Arm's Reach: Mini or Original? Opinions?

JellyTwoPointO · January 2013

Hi ladies! I was planning on ordering an Arm's Reach co-sleeper and as I was looking at them, I realized there was the mini co-sleeper bassinet and the original co-sleeper. When I looked at the item specifics, they both said they hold up to 30 lbs.

So, can someone tell me what the difference really is between the two? Also, does anyone have a preference to which one they think is better? Because in my FTM novice eyes, the only difference I'm really seeing is about a 70 dollar price difference. Help?

tokenhoser · January 2013

The original is big enough my 1.5 year old still uses it as a pack n play when we travel. The mini will be fully outgrown much sooner.

Size of the room you plan to install it in is also a factor; the original is pretty big and takes up quite a bit of space beside the bed.

I got mine used for $50, so price wasn't a motivating factor.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

JB, I have the Mini. We like it just fine (we bedshare most of the time anyway, lol). But PP is right that she will outgrow it much sooner than the Original. The Mini can't even be converted to a PnP later. If I could go back and do it differently, I would get the Original.

JellyTwoPointO · January 2013

That is good to know, especially about the mini not being able to convert to a pack and play. Our bedroom is tiny and size IS an issue but at the same time, I don't want to pay for something we'll only use three or four months total.... Perhaps I can rearrange our bedroom to create more efficient space.

acassidy · January 2013

We have the mini-convertible which does convert to a playard. I love the size and design. I'm not sure if the dimensions of the mattress are different on the original, but I was able use king-sized pillowcases as extra sheets. They fit perfectly and were much cheaper than the arms reach sheets.

LO unfortunately wouldn't sleep in it at all and prefers to bedshare. I'm still gonna hang on to it for the next baby we have.

tokenhoser · January 2013

My original takes full pack n play sheets. They have pretty good resale value, though. I'd take a look at CL, either to buy or to know what yours will be worth if you get a Mini and only want it for a few months.

nanabanana06 · January 2013

We got the Mini. Our bed sits too low for the Original. As is ours doesn't even have the wheels/feet on it and it's perfect height. If our bed was higher we would of gotten the Original. Also, the Original you can use regular PnP sheets on it.

xoexpat · January 2013

We have the original because we could put both babies in it. They slept that way for the first 2.5 months, but now that we have a different bed, the co-sleeper doesn't really fit up against it. So now we use it just as a bassinet downstairs and we've side-carred their crib next to our bed. i really like the Original, though.

Lane05 · January 2013

We got the original off of CL for $50. I assumed our DS would be out of the CoSleeper by now - but he's not and has plenty of room to grow. He starts the night in the CS and then bed shares when he wakes up.

Our room is tiny too and we made it work. It doesn't take up quite as much space as I anticipated.

b2b999 · January 2013

We have the original, and yes it is large, but we love it. DD is now 5 months old and still has plenty of room to grow in it. Now that she can roll over (and thus has become a belly sleeper) she still has plenty of room to do so without hitting the sides. We only plan to continue to co-sleep until she is 9 months but it will be nice to have even when she's older as a place for her to nap, etc. when we travel.

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Arm's Reach: Mini or Original? Opinions?

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