If you are anticipating the arrival of twin babies, congratulations! As the initial shock and excitement somewhat subside (although it may never fully disappear), you will likely find yourself thoroughly researching the most suitable baby products for your little ones. With twins, the decision of “one or two” is often a primary concern.
Do I need two Pack and Plays for twins?
It mostly depends on your mobility – will you be traveling frequently outside of your home, or not? If you plan to travel and be away from home frequently, then two pack ‘n plays will be necessary for your twins. If you plan to stay home for the first two-years of your twin’s lives, then one may suffice.
As a twin mom myself, I’ve had a lot of use out of two pack ‘n plays for the first few years of my twins’ lives.
I’ve found having two pack ‘n plays on hand has been useful for travel, diaper changes, naps, and containment for safe playtime. Not all pack ‘n plays have to break the bank (one of ours was less than $70), and they are a great item to add to your baby registry if you’re a first-time mom.
3 Reasons To Have Two Pack and Plays for Twins
There are surely moms out there that have other reasons for multiple pack and plays, but here’s how I found them most useful.
Traveling With Twins
One of the main reasons twin moms opt for two pack ‘n plays is travel. I knew that we would need two pack ‘n plays because we spend a lot of time at our family cabin up north and the babies would need somewhere safe to sleep where there wouldn’t be cribs.
In addition, I was hoping to be able to take a few family vacations with the twins and my husband while they were young.
If you plan on traveling at all, two pack ‘n plays will be necessary for safe sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends twins remain in separate sleep spaces to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Aside from safe sleep recommendations, twins will quickly grow too big to share a pack ‘n play for naps and night sleep. Toddlers will need a safe sleep space like a crib or pack ‘n play until anywhere between age two to four, so if you will be spending the night anywhere in the first few years of their lives, you’ll want two pack ‘n plays.
Twin Mom Tip: If you are traveling anywhere by plane, unfortunately you cannot check pack ‘n plays for free like you can strollers and car seats. But two pack ‘n plays will fit into a golf bag, and you can check two for the price of one bag!
Family vacations with the twins aren’t the only reason you’ll want two pack ‘n plays – overnights at grandma’s, grandpa’s, aunt’s, uncle’s, and cousin’s houses are another great reason to have two on hand.
Sometimes mom and dad need a night off!
Naps and Changing Stations
Another great reason to think about having two pack ‘n plays for your twins is for everyday occurrences like naps and diaper changes. Having pack ‘n plays set up in common areas like the living room or basement will make these things easier when they are little.
I highly recommend setting up at least one pack ‘n play on the main floor of your house. If you have two for different rooms, even better.
When the babies are really little, you might not have them nap in their cribs right away. You might feel more comfortable if they nap near you while you are doing dishes, picking up the house, or resting, especially if you are a first-time mom like me!
Naps can be very short when they are little, so having the pack ‘n play set up in the living room where you can keep an eye on them is a great option.
Many pack ‘n plays come with a changing table attachment (like this super popular one on Amazon). This was one of the most used baby items in our house! We had a changing table in the twins’ room, but with how many diapers you are changing every day (at least 14 for us!), it was so much easier to have a changing station right on the main floor of our house.
Containment
Getting things done while raising twins is all about containment, and pack ‘n plays are a big containment tool!
Anytime I needed to quickly contain one or both of the twins, I could pop them in the pack ‘n play with a few toys. This goes for anything from going to the bathroom, running out to the car to grab something, or just generally being out of sight of the babies.
The pack ‘n plays serve as a safe option, and the twins will love playing together in it. Again, I highly recommend having at least one pack ‘n play set up in your most-used space (like the living room).
If you have a second one, you can set that up on a different level of the house, like the basement or a bedroom or office. Pack ‘n plays are highly mobile too, so you can easily move them around.
Want to grab a quick shower? Bring the pack ‘n play in the bathroom!
The Pack ‘N Plays That Worked for My Family
The pack ‘n plays that worked for my family were:
The Baby Trend Twins Nursery Center includes a mesh-sided playard, two bassinets that can sit inside the pack ‘n play or on the ground, a changing table that is easily removable, and a parent organizer that serves as perfect storage for diapers, wipes, pacifiers, and toys.
It also comes with two portable music players that serve as a nightlight and vibration to soothe the twins to sleep.
This pack ‘n play was a highly used item in our house during the first year of our twins’ lives. It sat right in between our kitchen and living room. The twins were changed here daily, took frequent naps here, and played here when I needed to keep them contained.
We still use it to this day (my twins are 2.5 years old now) when we travel and do overnights. It folds up easily with a few clicks on the rails and comes with a travel case to keep everything organized.
Weight Limits
Baby Trend® Retreat Twins Nursery Center
The bassinet maximum weight for this pack ‘n play is 15 pounds each, and the maximum weight for the pack ‘n play is 30 pounds. The pack ‘n play measures 40.75″ (L) x 29.25″ (W) x 28.75″ (H).
At a lower price point, Graco Portable Playard was a great affordable option for our family. It is truly an easy-to-use, no-fuss product. This pack ‘n play also folds up easily with a few clicks of a button on the rails and comes with a carry case as well. It is lightweight and easy to transport during your travels.
It doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles, but you really don’t need all of that, especially if it’s your second pack ‘n play.
Graco Pack ‘n Play Portable Playard
The weight limit recommendation for this product is 30 pounds, and the dimensions are 29″ (H) x 28.25” (W) x 39″ (D).
We absolutely love both these pack ‘n plays and are still using them to this day. If you are a minimalist, or on a budget, I recommend going with the cheaper Graco option. It comes with less extra amenities that will have to go into storage after the first year of the twins’ lives.
However, we did love the diaper storage feature, the changing table attachment, and bassinets that came with the fancier Baby Trend pack ‘n play.
They were very useful in the first year raising twins. This is a great baby product to put on your registry if you’re on a budget and having twins.
Pack ‘N Play Dividers
If you plan to have your twins sleep together in a pack ‘n play during the first few months, you may want to look into pack ‘n play dividers, such as this one by Joovy Room² or this one by Romp & Roost®.
Again, when it comes to sleep safety, the AAP recommends a separate sleep space for multiples. You can accomplish this with dividers for your pack ‘n play.
This is a great option if you want to skip buying two bassinets for nighttime sleep and instead use one of your pack ‘n plays. Most dividers will be a universal fit, but be sure to measure your pack ‘n play before purchasing.
Note that dividers are only recommended for use until twins can pull themselves up, at which point they would no longer be safe. So, while very helpful, the use of dividers is short-lived.
Related Questions:
Are All Pack ‘n Plays the Same Size?
Most pack ‘n plays are the same size with dimensions varying by an inch or two. This means most universal pack ‘n play sheets or mattresses that are sold separately should fit your pack ‘n play.
However, be sure to check dimensions before purchasing anything. Note, there are pack ‘n play options that are smaller or even larger than the standard size if that’s something you think would work better for your family.
Do I Need a Pack ‘n Play?
If you’re having twins, my recommendation is that yes, you need at least one pack ‘n play. Even if you aren’t a big traveler, a pack ‘n play is so useful in the first year of your twins’ lives for diaper changes, supervised naps, and safe contained playtime.
Two Pack ‘n Plays or Two Not
Overall, pack ‘n plays are definitely a most-used baby item in my opinion. If you’re having twins and you plan to be spending anytime overnight away from your home, two pack ‘n plays will be necessary for safe nighttime sleep.
However, they’re not only useful for travel. Our pack ‘n plays have gotten plenty of use right in our own home throughout the first year of our twins’ lives. There’s no need to break the bank when buying a pack ‘n play.
You may find twin-specific pack ‘n plays with extra amenities like bassinets and changing stations useful for your growing family.
What Other Twin Moms Are Saying
Alicia P. in a popular community for twin moms shared why she found pack n’ plays to be so valuable early on:
“We used this by our bed until our girls outgrew it. It was a lifesaver for 2 tired, new, nervous parents. I was so scared of SIDS. With this by my bed, I could just peek over and make sure they were still breathing.”
In the same community, Catherine D. says this about the age and weight limitations of pack n’ plays:
“….When they’re [the twins] older, I would get two separate ones. Pack and play weight limit is 35 lbs which sounds like a lot but my preemie boys had a major 4-month growth spurt and outgrew the pack and play quick. I would do two travel cribs that way if you do travel you also have them! If she has the space and wants to, two mini cribs would also be an option.”
Mom of three (including identical twin boys), wife, and owner of Parents Wonder. This is my place to share my journey as a mother and the helpful insights I learn along the way.