Bike Seat or Trailer?

Just a little different perpective: I had a trailer and my son hated it bc he couldn't see what was going on, couldn't talk to me while riding, and you could not fit 2 kids in the one I had. I think you would have to specifically buy a double trailer if you wanted that option. Also, just another thing to think about, by the time he was 3 we got a trail a bike bc he was more interested in participating in riding rather than just tagging along. I am buying a seat for my littlest one this time around, as we sold the trailer as fast as we could.

Given your daughter's age and size, I'd say trailer for all the reasons people have already mentioned: safer, can be used as a stroller, may be used for more than one child, will accommodate her longer.

But I will say that when my son was smaller, we really loved the front bike seat. I loved being able to see and talk to him while I was riding. Unfortunately, my daughter refuses to get in it at all. :(

We have both. The seat was a present and the trailer we got from craigslist. We use the trailer for when my husband takes our son to daycare on the bike and the seat for when we ride around the neighborhood for fun, like looking at Christmas lights.

I fell out of a bike seat as a kid and got a serious head injury. Now, I was not strapped in and had no helmet on.
But I still feel a trailer is safer.
Have fun on the bike!

I'd go with the trailer. While storage isn't as easy for it, you are able to fit more then one child (future planning) and they seem much more comofrtable in that. we had the seat with my first son and he is tall for his age. So the weight wasn't the issues, his legs were too long for it much quicker then I had anticipated.

We have used the trailer for both our kids and it's been great - just used it today, in fact. We just ride around our neighborhood on sidewalks or paved bike paths though, but it is nice to have a place to put those things you mentioned that you need for a little one.

In the winter, we put hooks into the roof of the garage and stored it that way. Although, it does take up quite a bit of space.

Have you considered a Trailgator? It hooks the kid bike up to your adult bike, but has their front wheel off the ground so they can't try and steer anywhere. Then when you get to your destination you can unhook their bike and they can bike around on their own. The bar that attached the two bikes folds down on your bike.

trailer, to me its a little safer

I had this same issue when my son was about that age (maybe a little younger). You can find stats either direction regarding safety as well, so ultimately you just have to make sure you use wichever one you choose in the safest way possible.

I ended up getting a trailer for a 2 main reasons.

1) Getting a child and then adult onto a bike with seat SHOULD be a two adult job. (the kickstand shouldn't be holding the child up while you get yourself situated... they aren't made for that and bikes can topple that way). Since I didn't regularly have another adult to help me, I decided against it.

2) Convenience... I used the bike and trailer for grocery store trips, daycare drop-off, and work commute. The trailer and it's trunk made those trips possible in a way that the seat wouldn't have.

If you get a trailer just make sure you always have the flag up, and be sure she's always wearing a helmet :)

I have used both. I had to move from the seat to the trailer when I had a second child. The trailer is very easy to handle, as well as easy to attach and detach. My trailer also worked as a stroller. I still use the trailer, even though my kids are too big for it. We can ride our bikes to soccer, or the park or to see fireworks etc, and I can carry our chairs, sporting equipment and picnic in the trailer.