I had an InStep trailer which I used for 3 years (daughter's second, third, and fourth years of life). It worked. It was pretty beat after being used many times a week in all weather, but I think the safety and durability were better than I expected from the bottom of the market offering. The double size is great because you can carry a stuff alongside the kid.

Those trailer type bicycle things only worked marginally for me. They're decent for when the child is very young, as it shields them from rain and wind. But when the kid gets a little bigger, like 1.5 years and up, I've always rocked the bike seat that's attached to the bike, at the level of the rider. Like this. 

This isn't me, by the way. I'm much cuter. 

This is because it feels safer to me. Those trailers are cumbersome, and you don't have as much control on curves. They also aren't all that visible because they are down so low. Also, I like to chat with my kid while I'm riding, and I know that my kid likes to look around. The trailer style encloses them and they can't see the sights or feel the wind, you know?

The "Co-Pilot" bike seats are under $100. 

Happy riding. I've been biking with my kids for years and I love, love, love it. 

Sounds like you are doing the right thing by looking at reviews on Amazon. Many trailers also are built so that when you, the bicycle rider, tips over the trailer does not. The linked trailer seems to satisfy that concern.

It sounds like the original poster already bought the trailer, but I'm another rider who endorses the idea of an on-bike solution for kid-riding.

Aside from the Co-Pilot suggested by another poster, there's also long-tail technology like xtracycle. As for price, things are always cheaper when used, and you can browse the usual suspects to look for used bike seats or xtracycle components.

The advantages in my mind of a kid-on-bike solution:

* the bike still rides like a bike.
* the kid is closer to you, so conversation is easier. I have my rear view mirror set so I can see the kid easily.
* the kid is at more like regular riding height, so when they're ready for riding themselves, they're used to the feeling of leaning around turns, seeing things at traffic level, etc.

You don't get the pulling and pushing and yanking you get when towing a trailer. A trailer pushes you when you're trying to brake and pulls you backward when trying to accelerate. A trailer also is generally wider than the bike, so an obstruction you thought you cleared, such as a steel post keeping cars off a bike trail may ram your trailer.

The only 'safety' related thing I've ever heard claimed against a kid-on-bike solution is that if you dump the bike over, the kid goes over with the bike. In my case, I'm using an xtracycle seat with a five-point harness, and the seat has a plastic edge going around all sides. And in my personal opinion, the odds of flipping a trailer are higher because it's wider than the bike, and therefore easier to accidentally catch on a curb or something.