Product ReviewsLittlelife Twin Arc Travel Cot
Number of reviews: 7 Overall score:  Travel Cot See our tests of similar products Small and LightTest length: 5 weeksParent Panel review by Nicki - review date 23 October 2005 Ease of Use/Construction & Fold: My first impressions of this travel cot were that the package was very small and very light. I thought it must be a small travel cot to be able to get down to that size as a package. It wasn't - it was a good size. After reading the instructions I was a bit baffled; I was working on my own with this contraption as my husband was working at the time but I thought this would be a good experiment, as you don't always have assistance anyway! It took me around half an hour to get the cot up and running but with experience you would be able to do it faster. The poles used in the cot were great, they just sprung together like magnets but you do need quite a bit of room to assemble this travel cot as the poles are quite long - I banged onto the walls a couple of times! Dismantling it was easy, apart from you had to roll the fabric very tightly in order to put the travel cot back into the bag supplied. Portability: This travel cot is ideal for the camper, which I think it was originally designed for. It's extremely lightweight and could easily be packed into a suitcase so ideal for families who travel regularly. I personally didn't like it, I thought there was too much to fiddle with to get it assembled. Versatility: Doubles up as a beach shelter and playpen for smaller babies and can be used almost anywhere due to its lightweight design. Comfort/Quality: I thought it quite narrow, my little boy likes to throw his arms around, and the mesh sides would wake him once his arms were on them. Extras: I liked the way it was protected by meshing to prevent creepy crawlies and mosquitos from getting in, but you did have to fix the cot down in order for it to be secure. I personally prefer the traditional travel cots that just "click" into place.
Little Life Twin Arc Travel CotParent Panel review by Anne-Louise - review date 29 August 2005We bought this to save space on our driving holiday to France and also wanted something light and small enough for future plane trips. It certainly served its purpose as it squeezed into space left when we thought the car was already full. I would have scored it lower on ease of use, however, you do get used to it after a couple of times putting it up and down - I would certainly recommend a trial run before using away from home. Although there are no instructions for folding and getting back into the bag, the trick seems to be to squeeze it in and if the zip won't shut you just roll in around a couple of times until it fits. We found that on the bed was the best place to put it up which overcame the need for extra floorspace but I'm not sure I would like to put it up in a cramped tent if it was raining outside. Overall, a great product, much better than our 'traditional' travel cot we used for our first daughter.
Ideal for holidaysTest length: 4 monthsParent Panel review by Amanda - review date 21 July 2005 One of the best buys we have made. We have used the Twin Arc for the last 4 months when travelling, since our little one outgrew her Moses basket, and have been abroad twice with it. She prefers sleeping in this even to her big cot - the mattress is quite thin but she seems perfectly comfy on it. It has some nice features such as the zip open side which can be easier on the back to take baby in and out (although closing up the zip did tend to disturb her when I had got her to sleep). Unlike most other travel cots the mosquito net is built in and there are no gaps. Some toy loops would have been good as an extra. It is very lightweight, sling it over your shoulder and squeeze it into a small space in your car. For travelling abroad, we were able to take this on the plane as hand luggage, so no risk of our key piece of equipment being lost by baggage handlers. Even for travelling in the UK by car, as it takes up so little space this leaves you plenty of room for all your other must haves. Other points to consider It is quite tricky to assemble the first few times (it is similar to a tent)and you wouldn't want to have your little one anywhere near when you're attempting it - we can now do it in 5 minutes. The instructions also do not tell you how to fold it to get it back in the transport bag, which is a very tight fit and took us a few attempts. When putting it up indoors you are supposed to attach the bands at the 4 corners to stable objects to prevent movement - there are not always obvious items in the right place to do this with. It takes up quite a lot of space so you don't want a tiny hotel room, but this gives it extra stability. As the mattress is not standard travel cot size you can't buy fitted sheets, which I would have preferred as there is a bit of space around the mattress for them to pull out the sheet.
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