If you are shopping for a co-sleeper or bassinet, you’ve probably noticed the brand Arm’s Reach Concepts. With a variety of co-sleepers and bassinets in different price ranges and with different options, they do a great job of providing the ideal co-sleeper for just about everyone. Out of all of the options, I decided to review the Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet because it’s one of the top models. However, because they do have so many other excellent options, I’m also going to tell you a little bit about several of their other top models.
A Safer Alternative to Bed Sharing
You may remember that sharing a bed with your baby is a safety hazard. For many reasons, it’s essential that both you and your baby have your own sleeping space. The Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet is a free-standing bassinet that allows you to either have your baby in the same room as you or in their co-sleeper, attached to your bed. This way, you each have your own space and can do your best to get a good night’s sleep.
A co-sleeper is particularly beneficial for mothers who nurse during the night. You can easily reach over and scoop up your little one before they get too fussy. This quick response may make the whole feeding process smoother and easier.
Co-sleepers are also a good idea for any parents who have anxiety about SIDS. I know that when my first child was born, I was terrified of SIDS. In fact, my anxiety kept me up at night. However, with your child in a co-sleeper in your room, it’s easy to quickly be assured that everything is fine.
Their Mattress Is Level with Yours
Not all co-sleepers have this feature, so it’s a real bonus. With the Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet, you can adjust the legs of the co-sleeper to be level with your mattress. This works with most (but not all) mattresses. To ensure that this feature will work with your bed, read the Technical Information listed below.
Great for After a C-Section
Because your baby’s bed is at your level, co-sleepers are ideal for moms who have just had a C-section. Instead of having to walk over to your baby then reach down into a crib and lift them, you can have your little one right beside you and only lift it a couple of inches. This saves you from having to bend and lift when your body may not be quite ready for those movements yet.
Wheels for Easy Movement
With wheels on your co-sleeper, it can go wherever you go. Leave it in your room or bring it along if you want to keep an eye on your baby during the day. (Do remember that you should not roll the co-sleeper with your baby in it.) When you’re ready to position your co-sleeper, there are wheel locks to ensure that your little one isn’t somehow moved out of place.
Adjustable Leg Height
To get your Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet to the height you want, simply adjust the legs. There are four different height settings two inches apart. If the legs still don’t get the co-sleeper to your desired height, there are leg extenders available through their website. Most people find that they don’t need the leg extenders, though.
Adjustable Side
The Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet offers a side that can be locked in place upright or lowered. When the side is lowered, you have the opportunity to sleep beside your little one while ensuring that you both have enough space to be safe.
Again, this is a feature that is specific to this model. Not all co-sleepers have sides that can be both a full side or a lowered side. Plus, because of the adjustable legs, you have the opportunity to have your baby right next to you with only a slight safety barrier between the two of you.
Decorative Wooden Ends
This is seriously wood. It’s not plastic that kind of resembles wood; it’s actual wood. This is great not just for durability, but also for aesthetics. To me, the wood trim pieces make this co-sleeper look like a piece of furniture that I want in my bedroom.
Mesh Surrounding
Mesh goes all the way around the co-sleeper. This allows air to flow and circulate easily around your baby, but it also allows you to easily see what your little one is doing.
Convenient Storage
The Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet offers both a storage pocket and storage underneath the co-sleeper. This makes it really convenient to keep diapers, wipes, extra sheets, or whatever you might need for your little one right there with you.
This co-sleeper bassinet has so many pros that it made our Best Bassinet list, so click the link to read more.
The Cons
The Pros that I’ve listed above for this co-sleeper are really substantial. Truthfully, I think this one is the best one that Arm’s Reach Concepts offers. However, there are a couple of issues.
The Mattress!
Apparently, the mattress is horrible. Even people who give the co-sleeper a 5-star review noted that the mattress was a cheap plastic. However, many people have ditched the mattress and use a firm king size pillow instead.
It’s Only Kind of a Co-Sleeper
Yes, the function that the Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet serves is as a co-sleeper. However, that’s not the entire truth if you’re shopping for sheets.
When you’re shopping for bedding, be aware that you need MINI co-sleeper sheets (as opposed to regular co-sleeper sheets). Also, since the mattress is about the same size as a king-size pillow, you can use a king-size pillowcase instead of a fitted sheet.
Technical Information
- Item Weight: 28.6 pounds
- Product Dimensions: 31 x 20 x 34 inches
- Mattress Height: For bed heights starting at 24″ and going up to 30″, measured from the floor to the top of the adult mattress
- Age for Usage: from birth until about 5 months or whenever the child starts to push up on to the hands and knees, whichever comes first
Ratings
- Target.com: 4.5 out of 5 stars with 43 reviews
- BuyBuyBaby.com: 5 out of 5 stars with 1 review
- Walmart.com: 4.5 out of 5 stars with 8 reviews
Another Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeping Option
There is a second co-sleeper option, which is the Arm’s Reach The Versatile Co-Sleeper for Baby. This bassinet is able to be a beside baby bassinet which is adjustable in 1″ increments or as a freestanding mini crib which allows you to easily move this crib anywhere you need. With mesh sides, parents are able to see their baby at all times.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that newborns sleep in the same room, however, not in the same bed. This allows parents to have their baby close for bonding, feeding, and diapering while still getting the much needed sleep all parents require during those first few months. The age limit for this co-sleeper is newborn to approximately 5 months.
The Versatile Co-Sleeper comes with a mattress, crib mattress, and mobile that plays 4 songs. Parents who have reviewed this purchase rave about its ease of set up, safety features, and the ability to have their baby close by.
My Recommendation
Hands down the Arm’s Reach Concepts Cambria Co-Sleeper Bassinet is the best of the Arm’s Reach Concepts co-sleepers and bassinets. Although I appreciate all the features, I particularly love the wood trim and that the legs and side adjust. Like I mentioned before, I’m a fan of my furniture actually looking like furniture, and wood trim does just that.
Plus, if I’m going to use a co-sleeper, I’d really like my little one to be level with my mattress. With adjustable legs, it’s more likely that this will happen or that it will at least come close enough.
Finally, I really appreciate the adjustable side. I had C-sections with both of my kids, and it was a real challenge sometimes to bend over and lift them. Particularly when they are just born and you are only a couple of weeks out of surgery, it is kind of painful to try to bend and scoop something so small and wiggly off a mattress in a crib.
To be able to adjust the height of your co-sleeper either to fit your bed or to work with your C-section incision is, in my opinion, truly the most valuable feature of this product.
