Trailer or child seat for bicycle? Baby and family

What is the best way to take the child on a bike – in the spacious trailer or better on the quickly deployable child seat?

Taking the child on a bike – for many parents, this means a great gain in mobility. But which is better, a seat or a trailer? The fact is: Both systems have weaknesses. And strengths! The trailer scores for families who like to drive longer distances or use the bike as a replacement for a car. It protects the children from wind, weather and insects, the little ones can sleep comfortably while driving, and there is storage space for shopping, picnic blankets etc. Even a small backpack is problematic when it comes to the seat.

Additional advantages: A trailer becomes a buggy in just a few simple steps. Once at the destination, the toddler can continue to sleep, babies are pushed. And while there is only space for one child in the bicycle seat, depending on the model, up to two children can fit in the car. Great for siblings and best friends! Thanks to special baby car seats or hammocks, infants can even ride from the first month of life – children should only be in the child seat when they can sit independently and stable.

The minus points: Compared to a seat, bike trailers are extremely expensive, large, and heavy. Height and weight are disadvantageous when maneuvering and braking, and mom or dad have to pedal harder. Parents’ bikes should be designed to tow a trailer. Parents now often use electric bicycles.

In addition, handling is not as easy and comfortable as with a seat that stays on the bike. The car must be coupled before driving; that is fix, you can’t start driving right away. Before buying, it should also be clarified where the trailer can be.

Child seat for the bike: observe weight limits

Parents who choose a bicycle seat should purchase a product that has been tested and labeled in accordance with standard EN 14344. The standard specifies requirements for child seats for bicycles that are suitable for the transportation of children weighing 9 kg to 22 kg (approximately 9 months to 5 years old).

Bergmeier recommends child seats that can be mounted on the bicycle frame instead of the luggage rack. "A lot of weight quickly comes together. Not all luggage racks are designed for this", says the expert. It is best to advise parents in a specialty store, also to make sure that the parent’s bike is stable enough. The central rule for the seat: it must fit the size and weight of the child!

Pay attention to safety extras

TÜV Süd also advises the following when buying a child bike seat important Components to watch out for: harness or strap with which the child is secured in the seat – we recommend suspending belts in the seat. The footrests should be adjustable in length and stable and should have straps for the feet so that the little ones do not put their toes into the spokes can guess. An additional spoke protection on the bike secures twice. Sidewalls and headrests stabilize the child in the seat. Good padding and an adjustable backrest are recommended.

A cover for the saddle springs prevents the child from squeezing their fingers when the child seat is attached at the rear. And TÜV Süd spokesman Dirk Moser-Delarami advises: "In general, the little ones sit more securely in the seat behind the driver than in the front." Seat shells on the handlebar often do not have the necessary back and headrests.

In addition, driving with weight on the handlebars at the front is more unusual and difficult. If parents prefer to keep an eye on their child, transport is also allowed on the front of the handlebars. Andreas Kalbitz, Managing Director of the Federal Working Group More Child safety e.V. in Bonn, says: "This is emotionally understandable, but not recommended for security reasons."

What is safer: bike seat or trailer?

And how stands about the safety of trailers and child seats? Some object that cars can overlook a trailer – an argument that Andreas Kalbitz often hears. Nothing speaks against bicycle trailers for him. "The distance between the bike and the trailer is very short, and a pole flag can be attached as an additional safeguard." Parents of two small children also had almost no choice. Whether trailer or seat – the first principle must be to always buckle up the child, carry it with a helmet and never be too fast on the road.

DVR expert Bergmeier also warns of the high risk that children are exposed to if they take them unbelted. "Even during light braking maneuvers, they are literally catapulted from the trailer or from the seat." Even more caution is advised when children are sleeping on the seat or in the trailer. "If at all possible, parents should avoid driving with a sleeping child, as jerky movements can easily injure their head and neck", so Bergmeier. Even long tours on a bike are not suitable with small children. "Whether on the seat or in a trailer: parents should not forget that they drive through the area without special suspension", says Andreas Bergmeier.

Tests, for example by the ADAC, repeatedly show that both systems are safe overall. With one difference: the stand. Bicycle trailers do a much better job there; Falling the wheel while standing is the number one risk of accidents with bicycle seats. It is therefore important: always put the helmet on the children before lifting them in.

Child seat for the bike: observe weight limits

Pay attention to safety extras

What is safer: bike seat or trailer?

RELATED ITEMS