Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer review: A family touring essential

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We are excited to see how the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer would fare on a fully loaded family adventure. In this review, we’ll cover our experiences using the Nomad during a week-long cycle tour in France, including first impressions, ride performance, capacity, and comparisons to other trailers.

If you're planning a cycle tour or hoping to do the weekly food shop by bike, it can be tricky to know the best way to carry everything you need by bike, especially if you're cycling as a family. Cargo trailers are designed to carry it all, from carrying family camping supplies to your family's weekly food shop.

Disclosure: Cycle Sprog was sent the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer 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.

Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer scores

Quality - 5/5 - A top of the range cargo trailer.
Weight - 4/5 - Very lightweight, robust design.
Value for money - 3/5 - Lightweight, robust design comes with a high price tag.
Customisability - 4/5 - Good range of accessories available, including a luggage rack and off-road suitable wheels.
Resale value - 4/5- A reputable brand and high build quality.

Final verdict - The Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer is a simple, well-designed, and effective solution for carrying everything a family needs while cycle touring.

Find out more about the Cycle Sprog review process

About our reviewers:

We’re a family of five with a five-year-old boy and one-year-old twin girls. Our riding habits range from daily commutes and town runs to leisurely weekend rides, mountain biking, and touring.

For this review, we used the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer during a family cycle tour in the beautiful Loire Valley in France. We started in Blois and rode to Tours over five days, camping each night and taking full advantage of the area’s fantastic cycling network. Our route included riverside paths, rolling countryside, charming villages, and visits to châteaux, with campsites that welcomed cyclists and catered well for families.

Daily distances ranged from 15 to 25 miles, perfect for plenty of stops, snacks, and explorations without exhausting the little ones. We carried two smaller tents to allow for easy bedtime routines, which helped everyone get the rest they needed. Despite initial concerns about daily pack-ups, it turned out to be exciting to hit the road each morning, and keeping the rides short made for a fun and enjoyable holiday.

Burley brand overview

Burley is a well-established name in the world of bike trailers, with a strong reputation for quality and innovation. Based in Eugene, Oregon, they’ve been designing and building trailers for over 40 years, originally starting as a bike-based business hauling handmade goods to market.

Today, their product range includes some of the best kids bike trailers, as well as pet trailers, cargo trailers, and accessories. Each model is designed with thoughtful features and durability in mind, whether you're commuting, adventuring, or simply getting your shopping done.

Cycle Sprog has previously reviewed the Burley D’Lite X and loved it, so we were excited to see how the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer would fare on a fully loaded family adventure.

First impressions of the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer

The Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer made a strong first impression; it's lightweight, compact, and incredibly easy to assemble and collapse. It packs down small for car transport or storage, which is a big win for families trying to juggle kit.

We needed to use an extension bolt (supplied by Burley) to fit the hitch to our bike's hub type, but the installation was quick and self-explanatory, after reading Cycle Sprog’s How to hitch a bike trailer- a simple guide. Adjusting the straps and cover was also intuitive, with plastic loop clips on each corner that hook securely.

The water-resistant cover is permanently fixed to the frame along the centre, likely to prevent it from going missing. While this gives peace of mind, it does mean it can’t be completely removed, which makes packing slightly less flexible.

Riding with the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer

We’ve used larger child bycycle trailers in the past, so pulling the Nomad felt refreshingly light and straightforward. It tracks beautifully behind the bike, with no squeaks or rattles, and doesn’t impact riding stability.

Our route included tarmac cycleways, packed gravel, and bumpier off-road sections. The Nomad handled them all with ease. Its low, wide build gives it impressive stability, even when loaded and moving at speed. The 16” wheels are large enough to roll over bumps and minor obstacles without issue.

How much storage space does the Burley Nomad have?

In terms of capacity, Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer is massive! We managed to pack five sleeping bags and mats, clothes for all of us, cooking gear, nappies, two pillows, and strapped our tent on top. The only downside is that the cover has no give, so if overfilled, it may not seal properly. If you're expecting rain, it’s worth keeping things tidy inside and strapping waterproof items (like tents) on top.

One morning, I overloaded it slightly and noticed a rubbing noise; the sides had bulged and were grazing the wheel, which started to wear a small hole in the fabric. I quickly repacked and patched it, but I would recommend the optional luggage rack for the top for better load distribution next time.

Compared to panniers, a trailer like the Nomad offers a much more relaxed riding experience. It does increase your turning circle slightly, but we still managed to navigate through numerous cycle barriers with ease.

How does the Burley Nomad compare to other trailers

We’ve previously used child trailers from Croozer and the Thule Chariot Cross. The Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer feels slimmer and lower to the ground, which makes for tidier handling and better balance.

The Burley hitch system, featuring a cylindrical pin that allows side-to-side movement, initially gave us pause, especially compared to Thule’s ball-and-socket hitch that offers full directional movement. However, in practice, the Nomad performed perfectly, with no issues navigating corners or rough terrain and still allowed us to lie the bike down on the floor with the trailer still hitched.

Top tips for cycle touring as a family

Cycle touring with children comes with challenges, not least the sheer volume of kit required. We’ve previously used front and rear panniers, but once a child seat is installed, panniers can become awkward or inaccessible. A trailer offers a simpler and safer way to carry gear, but it does end up being a heavy load to tow by one rider.

On this trip, we used the Nomad for items we didn’t need during the day, packing things like sleeping gear and a tent. Quick-access items (jackets, snacks, etc.) went in the back compartment of the child trailer. We did use a couple of panniers for food shopping, buying as we went to keep weight down. That said, due to a public holiday, we ended up carrying extra supplies for a couple of days riding.

Overall verdict of the Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer

The Burley Nomad Cargo Trailer is a simple, well-designed, and effective solution for carrying everything a family needs while cycle touring. It’s light, stable, and spacious, and it made our tour much more enjoyable than juggling heavy panniers.

Would we recommend it? Absolutely. It’s not flashy, but it does everything it needs to do. We’d be curious to compare it with a single-wheeled cargo trailer in the future, but for now, the Nomad has definitely earned its place in our family touring setup.

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