Encore X

On the whole, this is a good bike trailer. I have only used it as a bike trailer. I used it with a 20 pound/9 kilogram child. I used the trailer on paved roads and on hilly gravel roads. Folded up and without wheels, the trailer and tow bar fit in the back of my liftback subcompact car. There is little space for anything else. There are some issues you should be aware of: - The rear reflectors do not reflect well. They are terrible. The front reflectors are not much better. The white labels on the back of the trailer are actually much more visible than the reflectors. The wheel reflectors are okay. I strongly recommend purchasing lots of lights to put on your trailer and bicycle. Spoke reflectors are also good. My personal setup has ten lights. - The Schrader valves on the tubes that came with the trailer did not work. Burley sent me replacement tubes. The replacement tubes are okay. - The crotch pad on the harness detaches very easily. I used some cable ties to hold it on so it does not get lost. - The manual says the black thing on the front of the tow bar that looks exactly like a handle is not a handle. The manual is right. It is not a handle. It was foolish to make it look exactly like a handle. - The harness needs to be quite tight or else your child will flop over. It is not hard to tighten. - It is not possible to release the brake while holding your bicycle. You need two people or you need to release the brake before picking up your bike. - It stays warm on cool days. I have not tried it in the heat but I would guess you need to be very careful to keep your child cool. - The tow bar is not keyed, so it is possible to insert it into the trailer with the wrong orientation. It is possible, but difficult to fix this. - My trailer came with the flag holder installed upside down. it was easy to fix, but you need a hex key. I have been using the 16+ wheel kit with the trailer. The Schrader valves on that accessory worked well. It's not obvious to me that the 16+ wheels help my baby or help me tow the trailer, but they at least look like they make the ride more comfortable. The folding mechanism works well. The trailer handles well (no super sharp right turns, though). Hitch installation was easy with my quick release wheel.

We LOVE our Encore X trailer!! We took this everywhere this summer! We had the Honey Bee originally but we feel the price of this trailer is justified by just how much nicer it is! The suspension makes a huge difference, we live in rural Alaska with horrible roads and this makes the ride so smooth for them!! Also the bench seat alone is worth so much in my opinion, they sit upright and so comfortable versus the sling seat where they leaned in towards the middle and felt like their backs were so uncomfortable and made them grumpy about touching each other. It’s super easy to convert from trailer to stroller and back. We bought an extra bike attachment so we can easily unhook from my bike to put it on my husbands so we can take turns hauling them. The cargo is very spacious and can do a decent grocery haul or all of our beach gear. We are getting a stroller kit for when we travel through the airport as the one it comes with sticks out so far. Excited to try out the accessories that are available with this one. Our honey bee wasn’t comparable with any of the kits. 100% recommend this trailer to anyone!

I went back and forth on buying this, but finally did and I don't regret it. Some of my favorite things; 1) The suspension! We had a cheap trailer and my daughter absolutely HATED it. Every bump we went over she complained. In the Burley she didn't make a peep. 2) The bench seat. This was a deal breaker for me (I know I wasn't riding in it but I wanted my daughter to be comfy!) It makes a world of difference. 3) The mesh head holes. Again, just a comfort thing that just makes sense! 4) The fact that it EASILY Coverts to a stroller. The stroller wheel folds up onto the bike arm - it doesn't get in the way - you don't have to bring an extra wheel with you. 5) The storage in the back. Water bottles, toys, jackets, it all fits! Again.... Just buy it!

Sweet ride! Great trailer, rides really smooth!

I purchased this trailer on sale. It was easy to assemble (assembled it myself), although my husband was the one to secure it to my bike. I have a Huffy e-bike and it was able to attach perfectly. The trailer has ample storage; I'm able to fit 2 youth helmets, a backpack purse, a lunch cooler, and some toys with no issues. The seat cushions are quite comfy. The ages of my 2 little ones are 3 and 20 months. They can fit in the trailer, although there is not much wiggle room. I also feel as if this trailer wasn't designed with my kids in mind. The youngest one would throw his leg across his sister's legs, causing havoc and the bickering during bike rides is excessive, necessitating multiple stops along the route. Nap time in the trailer is challenging, as this one does not recline. To minimize the discomfort, I usually bring padding, such as a blanket or pillow to wedge in between and/or on the side. My kids also do not care for the screen cover, so I'm usually cleaning debris off of them and from within the trailer. I attached a stroller fan to the bar in order to keep them cool. I used the stroller version once with included single wheel; it's convenient to have this when you're riding to a place such as the park (especially when one is still napping), but be mindful of the shift in weight distribution. With more weight situated towards the back, the stroller mode could potentially tip backwards. That did not occur, but I had to be careful, as the front wheel did lift up a couple of times. That could also be due to the filled storage compartment. I believe that there is another stroller attachment not included, which may be better for frequent stroller mode. Always make certain to move the safety bar back to bike-riding mode when finished with stroller handle. By the way, the flag is a neat included accessory. Overall, I'm pleased to have a durable trailer for my little ones while bike riding. I just feel as if this wasn't the perfect one for my kids.

We live in Chicago with our 1.5 year old. Before her birth, we enjoyed bike riding along the lake front. Over the past year and a half, we have resorted to walking the lake front trail in a stroller. No more! When researching options for biking with a toddler, I first compared the attached seat approach versus the dedicated bike trailer. Consumer Reports states that the bike trailer is the safer option due to the child's shorter distance from the ground. Furthermore, I liked the idea that we could ride with the trailer, then detach it as a stroller. Seemed perfect for our lifestyle. The biggest questions then were price, size, and brand. After a couple of days with multiple Chrome tabs open, I finally settled on the Encore X. Throughout that research I compared the different tiers of trailers (entry, mid-level, affluent-status-symbol). After some time, it seemed that Thule and Burley were the biggest players in this industry, so that narrowed the search. Then comparing the different models and reading articles, the theme emerged that "you get what you pay for". It took a few days to swallow the possibility that I would be spending more that a couple hundred bucks on one of these. Finally, I weighed the decision of getting a 1 or a 2-seater. In the end, I landed on the Encore X because of the price point, the 2-seat option (for space and friends), and the stroller functionality. We have taken the stroller out with our daughter for 3 excursions along the lake front. All three times were wonderful. Our most recent trip was during the Pride Parade. We wanted to get away from the crowds, so we decided to head to the zoo for the afternoon. Traffic was a nightmare. Public transportation was backed up. But the bike trail was almost empty. We loaded up the trailer with a small cooler for snacks (and our daughter) and biked to the zoo. The bike ride was effortless. Then once we got to the zoo, we locked up the bikes and popped off the trailer into stroller mode and walked around the zoo. My daughter stayed content the whole time. Then after the zoo, we re-attached the trailer to the bikes and rode home. The sudden rain even gave us a chance to use the rain shield, and I'm happy to report that while her parents were soaked, our daughter stayed dry. I read the Wired article giving this a 5/10. Personally, I haven't experienced the handle bar issue. It stays put. Ventilation seems good as well, and if it's a particularly hot day, you can lift the back flap up entirely (unless it's raining, then honestly you've got other problems besides ventilation). We love this thing. Well worth the price of admission.

Only thing I'd change is in retrospect I'd buy the one that reclines b/c it takes a lot of finagling to prop my toddler's head up once he falls asleep. I will say this though. . .we go up and over curbs, bumpy terrain, all sorts of different crap and my kid LOVES it and it stays attached to the bike!, and my 2.5 year old says it doesn't hurt as we ride. great product; expensive! but nevertheless WORTH IT imho : )

We love the Burley bike trailer! It is a great quality product that will last for many years. Our son rides in it very comfortably and has tons of room to grow in it!