Burley updated the D'Lite since we tested it. See below for more info and our review of the Burley D'lite X.
April 2019The D'Lite got a full makeover and now comes with reclining bench seats, a full-length UV window for panoramic views, and new premium seat padding. The nose guard has been redesigned with the intention of adding durability, there are more reflective materials, and the 20" wheels now offer a more aggressive tread. The updated D'Lite now comes with a 1-Wheel Stroller Kit (see the front wheel on the new blue version below.)
The blue version represents the updated offering from Burley, while the lime color is the version we previously tested. The price also increased steeply, from $689 to $850. We are linking to the updated version above, but until we can get it out for a test spin, the review that follows relates to last year's D'Lite.
The Burley D'Lite dethroned the Thule Chariot Cross to earn our Editors' Choice Award. Beloved by haulers for its lightness, its ease of connection and its lack of feedback, and by passengers for its comfy seat setup and abundance of interior pockets, the D'Lite charms everyone who has the pleasure of testing it. Crucially, this is the safest and most versatile trailer we tested. Our review editor liked the D'Lite so much, she kept it for herself!
The D'Lite extremely well in this category, narrowly beating out the Thule Chariots and the Hamax Outback. Its aluminum frame creates a full roll cage, protecting passengers with a double frame tube on top and additional framing on both sides, and the stroller handlebar folds forward to provide even more roll cage protection during rides.
Burley takes safety seriously, and it shows in the way they've gone all out with additional security features in the D'Lite. The five-point restraint harness is well-padded and relatively easy to adjust (though not quite as easy as the Thule Chariots, which were our favorite in this area), so you can make sure your passengers are snug and secure without crushing them. The D'Lite also features a coil spring suspension system with a dial to adjust its stiffness based on passenger weight. It performed well in our suspension testing, offering a smooth ride over rough terrain and noticeable shock absorption over large bumps.
The retractable sunshade on the trailer's front flap is easily adjustable to keep direct rays off kid's faces all day, and it's also permanently integrated into the trailer's design, so it won't get lost. Like the Burley Bee, the windows on the D'Lite are rated UPF 30, making it a great option for longer rides where sun exposure might be an issue.
It performed surprisingly poorly in our rain test, doing worse than the Thule Chariots, the Thule Cadence, and the Burley Bee. After five minutes under a blasting sprinkler, we discovered water in the footwell of the D'Lite, as well as a few drips in the cargo area. The seats remained dry, so we would still recommend this as a good trailer for kids in inclement weather, but the Thule Chariot Cross remained totally watertight under the same test.
Ventilation is a concern for many parents pulling little ones in trailers, especially on long or hot rides, and the D'Lite performs well in this area. Even with the rain guard down, the D'Lite's design allows air into the front of the trailer, and an extra back window with mesh underneath encourages air to flow through. The D'Lite's closest competitor, the Thule Chariot Cross, seems slightly less well-ventilated when its super-efficient rain guard is in place.
The Burley D'Lite was a solid contender in this category, just barely getting beat out by our Top Pick for Athletes, the Thule Chariot Cross, and our Top Pick for a Comfy Ride, the Hamax Outback.
This trailer provides a very comfortable ride for passengers. The seat and harness are strategically padded and comfortable. There is a recessed pocket in the seat back to accommodate the passenger's helmet. The sharply sloping footwell also means that they don't have to wear their knees around their ears. At 22.5", the seat area is a full inch wider than that of the Thule Chariot Cross, and the bowed-out sides of the D'Lite provide plenty of shoulder room. Our passenger testers especially loved that the lower front flap of the trailer folds down so they could climb in on their own and that the segmented interior pockets were ideal for stashing everything from sippy cups to cool rocks.
The front cover of the D'Lite is bordered all the way around by an inch or so of opaque fabric, whereas the Thule Chariots have a mesh screen that goes all the way to the edge. This isn't a huge deal, but we felt that the D'Lite doesn't offer quite as impressive a viewing experience for passengers as the Chariots.
Can we talk about that hitch some more? The design of a trailer's hitch mechanism is a huge component of the bike rider's experience since it factors heavily into how much lurching and other feedback is transferred from the trailer to the bike.
The D'Lite's super sturdy hitch makes towing the trailer a breeze. Over and over again, we noted that it felt like the trailer and the bike were one unit, even when traveling over rough terrain or standing up on steep hills. This feeling makes a real difference on tired legs, especially when you're pulling heavy kids or cargo. The D'Lite's closest competitors, the Thule Chariots, didn't perform as well in this area, transferring significant movement to the bike because of their looser hitches. However, our Best Bang for the Buck Award winner, the Burley Bee, uses the same hitch as the D'Lite and provided an equally delightful lack of motion transfer.
The D'Lite is nearly four pounds lighter than the Thule Chariot Cross, and it's similar in weight to the Chariot Lite. Its sturdy 20" wheels help it over gravel, grass and uneven terrain, making it much easier to tow off road than the Allen Sports Steel and the InStep Take 2, which have 16" wheels. The well-designed tow arm and hitch combo make the D'Lite nimble and easy to maneuver through tight spaces while walking the bike as well as riding. Our only complaint about this trailer from a rider's perspective is that parking brake makes a racket as it rattles while you're rolling along, but this is nothing that a well-placed piece of foam can't fix (if you're looking for a virtually silent ride, check out the Burley Bee). Overall, the D'Lite offers a hassle-free biker experience, as would be expected from a trailer of this caliber.
The D'Lite is relatively simple to assemble, but at 35 minutes it took longer to put together than most of the other trailers we tested. It's straightforward to set up and break down, though not quite as simple as the fantastically user-friendly Thule Chariots. Putting the D'Lite together from its stowed position requires reaching through the back of the trailer and pulling two of the aluminum frame bars together until they latch, which initially took so much force that we worried about breaking one of the components. After a few cycles of folding and unfolding, though, the process became significantly easier as we got the hang of it and things loosened up.
The D'Lite's hitch mechanism — the same one used in the Burley Bee — was the easiest to use out of all the ones we tested. Like all the trailers' hitches, it attaches to the bike with a steel adaptor that's clamped to the frame by the rear quick release skewer. The Burley hitch adaptor is a metal bracket that receives the rubber end of the trailer's tow arm, which is then held in place by a cotter pin. Connecting the trailer to the bike is fast and easy and doesn't require you to line the bike up correctly, like the Allen Sports Steel and the Weehoo weeGo, or to yank the whole rig around to secure the cotter pin, like the Thule trailers. We seriously raised a glass to Burley every time we connected this hitch.
As with all the trailers we tested, the D'Lite's hitch adaptor won't fit every bike (see our Buying Advice Guide for more information on this). However, we were able to use it on a range of bikes in our stable, and Burley sells a $12 hitch adaptor that should allow you to bypass tight breezer dropouts.
We were amazed by the versatility of the D'Lite and felt that it beat out all the competition to earn top marks in this category. The D'Lite can be converted into a stroller, and additional accessory kits are available to turn it into a jogger and a cross-country ski sled. Only the Thule Chariot Cross shares this level of convertibility.
As a bike trailer, the D'Lite really shines in its ability to do stuff other than just haul kids. Its 22.5"x11" cargo area footprint was one of the larger in our test group, so you can easily fit a medium-sized load of groceries or some camping gear in the back even with passengers loaded into the front. Crucially, the seats in the D'Lite can unbuckle to lie entirely flat, which literally opens up the trailer to a ton of hauling options. Our canine testers were definitely happiest in this trailer, as a dog bed placed over the flattened seats gave them tons of room to hang out. The only other trailer in our lineup with seats that can lie flat is the Hamax Outback.
The excellent versatility of the D'Lite makes it worth considering even for the budget-conscious, since it has the most potential to have a useful life — as a grocery hauler, a pup wagon, or a bikepacking companion — long after your kids are pedaling their own bikes.
At $689, the D'Lite is the least expensive luxury trailer we tested and is more than $300 less than its closest competition, the Thule Chariot Cross. This is an extremely durable, safe and versatile trailer that will be a joy to use with your kids and will remain useful long after they're up and out of it. We think the D'Lite is priced on the low side for what it offers, making it an excellent value.
Top scores in all of our rating metrics and unique features like a convertible interior, side framing for safety and a rock solid hitch earned the Burley D'Lite our Editors' Choice award for the best all-around trailer. If you're planning to get out on the roads and trails with your kids and you want to feel comfortable and flexible doing it, the D'Lite won't disappoint.
