There's a TON of different bike trailers on the market. Do you know which child bike trailer you need? We're talking about single- and double-occupancy trailers today.
Picking a bicycle trailer for your family can be a daunting task. There are so many models, materials, uses, and colours to pick from - where do you even start? We think it might be worth considering: how much bike trailer do you need? By this we mean the size. Will you need enough space for just one child, or two? What about three? In this post we are going to discuss one-seater child trailers, typically called single bicycle trailers, as well as two-seat child trailers which are called – you guessed it – double child trailers.
Single? Double? Which one should I pick?
You know your family best. If you have one child, the obvious answer might be to get a single bike trailer for one child. But do you expect to have another child? What if your child wants to bring a friend along? Will you have to buy another trailer if your family grows? These are all questions you should ask yourself before taking the plunge. Really taking a step back and analyzing what you need will save you a ton of time and money in the long run. You wouldn’t want to do a bunch of research on bike trailers, just to have to turn around and do it again in 3 years time for double bike trailers for kids. Similarly, it would be a shame if you were unable to get the full lifetime out of your single trailer before baby #2 comes along.
Single Trailer Pros and Cons
Single bike trailers have the major pro of being smaller than their double counterparts. Single bicycle trailers for children are designed with the comfort of one person in mind, which means the width overall is less and also the space inside. This can be ideal for families in urban areas where outdoor storage may be difficult to find. A single bicycle trailer with a stroller conversion should more easily fit through doorways, making single trailers ideal for apartment and condo dwelling families.
Less space inside can also be a con: be sure to take into consideration all the other items you may need to transport in your trailer, alongside your child. Will they be uncomfortable in a single trailer? If you’re looking for ways to cut your family outings short, an uncomfortable child would be at the top of the list! If you're looking for ways to make your trailer more comfortable, check out our other blog post about just that!
Double Trailers Pros and Cons
Double bicycle trailers can be a great option if you are not sure if you will be having another child, or you intend to use the cycle trailer for errands or playdate pickups with a child inside. They are also great if your child wants to ride with a friend in the meantime. The main disadvantage of having a double trailer is the additional 4 to 5 inches in width. Many apartment- and condo-dwellers find that a double bicycle trailer can take up too much room in their storage unit, balcony, or front hallway/closet. Some families have garage storage or covered porches to store their bicycle trailers and accessories when not in use. A good way to mitigate the space issue is to completely fold down the trailer, store the wheels in the footwell, and stand the trailer up against a wall for maximum space savings. If you’ve got a WIKE bicycle trailer, you already know how easy this is going to be. Other bicycle trailers may not end up being as compact; this is where doing some research will come in handy.
More often than not, double occupancy bicycle trailers are the way to go.
Of course, every family’s needs will be different, but with a double bicycle trailer, you can carry one child, or two children, or two children and some cargo, or one child plus a bunch of cargo, or one child plus their favourite giant teddy bear… should we go on? More often than not, double occupancy bicycle trailers are the way to go, since all of them should be able to fit through commercial doors and trail crossing bollards.
If you’re looking for a place to start your hunt, head over to our children’s bicycle trailers page to begin your hunt for the perfect child bicycle trailer to get your family on the road.