Arm's Reach Cosleeper folding HELP please!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

I remember reading on Amazon reviews that many people found it hard to assemble and/or disassemble the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper. I just got one secondhand and did a practice setup to make sure everything works before we actually need it IY"H. The plan was to take it down immediately and stick it in storage for the next few months. But ARGH it won't go down! The bottom rails won't unlock on one side each! So each one has a middle piece with two sides coming out of it, and you're supposed to press up on the middle piece so the sides fold down. But when I press up on the middle piece, one side folds down and one doesn't. Tried everything including brute force (mine. DH's would probably destroy the whole crib. I did have him try the regular method, though, with the same result that one side folds down and the other doesn't.) This keeps happening on all four rails so there must be some trick, it's not just one crabby rail or something. The whole thing looks pretty much brand new and was folded perfectly when we got it so it's obviously possible.

What's the secret? I tried googling, so far haven't gotten the right keywords I guess because I'm only getting ads. The person I got it from isn't really reachable unless I get even more desperate.

In case it makes a difference, the model is the mini convertible play yard kind.

Gold Member Joined: Dec 16 2008 Posts: 1124

IIRC the order you collapse them im is critical- (baby is in it now, so I can't experiment) either you press and fold the top sides (both joints) first and only then the one below on the bottom, or you have to do the bottom ones first.

it is definitely labor intensive and frustrating and tends to jam, but I love the colseeper nonetheless.

I will try to remember to try tomorrow when the baby wakes up.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

The instructions say do the bottom first. So I've been doing the bottoms first. But they just won't go Sad

Is there some trick or do we just keep trying over and over until something different happens?!

Gold Member Joined: Dec 16 2008 Posts: 1124

I think there was some wrist force necessary, once one joint of a bottom side has been released, hold the center metal piece (that the joints are both connected to) and force the other joint to collapse...

more at 5 am, when she wakes up Wink

Gold Member Joined: Dec 16 2008 Posts: 1124

she's back in bed, but I checked it out when she was up.

basically, brute force is the trick. what I said above- once one joint of a bottom side has been released, hold the center metal piece (that the joints are both connected to) and using your wrist and as much strength as you can muster, force the other joint to collapse. do the same for the other three sides, and then realease the top locks using the hidden buttons.

I just let dh do it! I can do it myself though, of need be.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

I guess I'll tell DH to force it. I'm a little afraid he'll break something, though, the instructions say not to force anything because it's not supposed to need to... but I can't figure out anything else we're doing wrong except the possibility that we're just not using enough force.

Meanwhile it's sitting in middle of the living room and toddler DD is simply fascinated. She keeps going to it, pointing at it, "dis cribbie tiny baby. [DD's name] sleep big cribbie" etc. Way to warm up to the new baby idea, lol.