Living in Spain: 20 baby products every parent should know about

As we near the twin’s first birthday I wanted to take a moment to look back on the products that helped Javi and I maintain our sanity these past 12 months. 😆 Living in Spain means I don’t have easy-access to the familiar U.S. baby brands I’m accustomed to, but fear not—there are lots of great alternatives available. 

The list below contains 20 baby items I’ve purchased (or received as a gift) from Amazon.es (Spain). I regularly recommend these products to my parent friends here, including expats and locals alike…so I figured it would be easier to create one list I can share. I hope you find these products and tips helpful—if you have any questions leave me a comment below. 

And just a heads up, this post contains Amazon affiliate links; any purchases made using my links will earn me a small credit to go towards baby supplies (at no extra cost for you). Learn more about my disclosure policy here. 

 

1. Squishy helmets

Age: 8 months+

I got these squishy helmets when the twins were around 8 months old. Once they started crawling I was constantly trying to make sure they didn’t hit their head on the ground, bump into corners, etc. Most of the time the twins totally forget they’re wearing them, and these helmets have saved us a lot of tears and bruises.

 

2. Baby rocker

Age: 0+

We actually have four of these Kinderkraft chairs; two at my house and two at my in-laws’. We use these baby rockers all day, every day.  When the twins were born we used them as bassinets / travel cribs, and once the they could sit up we converted them into little rocking chairs. I love how they’re adaptable as the babies grow and the cloth can be removed and thrown in the washer machine (super convenient).

We take these chairs when we travel too

 

3. Stroller bag 

Age: 0+

I had a hard time finding a stroller bag that worked for twins...but I finally decided on this one because of the external pockets, ample storage, and interior compartments that make it easy to organize your stuff.  It’s lightweight, made of material that’s easy to clean, and clips on and off of the stroller. 

 

 

4. Thermos + formula dispenser

Age: 0+

I try to get out of the house every chance I get…and consequently, we’re usually out and about during the twin’s meal time. This is where my next must-have products come in: Suavinex formula dispenser and thermos.  The thermos keeps liquids warm for hours and the dispenser makes it easy to bring exact serving sizes of formula. The dispenser also works great for snack storage on the go. If you love being matchy-matchy like me, pick up some Suavinex bottles while you’re at it.

Lunch with a view 

 

5. Pacifiers & travel accessories

Age: 0+

Speaking of matchy-matchy…did I mention we use the Suavinex pacifiers, leash and storage container too? Our friends gave us these items when the babies were born and I am so glad they did. The pacifier storage container clips right on to the stroller for easy-access, and the leashes are 100% necessary when the babies hit the “I love to throw everything” phase.

 

6. Baby playpen

Age: 7 months+

The twin’s playpen has saved my sanity on numerous occasions. It’s not too big, not too small, and there’s enough room for them to move around and play together or separately. This item was also a gift from friends, who are parents to 15-year-old twins (so they know exactly what we need). I purchased a puzzle floor to place inside the playpen to give it a little extra cushioning too.

 

7. Magic cup

Age: 8 months+

I discovered magic cups thanks to our friends who are parents to twin girls. The cups are great because they easily fit in our stroller bag, don’t leak (even when the kids throw them around), and help the babies learn how to drink out of a regular cup. We’ve completely bypassed sippy cups thanks to these things. 

 

8. Bottle prep machine

Age: 0+

The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep has been a game changer since day one. It’s the equivalent of a Baby Brezza here in Europe. I’d describe it as a Nespresso machine for baby bottles—you just add water, choose the liquid amount, push a button, and the water comes out at the perfect temperature. Then all you have to do is add formula and mix. This item was also a gift and we’ve used it every single day since the twins were born.

 

9. Bottle warmer

Age: 0+

If you don’t want to invest in a bottle prep machine a bottle warmer is a good option. We used ours to heat bottles in our bedroom during night feedings (going downstairs to the kitchen just seemed too far haha). We still use it now whenever we travel to heat bottles and baby food—it’s especially convenient if you’re in a hotel room with no kitchenette/microwave.

 

10. Baby sleep pod

Age: 0 – 6 months

We used our Clevamama baby pods daily until the twins got too big for them (around six months old). They’re convenient because your baby can snooze in the pod on the couch or wherever you are in your house and you don’t need to drag a crib from room to room. You can also remove the sleep pod cover and throw it in the washer machine.

They were teeny tiny when they first came home 🥺

 

11. Diaper trash bin

Age: 0+

Another Tommee Tippee product we use constantly is the twist and click diaper bin. There is nothing quite like the aroma of dirty diapers, and if you don’t use a container like this you’ll be taking out the trash every single day. The trash bags are a little pricey, but I’ll explain how you can get a discount in the Amazon Product Subscription section below. 

 

12. Bamboo muslin blankets

Age: 0+

We received two muslin blankets as a baby shower gift and we absolutely love them. They’re so soft and light…absolutely perfect for the warm weather here in Spain. I purchased two additional blankets for the twins and this product is now my go-to baby shower gift for friends. 

Snuggled up in their blanket

 

13. Rubber bibs

Age: 5 months+

The twins use these rubber bibs daily at home and when we’re out. They’re are perfect for catching messy food and fold up for easy storage. Most importantly, they’re super easy to clean.

 

14. Teething toys

Age: 4 months+

Of all of our teething toys, the wooden teether bracelets are the twin’s favorite. I think it must be due to the different textures and the way the beads press against their gums. We have several different bracelets that I keep at home and in our stroller bag at all times. 

 

15. Soft play mat 

Age: 3 months+

I bought this soft play mat after seeing how much my friend’s baby enjoyed it. The twins spent the majority of their tummy time on this mat, and once they started to crawl we began to use it as an indoor and outdoor play mat. I like how big and lightweight this mat is, also the fact that it’s easy to clean and can be folded up and put away. 

 

16. Lift-the-flap books

Age: 6 months+

I’ve bought a variety of books for the babies—ones that make sounds, ones that have different textures, lots of pictures, etc. but the one that gets them really, really jazzed up is “Where’s Spot?” The simple text and illustrations hold their attention, and they love to lift the flap to see the animals hiding underneath. As a parent, it’s fun to see how their interaction with the book changes over time—when the babeis were younger they just looked at the images, but now they like to turn the pages and lift the flaps themselves. 

 

17. Night feeding light

Age: 0+

My friend told me I’d need a soft light to feed the babies at night and she was 100% right. You’ll want a light to see, but not so bright it’ll totally wake a drowsy baby. I used a salt lamp on my nightstand for feedings and put a portable lamp on the twins’ changing table. The salt lamp emits a soft, warm light and the portable lamp is small and cordless + you can regulate the light intensity. The portable lamp is also a good gadget to bring along if you’re traveling. 

 

18. Baby “monitor’

Age: 0+

It might be a little unorthodox, but I opted for a security camera instead of a traditional baby monitor. Security cameras are usually cheaper than monitors, and it served our needs perfectly. Our camera has night vision, can rotate horizontally and vertically, and can be triggered by motion or sound. The camera sends me a notification on my phone and tablet if the babies make noise, and I can open the app to see what they’re up to.  

 

19. Baby drool bibs

Age: 4 months+

Those wafer-thin drool bibs at H&M are no match for a teething Leo…he soaks those bibs with salivia in less than 10 minutes. I stocked up on these adorable, organic cotton bibs and they do the trick—they’ve also survived being washed almost daily. 😅

 

20. Amazon product subscriptions

Age: 0+

I use Amazon Product Subscriptions to save time and money. These subscriptions are essential if you want to order baby supplies in bulk. I get a 5% – 15% discount on items like diapers, wipes, diaper trash bags, bottle prep filters, etc. and they’re all delivered right to my front door. For example, I order a big box of diapers every three weeks and wipes every month or so. If you don’t need the product you can ‘omit’ it from that week/month’s order and still take advantage of the discount the next time you need it. With twins we need a massive supply of everything, and getting these items delivered in bulk is so convenient! I would highly recommend getting Amazon Prime in Spain if you haven’t already—it’s much cheaper here compared to the U.S. and totally worth it when you add up all the money you save on shipping costs and easy returns.

You can select ‘recurring purchase’ to configure your subscription settings

You can ‘omit’ products as needed before fulfillment and still get the discount. Ex. I have 3 diaper options configured and only order the one with the best price for that month