Are you looking for the perfect bike trailer? Our bicycle trailer test shows you the best products currently available and tells you what you should look out for when buying a child’s bicycle trailer.
Bike trailer test - How we tested?
On the one hand, we have tested various bicycle trailers ourselves in detail. Still, on the other hand, we have also exchanged information with other buyers to present the test reports as objectively as possible. Thanks to our popularity, we now enjoy a broad reach and receive many e-mails with comments regarding long-term experiences with different trailers. It will allow us to expand our test results with other buyers’ well-founded opinions and ensure objectivity.
Apart from this, we have also compared numerous product reviews on the Internet to compare our views with other buyers. Also, we have been conducting interviews with experts regularly since this year to draw on the in-depth knowledge of leading industry experts.
What is important for a bicycle trailer for kids?
Compared to a child’s bicycle seat, bicycle trailers are definitely the safer and more comfortable option for you and your child, especially on longer journeys. We will inform you about the most important quality criteria and explain what you need to pay attention to when buying.
Testing Criteria
✓ Security features (test seal)
✓ Quality frames & materials
✓ Multifunctionality (jogging, buggy)
✓ With or without suspension
✓ Price-performance ratio
Which is the Best Bike Trailer for Kids? Our Test Winner
Whether cycling, walking or jogging, everything at the Thule Cross Sport will impress you. From its smooth ride to its effortless design and high-quality components, we cannot praise this trailer enough! This premium trailer has been carefully designed for performance and is comfortable to use. Even if there is no such thing as the perfect trailer the Thule Cross Sport is very close to it.
The Thule Cross convinces with a one-hand adjustable seat, wipeable seat cushion, rain cover, and viewing window. The easy-to-operate ball hitch and adjustable suspension make the trailer easy to handle, and it behaves very smoothly while driving. With no doubt the Thule Chariot Cross is the Best Bike Trailer for Kids.
✓ Highest-quality components
✓ Performs as trailer, jogger or stroller
✓ Effective rain cover and sunshade
✓ Easy to transport
✓ Reclining seat
✓ Accessory storage on trailer
✓Adjustable suspension
Useful tips for buying a bike trailer
Safety and comfort are essential when driving with a baby or toddler. We have summarised the most important tips for you as follows. Of course, we have also taken all the following criteria into account in our bicycle trailer tests!
Suspension:
Who is on the road a lot with the bicycle trailer or plans to take the trailer with you on vacation will certainly attach great importance to maximum comfort. A built-in suspension, which either works fully automated or can be manually adjusted to the weight, ensures excellent comfort for both the driver and passengers.
Although a trailer with built-in suspension costs twice as much as one without suspension, anyone who also rides on bumpy roads doesn’t want to miss this additional comfort!
Tires and wheels
Large tires ensure a safer run and are better at absorbing bumps – this makes the driving experience more pleasant, and the trailer lies better on the road. The road handling is also positively influenced by a low center of gravity and large track width.The wheel diameter should be 20 inches in the best case. Pneumatically tired wheels are now almost standard and also provide even better spring performance.
Multifunctional
You want to use your new trailer not only for cycling but also as a buggy or jogger? Then you should already consider all possible conversion options when buying. Are the necessary accessories already included in the standard delivery, or how much does the upgrading cost? Desired conversion possibilities and the costs of the accessories should be clarified in advance.
Brakes
A trailer without a parking brake is a rolling danger! Ensure that the trailer has a perfect parking brake – this prevents the trailer from uncontrolled rolling when uncoupled from the bicycle. The brakes should be operable either by hand or foot and lock both wheels. Never underestimate the trailer’s weight and load.
Attention: Never exceed the upper limit of the permissible total weight!
Second Best Bike Trailer for Kids - Versatile and Spacious
The Burley D’Lite is also a first-class multifunctional bicycle trailer. The Burley is also one of the safest trailers on the market, and above all, it offers a lot of space. The trailer coupling transmits no vibrations whatsoever to the bicycle, and large 20-inch wheels ensure a smooth ride. It is also very versatile as it can be converted for walking, jogging or cross-country skiing.
✓ Large spoked wheels
✓ Double-walled floor
✓ Adjustable suspension
✓ Combi-deck with sun protection
✓ Premium Seat Pads, headrest included
✓ Plenty of space for luggage
✓ One or two Kids / One Model
Lighting
Make sure that reflectors are attached to the wheels, sides, front and back of the trailer. Good visibility is essential for the safety of your child! In addition to the reflectors, a trailer also needs its own lighting. Install a clearly visible light at the back of the bicycle trailer. Most models also come with a pennant. Even this is often considered annoying, it should always be attached to the trailer.
It is often underestimated that a trailer is very low and therefore difficult to see from higher vehicles. A pennant should prevent exactly that!
Mounting
To ensure that the bicycle trailer is securely fastened to the bicycle, you should make sure that the trailer hitch is securely locked. The ball head coupling is a common standard and well suited for this purpose. An additional safety strap is usually attached to the coupling and provides additional support.
Checklist for Safety and Quality
✓ Rollover protection and 5-point belt system
✓ Low dead weight and foldable
✓ Large, pneumatic tires
✓ A high-quality suspension
✓ UV protection and fly screens
✓ Conversion to Buggy & Jogger
✓ Sufficient space & storage
Best Bike Trailer for Kids Rank 3 - A very robust Bike Trailer from Norway
Another multifunctional trailer worth mentioning is the Hamax Outback. The Hamax Outback is with 21 kilos, a particularly robust model. This trailer is relatively heavy, but at the same time, it has excellent driving and braking qualities. The size of this trailer is outstanding because even five-year-olds have enough space in it. Despite its robustness, the Hamax Outback can tip backward in buggy mode when loaded very unfavorably. Together with the moderate rain resistance, these are the only negative points.
✓ Especially robust
✓ Especially large
✓ Very good braking and driving properties
✓ Versatile in usage
✓ Suspension
– Can tilt backwards if incorrectly loaded
Transporting your baby in a child trailer
A child’s bicycle trailer is ideal for transporting babies from the age of about 12 months. The most important thing is that your baby can already keep his head stable.
Then it is only a question of the right trailer – necessarily with suspension! Make sure the trailer contains the right accessories like a proper baby seat or a seat reducer and headrest padding.
A high-quality suspension and well-padded seats are so important because a baby’s back is still very unstable, and too much vibration has a bad effect on the back. A suspension absorbs exactly these shocks.
Usually it is recommended to transport children in a bicycle trailer only at the age of about 12 months, when they are strong enough and can sit without problems. So take your time and don’t take your baby on a bike ride too early, because after all you are responsible for the child.
Safety tips - Cycling with baby and what you should be careful about.
Babies often experience new stimuli as stress. Therefore, they are often skeptical about a ride in a bicycle trailer. We have put together some valuable tips so that your baby can enjoy his or her first bike ride.
Child Safety
Safe on the road with your baby
A child’s bicycle trailer offers you the ideal opportunity to do sports without having to let your baby out of your sight. And as soon as the little ones are able to perceive nature with all their senses, a bike ride in the fresh air is not only a pleasure for yourself, but also for your baby.
The most important point is, of course, the safety of your child. When riding the baby bike trailer, special care is required in road traffic. It is certainly advisable to choose roads with little traffic, it is safest to ride on cycle paths. Get a suitable baby seat that can be attached to the trailer. Your child lies safe and comfortable in it. It has the advantage that smaller vibrations are easily compensated.
✓ Do not drive too fast. The faster you drive, the harsher the vibrations.
✓ Keep the tire pressure slightly lower to compensate for vibrations.
✓ It is safest to ride on cycle paths, avoid gravel roads.
✓ Avoid roads with heavy traffic.
✓ Take regular breaks
✓ Ride rather short distances, especially at the beginning
✓ Ensuring variety with toys in the trailer
✓ Push the bike carefully over obstacles such as curbs
Your baby will be more comfortable and will also benefit from better safety. An alternative is an Infant Sling, which is especially suitable for children under nine months. Make sure that you use a recommended safety system with a 5-point harness.
Comparison Table : Best Bike Trailer for Kids – Single Child (For Safety Reasons we do not recommend Trailers without Suspension)
Comparison: Best Bike Trailer for Kids – 2 Kids /Twins (For Safety Reasons we do not recommend Trailers without Suspension)
Frequently asked questions
In infant Slings, the baby usually sits in a semi-seated position and not in a lying position. Because the back and abdominal muscles are still weak, breaks should be taken now and then. You should also not let the bike rides become too long. Experts advise not to transport a baby for more than two to three hours in a bicycle trailer.
Crash tests have shown that transporting children in a bicycle trailer is safer than transporting them in a child’s bicycle seat. If a cyclist with a child in a bicycle seat falls – the child can also fall on the asphalt. In contrast, the trailers absorb the force of a collision and provide better protection against injuries.
Child trailers are very safe if you ride on sidewalks or cycle paths where there are no cars. But as soon as you get onto a road with a lot of traffic, you risk that trailers are overlooked because they are very low.
Would you like to take your baby in a bicycle trailer on its first bike ride just a few weeks after birth? Since there are no legal regulations that specify precisely what size or age children may be carried in a bicycle trailer, it is basically up to you from what time you transport your child in the bicycle trailer.
Please consider that the spine of newborns is not yet stable. The baby’s head is relatively large and heavy, and the spine and neck muscles are not yet strong enough to hold the weight. In the first three months, babies should therefore lie as much as possible. As a rule, it is not recommended to take a child in a child seat before the age of 12 months. Under certain circumstances, however, it is also possible to start cycling together earlier. To be on the safe side, you can always ask your pediatrician.
Safety in bicycle trailers
A bicycle trailer has some security features. These include the fact that the risk of injury to children is lower than when carried in a child seat. This already results from the frame of the trailer, which serves as a quite stable cage.
Besides, bicycle trailers are equipped with belts so that the child cannot be thrown out if an accident should occur. Also, a bicycle trailer rarely tips over because it is simply pushed away in the event of a collision. Nevertheless, a bicycle helmet is another safety factor that should not be ignored.
More safety with a bicycle helmet
Even if a child in a bicycle trailer seems to be protected, head injuries may still occur depending on the accident situation. The quality of the trailer and correct use play an important role here.
Also, make sure whether there is a helmet requirement for cycling in the respective federal state.
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