So you’ve had a baby. And that baby can’t ride in a bike trailer until they’re 12 months old! What do you do with your Burley trailer stroller while you’re patiently waiting? Burley Baby Snuggler to the rescue!
No matter how many babies you have, the first six months after giving birth is exhausting on so many levels. For active mamas, feeling like you’re confined to the house, and unable to get out and be your normal outdoorsy self, is just another added stressor.
Luckily for all of us, family-friendly gear companies like Burley understand that this struggle is real! As an answer to this problem, they designed the Burley Baby Snuggler. With this simple tool, you can transform your Burley trailer stroller into the perfect vehicle for daily walks and runs for babies as young as 3 months old. Read our review below for answers to all the questions you didn’t even know to ask!
Burley Baby Snuggler Overview
RATING: Highly Recommended
MSRP: $80
AGE RANGE: Babies 3 months to 12 months
HEIGHT RANGE: 25″ – 30″
WEIGHT RANGE: 15 – 21 lbs.
COMPATIBLE TRAILERS: Any Burley trailer/stroller with a 5-point harness
INTENTED USE: Strolling or jogging. NOT for biking or skiing.
PROS:
- Allows you to use your Burley in stroller mode as young as 3 months
- Fits in any Burley trailer stroller
- Very easy to install
- Super-softy, minky-like fabric
CONS:
- Warm, cozy fabric isn’t breathable in the summer
Burley Baby Snuggler – Everything You Need to Know!
What exactly is the Burley Baby Snuggler?
The Burley Baby Snuggler is special seat padding for a Burley trailer stroller that is designed to cradle or “snuggle” your baby. It is generally used from 3 to 12 months. This allows you to use your Burley trailer as a stroller or jogger much earlier than your baby would be able to comfortably sit in a standard trailer seat.
Trailer seats are large and wide to accommodate kids up to 4 or 5 years old. As a result, they are not a good fit for babies. The Snuggler essentially creates a smaller seat that allows small baby bodies to sit comfortably in a Burley.
The Baby Snuggler has extra lumbar padding along the back, thick side padding for comfort and support, as well as a head rest on the sides for comfortably snoozing on the go.
The lower portion of the snuggler, which cradles the bum and legs, can be tightened and narrowed to better cocoon a very small baby’s lower body. The child is secured using Burley’s 5-point safety harness.
What Activities Can I Use the Baby Snuggler For?
Short answer – strolling and jogging only.
- Strolling: Yes – as young as 3 months old
- Jogging: Yes – potentially as young as 6 months old, but you should consult your pediatrician.
- Trailer: No. Children should not be riding in a bike trailer before they are 12 months old. By 12 months old, most toddlers will be plenty large enough to sit in the trailer without extra padding.
- Ski Kit: No. Burley advises not to use the Baby Snuggler with the Burley ski kit.
Who is the Baby Snuggler Best For (Parents)?
If you’re an active biking parent who also wants to walk or run with your babies, getting all the proper equipment can quickly get expensive! And since you can’t actually bike with your baby until they are 12 months old, what do you do in the meantime??
Burley multi-sport trailers are everything you need in one neat little package. With an included stroller wheel and an optional jogger wheel upgrade, there’s no need to buy a separate jogging stroller. With the Burley Baby Snuggler, you can opt outside with your little one as soon as they reach 15 lbs. (or about 3 months old).
Burley multi-sport trailers offer incredible quality and versatility, but they also don’t come cheap. The primary value of the Baby Snuggler is that it lets you get up to 9 months of use as a stroller or jogger before your baby is ready to roll with your bike at 12 months old.
What age does a baby need to be to use the Baby Snuggler?
The Baby Snuggler is recommended for children 3-12 months of age. Burley’s recommended minimum age is 3 months, 25 inches long, and 15 pounds. When we started testing the Snuggler, our chubby baby tester was exactly those dimensions. While Burley doesn’t state why they recommend a 3-month minimum, from our experience, we were most concerned with neck strength.
Because the Baby Snuggler replaces the standard padding in the trailer, your baby passenger is as upright as the trailer seat itself. We used the Burley D’Lite X, which reclines, requiring less neck strength than a more upright seat.
The Burley D’Lite X and Cub X are the only Burley trailers to offer recline. If you have a Honey Bee or Encore X (they don’t recline!), the Baby Snuggler will be sitting more upright. As a result, you may need to wait a little longer for your baby’s neck to get a bit stronger.
Whatever trailer you own, you should always consult your pediatrician if you have any doubts as to whether your baby is safe to roll!
The height and weight considerations are also important for the baby to “fill out” the Snuggler. If not, they could have too much space in the hips where you want the baby to be secure, preventing them from sliding around.
Other trailer brands have their own versions of infant inserts, including Thule and Qeridoo. Their inserts create a hammock that is suspended above the seat and is much more reclined than the Burley Baby Snuggler. As a result, Thule’s and Qeridoo’s baby hammocks can be used as early as 4 weeks after birth.
Will my baby sleep in the Snuggler?
Ours did! Even in the crazy winter cold! Remember that we used the Baby Snuggler in a Burley trailer that reclines. Depending on your baby, it may be harder for them to fall asleep and be truly comfortable if they are more upright in a model that doesn’t recline.
What Burley trailers does the Burley Baby Snuggler work with?
Burley offers four different models of trailers that also convert to strollers – Honey Bee, Encore X, D’Lite X, and Cub X. The Baby Snuggler works with all of them.
Does the Burley Baby Snuggler work with the Bee?
The Baby Snuggler can technically be installed in any Burley trailer with a 5-point harness – so all of Burley’s child trailers, including the Burley Bee. However, the Baby Snuggler should NOT be used with the Bee.
The Bee is only a trailer. It cannot convert to a stroller. You should not transport a baby or infant in a bike trailer until they are 1 year old. By then, they should be plenty big enough to ride in a trailer without extra padding. As a result, it doesn’t make safe sense to use the Baby Snuggler with the Bee.
Weather Considerations
The fabric layer of the back and sides of the Burley Baby Snuggler is insanely soft and snuggly. It’s pretty similar to minky fabric often used on the back side of baby quilts.
Besides being super soft, it can also get pretty warm. Our first experience with using the Snuggler was during the coldest part of February, so the fabric was quite helpful in keeping the baby cozy and warm. On a “warmer” winter day, we needed to remove a layer of clothing from the baby because he got too hot in the seat.
While we haven’t yet had a chance to test the Snuggler in warm weather, we will update this review when we do. We do have a friend that used the Snuggler in the summer and said it was fine in about 85 degrees, although it was a bit warm.
Bottom Line on the Burley Baby Snuggler
If you have a Burley trailer stroller and you have a baby, the Burley Baby Snuggler is a must-have in our book. For under $100, this accessory will allow you to use your Burley long before your child is old enough to be pulled in a bike trailer. Those extra months of usage will save your sanity and make your investment in Burley even smarter.
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