As with all the trailers in this test, with the Bumper you get a hitching point that you can leave on the bike, clamped in place on the rear dropout by the skewer, and a fully articulating joint on the end of the towing arm which means that even if you and your bike fall over, the trailer will stay upright.
The ride is not the smoothest, as the only suspension your little one will enjoy is from the air in the 1.75in tyres on the 16in wheels and the give in the stretcher seat – the tautness of which can be adjusted with straps depending on the weight of your child.
Inside, there's a five-point harness with height-adjustable shoulder straps for growing babies and a nicely padded gusset to keep the little one from wriggling down the trailer. You also get two drink bottle holders, a rear-opening meshed vent behind the child's head, fold up fly screen and windscreen, high visibility reflective strips all round and, of course, a safety flag. There is a decent shopping-bag sized open pocket on the back of the trailer too.
The transition from trailer to stroller is quick and easy – unhitch, move trolley wheel from its handy storage fixing place on the towing arm to the centre of the bumper, unclip and swivel the hinged towing arm underneath the trailer and reclip, then unfold and retighten the stroller handle at a comfortable height. And stroll… Just don't forget to lock up your bike properly in all the excitement.
For storage or transport, with the unclipping of one safety catch the Bumper will fold down into a suitcase sized oblong roughly 2ft square and then fit in any reasonable car boot – even with the wheels still on. Weak back? Don't worry – because even though it's made out of fairly robust steel and sturdy nuts and bolts, being only a single makes the Bumper no heavier than a decent sized pushchair.
What's more, if you do leave the wheels on, there's nothing to take off before or after folding – apart from your shopping, and of course your child…
Two kids or twins? The Bumper Explorer Duo is just £139.99, which also includes the handle and stroller wheel. What a bargain!