Unsafe children’s products online: the safety wake-up call
The scale of unsafe children’s products online has stopped being a rumour and become a number. In July 2026 Which? found 150 potentially unsafe baby products for sale across major marketplaces, including bottle props that fasten around a baby’s neck, sleep pillows linked to sudden infant death, and hooded sleeping bags an infant can slip inside. It is not isolated. The BTHA found 90% of toys bought from marketplace sellers failed UK safety tests, and separate consumer-group testing of Shein and Temu found almost every children’s product they checked failed EU safety checks, with hazards from choking parts to chemicals over the limit. The pipeline is enormous: around 4.6 billion low-value parcels entered the EU in a single year, and the EU has now fined Temu 200 million euros and scrapped the duty-free threshold that fed the trade. Most of these sellers are not villains. They do not know what they do not know. But in this industry, not knowing is not an excuse.
For brands, the uncomfortable finding is that a safety mark is no longer proof of anything. The BTHA found that 67% of the toys that failed still displayed a CE or UKCA mark, so the label on a listing can be self-declared, mistaken or simply faked. That is why the biggest overhaul of UK product safety law in over twenty years is being written right now: the government consultation closed on 23rd June 2026, and it proposes express duties on online marketplaces to prevent, identify and remove dangerous products. The direction of travel is clear, and it rewards the brands that already do the work. If you make products, know your regulations, test to the right standards, and be ready to prove both. As digital product passports arrive, that proof becomes a story you get to tell, not a cost you absorb quietly.
For parents, the single most useful shift is to treat where you buy as part of the safety decision, not separate from it. A vetted retailer that checks its suppliers is not the same as an open marketplace or an ultra-cheap app where anyone can list. Look for a UK business address, genuine hazard warnings and age guidance, packaging that matches the listing, and no accessible button batteries, magnets or small parts on anything meant for a baby. And remember that a mark on its own is not a guarantee. The hero of this story is not a frightened parent, it is the conscientious founder who tests properly and the informed shopper who knows what to ask. The Nest is not a safety authority. We point you to those who are: the Lullaby Trust, the NHS, OPSS and your testing house.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What did the Which? investigation into unsafe children’s products find?
In July 2026 Which? found 150 potentially unsafe baby products for sale on major online marketplaces including Amazon, Etsy and TikTok Shop. The items included bottle-prop self-feeders, baby sleep pillows linked to sudden infant death risk, and hooded sleeping bags, spread across sleep and feeding categories.
Is a CE or UKCA mark proof that a children’s product is safe?
No. The BTHA found that 67% of the toys that failed its safety testing still displayed a conformity mark. A mark can be self-declared, incorrect or counterfeit, so it is not proof on its own. Buying from a vetted retailer that checks its suppliers is a stronger safeguard than the mark alone.
What should parents check before buying children’s products online?
Look for a named UK business address, genuine age guidance and hazard warnings, packaging that matches the listing, and no accessible small parts, magnets or button batteries on baby items. Prefer vetted retailers over open marketplaces, and check official guidance from OPSS, the Lullaby Trust and the NHS.
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