warm weather and on a trip to Spain, and those ventilation flaps felt genuinely useful.

Close-up of Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair hood

How do you fold and unfold the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair?

To fold the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus with the carrycot attached:

To unfold it:

2 close-ups of Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair handlebar

Can you fold the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus one-handed with the carrycot attached?

Yes, but there is a bit of a learning curve. It took us 4 or 5 attempts to get the movement right, and at first it didn’t feel quite as seamless or one-handed as expected.

Once we’d practised it, though, it became much easier. If the carrycot doesn’t fully collapse on the first attempt, you can finish it with one extra pull of the carrycot tab, so it still feels practical day to day.

Reviewer carrying folded Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair

How easy is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus to push and steer?

This is where the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus really impressed me. It feels smooth to push and smaller than it looks, which makes a big difference in busy city spaces.

I was able to steer it through narrow off-licence aisles without a problem, take it up and down kerbs, and get it on and off buses one-handed, even with my 3.5-year-old on a buggy board. For everyday city use, it felt compact without feeling flimsy.

How does the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus handle kerbs and uneven ground?

Surprisingly well for a city pushchair. We took it over kerbs, uneven paths and grass without any real issue, and it felt much more capable than I expected for something designed to be compact.

That said, you can still feel some bumps on rougher ground, which feels fair enough for an urban pushchair rather than a full all-terrain model.

Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair on sandy surface in park

Is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus good for cafés, shops and narrow spaces?

Yes, its size feels ideal for city living. My baby still had plenty of room and felt comfortable in the carrycot, but the pushchair was compact enough that we didn’t have to think twice before going into a small café, shop or narrow doorway.

How practical is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus on public transport?

It’s very practical on public transport. The pushchair takes up relatively little space and I found it easy to get on and off buses and trains.

It is also easy to fold on the bus if there isn’t enough space, or if a wheelchair user comes on board and you need to move quickly. That kind of flexibility is exactly what you want from a city pushchair.

Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair on tube

What is the handlebar like on the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus?

The adjustable handlebar is definitely one of the highlights. It changes with just one push of a button, which made it easy for me and my husband to find a comfortable height, despite the difference in our heights.

It is also useful when parking the pushchair in smaller spaces, as you can quickly lower the handlebar out of the way.

How good is the storage on the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus?

The storage is better than I expected for a compact city pushchair. We’re used to a bigger pram and thought we’d have to compromise on what we could carry — always too much! — but in day-to-day use, I didn’t really notice a difference.

The storage is also easy to access with the carrycot attached, although I do think the removable rear pouch would benefit from a zip for rainy days.

2 close-ups of Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair basket from different angles

What is the hood like on the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus?

The hood was one of the few features I found frustrating in carrycot mode. I would have liked it to come a couple of inches lower to block the sun more fully, especially as our older Bugaboo Fox 3 has a longer hood.

It wasn’t a deal-breaker, and it isn’t a problem in the seat configuration, but it was noticeable when using the carrycot on bright days.

Is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus easy to clean?

Yes, I found it easy to wipe down and keep clean. With our eldest going to forest school, the pushchair has been through muddy terrain more than once, but the frame, wheels and fabrics have cleaned up well.

We’ve also washed the carrycot mattress in the washing machine a couple of times, and it has been easy to clean and quick to dry.

Does the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus feel built to last?

Yes, it feels very robust. We see the older Bugaboo Dragonfly a lot around our area — it’s probably one of the most common buggies near us — and after testing the Dragonfly Plus, I can understand why.

It feels like a really well-made city pushchair, with the kind of sturdy frame and quality finish that suggest it should cope well with regular use as your baby grows.

What comes with the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus?

It comes with everything you need to start using it, including a rain cover. The included rain cover is better than the ones Bugaboo used to provide, but it still feels fairly basic.

The main drawback is that it doesn’t have a zip in the middle, so it’s less convenient when you need to get your child in and out quickly. If you live somewhere rainy or expect to use the pushchair a lot in wet weather, I think it would be worth considering Bugaboo’s premium rain cover, which has a zip.

Is the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus worth the money?

In our opinion, yes. It is definitely worth the price, especially for families living in a city who might need to fold it every now and again to fit on busy buses or use stations that aren’t step-free.

However, it is not as small and light as a travel pushchair. If it needed to be folded and carried every day — for example, by someone living in a flat without a lift — it might be better to get something more compact.

The best thing about it is that even though it folds down easily, it still provides a parent-facing option with the seat configuration, and the carrycot is big. For its size, the suspension and wheel size are brilliant too.

2 pictures of toddler on buggy board on Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus pushchair

Where can I buy the Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus?

It is available from Bugaboo, Very, Boots, Mamas&Papas and John Lewis

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MadeForMums verdict:

The Bugaboo Dragonfly Plus is a pushchair that bridges the gap between a multi-terrain and a travel pushchair. Its well-thought-out, sleek design, ease of use and robust feel help justify the price.

Its biggest strengths are the ease of folding, sturdiness and design. The main drawback is that it’s larger and heavier than a travel pushchair, so it may not suit parents who need to carry it every day. But for city families who want something compact without losing comfort or robustness, it’s easy to recommend.

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Authors

Marina Leiva Garcia

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