When my older daughters were using it, we would open the side zip for them so that they could easily get in and out should they need to get up and use the bathroom. Youngest is now 14 months and when we went camping last bank holiday, we didn't bother with the cots and just put her on a camping mattress - slept fine. LittleLife also provide a UPF 50+ sun shade which is just fitted over the top, covering the entire tent except the front opening.

As it was January, the travel cot was tested indoors so, as per the instructions, it had to be attached to an immobile object using furniture loops on the straps. Budget accommodation tends not to give you the option to have a cot in the room, so we end up having to rearrange furniture, ask for extra mattresses and in general none of these options are ideal for our youngest daughter.With the additional sun shade, the Arc travel cot also doubles as a sun or play tent for safe play in the garden or on the beach. Overall, it blends in well whether indoors or outside and doubles up as a handy shelter from the sun.

For more spacious areas, and when your little one might be getting in and out of the cot themselves (I have heard of these being suitable for children up to two years old and perhaps even older), there are easy to use side entrances. This does not apply to any perishable goods, unsealed software or item personalised or made to your specification.The poles don’t stick out far from the edge of the tent - in the past I’ve used an older model Phil and Ted’s and tripped over the legs on my way out of the room - waking baby. The outer webbing loops are designed to prevent movement and can be used with the included ground pegs for extra security. it’s quick and easy to put up and take down, and packs away in a little rucksack, hence is easy to carry. If you’re looking for a lightweight travel cot that's ideal for those grab-and-go moments, then the Arc 2 is a great choice.

Someone might have one to offload to you for free because those things are everywhere and I reckon most parents use one at some stage. The poles also need to be unhooked from the eyelets to fit through doorways but, when it is packed away inside the rucksack it comes in, it can easily be placed under a bed or in a cupboard for storage. As the name suggests, this travel cot has an arc-shaped dome over an enclosed and padded foam mattress (which is removable and washable). For me, the tent poles were a little fiddly, although the instructions that came with the travel cot were clear, and the only real issue here was having enough space to put the poles together whilst not poking anyone walking by!

The Arc 2 is compact, with the rucksack measuring around 25cmx40cmx32cm - and with a bit of squeezing it would squash down further. It also took a few attempts to find the best way of folding the cot down so you could get it back into the carry bag rucksack it comes with. and could be used both as a travel cot and an outdoor sunshade (with the addition of the sunshade option) this is when I started to feel that this cot may work for our travels.