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Aosom Wanderer Review

This burly and affordable trailer is too heavy for the long haul, but useful around town
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aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review
The detachable front and back side walls of this trailer make it easy to load and unload large and very heavy objects by yourself. This log maxed out the weight capacity of 110 pounds.
Credit: Kat Elliott
Price:  $190 List
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Manufacturer:   Aosom
By Katherine Elliott and Brian Martin  ⋅  Aug 24, 2021
70
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#4 of 8
  • Capacity - 30% 9.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 7.0
  • Ease of Towing - 20% 6.0
  • Smoothness of Ride - 20% 5.0
  • Versatility - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

We spent months loading the Aosom Wanderer bike cargo trailer with everything from groceries to large logs for the fireplace. The option for removing the front or the back of the trailer made getting larger heavier items like wood or large coolers into the trailer easy and effortless. The sturdy build and frame design gave us peace of mind while pulling heavier cargo to and from our destinations. If you need a sturdy, reliable cargo hauler, then the Aosom Wanderer might be the right choice for you. It also comes at a very nice price for what you get, something no one is going to complain about. Check out how it compares to the competition in our article on the best bike cargo trailers.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to assemble
Spring loaded connection on the hitch allows for good tracking behind the bike
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Plastic bottom rattles when using empty
Heavy
Axle mount for the trailer has a tendency to rotate forward due to the torque from the weight

Compare to Similar Products

 
aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review
This Product
Aosom Wanderer
Awards Best Buy Award Top Pick Award    
Price $190 List
$115.99 at Amazon
$300 List
$299.95 at Amazon
$150 List
$149.99 at Amazon
$200 List
$129.99 at Amazon
$160 List
$108.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line This model is a bit heavy, but its an excellent valueA large carrying capacity makes this trailer quite versatile and uniqueAn around town trailer that assembles quickly and proved to work well as a grocery getter or while out doing some greenway trail steward cleanupNot recommended for epic bike touring adventures, but this trailer is an excellent around-town optionWhile this trailer isn't the most refined, it is extremely affordable compared to the rest of the field and will get the job done
Rating Categories Aosom Wanderer Burley Design Flatbed Schwinn Day Tripper Retrospec Rover Hauler Aosom Elite II
Capacity (30%)
9.0
9.0
6.0
6.0
7.0
Ease of Use (20%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
7.0
Ease of Towing (20%)
6.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
Smoothness of Ride (20%)
5.0
7.0
5.0
6.0
4.0
Versatility (10%)
7.0
9.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
Specs Aosom Wanderer Burley Design Flatbed Schwinn Day Tripper Retrospec Rover Hauler Aosom Elite II
Capacity 110 lbs 100 lbs 50 lbs 80 lbs 88 lbs
Weight 30 lbs 14.5 lbs 18.5 lbs 20.1 lbs 34.6 lbs
Number of Wheels 2 2 2 2 2
Size (when open, L x W x H) 57" x 27.6" x 19.2" 33" x 16.1" x 30.9" 25" x 16.5" x 10" 27" x 24.5" x 20" 35" x 33" x 25"
Wheel Size 16" 16" 16" 16" 20"
Access into Trailer Top Top Top Top Top
Cover Protection None None Weatherproof cover Weatherproof cover Weatherproof cover
Attachment to Bike Aosom Type 'B' Bike Trailer Universal Hitch Coupler Forged Hitch Forged Steel Hitch Forged Steel Hitch Forged Steel Hitch

Our Analysis and Test Results

If you are looking for a heavy hauler and are on a budget, then the Aosom Wanderer is going to make your life of transporting and hauling heavy items much easier. Founded in 2007, the Aosom brand has steadily made a name for themselves in the outdoor world, especially with their inexpensive and durable bike trailers. The Wanderer has the highest weight carrying capacity of all the models we tested at 110 pounds. With its sturdy steel construction and its specially strengthened solid PE bottom, this trailer can handle almost any load and is a very versatile option for your hauling needs.

Performance Comparison


aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review - along with its low price, we appreciate the large carrying capacity...
Along with its low price, we appreciate the large carrying capacity of this model.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Capacity


The first thing we noticed about the Aosom Wanderer is its similar design to the Burley Flatbed but at a much lower price point. The front and back easily detach and allow for more room and larger objects to be loaded on the trailer.


The Wanderer has one of the highest-rated weight carrying capacities of all the models we tested, coming in at 110 pounds. The dimensions inside are approximately 57" long x 27.6" wide x 19.2" high, but when you add the fact that you can remove the front and back panels, you can add a lot more than those dimensions call for.

aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review - the detachable front and back side walls of this trailer make it...
The detachable front and back side walls of this trailer make it easy to load and unload large and very heavy objects by yourself. This log maxed out the weight capacity of 110 pounds.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Ease of Use


The Wanderer has a fairly easy initial setup, and since it is a two-wheeled bike cargo trailer, you can easily mount it when it is fully loaded with just one person. It comes disassembled in five pieces with easy-to-follow instructions. It only took us about 30 minutes to get the trailer assembled and ready for the trails, but we noticed that both the connections for the back tires were a little bent. This made installing the tires a little difficult, but they rolled and worked just fine once installed.


We highly recommend you tighten down all four reflectors when you first get this trailer, as ours managed to fall off within a few minutes of use. The Wanderer comes with the Aosom type B universal hitch coupler, which mounts directly to your back hub and allows for easy attachment. When hauling really heavy loads, you need to be aware and adjust the tire pressure in the two trailer tires to avoid getting a flat. The tires that the trailer comes with are not of the best design. We found through trial and error that when hauling larger, heavier loads, you should make sure to have a higher psi in the trailer tires than you would if the trailer is empty. Under-inflation is one of the leading causes of trailer tire failure, so make sure you inflate them properly before loading up.

The Aosom Wanderer arrived disassembled with all it's parts and...
The Aosom Wanderer arrived disassembled with all it's parts and included and easy to follow instructions.
Attaching this trailer to your bike is quick and easy and comes with...
Attaching this trailer to your bike is quick and easy and comes with an extra safety strap that can put your mind at ease when towing heavy items.

Ease of Towing


The Wanderer comes with a type B universal hitch coupler that allows you to mount the trailer quickly and easily to your back hub through the skewer. It also has a spiny loaded mechanism that allows for extra movement when making a sharp turn or loading and unloading the trailer to your bike. One thing we noticed right away was how heavy the trailer is by itself. It weighs around 30 pounds when empty, so if you have never pulled a trailer before, this can take a little getting used to.



We enjoyed how the hitch allowed the trailer to move free from our bike, and we were able to come out of our seat on the uphills without worry of tipping the trailer or ourselves. That said, we don't recommend loading more than 50 pounds in the Wanderer unless you have to or are traveling just a short distance. After 50 pounds, the handling and overall maneuverability become impaired and a little hard to handle — so you'll want to make sure that your cargo is secured properly. Through testing, we also observed that when fully loaded, the already hefty trailer is extremely hard to get rolling. Stopping is also very unsteady with a very heavy load.

We like that you can undo the back or front cargo rails so large or misshapen objects can fit in the trailer easily. However, one of the faults of the Wanderer is that when traveling with the trailer empty, the amount of noise that is created from the plastic bottom and the rattling of the loose cargo rails becomes really annoying. We found that carrying a few bungees to secure the rails when empty was a big help with noise restriction.

aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review - getting started towing almost 140 lbs can be a little challenging...
Getting started towing almost 140 lbs can be a little challenging, but once you are moving this trailer handles with ease.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Smoothness of Ride


The Wanderer has a lot of features that make it a great bike cargo trailer at an even better price point. Unfortunately, a smooth ride when the trailer is empty is not one of them.


As mentioned above, we noticed through testing that this trailer is very loud and rickety, especially when traveling off-road or over bumps. An easy way to remedy this problem was to put something in the trailer and tie it down. It handled really well when fully loaded and cut back on the noise too.

aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review - the folded down sidewalls of the aosom wanderer make it easy to...
The folded down sidewalls of the Aosom Wanderer make it easy to transport large objects and greatly resembles the Burley Design Flatbed, but for quite a bit less money.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Versatility


If you have large or misshapen cargo, you can remove the front or back gates on the Wanderer. The one downside with this feature is that you can not remove both at the same time, or you will lose the integrity of the side walls. But having the option to remove one or the other does make this a versatile key feature for loading and unloading harder to handle cargo.


This design also allows for easy space-saving storage. The hitch folds under the bottom of the frame, and the sides all easily collapse. Fitting this trailer into a small corner of the garage or the back of your car is no problem at all.

aosom wanderer bike cargo trailer review - attaching the front wall takes only seconds and secures with a...
Attaching the front wall takes only seconds and secures with a quick-release pin making it easy to use, especially on solo adventures.
Credit: Kat Elliott


Value


The Wanderer has a market price that is substantially below most of the other trailers we tested. The sturdy build and design make this a great purchase for shorter trips around town at a great value. Probably most impactful is the ample size and carrying capacity of this trailer. It was rated as having the highest payload capacity in our lineup and feels incredibly capable of hauling the stated 110 pounds. The trailer is heavy and likely would feel as if you were dragging a boat anchor on longer rides, but it is durable and highly capable for shorter urban objectives.

Conclusion


With a reasonable cost and an all-around sturdy and solid build, the Aosom Wanderer took home our Best Buy award. If you are on a budget and need a great trailer for hauling cargo around town, this trailer is a great choice.

Katherine Elliott and Brian Martin