If you already own a bicycle, an additional trailer is a relatively inexpensive and particularly flexible way to transport children — which has already been discussed in detail in the article Cargo bike vs. bicycle trailer. And since we had another baby at the beginning of the year, it was now the perfect opportunity to test such a trailer in detail in everyday family life. The choice fell on the Croozer Kid Vaaya 2 — the top model from Croozer with two seats.

Design

When looking for a good-looking bike trailer, you can hardly get past the models from Croozer: with the Kid Vayaa (and the somewhat cheaper, but formally identical Kid Keeke), they offer a trailer with an appealing shape and attractive color combination — here in Jungle Green with a pleasant mix of different shades of green and materials. The color theme is also continued on the inside, and there are also color-matching accessories.

The cabin is framed at the front by a solid aluminum bumper, while the black handlebar with integrated LED light forms the rear end. At the front and sides, the large window surfaces take up most of the space, while at the rear a closed cover protects against prying eyes in the trunk. All openings on the trailer are kept largely invisible with Velcro, which additionally contributes to the clean lines and clean look of the trailer.

Equipment

On board as standard

As the name suggests, the Kid Vaaya 2 can transport two children. We chose this model for two reasons: firstly, our older daughter, at five years old, wanted to enjoy being chauffeured, and secondly, the single-seater model is just 8 cm narrower and only about 2 kg lighter than the two-seater. Croozer itself states 117 cm as the maximum passenger height, the total load is 45 kg. The trailer itself weighs 18 kg unloaded.

The two seats are each equipped with a 5-point harness and extra padding for the head. Similar to a hammock, each seat is fixed only at the ends, allowing it to adapt to the body in between. Good temperature regulation while sitting is ensured by the breathable climatex material, and additional comfort is provided by the special suspension of the 20-inch tires: Croozer’s AirPad system automatically adjusts to the weight of the load and simultaneously cushions and damps the trailer.

The cabin cover has a roll-up window, under which there is an air-permeable mesh fabric. Those who like it quite airy can also leave both covers open.

The rear flap closes the extremely spacious trunk, which has a capacity of 52 liters — so you can fit quite a bit in here! Furthermore, there is a small bag in which the front jockey wheel can be stowed. This is also included in the standard equipment and serves to be able to use the trailer independently of the bike as a stroller. To avoid unintentional rolling away when stationary, the Vaaya has a parking brake on the right rear wheel.

The handlebar at the rear can be mounted in two positions (higher or lower) and houses an LED light system with motion sensor. White LEDs shine to the front and red LEDs to the rear, which significantly improves the visibility of the trailer in road traffic. In addition, of course, there is also at the Vaaya the typical flag — another such safety feature, which makes the low bike trailers a little better recognized by other drivers.

When used on a bicycle, the so-called hitch arm is included, which can be attached to the front of the trailer and then establishes the connection to the bicycle. The only requirement on the bike is a matching hitch: In the package of Croozer is included a universal hitch, therefore, which can be attached to the rear axle of the bicycle. Optionally, however, you can also mount a matching thru axle — one such already mounted on the Precede:ON test bike from Canyon shown here.

Wide range of accessories

And while we’re on the subject of options: Croozer offers an extremely extensive range of accessories that leaves hardly anything to be desired. In our case, the baby seat was at the top of the list: a flat-lying hammock that can be stretched over the actual seat and is supposed to be suitable for babies as young as 1 month old — we used it from the third month. The baby seat is equipped with its own harness system, and the breathable climatex cover is also used here. For toddlers between 10 and 20 months, there is also a seat support, which provides a slightly narrower and higher seating position. Regardless of age, the optional sunshade makes sense, and there’s a high-visibility rain cover in neon yellow for driving in the rain.

Handling

The handling of the trailer already starts with the setup. Since it is not used daily in our case, the Vaaya hangs on a wall in the storage room and is about 30 cm flat when folded. When needed, it is then simply taken off the wall and built up.

Assembly and disassembly

Only a few steps are required to set it up: the two wheels can be slipped on very easily and without tools and lock firmly into place on the trailer. For disassembly, it is sufficient to press the center of the wheel to unlock the quick-release fastener. The second step is to unfold the trailer. To do this, pull the metal frame in the trunk towards you until the brackets on the left and right of the folding joint click into place. This requires a little more effort at the beginning, as it also tightens the textile covering of the trailer. However, over time or after repeated use, the required force for this becomes less. Finally, only the hitch arm has to be attached to the trailer. This is inserted at an oblique angle from below and secured with a magnetic cotter pin.

If you want to convert the Vaaya into a stroller, you simply remove the tow bar and mount the front wheel — which also only needs to be plugged in. All in all, the trailer is very easy to assemble and disassemble, especially since the seats and the optional baby seat can remain in the trailer.

Similar to the setup, the connection to the bicycle is also solved in a very user-friendly way: the hitch arm is attached to the hitch on the bicycle, after which a securing strap must be passed around the seat stay of the frame. In addition, the hitch can be locked to protect the trailer from theft.

Kids and luggage

Let’s move on to the passenger compartment: Thanks to the large front opening, adults have easy access to the kids and reach the 5-point seatbelts for buckling up quite well. Only a clearer marking of the front and back of the seatbelt clips would be desirable, since they only snap in from one side.

As an adult, you can of course only make limited valid statements about the ride comfort from the outside. However, the feedback from the big daughter was positive and the baby mostly fell asleep on the trips — so it seems to have been comfortable for her as well 😉 The space is very good in length, but the shoulder room of the seats is limited. No problem for two different sized children, but for two children of the same size it could get a bit cramped.

In addition to the two seats, the Vaaya also offers plenty of storage space: There are small compartments on the sides of the interior where kids can stow various small items. The trunk, however, turns out to be a real space miracle, with which you are prepared for almost every trip: a large and fully packed backpack easily fits in here with several towels.

However, the optional sunshade is recommended for fair-weather tours with a lot of sunshine: the sun otherwise shines unhindered on the passengers through the trailer’s large front opening. However, the fiddly attachment of the sunshade with its small retaining clips is somewhat annoying here. The climatex covers of the seats, on the other hand, work great, as the kids were not excessively sweaty even after longer rides.

Use as a stroller

Apart from its use as a bicycle trailer, the Kid Vayaa 2 can also be used as a stroller. With the small and rotatable stroller wheel at the front, it can be handled easily in the city without requiring a lot of effort. Only on slopes you notice the weight of the stroller, especially when fully loaded. Here, you have to hold the handlebar tightly and would be grateful for a handbrake. The handlebar itself can be mounted in two positions depending on body size, but the handlebar has to be completely removed and turned around for this.

The LED lights in the push bar turned out to be a real highlight: They shine brightly and are highly visible, and they also offer a standlight function and light up even when you’re waiting at a traffic light. However, if the integrated sensor detects no movement over a longer period of time, it switches the light off completely. With a simple push of a button it can then be reactivated and recharged via a permanently connected USB cable (for example with a powerbank). Unfortunately, however, this short cable has no proper place and you somehow stuff it under the cover of the trunk. But this is only a minor issue, just like the fiddly threading of the neon-orange flag.

Conclusion

Tested and recommended: after half a year, the conclusion for the Croozer Kid Vayaa 2 is throughout positive. It seems that Croozer has put a lot of thought into making this trailer as easy to use as possible, because it scores well in this respect every time it is assembled and disassembled, as well as when it is connected to the bike. The fact that all parts can be connected precisely and stably confirms the impression that kids are in safe hands here.

In addition, the Vaaya also scores points in everyday use with its suspension, good seats — which also applies to the optional baby seat in particular — and its practical trunk. The materials used are functional and of high quality, and the clear design is convincing anyway.

The trailer was primarily used for excursions in good weather on paved roads, rarely also as a stroller in the city. Apart from minor issues, such as the fiddly sunshade or the loose light cable, there was hardly anything to complain about.

The Kid Vaaya 2 is listed at Croozer itself with a price of 1,150 euros, but the retail price is sometimes significantly lower. In addition to the Jungle Green version shown here, the model is also available in blue-gray Graphite Blue, in each case as a single or two-seater. The Kid Keeke model in gray, which is largely identical in construction, is even slightly cheaper, but you have to do without the LED lights in the handlebar and the breathable seat covers.