As a seasoned twin parent, I understand the unique challenges and needs that come with caring for two little ones. I've curated a list of out tried-and-tested products that made a real difference in our lives during that precious first year. These items have earned our seal of approval for their practicality, durability, and overall usefulness. Whether you're a soon-to-be twin parent or already knee-deep in diapers, I hope this guide helps you navigate the world of baby products with confidence and ease. This list is intended to supplement and built upon the products listed in "Essential Newborn Twins Survival Kit: Top Products for Bringing Your Babies Home from the Hospital" as your twins begin to grow out of the newborn stage.
Fellow twin mamas let me know what I've missed! What products were essential for you when your twins were under one? Let me know in the comments!
Twin Feeding Products
The amount of high chairs on the market are overwhelming! Where do you even start? There is a high chair in every price point and for every need. You have minimalistic high chairs, foldable high chairs, table top high chairs amongst many others. When looking for a high chair, determine your budget and what the main things you want in regards to functionality. For my mom, she wanted high chairs that were collapsible and easy to pull out when the babies were over. For me, it was ease in cleaning. That was the main reason for why I purchased the 4Moms high chair. It is extremely easy to wipe down at the end of a meal. After using these high chairs for awhile, I learned that there are many other reasons why I love it. The tray is extremely easy to take on and off with one hand while holding a baby. However, it is strong enough that babies cannot knock it off. I also love that the crotch post is attached to the seat rather than the tray. This makes it much easier when taking the tray off and on. The tray lays flat on the counter when taking the baby out of the seat rather than wobbling all over causing the left over food to fall all over the counter and floor. This seems like a little thing but a feature I love. They are a little of a splurge for a purchase I have never regretted.
This is hands down my favorite cup for training our babies to start drinking from a cup. We didn't have these with our first set of twins and went through so many different cups and never found one we really liked. The weighted straw is a game changer. The straw allows for babies to drink from the cup from any angle. They are also very durable and leak free. Ours have been dropped and carried all over our house and are still going strong. The only downfall is that there are more parts to clean.
The little pocket at the bottom of these bibs are fantastic. The silicone makes them extremely easy to clean and wipe down. Get yourself at least four of these bibs! That way you have some ready in case you don't get them washed prior to the next meal. I would also roll them up and put them in our diaper bag if I knew we'd be eating out. Your babies will drop tons of food into the pocket. Once the food on their tray is gone, they'll just dig into the pocket for the next round of the meal.
As your baby begins to start eating and becoming more curious about solid food, you will want to have different snacks ready to go and on hand. The spill proof lid makes them easy for transport. Cereal and puffs quickly became a first favorite for all of our babies. We had these cups filled and ready in places like the diaper bag and car perfect to head off any tantrum or meltdown.
Twin Sleeping Products
At first glance, it's hard to understand why any baby would like this sleep sack. You would think the enclosed arms would drive them nuts. Trust me, they LOVE it! The enclosed arms create a sense of comfort and security while allowing them to safely move and roll around at night. This thing also has to be laced with some type of magic sleepy dust because our babies immediately relax and snuggle up the instant we put them in their Zipadee-Zip. They are happy campers when we put them in their cribs and are able to put themselves to sleep. The sack comes in a variety of sizes and patterns. You can also get it in fleece or cotton. We have used and loved both fabrics. We switch between fleece and cotton based on the season and temperature.
We have tried so many different types of sleepers. We've tried cotton sleepers, footed sleepers, sleepers with snaps, sleepers with zippers. The list goes on and on. My mom had gifted us our first bamboo sleeper with cuffs and they instantly became our favorite style. The cuffs give the option to make them footed and if you want mitts over their hands. The bamboo fabric is extremely soft and stretchy. They cost more than a standard cotton, footed sleeper, but last at least twice as long due to the stretch in the fabric. Our babies are still wearing their eighteen month sleepers even though they are in twenty four month and 2T clothes. There are many different brands and patterns out there for bamboo sleepers. Some of my favorite brands are Little Sleepies, Caden Lane, and Angel Dear. Save yourself the trouble of trying out every sleeper like we did and start with the bamboo sleepers with cuffs.
Twin On the Go Products
Our Zoe Twin Stroller goes with us everywhere. It currently lives in the trunk of my minivan. It has become my security blanket any time we leave the house with our crazy crew. I used the Snap and Go Stroller Frame until they outgrew their infant car seats. The babies were not walking yet when we transitioned them into convertible car seats. I still needed something to contain and transport them easily. Like high chairs, there are plenty of double strollers out there. I originally picked the Zoe Twin Stroller because of it's light weight and how easily it collapses. I am also tall and wanted a stroller that I did not need to hunch over to push. It is a high quality stroller and has recently gone through many product upgrades including adjustable handle bar height, car seat compatibility, larger storage pockets, upgraded harnesses and all terrain wheels. We have the original version and I envy anyone who has purchased the new one!
We own two of these portable chairs and they also live in my trunk, right next to my stroller. I discovered these when we were at a get together and saw someone using it with their singleton while I was struggling to wrangle my two babies. I added them to my Amazon cart that night. We use these for anytime we are eating and don't have access to a highchair. We've pulled them out at birthday parties, outdoor gatherings at our neighbors', and when we visit grandparents in Minnesota. They take up minimal space when they are collapsed and are easy to pack and go.
There is one more item you need for the trunk of your minivan! We took this play yard everywhere just in case we needed it. It is great for babies that are rolling and scooting around. I always found that I was holding or chasing a baby at a gathering and unable to interact with anyone else. The play yard allowed me to be more hands free while ensuring my babies were safe in an environment that was not baby proofed. This play yard also comes with a canopy to protect from the sun. I would also put this up in our backyard for the babies to play in while our two year olds played on the swing set. It is easy to collapse and comes with a bag for easy transport.
This one is for all the early walkers out there. As your baby nears their first birthday, they may be crawling, pulling themselves up and beginning to take their first steps. I stumbled across the the See Kai Run brand on an end cap at Target. I have only seen them that one time at Target but they are also available on Amazon. I love this brand because they are designed with a beginning walker's development in mind. They are super flexible, have a wide toe box and are extremely easy to put on. They also have adaptive styles to accommodate for orthotics. I have purchased the adaptive style just for the ease of getting on and off. On top of being extremely functional and age appropriate, they are super cute.
Twin Playtime Products
How do you entertain two babies who are rolling and barely able to sit up while playing with two toddler boys? The Sit Me Up Floor Seats, that's how! When our second set would get tired of laying on the floor, I would put them in our Sit Me Up Floor Seats next to us. They were entertained watching the boys play and run around the house. I would also load up the tray with baby puffs to keep them busy. We also would put the babies in these and set them on our kitchen table during family meals or if the boys were doing a puzzle at the table.
We got our Evenflo Exercausers second hand from a friend who was getting rid of their baby stuff. This is the product that our babies played with the most. They would spend so much time in their saucers. Every twin mom wishes they had at least one more set of arms. This toy is about as close as it gets. We had two Exercausers and would placed them right next to each other and our twinnies would giggle and interact with each other. With our second set of twins, the older boys would stand next to the saucers and play with them as well. There are three different heights so that it can grow with your baby. They work so great that my mom even got two saucers for her house as well. There are plenty of different themes for the saucers. We had a circus theme and jungle theme saucer while my mom had beach theme saucers.
One of the earliest toys our babies engaged with was an activity play mat. It is where all four of our babies learned to roll and where we practiced tummy time. It was my first way of keeping our babies entertained as they moved out of the newborn phase. It is nice to have a mat that both babies can fit under. However, I usually only had one baby under the play mat at a time. This was a way that I could entertain one of the babies if I needed to soothe or feed the other.
Twin Teething & Wellness Products
You have probably seen these teethers all over the place and wondered why anyone would pay that much for something that is going to get slobbered on. I say this because this is what I thought. I had gotten a couple Sophie La Girafe teethers as a baby shower gift and just thought the hype was due to good marketing and a cute product. I was a hundred percent wrong. These teethers really are as amazing as they say they are. There is something about the texture and shape that made it the go to teether toy for all of my babies. After four kids, we had about six of these things strewn across the living room floor. The babies would gnaw on poor Sophie so intensely that I thought they'd rip her little leg off. Sophie La Girafe has gotten us through four teething babies with our sanity in tact.
I have loved every Wellements product that we have used with our babies. The teething oil is one of my favorites for when the poor giraffe needs a break and is just not cutting it. It provides a numbing sensation to give them some natural pain relief. It is definitely one of those products you want to have on hand.
Also get yourself a tub of the the Wellements chest and foot rub for when you have sick babies. It is an all natural, baby safe version of Vick's Vapor Rub. If our babies had a cough or runny nose, I would use this before bedtime to help soothe and provide comfort. It has eucalyptus and lavender essentials oils that have a relaxing effect. It can also be utilized during witching hour or if your babies are little extra fussy. I like the chest and foot rub so much that I've used it for myself!
We have about three of these Tylenol bottles sprinkled around our house. We always have our house stocked with infant Tylenol. When you need it is not when you want to be running out to the store to get it. It is one of the first pain relievers you can give your baby and has helped us during teething, ear infections and fevers. Note that store brand generics are a much cheaper option when stocking up.
Our pediatrician recommended Zarbee's with Agave as a cough medicine for our babies under one. It is an all natural cough syrup that uses agave to soothe and suppress your baby's cough. Our kids are continuously coming home with a daycare cough. We give this to them at night to help suppress their coughs and make it easier for them to get a restful night's sleep. Take note that you want to purchase the Zarbee's with agave and NOT the Zarbee's with honey. Babies should not have honey prior to the age of one.
