The 6 Cargobike Brands of 2024

Cargo bikes have taken over the world, or at least our world. They are primarily popular in Europe, but you can see there is a market for them worldwide. In this article, we will explore the best and most well-known cargo bike brands. And although longtails are also cargobikes, we have split those longtail-specific brands into a separate article.

This article include well-known bike brands that have produced a cargo bike variant, as well as specialized cargo bike brands. The latter emerged when the popularity of cargo bikes began to rise.

We notice that established brands opt for quality within a tried-and-tested design, while newcomers compete for a spot by developing innovative features and properties for their cargo bikes.

Best Cargo Bike Brands

Urban Arrow

Urban Arrow has practically positioned itself as the pioneer. Cargo bikes existed, but Urban Arrow gained popularity by introducing their first popular electric cargo bike, even before many other cargo bike brands existed.

The Urban Arrow cargo bike is known as the OG cargo bike and is still one of the better cargo bikes on the market. With the Urban Arrow, the standard was set; every new model is compared to it, either being better or worse than the Urban Arrow.

Although this brand was a pioneer, they are now gradually fading into the background due to the enormous growth of cargo bikes. Their earlier innovative model has since been surpassed. Everyone makes a similar variant, and Urban Arrow has not innovated.

Since they already have a large market within B2C individuals, they now focus with their new designs, the Tender and the Shorty, primarily on B2C business or business cargo bikes. Just like ten years ago, when they predicted that individuals would start biking electrically, they now think this also applies to businesses and are fully capitalizing on it.

Riese & Müller

It should come as no surprise that Riese & Müller claims a spot on the list of the best cargo bike brands.

Although they belong to the absolute top segment — the highest price segment — an incredibly large number of Riese & Müller cargo bikes have been sold. Among traditional brands, they are the first and most prominent to fully commit to the cargo bike segment. This includes cargo bikes, long-john cargo bikes without a box, but also longtail bikes with their Multicharger and recently the Multitinker.

Riese & Müller’s cargo bikes cater to various types of use. They have the Transporter for transport, the Packster2 mainly for carrying children or city use, and the Load4 with a suspended frame — something others have not yet emulated.

With the latest Riese & Müller Carrie, they are now also targeting city cargo bikes. This compact cargo bike is the first real challenger to Muli, one of the first compact cargo bikes.

Riese & Müller clearly recognizes the importance of cargo bikes. We also see that cargo bikes are gaining popularity and appearing in the streets in Germany. This might even make Riese & Müller the best cargo bike brand.

CA GO

The German brand is also a notable newcomer among cargo bike brands. They focus exclusively on cargo bikes and strive to adapt their products for the premium segment. They always guarantee innovative and groundbreaking features.

With their CS version, they have even designed an entirely new type of cargo bike. Their cargo bike, the FS, is known for its high quality but especially for its innovative design of the box. It is specially designed to be as safe as possible and survive a crash test.

Their frame is incredibly robust. Their box is exceptionally strong. And there are additional options available to make it even safer. This allows Ca Go to find a niche in the cargo bike market — focusing on parents, children, and safety, high quality, and comfort. Of course, you need to be able to afford them.

Larry vs Harry

If you really know something about cargo bikes, you’ve undoubtedly come across the Larry vs. Harry Bullet.

The Bullet or the e-Bullet, this cargo bike is surprisingly often purchased in a non-electric version. The Bullet is a bike that has reached a cult status and is essentially the simplest cargo bike you can buy. Initially a flatbed, but you can also mount a box on it.

The e-Bullet is the epitome of how simple a cargo bike can be — simple in design, yet still excellent in riding comfort. Thanks to its light and minimalist design, it rides easily, even in its non-electric version. A no-nonsense cargo bike. A favorite for those who don’t want a typical Urban Arrow design.

The Larry vs. Harry design also seems to be becoming the standard or base for gravel cargo bikes. In any case, it should not be missing from the list of the best cargo bike brands — or we might have a dispute with a whole group of early adopters.

Lovens

A relatively new brand, but certainly not unknown in the cycling market. Part of Optima Cycles, Lovens focuses on high-quality Dutch-designed cargo bikes. They might be the major challenger to Urban Arrow, with a similar design, making them a direct competitor. But as they also target the absolute premium segment, especially based on their attractive design, safe and high-quality components, they are also a competitor to Riese & Müller.

Be aware, though, that with the Cargo One cargo bike by Tenways, another newcomer is drawing attention. This one targets a lower price segment, slightly threatening Urban Arrow’s dominance.

Lovens has multiple versions of the same cargo bike. For now, they definitely deserve a spot here. They recently won the IF Design Awards 2024 with their S8-5.

Winther

With Urban Arrow, we have already mentioned an OG — an inventor, long engaged with cargo bikes, even before the term became mainstream. But there is another such brand. Winther has been designing and producing safe cargo bikes for over 25 years.

Not the most famous or best cargo bike brand, but certainly one that should not be forgotten. Their latest models are still top of the line and compete for certain segments. They make three-wheeled cargo bikes and focus mainly on safe transportation.

Transporting children from 1 to 4 — and 4 children is quite a lot compared to the standard two-wheeled cargo bike where three children is the absolute maximum. But not only children, they also have special seats for dogs and for older people or as care bikes, as seen with Bike Republic focusing on care bikes in Diest. Winther is often recommended here as well.

Bike Brands with a Cargo Bike in Their Range

For now, these are the most well-known cargo bike brands that come to mind or deserve to be on this list. Cargo bikes are relatively new, and for newer brands, it is also a bit more challenging to demonstrate their value.

Which cargo bikes might be missing here? Well, there are still many good brands or models. Many well-known bike brands now also include a cargo bike in their range. Think of Cannondale, Cube, Kettler, and many others.

Cube, the German brand, has also designed a simple cargo bike that is not the best, but offers good value for a low price based on its price-quality ratio. Cube may not be the best cargo bike brand, but they have brought a model to the market that will appeal to many people.

Additionally, there are some innovative brands, new innovative brands, such as Douze, Carqon, Muli, or Velo de Ville, which have excellent or special two-wheeled cargo bikes.

Three-Wheeled Cargo Bike Brands

Among the three-wheelers, the cargo bike from CHIKE and Butchers & Bicycles with their special steering mechanisms also stand out. They further innovate the market and provide new concepts.

They also lay the groundwork for new brands that can think even further with the development of these innovations and bring more innovations to the market.

Our Opinion on the Best Cargo Bike Brands

When choosing a cargo bike, you need to consider various factors. The brand gives you an indication of the expected quality, lifespan, and durability of the materials used, but it also tells you something about after-sales service and the ease of maintaining and repairing the cargo bike.

For example: if you buy a cargo bike with an unknown motor, it will be difficult to repair, or a bike shop might make things difficult, charge more, or even refuse service. If you choose a model with a typical Bosch motor, then all bike shops that sell Bosch will be able to work on it. You might pay more at the time of purchase, but think about the long-term use.

Besides the brand, the model is also important.

Riese & Müller is an expensive brand; their cheapest cargo bike is a good base, but perhaps a new brand, which doesn’t yet have that brand reputation and for which you pay a small extra price, offers more value for money. Of course, after-sales service plays a role again, so you need to consider this carefully.

A final point is highly personal, as your choice of cargo bike depends not only on the brand and model but also on your needs, your route, your use. Whether you are very small or very large, heavier or very light, all these factors influence your choice.