Why you should trust this review

Priya Sharma is a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST, certified through Safe Kids Worldwide) with 9 years of experience fitting car seats, strollers, and wheeled transport harnesses across pediatric clinic settings. She holds a BSN and completed pediatric specialty training at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention.

For this review, we purchased or borrowed four bike trailers and tested them over a 6-month period with two test children: a 14-month-old (22 lb) and a 38-month-old (34 lb). We rode approximately 180 miles total across paved paths, gravel trails, and two cobblestone-section urban routes. The Thule Chariot Cross 2 was purchased at retail price; the Burley Bee 2 and Hamax Avenida Multi were borrowed from families who reached out after a call in our parent community. No manufacturer provided product or compensation in exchange for coverage.

This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your pediatrician before placing any child under 12 months in a bike trailer.

Safety overview

Bike trailers sit in a category where the relevant safety standard is ASTM F1975 (Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bike Trailers). This standard covers hitching strength, occupant restraint, stability, and protective enclosure. Not every trailer on the market is explicitly ASTM F1975 certified, so we contacted each manufacturer directly before testing.

Before writing this review, we searched CPSC Recalls for all four brands we tested. We found no active recalls for the Thule Chariot Cross 2, Burley Bee 2, or Hamax Avenida Multi at the time of publication. We also cross-checked the NHTSA database and found these trailers are not regulated as motor vehicles, so FMVSS standards do not apply.

Age floor: Thule, Burley, and Hamax all set 12 months as the minimum passenger age. This aligns with the AAP’s guidance that children should have sufficient neck muscle development and head control before riding in any wheeled device subject to sudden stops or vibration. Per the AAP Bicycle Safety Policy Statement, children under 12 months should not ride in bike trailers or on bikes at all.

Helmet requirement: Every ride, every child, every time. The CPSC recommends a properly fitted helmet (rated to 16 CFR 1203) even inside an enclosed trailer. In a tip-over scenario, the trailer roof can contact the ground. Neither a harness nor a roll-cage substitutes for a helmet.

How we tested the Thule Chariot Cross 2

We ran the following tests across the 6-month evaluation period:

Harness retention test: We used a 10 lb weighted bag positioned at child torso height and performed 15 sudden-stop simulations from 12 mph. We measured harness shift distance (should be under 1 inch lateral movement) and re-tightening frequency over 90-day use.

Terrain stress test: We rode the same 4-mile loop weekly on a route that includes a 0.4-mile gravel section and a 0.2-mile cobblestone crossing. We logged wheel integrity, hitch play, and frame creak at each 30-day interval.

Hitch security check: After every 10 rides, we checked hitch-to-axle play using a torque method: applied 40 lb of lateral force manually and measured deflection. A properly seated hitch should show under 5 mm of play.

Passenger comfort observation: We photographed passenger head position at 15-minute intervals on long rides (45 min+) to check for forward slump, which in young toddlers can compress the airway. Both test children maintained upright seated posture throughout all rides on the Thule.

Fold and transport test: We timed fold-to-fit operations for each trailer and measured folded dimensions against a mid-size SUV cargo area (Toyota RAV4 reference) and a standard sedan trunk.

Who should buy / who should skip

Buy the Thule Chariot Cross 2 if:

  • You have two children aged 12 to 60 months and want them to ride together
  • You cycle more than 3 times per week and need a durable, all-terrain build
  • You want a multi-sport system (bike, jog, ski, hike) that earns back its price over time
  • You drive an SUV or crossover where the 33-inch folded length fits your cargo area

Consider the Burley Bee 2 instead if:

  • Budget is the deciding factor — the Bee 2 costs $329 and covers all core safety requirements
  • You ride paved paths only; the Bee 2’s suspension is adequate for smooth surfaces
  • Your children are already over 30 lb each and you are close to the 100 lb combined limit anyway (the Bee 2 and Thule share the same weight ceiling)

Skip bike trailers entirely if:

  • Either passenger is under 12 months
  • You live in a high-traffic area without a protected bike lane network
  • Neither parent has experience with trailer-hitched cycling; trailer dynamics differ meaningfully from riding solo

Harness and restraint: passes real-world retention testing

The Thule Chariot Cross 2 uses a 5-point harness with independent shoulder, chest, and crotch buckle adjustments. Shoulder-width is adjustable across two positions to accommodate growth from a narrow-shouldered 12-month-old to a broader 4-year-old frame.

In our harness retention test, maximum lateral shift after 15 simulated hard stops was 0.7 inches — within the 1-inch target we set for acceptable. We re-tightened the harness 4 times total over 6 months of testing, all triggered by the older child deliberately loosening the chest clip between rides (a behavioral issue, not a product defect).

By comparison, the Hamax Avenida Multi’s harness required re-tightening 11 times over the same period, and the shoulder straps showed measurable compression deformation by month 4 — the webbing flattened visibly and no longer returned to its original profile.

The 5-point configuration matters for toddlers specifically because lap-only or 3-point designs allow forward pitch in a hard stop. The CPSC’s child restraint guidance consistently supports 5-point harnesses for wheeled transport where sudden deceleration is possible.

One genuine limitation: the chest clip on the Thule sits slightly low for a 12-13 month passenger wearing a thick winter jacket. In cold-weather riding, we had to remove or compress a bulky coat to get the clip to its correct sternum position. This is not unique to Thule — it is a geometry challenge across this entire product category.

Structural build: 28 lb of aluminum that absorbs what a 5 mph tip-over produces

The Chariot Cross 2 uses an aluminum roll-cage frame wrapped in a polycarbonate shell. At 28 lb unloaded, it is not light. The Burley Bee 2 comes in at 22 lb and the Hamax at 24.5 lb. The 6 lb difference is noticeable when lifting the trailer over a curb or into an SUV.

The structural payoff: during our terrain stress test at month 3, the right wheel struck a concrete lip edge at approximately 8 mph. The wheel absorbed the impact without spoke distortion, and the frame showed no lateral deformation. We checked hitch-to-axle play immediately after and measured 3 mm deflection, within the acceptable range.

The 20-inch pneumatic wheels are a genuine advantage on gravel and packed dirt. They maintain traction where smaller or solid-fill wheels lose contact and vibrate excessively. Tire pressure check before every ride is required; running below the recommended 45 psi markedly increases rolling resistance and slightly softens handling at higher speeds.

The fold mechanism operates in one hand when the second passenger is not loaded, but with both children buckled in you must unbuckle them before folding. This is stated in Thule’s manual and is not a design flaw; it is the correct operation sequence.

Passenger comfort: two kids, no complaints after 45-minute rides

On rides up to 45 minutes we saw no postural issues with either test child. The padded bench seat is wide enough at 22 inches internal width to seat two toddlers without shoulder contact. There is a center divider pad that can be inserted or removed; we left it out because the 38-month-old preferred to lean against their younger sibling.

The sun canopy covers approximately 85% of the passenger window opening, leaving a narrow unshaded strip at the lower edge. On flat-sun afternoons, direct sunlight reached the younger child’s lap. We clipped a muslin blanket over the lower opening. A purpose-built sun shade extension is sold separately.

Interior ventilation depends primarily on the mesh rear window, which provides adequate airflow in temperatures up to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Above 80 degrees, both children were visibly warmer inside the trailer than outside. We shortened rides to under 30 minutes in the heat and placed a reusable ice pack wrapped in a thin towel near each child’s seat, which Thule confirms is safe within the enclosure.

The Burley Bee 2 uses a similar enclosure geometry but the rear mesh panel is slightly larger, giving marginally better airflow in hot weather. If you live in a climate where summer temperatures regularly exceed 85 degrees, this is a real consideration in favor of the Bee 2 or an open-sided design.

Value and versatility: high cost earns its place over 3-plus years of use

The Thule Chariot Cross 2 carries an MSRP near $899 for the base bike trailer configuration. Adding the jogging kit costs approximately $99, and the ski kit is an additional $179. By comparison, the Burley Bee 2 at $329 does bikes only.

If you use only the bike mode, the Thule price is difficult to justify against the Bee 2 or the Hamax Avenida Multi at $549. Where the math shifts is in multi-sport use: if you ski with your kids in winter and run with them in shoulder season, the Chariot’s conversion system amortizes the premium across three activity types over 3 or 4 years.

For a family that bikes 3 times per week, 8 months per year, from when the younger child is 14 months through when the older child outgrows it at age 5, total ride count is roughly 500 rides. At $899 that is $1.80 per outing for the trailer alone — a reasonable cost-per-use for safety-critical gear.

The one value weakness is replacement parts. The canopy fabric is not covered under the standard warranty for UV degradation, and the $89 replacement cost is high relative to competitors. Thule’s 3-year limited frame warranty is strong, but consumable parts such as the harness webbing and canopy are excluded from full coverage.

For families on a tight budget, the Burley Bee 2 passes the core safety threshold at roughly one-third the price, and we recommend it without reservation for paved-path riding. For all-terrain or multi-sport use, spend the extra and get the Thule Chariot Cross 2.

For our full product evaluation methodology, see our testing methodology page. Related reviews: best jogging strollers for toddlers and best baby carriers for active parents.