Toddler bike seat vs. bike trailer? Our 2.2 year old toddler seems very interested in a random, abandoned bike seat we found, so we're considering some method of letting him ride with us. But I am not sure whether to get ...


A bike seat, which fits one toddler, and mounts above the rear wheel on the rack
A bike trailer, which fits possibly two toddlers, has its own wheels and attaches to the rear of the bicycle.


It seems to me the trailer is more flexible and potentially safer, since the center of gravity is much closer to the ground. I also worry that having a thirty+ pound weight on the rear rack will cause us to make more riding mistakes, and if the bike falls over, there goes the toddler.

However, the bike seat seems more fun for the toddler since he can see more of the ride and feels more like a co-rider than a passenger.

It's hard for me to decide without trying both, and right now I've tried neither. Can someone who has tried both a bike trailer and a bike seat with their toddlers share their experiences and thoughts on this? I'm interested in the pros and cons from people who have spent some time in the saddle with their toddlers using both.
I've had both. A really nice trailer and a child bike seat -- where the child sits between the rider and the handlebar (like this WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat).



My daughter was ok with the trailer, but absolutely preferred the seat.

I found with the seat in front of me, the weight didn't affect me almost at all, and if the bike was going to fall, I'd be in a much better position to protect my child (since she's directly in front of me).

We used that for a long time and never ever had an issue (and let's face it, with the kid along for the ride, you're not likely to ever ride like a madman, right?)

She's six years old, and still misses it (we stopped when she was about 3.5 yrs old--just getting too big!)