# Arm's Reach Co-sleeper - which one to buy??



## milopup (Oct 24, 2006)

For those who have the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper: what is the difference between the mini and the original?? How long can we expect to use the mini for (how old would the baby be) versus the original?

Thanks so much.


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## Valkyrie9 (Sep 29, 2006)

We have the mini because it was cheaper. DD is now almost 9 months old and she pretty much fills it from top to bottom. Not sure how long she is--I guess she is one Arm's Reach Mini CoSleeper long, huh?









And FWIW, it totally didn't work for us. DD wanted to be sleeping in my armpit, not in some contraption against the bed. It is a $130 changing table. And a short one, at that.


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## Valkyrie9 (Sep 29, 2006)

Oh, and another thing: if you have a tall bed, you need to buy the leg extensions, and they're stupidly expensive. Check into that before you buy.


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## afishwithabike (Jun 8, 2005)

I know that some furniture stores will sell seconds of these and they end up a little cheaper. Sometimes the local stores will throw the leg estensions in if you buy one more thing from them. I know somebody that got the sleeper and the sheets and they threw in the leg extensions. HTH.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

My 11 month old could easily fit in our original co-sleeper. We never used it, though--it was a big waste of money. Hooked it up to the bed and used it for storing laundry, while baby slept in the bed with us.


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## deditus (Feb 22, 2006)

I have the mini. It was great for middle of the night diaper changes. But that's all.


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## WhaleinGaloshes (Oct 9, 2006)

I had the mini and my baby used it when she was newborn. It was a good size for us (smallish room) and I'd buy it again if I had to do it over.

The sides are very low so IMO a baby couldn't be left alone (to nap or before mom comes to bed) in an Arm's Reach once they can get up to sitting by themselves (my daughter did this around 6 months.) The original converts to a play-yard setup with the bottom at floor level, so the baby could use it as a pack-n-play type crib once she can situp and pull up to stand, but then it's not very practical next to the bed anymore. For us, I don't think the orignal would have gotten used any more than the mini did.


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## babsbob (Nov 17, 2005)

I bought the larger size and it made a great night stand! And it sort of served as a bed rail. But DD wanted to sleep tummy to tummy with me.
I did use it as a play pen a couple of times and we took it to grandma's as a portable crib when she was only part-time co-sleeping.

I migth try to use it more with my next one - we'll see.


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## jessitron (Aug 9, 2004)

We have the original, and a pretty big baby, and I was glad we had the extra length. She might have outgrown it (not completely, but allowing a buffer at her head and feet) before learning to pull herself up otherwise.

But easy_goer, thanks for reminding me about that limitation. I want to replace our original with one that works for a lower bed, and this leans me toward the smaller version (the wooden one, in my case, rather than the Universal).


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## kimbeloo (Jul 3, 2005)

We have a mini and I would buy that size again if I was doing it over. Our daughter co-slept from day one, but it made a good bedrail (mostly to keep ME from falling out). I also used it for storage and occasional naps before she could sit up. I love the compartment underneath for clean diapers and clothes she hasn't grown into yet.


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## milopup (Oct 24, 2006)

Thanks so much for the replies. I am not in the US, so my mom went to Babies R Us to take a look at the co-sleeper for me, and she hated it.







She now really wants me to just buy a regular crib and sidecar it if need be, which I have zero idea of how to do.









Suggestions please??


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## zeldabee (Aug 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Valkyrie9* 
And FWIW, it totally didn't work for us. DD wanted to be sleeping in my armpit, not in some contraption against the bed. It is a $130 changing table. And a short one, at that.

Ditto for us. I ended up co-sleeping completely (still do) and my Arm's Reach became a cat bed, and a bin for extra linens or whatever I happened to be procrastinating with at the moment. It would have worked as a playpen, but Sprogly turned out not to be a playpen kind of a guy.


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## coobabysmom (Nov 16, 2005)

Ds slept in the mini until about 17LBs (4 mos).... then it started to bow, he started to pull up (it's pretty shallow and we were afraid he might go over the side) and finally we comfortable bringing him to our bed.


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## blueberrymama (Jun 13, 2005)

I borrowed a mini and it ended up being a night time changing table.
My best investment was a kids bed rail that I pulled up after I got in bed and then I didn't have to worry about him rolling off!


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## jessitron (Aug 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *milopup* 
Thanks so much for the replies. I am not in the US, so my mom went to Babies R Us to take a look at the co-sleeper for me, and she hated it.







She now really wants me to just buy a regular crib and sidecar it if need be, which I have zero idea of how to do.









Suggestions please??

Milopup, why is your mom's opinion so important? Do you trust her opinion that much, or can you not afford to buy what you need yourself, so are subject to her choices?
(Babies R Us carries cosleepers?)
They are a little ugly if you don't get the long liner, but no uglier than a pack 'n' play.

Oh, and I wanted to mention a bedrail alternative: the Tres Tria pillow from www.betterforbabies.com I love this pillow. I'm thinking about getting a second one before the next baby comes.


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## ccorrell (Nov 3, 2006)

if i had to do it over again, i would not have bought one. we hardly used it, except as storage/ very occasional changing table. a couple of times i tried putting little one to sleep in it, but after her first wake up, i'd bring her back, to be cuddled next me in bed. it just felt more natural that way.
i bought it before she was born. having it set up next to the bed helped me feel like i was being more prepared for baby's arrival (kind of like having a nursery set up). it was a nesting purchase.
once the reality of baby set in, it turned out to be money not well spent.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *milopup* 
Thanks so much for the replies. I am not in the US, so my mom went to Babies R Us to take a look at the co-sleeper for me, and she hated it.







She now really wants me to just buy a regular crib and sidecar it if need be, which I have zero idea of how to do.









Suggestions please??

That's what I plan on doing the send time around if need be--sidecarring a crib. I was so excited to get the Arm's Reach but a sidecar crib would have been much better. The high rails of the crib mean the baby won't outgrow the sidecar once he/she can pull up (the Arm's Reach has really low sides) and it would be flush with your bed. The Arm's Reach is slightly lower than the bed so you can't just slide the baby over.


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## lenore80 (May 21, 2005)

I like my original co-sleeper, the full size one. DD will sleep in it parttime during the night, and for her naps. I bought mine used for about 1/2 price, so it was worth it to me.


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## plantmama (Jun 24, 2005)

I also liked my original size one. Ds did take naps in it and it was a nice bed rail. A regular bed rail would have taken away some space instead of adding it.
Like others have said though, it quickly became a storage space (also nice!) When ds was old enough though I prefered sleeping with him between me and the wall or between me and dh.
We used a side car crib at inlaws and maybe it was the huge antique bed, but the crib was NOT at the same level as the bed.
I think either one works though (crib or cosleeper) as a nice bed rail with storage space


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## Isaac'sMa (Mar 13, 2006)

We have the mini, which I bought on consignment for about $75. It was a good deal for us. DS slept in it until he was about 6 months old. Well, he wasn't always IN it, but even when he was in our bed it made me feel better to know the co-sleeper was there to "catch" him if he rolled off (which he never did!)


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## jayayenay (Sep 28, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *milopup* 
Thanks so much for the replies. I am not in the US, so my mom went to Babies R Us to take a look at the co-sleeper for me, and she hated it.







She now really wants me to just buy a regular crib and sidecar it if need be, which I have zero idea of how to do.









Suggestions please??

We have our crib sidecarred, and I think that was the best solution for us. We planned on cosleeping from the beginning, but thought it would be a good idea to have a crib as backup in case baby didn't sleep well with us or something.

He does sleep with us & hasn't spent much sleep time in the crib (an hour or 2, I think?), but I do like having the crib. It gives me a safe place to put him down in case I need to take a 5-minute breather and regroup...and he enjoys playing in there when dh and I use the bed.







I also thought the crib would be good for naps, but he still takes every nap on my lap.

As for sidecarring methods, we've tried a couple different configurations. What worked best with our bed & room was to put the crib up against the wall and then push the bed right up next to it. We thought about fastening the legs of the crib to the legs of the bed with some kind of straps or maybe zip-ties, but we never needed to. I rolled up a large flannel blanket to cover the gap between the big mattress and the crib mattress (the mattresses ended up being just about the same height, so that worked well).

Once ds started to really get mobile, we just moved the mattress to the floor and kept the crib where it was. I have to be more vigilant now about checking to make sure the crib & mattress haven't slid apart, but that happens slowly and I still have the flannel blanket covering any gap.

The crib serves as my nightstand and toy collection spot for ds. In the mornings he likes to pull up on the side of the crib and walk back & forth and tumble on our bed.


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## cynde (Oct 30, 2006)

tres tria pillow - Just got one of these - will tell you after April how we end up using it but I like that it is organic cotton and natural latex. We looked at cosleeper but I don't think we will go that way. if we did we would replace the mattress since I am uncomfortable with all that vinyl next to baby

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jessitron* 
Milopup, why is your mom's opinion so important? Do you trust her opinion that much, or can you not afford to buy what you need yourself, so are subject to her choices?
(Babies R Us carries cosleepers?)
They are a little ugly if you don't get the long liner, but no uglier than a pack 'n' play.

Oh, and I wanted to mention a bedrail alternative: the Tres Tria pillow from www.betterforbabies.com I love this pillow. I'm thinking about getting a second one before the next baby comes.


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## milopup (Oct 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jessitron* 
Milopup, why is your mom's opinion so important? Do you trust her opinion that much, or can you not afford to buy what you need yourself, so are subject to her choices?
(Babies R Us carries cosleepers?)
They are a little ugly if you don't get the long liner, but no uglier than a pack 'n' play.

Oh, and I wanted to mention a bedrail alternative: the Tres Tria pillow from www.betterforbabies.com I love this pillow. I'm thinking about getting a second one before the next baby comes.


My mom's opinion is important to me because she has more experience than I do, I respect her judgement (she is not one to make any decisions without carefully weighing pros and cons), and frankly she has seen the co-sleeper in person and I have not.









I think I will sidecar a crib - found a great one that is not as large as a regular crib, but one that I will be able to use until baby is 2 years old.

Thanks for the replies everyone.


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## bosch (Nov 27, 2005)

Wow, are we one of the few families who actually use their co-sleeper? 'Cause we love it in our house, honestly. We have the mini, and while my daughter is thisclose to outgrowing it in length (at 8.5 months), I'd say it was one of the best investments we made as far as baby stuff goes. I had to put the side rail up a few months ago because she was flinging her arms and legs into my bed and kicking me at night, so it's been a bit of a pain getting her in and out in the middle of the night, but sitting up to put her into the co-sleeper is still way easier than getting up and going into another room to a crib. She's a fairly active sleeper (as am I and is my husband), so this was definitely the best option for us. Now that she's growing out of it, my only problem is what to do next, since I don't know how ready I am to start transitioning her into another room...


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## josh&davesmomme (Feb 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *milopup* 
Thanks so much for the replies. I am not in the US, so my mom went to Babies R Us to take a look at the co-sleeper for me, and she hated it.







She now really wants me to just buy a regular crib and sidecar it if need be, which I have zero idea of how to do.









Suggestions please??

This is how we side carred our crib step by step with photos http://groups.msn.com/SteveandLishsF...decarcrib.msnw

It's worked terrific for us!


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