We were excited to get our hands on a Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT and put it to the test out and about.

How would it fare up against other bike trailers and would it get the seal of approval from our testers?

Whether you are on the hunt to work out how best to carry your kids on bikes, or looking to upgrade your current family set up, this review of the Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT will help you decide if it's the right bit of equipment for your family.

Disclosure:  Cycle Sprog were sent the Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT to review. We were not paid to write this review, and all opinions are our own. We do use affiliate links so may get a small commission if you choose to buy through the links on this page. This funds the website, and we thank you for your support.

Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT review

About our reviewers

New to the Cycle Sprog review panel are three year old Heather and Elspeth (and their parents Emma and Laurie!). Heather and Elspeth are learning to ride, but are avid passengers with Mum and Dad on Kids Ride Shotgun seats and their usual Burley trailer.

As a family they love spending time on bikes together, riding through woodland and on scenic cycle routes, local sea-side promenades and disused railway lines.

The Cube CMPT double trailer is very easy to assemble. It comes with simple picture instructions, which you can also download from the Cube website should you need to.

There isn’t much to do to get into stroller mode apart from opening out the trailer and adding the wheels. You can also add the reflectors and light at this point.

The wheels attach with a satisfying click, telling you that they’re in position correctly.

The girls ran straight to it and sat on the seat “sofa” straight away. The trailer looks and feels sturdy and we quickly got to grips with how it folds and attaches to the bike. 

Both of our bikes are quick-release skewers, so fitting the hitch was quick and simple.

The trailer opens like a clam, hinging at the front. This movement felt tricky at first, but we quickly sussed out the knack! 

When collapsed the trailer is compact and lies flat, with the two wheels coming off relatively easily to put it in the bottom of a car boot. 

Assembly is simple. The wheels slide on easily and there is a positive click when pulling the handle to assemble the body of the trailer so you know it's not going to fold shut in use.

Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT in use

We used the trailer on a mixture of rough potholed lanes, seaside proms, gravel cycle paths and smooth asphalt surfaces during our test period of a wet and muddy Lake District Winter and we used the trailer in both stroller and cycling mode.

Stroller mode

The trailer has a front wheel that is easily detached for cycling, but useful for using the trailer as a buggy, or if you park up your bike and detach the trailer.

It is easy to manoeuvre in stroller mode and has a tight turning circle. Unfortunately during our test period, the front wheel has become seized and a bit awkward, making stroller mode not as convenient. When the trailer is loaded up with two children, the front weel gets stuck in a turning position, so you have to be quite forceful to get it back on track- a bit like a shopping trolly with an iffy wheel! One solution to this issue is to purchase the additional running wheel, if you are planning to use it a lot off the bike.

There is a large handle that folds up and down, but requires two hands and a knee- or two people to adjust, which is a bit tricky when you have two toddlers running around!

Thankfully the handle doesn't need to be folded away while you're cycling, so can be left in place. 

When parked up there is a foot lever for a parking brake, this feels secure, knowing the trailer won't roll away, but is a little stiff to operate.

Cube CMPT double trailer running wheel

Cube has also sent us the Jogger Wheel to try out with the trailer. The 16-inch wheel rolls over bumps and off terrain with ease.

Attaching the wheel takes a couple of minutes, replacing the towing arm with two running arms and securing the wheel. There are clever blue adjusters to ensure the wheel is pointing straight.

The wheel is a fixed running wheel, meaning it doesn't turn or swivel. This is designed with efficient running in mind, keeping the trailer tracking straight and not being sent off in any direction a rock dictates. Therefore, this fixed wheel means it takes a bit of time to get used to steering the trailer if you aren't used to a fixed wheel design, and isn't ideal for use around busy areas and tight spaces, as the manoeuvrability of the trailer in jogger wheel mode isn't particularly responsive.

Hitching the Cube trailer

The trailer comes with one metal hitch, which attaches to the adult bike and then the trailer hitches easily onto this. 

As with all trailers, getting this hitch fitted can either be a piece of cake, or a bit of a faff requiring some measurements and ordering a replacement thru axle for your bike.

We have busted the jargon and created an easy-to-follow guide for working out how a trailer will hitch to your bike. The Cube trailer hitch should be possible to mount on all adult bikes, some will require an adaptor or alternative thru axle. 

In our case, we both had quick-release skewer thru axles which meant it was quick and easy to attach the hitch to both bikes.

The hitch mount does take a little playing around to get the right angle, which wasn’t possible on Emma’s bike as her frame has some metal detailing which got in the way of the ideal angle. This issue could have been resolved with a quick-release hitch adaptor if this was our trailer long term. 

Not having the hitch at the right angle meant the spring section of the towing arm pulsed significantly with each pedal stroke which wasn't ideal, but still usable, so we'd recommend taking time to find the right hitch angle and buying appropriate adapters to get a comfortable ride for all. Once the steel hitch is mounted to the frame, you can attach and reattach the trailer easily, even while wearing gloves. The trailer arm has a metal spring, which is designed to offer flexibility and suspension within the arm, but it does result in some pulsing when riding with the trailer fully loaded, you get used to it and can still ride comfortably with the trailer, but it is noticeable at all times. 

The trailer hitch is connected to the arm with a steel pin, this is attached with a little rubber strap which managed to come unattached at one point.

Thankfully it had only rolled under our van so was easy to find, but it's definitely something to pay attention to not losing.

Inside the Cube trailer

There are two separate zips, one for the front waterproof screen and one for the mesh. It is possible to roll and hook the waterproof screen securely and keep the mesh screen down or both together easily using a hook and elastic loop.

The sunshade provided is a useful addition but is fiddly to adjust quickly. The waterproofing of the trailer was very effective at keeping the girls dry and mud-free, and the mesh door was useful on dry days to keep flies out and allow ventilation (which we didn't use much!).

The trailer is waterproof and has well-positioned vents to allow circulation so only a small amount of condensation appears on the windows. 

The internal width was narrower than our Burley trailer, but the girls didn’t seem to mind being close and were comfortable and well secured by the straps.

The seat frame is non-adjustable but in a fairly reclined and comfortable position so it didn’t seem to be an issue. The girls could nap sitting in this position. The headrests are easy to adjust the height or remove. 

Riding with the Cube trailer

The trailer sits centrally to the bike so it makes it easy to judge where the wheels are behind for navigating obstacles. It's also very stable round corners which gives confidence.

The suspension is enough to take the kick out of a pothole, but isn't that effective off-road. We didn't find the adjustment feature of the suspension to really make any difference. 

The Schwalbe Big Ben Plus tyres however are wide with with a large volume, which means you can take some air out and reduce the tyre pressure and make it a softer ride. The 20" wheels roll over bumps and potholes well.

The trailer comes with a rear light and reflector which is a bonus and there is room to easily mount a second light on the other side which makes you much more recognisable as a wide trailer from behind, not just a bike.

It also comes with a fluorescent flag that you can mount on either side. 

The metal frame of the trailer feels strong, safe and robust, but does scratch easily. 

Folding down the Cube Double CMPT Trailer

There’s no ignoring the fact that as a double trailer the Cube CMPT takes up a lot of space.

However, you can fold it down using a mechanism inside the luggage compartment. This flattens the trailer so it’s not encroaching on your space too much.

If you need to make it narrower you can also remove the quick release wheels and store those on top of the trailer body.

Thoughts from the Sprog

The girls could climb in and out of the trailer independently which meant that Mum and Dad could get on with packing everything for the ride: "It's a sofa", "sit on the sofa". 

The large side windows were great, giving them good visibility and they were commenting on the things they could see.

Overall verdict

The Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT trailer has many great features and details, but most importantly the girls enjoyed the ride. The large windows meant they were really engaged with the journey and their surroundings.

The rear cargo area is useful to hold everything you need for a day out including those ‘just in case’ layers but will also prove valuable if you’re planning a multi-day bike pack adventure.

The small niggles and lack of easy strolling mode reminded us this trailer is not a high-end all-the-bells-and-whistles trailer, but its range of features and durable design would make this a good buy that we would recommend if you are planning to use it for predominantly riding or running.

Comparison between the Cube Kids Trailer Double CMPT and Burley D'lite X

Our review family invested in their own Burley D’lite X trailer when the girls were little, using this trailer for quite some time before putting the Cube CMPT trailer to the test.

We have asked them to compare the trailers, so you can see easily the pros and cons of each trailer.

The Cube trailer RRP is £699.99 and the Burley D’lite X RRP is £879.00. The price difference is worth noting when comparing the two, as the Cube trailer will have fewer high-end features.

Cube’s features that are better than the Burley D'lite X: 

• The central positioning of the trailer means its more intuitive to ride and know where the trailer is sitting, meaning less chance of clipping the wheel on a curb. 
• The windows are larger than the Burley, meaning the girls are more engaged with the rides and can see around them and even right down to the ground. 
• The Schwalbe tyres have great grip, big volume and feel very durable- we didnt get any punctures! 
• The rear compartment is bigger and the internal pocket can fit a lot more which helps organisation and keeps the essential things more accessible.
• The assembly is easier to pop up the main body. The Burley requires strong thumbs to pop into place.

What we prefer on the Burley D’lite X:

• The suspension on the Burley can be used comfortably off-road/trails. 
• The hitch feels more secure (flexible rubber as opposed to a spring on the Cube) and the securing pin has a metal clip as opposed to a rubber strap. We don't get the same 'pulsing' while riding with the Burley as we did the Cube.
• The side pockets on the Burley are positioned further forward than the Cube. This positioning ensures that nothing digs into the sides of the children but still easily reachable by 2+ year olds. 
• The handle on the Burley is easily adjustable one-handed
• The hooks at the bottom of the screen on the Burley are a little fiddly but are very secure and the tightness can be adjusted and stop the front from being kicked open by little feet.
• The floor on the Burley is deeper than the Cube, allowing for more comfortable leg position and room. The depth helps to prevent toys/wellies from being kicked out.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• How to hitch a bike trailer- a simple guide
• Best electric longtail cargo bikes to carry kids
• How to start cycling with a small child in a bike seat, cargo bike or trailer
• The best kids bike trailers
• Help! I’d like to cycle with my toddler in a child seat on the back of my bike
• Trailers & towing
• The best front bike seats for toddlers and young children
• How to carry your kids by bike
• Cube Acid 240 Disc mountain bike review