Ready to buy a baby bike seat so your little one can join you on your riding excursions? From budget-friendly bike seats to full-on bike chariots, there are plenty of baby bike seat and trailer options to suit your lifestyle. But first, let’s look at the best baby bike seat age, as well as how the baby bike seat and trailer differ.
What to Know about Baby Bike Seat Age
By the time your baby is nine months old, it’s generally considered safe for them to ride in a front mounted baby bike seat or rear-mounted bike trailer. Your little one should able to support his or her head and neck comfortably by nine months; additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents wait one year to ride with a child in a rear bike seat. Of course, it’s just as important that whoever is doing the peddling feels confident with a baby on board.
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The Big Decision: Baby Bike Seat vs. Baby Bike Trailer
Once everyone’s ready to go, it’s up to you decide which is the best configuration for the kind of biking you plan to do. For short jaunts around the neighborhood, front mounted seats or a rear mounted seat will usually do the trick. If you’re looking to venture further afield in all kinds of weather—and especially if you’re a single biker wanting to bring two kids along—a baby bike trailer is likely the best option.
Below are my personal recommendations for the best bike seats and baby bike trailers. Once your baby becomes bikeable, a whole new world of family vacation ideas awaits!
1. Burley Honey Bee Bike Trailer in Red
There are so many things to love about this baby bike trailer by Burley Honey Bee. First off, it converts to a travel stroller once you’ve biked to your destination so you can continue to transport up to two kids (100 pounds weight capacity) around in case they’re refusing to walk. The trailer has a full internal aluminum roll cage and reflective piping for safety, as well as tinted side and rear windows with UPF 30 protection.
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The whole thing weighs just 25 pounds with no assembly required, and folds flat for easy storage. It arrives, you affix it to your bike’s rear wheel, and you’re off and rolling on what turns out to be a very smooth and easy-to-pull ride.
2. Topeak Baby Seat II 26-inch Non-Disc Rack Bicycle Baby Seat
You’ve likely spotted this baby bike seat around the neighborhood. The Topeak Baby Seat II has been a mainstay and family favorite for years thanks to its solid design, stability and comfort for kids up to 48.5 pounds. I can personally vouch for the comfort factor, as my toddlers rarely last more than 30 minutes in the saddle of this baby bike seat before settling in for a siesta.
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The bike seat affixes to a rack atop your bike’a back wheel and has straps that fit easily over kids’ heads, even when you’ve already strapped on their helmet. The straps can be adjusted for height as your child grows. This is an all-around winner when you’re looking for safe rear-mounted seats that don’t cost a fortune.
3. Peg Perego Orion Front Mount Child Seat
Many parents like the fact that they can see their child riding along right in front of them in what almost feels like a biking embrace with front-mounted seats. This favorite from Peg Perego goes right on your bike frame with easy one-click installation, and it’s suitable for kids up to 33 pounds. Adjustable foot holds grow with your kid and have straps to keep them from kicking around. The three-point harness is also adjustable to grow with your growing babe.
4. iBert Child Bicycle Safe-T-Seat
Kids have the best view in the house on this center-mounted front baby bike seat by iBert that’s positioned just behind the bike’s handlebars. The seat is safe for kids up to 38 pounds and padded in the center only, giving it a narrow profile while ensuring your child’s comfort as they ride. An Allen key is included and stores neatly in a special area under the safety bar so you can make adjustments on-the-go if needed.
5. Thule Yepp Nexxt Mini Child Bike Seat
If you plan to do a lot of biking with your baby in hot weather and prefer a front mount baby bike seat, these front bike seats from Thule tick the right boxes with a sleek and minimalist design that accommodates kids up to 33 pounds. Parents love the safety of the padded five-point-harness, and kids ride comfortably thanks to shock absorbers and the padded seat.
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To keep little passengers cool, Thule has incorporated two back vents on the seat’s rear side to maintain airflow as you ride. We also love the magnetic childproof safety buckle that makes it as quick as possible to get them secured once you’ve loaded the child into the seat.
6. Thule Yepp Maxi Rack Mount Child Seat
If having a baby riding to your rear is more your peddling style, then consider opting for this popular rack mount baby seat from Thule. The design is everything you need and nothing you don’t, with a five-point harness, a molded shock-absorbing seat and suspension system, and adjustable foot rests and straps. You’ll be surprised how long your child can ride in this seat, too, with an upper weight limit of 48.5 pounds.
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Do note that you’ll need the adaptable rack (sold separately) from Thule to affix this seat onto your bike. But once you’ve got all the parts, it couldn’t be easier to install and hit the road rolling.
7. Instep Bike Trailer for Kids, Single and Double
On the more affordable end of the baby bike trailer spectrum, the Instep bike trailer works just as well for toting a single kid or two behind you in safety. Great for climates where the weather can change on a dime, this tow-behind baby bike trailer has a two-in-one canopy with a bug screen and a weather shield, as well as a rear vent window. The weight limit maxes out at a combined total of 80 pounds for two kids, although you can stash an additional 12 pounds of cargo in the rear storage area.
8. Thule Chariot Cross Sport Stroller and Bike Trailer
You’ve got to really want this Lamborghini of tow-behind bike trailers, as they don’t exactly give away the Thule Chariot Cross Sport Stroller for cheap. But if you live somewhere that sees you biking a lot with your kid—and taking long tours, in particular—it might well be worth the splurge. What’s particularly cool about this set-up is it works as a stroller, jogger, and even a ski pull when it’s not in bike-mode. (Kits are sold separately for ski and jogging modes).
If your family is the active type and you live somewhere with nature at your doorstep, it’s easy to maximize outdoor enjoyment with this kit. The trailer is made to fit one or two kids inside (up to 48 pounds each) and seats recline independently for on-the-go napping. Adjustable vents keep the air flowing as you go, too.
