Survival Gear for Twins: 10 Best Products for Year One, Tried and Tested by a Twin Mum
People prepare for a new baby in completely different ways. Some parents buy anything that promises to make life easier, while others take a minimalist “as much as necessary, as little as possible” approach. Twins add another layer of complexity — and expense. Buying new for two can be a significant expense - I shopped new for items that I knew would be heavily used for years (buggy, high chairs, playmats) and picked up some of the rest second hand!
Even then I was overwhelmed by the logistics of feeding and caring for two babies at once, and while any item that genuinely helps is worth its weight in gold, it’s hard to know in advance what you’ll truly need, whether you should buy two of everything, or if you can comfortably get by with one (especially as I lived in a small flat where space was at a premium!).
As a researcher, I threw myself into the world of twin recommendations before our babies arrived, and then I tested everything properly over that first year. The products listed below are the ones I found genuinely useful — the ones I’d recommend to any twin parent trying to make those early months even a little bit easier. I’ve also included notes on whether you’ll need one or two of each item, based on real-life use.
1. Twin feeding pillow (only need 1)
My twins were formula fed, and after the early weeks where they needed to be carefully fed one at a time, we were able to feed them both at the same time using a twin feeding pillow. (Ours was a hand me down; there are much cheaper options, but the Twin Z consistently ranks among the most recommended by other twin mums. While ours had cover that could be taken off and washed I found this a faff given how often there were little drips and spills, so I tucked 2 large muslin swaddle cloths tightly over it, which meant it could be easily washed and dried and was always clean.
Tutti Bambini high chairs with Dancers Montessori mobile
2. Tutti bambini 7-in-1 Portable High Chair, Baby Chair with Feeding Tray, Washable Seating & Travel Bag, Folding High Chairs for Babies and Toddlers (will need 2)
I will do a separate post on these chairs, but in short they saved my back! Once the twins were large enough, I used to put them in the 0-6 month chairs and feed them their bottles. Being able to stand rather than hunch over to feed them made such a difference for my back. More importantly, it kept my baby with reflux at a great angle for feeding and digesting. They were also great high chairs once I started weaning the babies.
3. Handmade mobile (1+)
There are 4 Montessori mobiles (Munari, Octahedron, Gobbi, and Dancers) designed to be introduced in a developmental sequence aligned with babies developing eyesight. I made all 4 before the twins were born, and it was so much fun to craft them and have them ready to hang that first year. The favourite by far was The Dancers - so much nicer and more meaningful that most plastic store bought mobiles. Indeed, my babies loved it so much I packed and brought it on our first international trip and to the hospital while one of them was admitted on the high dependency ward.
4. BabyBjorn bouncer chairs (1 or 2)
These were incredibly helpful in providing a nice, safe, comfortable seat for the twins in the living room, when taking one out of the bath etc. I bought one initially, then another because they were so useful. I bought a mesh replacement cover and loved that its fabric was so much easier to wash and dry than the thick cotton style. While there are much cheaper knock off seats available, a friend's baby bounced right out of one and had quite a scare, so I stuck with the Bjorn. They have decent resale value on Marketplace.
5. SNOO (2)
I was on the fence given how expensive they are, but my twins were sleeping through the night by 6 months and I attribute a huge part of that to the SNOOs! Full review to come…
6. Play mat (1+)
You will need somewhere soft and safe to place the babies and for them to begin to role over and explore (see this blog for tips on creating a contained play area). I am a huge fan of Totter and Tumble mats - we have two and they are still going strong after 4 years. The are as important now as they were when my twins were babies and toddlers in providing soft areas for them to sit, play and JUMP (clearly a boy mum).
7. Tommee Tippee perfect prep (1)
My twins had prescription Nutriprem liquid formula the first few months, but once we switched to regular formula the perfect prep machine made preparing bottles easy. I was torn between this and the BabyBrezza, but really don't think the later is worth its exorbitant cost, especially as you'll only need a machine for the first year.
8. A good stroller (1+)
I have had 5 (yes 5) strollers over the last 4 years, all of which have been well used and loved and served a purpose. Deciding on a stroller for twins is not easy - if I had to make a quick and dirty recommendation it would absolutely be the Bugaboo Donkey, but a full blog post is on the way!
9. Bath seats (1+)
We used this style for when the twins were little - if you prefer to bathe them separately you'll only need one. Once they're able to sit up I'd recommend 2 of this style seat. I did a lot of solo bathtimes, and it gave me peace of mind to know one baby/toddler was securely seated and not going to topple over while I was getting the other out of the bath and dried. I would then put the dried/dressed baby in a Bjorn chair on the bathroom floor while I got the second baby out and dressed!
10. Good baby monitor (1)
There are so many variations of baby monitor, and a lot comes down to personal preference (e.g. are you content to watch them on a handheld monitor or do you want a live feed on your phone?).
My key criteria is this: ensure you can easily see both babies! The monitor I purchased had two cameras, and the monitor had a split screen so I could see both babies without having to pan the camera, press any buttons etc. We had a slightly older version of this model, and it was perfect (it was also easy enough for tech confused grandparents to use when babysitting!).