This trailer is awesome. I researched children's bike trailers for awhile before deciding to purchase this one. My primary use for this is as a bike trailer for an older toddler (2.5yo). I also wanted the flexibility to use it for awhile still as my child grows, and have the ability to use with 2 children if I so needed. I had no experience with bike trailers before this. It was a bit difficult to put together, physically. I had trouble with components being tight and despite being a strong, capable, building-savvy person, I needed my husband's muscle with putting it together. It was simple enough, though, and didn't eat my day. Hitching it to my bike was easy - super simple and I have no previous experience. I wish Burley put a link to their educational videos in their manual to make it more comprehensive. I had to watch videos for certain components (like how to move the flag with the handlebar) and it was annoying to look for. It is much easier and faster to watch a video than to read through the instruction manual only to find your question unanswered (similarly - how to convert the child trailer to a cargo trailer). As a stroller, it pushes very easily. Some reviews have complained of the stroller handle collapsing with force, or being otherwise unreliable. I did not have issues with the stroller handle and think that Burley has maybe updated their design. The handle bar is fully adjustable and has a handle lock to keep it in place. There is a wheel lock toward the bottom that can be easily adjusted with your hand or foot. With or without my child inside, I could maneuver over curbs and other obstacles easily without any issues with the handle. I am 5'2" and found a good height for the handle that I think would still even accommodate a handlebar caddy. The trailer is back heavy and without weight in the seating area it is easy to tip backwards (but not unreasonably or annoyingly so). If you had weight in the storage compartments and no kids in the seating area, it may tip back even more easily but I haven't tested this. As a bike trailer you hardly know it's there! It's so smooth - it's awesome. You will feel the weight especially uphill, etc. but it really pulls like a dream. The inside is roomy. There's UV protected windows. I like that the rain cover is attached because you can zip up or down as much as you want covered - super handy if it's breezy and your kid is getting chilly but you don't need everything blocked off. The rain cover is secured by toggles on the zipper. Not super aesthetically pleasing but functional and doesn't bother me. I prefer the flexibility. The sunshade is short and can basically protect upper body with legs uncovered. You can adjust it further down but then the sun might be in your kid's eyes. I wish it was fully adjustable, but this isn't a dealbreaker. I put a blanket over kiddo's legs and we wear sunscreen, but with smaller children on longer rides in beating sun, it's not ideal. I wish burley maybe did another sunshade layer that was zipped between the mesh and rain cover that could be secured similarly to the raincover. Burley needs to update their promo materials as I feel they're confusing. They market this as having a hammock-style seat. In my research, hammock styles are lower end and unsupportive. This is a bench style seat. It is one long stable bench raised off the floor of the trailer and does not sink toward the middle when seated. The seats are super comfortable and the inside is quite roomy. The bowed out sides give extra elbow room and give this trailer more longevity, I feel. There are 2 mesh pockets next to either seat that can hold sippies and snacks. Regarding recline: this is a bike trailer first. People complain the seats don't recline much. This is true. I keep our recline in the middle setting and it is quite upright. As a bike trailer, I understand it is unsafe to be fully reclined (closer to flat) and cycling. It would be nice to have this feature for strolling, but this is not a dealbreaker for me as we're using it for cycling first. My toddler is also older so we won't be regularly napping in it anyway. Whatever amount you recline also takes away from storage. Another selling point for me: huge storage compartment. There are 2 small pockets that can carry keys, phone, etc. The rest is wide open. It would be nice to have a cargo net or some other flexible arrangement to compartmentalize the storage a bit more, but I suppose I could makeshift this if I wanted. I also like the removable mat. We've biked to the beach a couple times and sand gets everywhere. With the mat it is super easy to shake out. If there's a spill or something, there's also a little hole underneath the mat that allows you to drain whatever you need to. I would also ask burley to consider velcro or something else to seal the bottom of the mesh cover/rain cover opening. An enterprising toddler can push things through and out the gap, and you would never know while biking. This trailer is amazing. I debated a long time between this and another significant competitor (thule cross). This trailer excels at being a bike trailer with slightly older toddlers/small children. I wouldn't have chosen this if my kids were very young (infants under 1) but then it's first use wouldn't be as a bike trailer then either (need to be at least 1yo). Another selling feature was the fact that this can be converted to a cargo trailer. So once we outgrow the trailer we always still have the versatility to use it for other purposes. Couldn't say that about the competitors! This was definitely an awesome purchase- no regrets. I do think some accessories are way overpriced (ahem double stroller kit) but regardless, we will get a lot of use out of this! And during COVID summer- it couldn't come soon enough!
