How old should a child be to ride in a Burley trailer and is there a maximum age?
To ride in a Burley trailer behind a bicycle, the industry standard is to wait until a child is one year old. While each child’s physical development is unique, we recommend that a child should be able to sit upright unattended and hold his or her head up while wearing a bicycle helmet. Please check with your pediatrician if you are in doubt about your child’s neck strength.
For strolling or jogging in a Burley trailer, a child should be able to sit upright unattended, which generally occurs around six months of age. The Burley Baby Snuggler™ is recommended for extra support and comfort for children ages 3-12 months. Using a folded towel or blanket can also help boost up a child until they grow into the trailer a bit more.
Children are able to ride in the trailer until they become too tall for their helmet to fit below the internal roll bar or run out of leg room (up to six years for some children). The max age will depend on the child’s development. The maximums to consider are related to the height and weight that a trailer is rated to accommodate. All Burley kid trailers have the same maximum height recommendation of 41.25 inches. The weight capacity for a single child trailer is 75lbs, and a double trailer is 100lbs. The recommended max weight per child is 40lbs.
Does my child need to wear a helmet in the trailer?
If the trailer is being used in Bike Mode, YES, the child should always wear a helmet. A helmet will protect him or her and also help develop the habit of always riding with a bike helmet.
Does the window material used on Burley child trailers protect children from harmful UV rays?
Yes. The window material used on all Burleys (both the clear and the tinted) has been tested to a UPF 50+ rating.
How can I tell if a bicycle trailer is safe for my child to ride in?
Unlike strollers and kids bicycle helmets, the testing standards for kids bike trailers are not legally required. Therefore, it is extremely important not to assume the trailer you are buying has received safety testing; many of them have not!
Though it is not legally required, the testing standard that exists is the ASTM F1975-15. Be sure to verify that any kids bike trailer you buy has tested to and passed this standard. The standard tests for strength of harness, crushing, rollover and general durability.
Do Burley trailers meet ASTM requirements?
Yes, all Burley kid bike trailers are designed and rigorously tested to meet and exceed these standards. In fact, Burley paved the way in creating these safety standards. Families have come to trust Burley trailers for the safety and durability of our products since 1978. Burley’s in-house protocols are the toughest in the industry. Our aluminum structure and restraint system are all about safety. We put these features and all other elements included with our trailers through more than 20 different testing protocols for hundreds of hours before a Burley trailer design is approved. Our testing program has evolved to ensure that our trailers continue to provide safe transportation for children and pets.
To learn more visit our Burley Standard page.
Besides the ASTM designation, what other safety features should I look for when shopping for a trailer?
Look for these features found on Burley trailers:
- Drum-tight, gap-free fabric panels that protect children from moving wheels.
- Durable materials in bright colors to be easily noticed on the road.
- Secondary safety hitch strap for an extra measure of security.
- Five-point safety harness system.
- Strong aluminum/steel frame roll cage system to completely surround your child.
- Reflective materials and CSPC-approved reflectors.
- A safety flag that attaches to the trailer.
- Made-to-last quality and durable construction.
- Meets or exceeds American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) safety requirements.
Why buy a Burley when there are less expensive kid/pet trailers and strollers on the market?
Experience, Quality, and Durability. At Burley, we strive to produce safe, high quality products that are durable, fun, and well-designed. We aren’t interested in making the cheapest product on the market. We don’t stop until we know we have done our best to make a safe, fun way for you and your family to spend time together enjoying the outdoors. Burley has been building high quality family cycling products since 1978. Our testing and safety standards are the most rigorous in the industry, and we helped create the ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) safety standards for the child bicycle trailer market.
Our full line of kid and pet trailer designs are based on experience in making top quality bicycle trailers since 1978. Because of our unique hitch and tow bar design, the trailer tracks behind your bike more efficiently than other trailers. The parts we use are high quality and will provide you and family with many years of fun. In fact, our trailers are so durable that many people are able to sell their used Burley trailers for 50% to 75% of their original purchase price after years of use.
We have a large catalog of accessories and spare parts to help keep your Burley on the road during many activities. Check our compatibility chart for more information on accessories. Our stroller kit uses metal and plastic pieces to create an adjustable, pivoting wheel that you can use around town or on packed dirt trails.
At Burley, we take pride in what we do and we wouldn’t put our name on anything that isn’t good enough for our children or pets. If it isn’t good enough for us, it isn’t good enough for you.