Getting outside is a daily requirement for sanity in our house, and one of our favorite summertime activities is to hop on our tandem bike, load the kids in the bike trailer and ride down to the beach. We’ve tried out a handful of trailers over the years, but none has been as impressive as the Baby Jogger Switchback Hybrid.
The Switchback is not only an incredible bike trailer, it also transitions quickly and easily into a jogging stroller. There are other bike trailers on the market that can do this, but most require you to purchase a conversation kit separately ($$!), require tools and time to switch back and forth between modes and don’t offer a way to store the extra pieces for the other mode on the trailer itself. The Baby Jogger Switchback Hybrid does all of this. And more.
The Interior
Compared to many other trailers the Switchback feels like a four-star hotel! The padded seats cushions and harness covers are luxurious and soft (though practical and machine-washable too) and there is ample legroom (26” length). There is even enough room to store towels, toys and our picnic lunch at my kids’ feet without diminishing their legroom. Suitable for either one child or two (up to 100 lbs. total), the Switchback provides two 5-point harnesses, interior pockets for holding sippy cups and snacks and a sturdy floor board to provide stability when entering and exiting the trailer. On nice summer days, we’ll roll the front wind/rain cover up and just use the zippered bug screen to provide lots of ventilation. But if it’s too cold/windy/rainy and we need to put the wind/rain cover down, I love that the Switchback has two side window vents that still allow the kids to get fresh air (and me to be able to hear if they are behaving).
Now for my two favorite features – the solid, continuous bench seat and the built-in helmet pockets. A previous trailer we used had a fabric seat that didn’t have any solid construction in it. Perhaps it would have worked decently for one child, but when we put two in, both kids would fall into the center, leaning on each other and inevitably leading to a battle of space. Though the Switchback is narrower than some (23” internal width) with the solid bench seat, both kids stay put in their seat space. My other favorite feature is the built-in helmet pockets. In many trailers, when kids wear helmets (as they must), they can’t fully lean their heads back against the seat which usually results in them being in a permanent nod position. The helmet pocket allows kids to sit comfortably while staying safe with a helmet.
