Recreational & Family - Trailer or seat attachment

I have a wike trailer which I use and really enjoy for my daughter. I picked up a bell bike seat attachment from a yard sale to try out, and I actually felt like it was a bumpier ride than the trailer. My wife thinks that she'd feel safer on the side of the road with the back seat instead of the trailer because we're thinner, after riding around a bit today I think I feel much safer with the trailer. Not only is it a more comfortable ride but it's brighter and more visible I feel like.

I just wanted to see what other people prefer to use, and reasons for it. I think the trailer is the way to go, why would I want to use the bike seat?

I think the trailer is safer and easier to use. My biggest fear about a bike seat is that if I crash I can bail off the bike and break my fall with my hands and by rolling. If my child is buckled into a seat they can't do any of that. Add to that the fact that a seat puts the center of gravity higher and makes a crash that much more likely and it seems like a bad choice to me. With a trailer if there is a crash the trailer may roll, but both times I have seen a trailer roll over the kids were scared, but totally unhurt. The only problem with a trailer is that they can roll when the biker does not crash. That said the consequences are small in those cases and in my opinion don't do anything to make me think a trailer is not the safest choice.

For only one kid, I far prefer a bike seat over a trailer. I feel much safer and thinner in traffic. I can avoid cars/potential issues much faster than with a trailer. I think the crash issue is overblown. I am much more cautious with a kid whether it be a trailer or bike seat. I also commute with my bike and I'm not hauling an empty trailer through traffic after I've dropped off my kid. My kids also preferred riding on the bike seat instead of the trailer.

I prefer the bike seat. I feel that people don't even notice the bike trailer at all, plus it sticks out in traffic. I too feel like the thinner profile of the bike seat is better. I don't know how you can really tell if the bike trailer is bumpier or not. It is so far back and you have to look forward, not sure that you can get a good idea.

Why don't you use the trailer when you ride and let her use the bike seat when she rides. Honestly the safest method is what you are comfortable with.

We ride a tandem or I ride solo, she doesn't ride solo. I'm gauging the roughness of the ride from what my wife has told me as she looks backward while i'm steering. I only have one fairly short ride for experience with the bike seat, I was riding on the sidewalk and I watched backwards as I went over a 1 inch bump and it looked pretty jarring. We've watched with the trailer and it didn't seem quite so bad. I feel much more limited speedwise with the bike seat

I read a lot on both and from what I've gathered is neither is less safe than the other, each has advantages and disadvantages. Seats the disadvantage is height/COG, falling furthur from a fall, trailer disadvantages are it can be a bumpier ride, dust/dirt/rocks from the bike tire in the front, etc. The pros and cons of each evened out. My kids preferred the seats.

I've used a trailer with each of my three kids. Drivers always give us lots of room and I feel more stable, especially when cornering and when getting on/off the seat. Dust and dirt are a problem off-road unless the plastic shield is in place. I have fenders on the road bike I use to pull it on road.

I would feel uneasy with my daughter in the trailer, prob because I cant see behind me. But at 6.30am I feel ok.
But I do think that towing a trailer with my stuff in it gets people to slow down and keep a distance. I do like the thought of slowing down traffic and making the roads safer. I tend to leave a good distance from the kerb even when I am just cycling; better to slow the traffic down than have them coming past you at 40mph plus.