Burley Honey Bee Review 2021 | Electric Bike Report

Switching from ride mode to stroller mode is simple. Detach the tow-bar from the hitch, pop down the wheel, lock it in place and you’re all set. It’s a very convenient and quick system.

In the previous section I raved about how smooth the trailer is – ditto that in stroller mode.

The Burley Honey Bee glides nicely as you go about neighborhood walks or trips to the park. Again, those 20” wheels move nicely, and even the front wheel on the tow-bar performs well when moving forward or turning.

It’s easy to appreciate the adjustable handlebars. They help you find your ideal height so that pushing isn’t uncomfortable (something I can’t say about my current baby stroller at home).

The brake lever is simple too for when you need to park the trailer for kids to get in and out.

You discover quickly that the storage compartment is handy and comes into play in either stroller or trailer mode, but man can you pack a lot into that space! Blankets, lunch and my backpack were all stowed with no problem.

I think the only minor gripe I have of the Burley Honey Bee as a stroller is that you can really feel how wide it is when maneuvering vs. a traditional stroller. Not a fault of the Honey Bee per se, it’s just a bike trailer first and stroller second and that’s one of the few areas you feel it.

First-hand feedback on this section is limited, but my 1 ½ year old son can be quoted as saying “Yay,” “Whee,” “Go,” and “More” at various points while riding — all good indicators of him enjoying himself and staying relatively comfortable.

Overall the materials used on the interior are solid and make for a good experience. Hammock-style seating offers a type of natural suspension. The 5-point harness can be adjusted for an appropriate fit. Handy little pockets are close by for holding all the Cheerios (at least in my case). And the mesh area around where the head rests can accommodate different shapes of helmets.

As I mentioned above in the handling section, the wheels do a good job of staying planted and the trailer follows the bike pretty well. The experience in the trailer shouldn’t be vastly different from the feedback the rider of the bike feels from the road, so if you’re smooth sailing on paved roads then the kids should be as well.

There are some areas where I think comfort could be improved. I wouldn’t say no to seeing some cushioning on the straps of the harness so I don’t have to question if they dig into my son (it didn’t seem to be a problem though). Also, there is no recline adjustment on the seats so if I’m anticipating a ride through nap times I’ll have to hope my son will fall asleep upright.

In fairness to Burley, both of those problems are solved on higher end models such as the D’Lite X.

Folding down the Burley Honey Bee is a sinch. Unhook the release latches from the rear cross bar and push in from the front. Then unhook and pull out the tow-bar and remove the quick release wheels by depressing the release button and pulling it off its axle. Just like that, it’s folded and ready for transport.

While it’s built to be sturdy, the Burley Bee trailer is fairly light. I had no issues getting it in the trunk of my car.

The overall footprint it has in your trunk is nothing outrageous either. Compared to some traditional or jogging strollers it might even occupy less volume in your trunk than you’re used to.

Thanks to how flat it folds, you should be able to secure it in longer narrow spaces too, or stow it somewhere in a closet till you’re ready to use it again.

One of the more notable aspects of the Honey Bee is the overall construction quality. I’ve spent time with Burley’s higher-end models and I’m happy to note that across the line Burley makes solid, safe products using great materials.

Burley claims to meet or exceed the American Society for Testing and Materials and they offer a 3-year warranty for the frame. Both are good signs for knowing you’re getting a product that has safety standards the company believes in.

The Heat treated 6061-T6 aluminum frame provides protection in the event of a crash, and the stroller handlebar when in bike ride positioning adds to the roll cage.

The 5-point harness keeps kids where they should be, and the water-resistant polyester fabric that goes around the trailer provides good protection against the rain and elements.

Reflectors can be found on the front, sides and rear of the trailer plus the orange flag for visibility.

Burley offers several accessories for the Honey Bee including a trailer storage bag, bunting bag for keeping little ones warm and a premium seat pad if you want more comfortable rides inside the trailer.

They also have a 16” x 3” wheel kit you can buy. This is great for people who want to fare better in the sand, dirt and snow.

Burley sent us a 16” wheel kit to test and it paired nicely with some of the fat tire e-bikes I was using to pull the trailer with. They held up well with some of the sandy areas I rode over and it was just nice in general to know I could have options for either a park joyride or leisurely beach stroll and I could use the appropriate tire for the job.

The Burley Honey Bee I reviewed really left me with a positive experience in the end. It exceeded many of my expectations for an entry-level bike trailer.

The ride quality is nothing shy of spectacular. It sticks with your bike and moves everybit how you’d hope it does. You quickly learn you don’t have to worry too much about the trailer as it will follow you most anywhere reliably.

The versatility of having a trailer and stroller in one is great. I think it’s absolutely worth the cost difference between a regular trailer to one that can work as a stroller — consider me converted.

The Burley Honey Bee isn’t without its shortcomings. Namely I’d like to see a few of what I’d consider basic comfort components added in with cushioning on the harness straps, and some way to adjust the recline.

Still, at the end of the day the Honey Bee is an all-around quality package that is sure to encourage more bike rides with my family. Or as my 1 ½ year old eloquently put it when I’d go to take him out of the trailer: “More bike!”

Burley sells the Honey Bee directly from their website at the link below.

‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Burley Honey Bee.