Burley Minnow Review

The Burley Minnow bike trailer keeps it simple but offers exceptional safety and performance for the price. It’s easily the best basic, single trailer on the market. The Minnow was discontinued in January 2021, and replaced by the Burley Bee single capacity trailer. If you can find an old version of the Minnow, read the review!

Burley Minnow Trailer Overview

RATING: Highly Recommended

MSRP: Discontinued

BEST FOR: Families looking for a great single-trailer without having to pay for fancy upgrades.

ADDITIONAL SPECS

TRAILER CAPACITY: Single
TRAILER ARM: Included
JOGGER KIT: Not available
STROLLER KIT: Not available
WEIGHT: 21.9 lb.
INSIDE HEIGHT: 27.5″
INSIDE WIDTH: 16″
MAX CAPACITY: 75 lb.
TIRE SIZE: 20″
UV WINDOWS: Yes

Burley Minnow Review – Results of our Test Rides

The Burley Minnow is an excellent choice for any family looking for a single bike trailer that doesn’t convert to a stroller or jogger. The only single trailer of its kind at its price point (under $300!), the Minnow easily out-performs budget trailers, while remaining relatively affordable by forgoing the bells and whistles of high-end trailers.  As one of the tallest single trailers on the market, the Minnow especially caters to older and taller kids. Like all Burley bike trailers, its quality is exceptional.

The Minnow is a unique find as it is a single trailer capacity that can’t be used as a stroller or jogger, which helps to significantly lower the price. If you know you never want to use your trailer as a stroller or jogger, why pay the extra money for features you’ll never use?

For those looking to haul two kids (or one kid with a lot of stuff), the Burley Bee is great basic double-capacity trailer.  For those who want a deluxe single-trailer, be sure to check out the Burley D’Lite.

Trailer Interior

Full of kid-friendly features, the Minnow is sure to please both parent and child.  From UV windows to mesh-pockets for snacks, the Minnow comes ready for your adventures around the city or packed dirt trails.

Space

The Minnow is very roomy and provides plenty of space for an average-sized five-year-old with room to spare.  While most single trailers have an internal height around 24″, the Minnow has 27.5″ of height between the seat and the top canopy.  With an internal width of 16″, the Minnow is wider than the average single-trailer, but not as wide as most high-end single trailers.

As an additional comfort for taller passengers, the front portion of the cabin is recessed to provide extra legroom.  With their feet set low in the trailer, kids could potentially trip getting in or out of the trailer, so Burley designed the front portion of the trailer to flap down to allow for easy entries and exits.

Harness and Seat

The Minnow comes complete with an adjustable five-point harness.  The harness can be adjusted above the shoulders or around the buckle by pulling on the nylon harness strap.  The buckle can be released with one hand, but it does take significant pressure to push. The pressure needed to release the buckle is designed to prevent kids from unbuckling themselves mid-ride.

As is common with trailers under $300, the Minnow has a hammock-style seat.  With only one rider, the sagging of the seat was a non-issue as the seat conformed to the body of our tester.  Even without padding on the seat, our very vocal tester had no complaints about the seat during out tests.

Velcro strips are integrated into the seat to allow several optional seat upgrades to be installed.  Burley’s deluxe seat pads provide extra cushioning on the seat and the straps while the SIT Seats offer additional padding as well as a built-in tension system that holds the shoulder straps up and out of the way while loading your child in the seat. For smaller riders, ages 12 months to 2 years, we recommend purchasing a seat upgrade as they provide added support for young riders.

For easy snacking on the go, two mesh pockets are provided on the inside of both sides of the trailer.

Extra Features

Windows: With safety being their top concern, all Burley trailers come with UV windows rated at UPF 30.

Venting: To help keep kids cool, a rear portion of the trailer is made of mesh to increase airflow.  The mesh panel also allows the child’s helmet to recess into the seat, which prevents the helmet from being pushed forward on their head while riding.

Storage: A large storage area is provided in the back of the trailer.  With a 36 liter storage capacity, your picnic lunch, as well as your blanket and soccer ball, will all fit.

Trailer Exterior

From the thick, water-resistant fabric of the cover to the smooth pulling hitch on the trailer arm, the Minnow is ready for miles of fun and adventure.

Trailer Cover

One of the significant differences between lower-end trailers and a Burley trailer is the fabric on the cover.  Headquartered out of Portland, Oregon, all Burley trailers are designed to handle various weather conditions.  Constructed of thick 600D polyester water-resistant fabric, the Minnow’s covers will help keep the water and wind out.

Lower-end bike trailers often save money by using thinner fabric, which is prone to tearing.  Over the 7 years we’ve been testing trailers, we’ve seen the covers of many other brands wear thin and rip, but we have yet to experience a Burley ripping.

To protect from rain, the Minnow has a roll down plastic cover.  This cover offers increased protection via fabric panels sewn on the edge of the plastic cover.  These panels wrap around the sides of the trailer to prevent rain and wind from entering the trailer and are featured on all Burley trailers.

Most plastic covers on trailers are simply a piece of plastic that rolls down the front of the trailer, barely covering the mesh opening.  Wind and rain easily find their way behind these loosely laid plastic covers. Burley’s solution truly stands out.

Trailer Hitch

We’ve used every major bike trailer hitch on the market and Burley’s hitch is hands-down our favorite.  Its Flex Connector not only allows the trailer to stay upright when the bike is flat, but also pulls smoothly and quietly.  The neck of the trailer arm hitch is made of very thick and sturdy rubber that can flex under pressure, so whether loading up the kids or in the event of a crash, the trailer will remain upright.

With the trailer empty, however, the Minnow did tilt up on its side when our bike quickly fell over. However, during our tests, the trailer with any weight in it didn’t even wobble when our bike was laid on its side.

The Minnow also comes with a bright orange safety flag.

Folding and Storage

Folding the Minnow is a quick and easy two-step process.  The red frame latches located under the rear cover must first be released.  Once released, the lower of the two frame bars can be pushed down below the upper bar, which causes the trailer to collapse.

The wheels are easily removed by pushing on their center axle and pulling them away from the frame.

The trailer arm attaches to the frame of the trailer in three areas, so it takes slightly longer to remove, but is easily done in less than a minute and does not require any tools.

Once removed, the wheels and trailer arm can be placed in the folded trailer to conserve space.  As a word of caution, the first time you assemble the Minnow the fabric is very tight, so unfolding the trailer will take some muscle.

Trailer Comparisons

There are very few single bike trailers in the Minnow’s mid-range price category, but its value can clearly be seen when compared to low and high-end trailers.  The Minnow offers the essential quality and size found in high-end trailers, but without the expensive upgrades such as suspension and stroller conversions.  With a tall cabin and a high weight capacity of 75 lbs., the Minnow has a much longer life-span than lower-end trailers.

For a look at double and single bike trailers for all budgets, check out our 10 Best Bike Trailers list.

Burley Minnow Bottom Line

With the essentials masterfully executed, the Burley Minnow is a spacious and comfortable ride for all ages.  Older and taller kids will especially enjoy the extra head space and leg space offered by the Minnow.  Suitable for ages 12-months to 5 years, but younger riders are likely to be more comfortable with the additional purchase of a seat cushion upgrade.

Click here for a full list of Burley accessories. 

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