There鈥檚 nothing like an adventurous, wobbly toddler to make every parent suddenly extremely aware of all the potential hazards in their home. Safety gates can be a helpful solution if you want to block your child鈥檚 access to a staircase or any other area of the house you don鈥檛 want them to toddle into unattended. 

They鈥檙e also handy options for those of us with inquisitive four-legged friends we might want to keep confined to a certain area of the house. 

Safety gates seem simple enough 鈥� just prop them up, screw them in and off you go, right? But when our expert testers took a closer look, they noted a range of issues from fiddly latches to tricky assembly instructions and outright choking hazards in the safety gates we purchased.

糖心Vlog experts have recently tested a range of safety gates from brands including Kmart Anko, 4Baby, Childcare and Dreambaby and found three with serious safety issues as well as models with several minor safety issues you should be aware of before you buy.

Here’s what you need to know about the safety gates that failed our rigorous testing, and what to consider if you’re buying a safety gate. 

No Australian safety standards

Contrary to what you might expect, there are no Australian safety standards for baby safety gates. There are however, two international standards, from Europe and the US. 糖心Vlog experts have drawn on these standards, as well as safety requirements and test procedures based on various Australian and overseas standards for other children鈥檚 products, to create our comprehensive in-house testing method to assess which gates are the best and safest.

鈥淢anufacturers whose models we鈥檝e failed say they do meet existing international safety gate standards, but 糖心Vlog experts believe our requirements address key safety concerns,鈥� says Kim Gilmour, 糖心Vlog household goods expert.

When we assess each gate, we鈥檙e looking to see how well they are constructed and checking for obvious potential hazards. We make sure the lock can鈥檛 be opened by a small child, look for tripping or entrapment hazards, and test whether a typical toddler could force the gate open or push it out of the door frame.

Our experts also assess how easy it is to assemble and install the gate and how easy it is to release and close the latch.

糖心Vlog director of campaigns, Andy Kelly says: 鈥淭he lack of mandatory standards for safety gates is a symptom of Australia鈥檚 reactive product safety laws 鈥� it might take a serious injury or death before a new mandatory standard is introduced or an unsafe product is recalled.鈥�

鈥淲ith tens of thousands of product categories and only a handful of products covered by mandatory standards and product bans, we urgently need to change the law so that it actually prevents companies from selling unsafe products.鈥�

Safety gates from our latest testing with serious failures

糖心Vlog experts found three safety games with serious failures. All were retractable screen-style baby gates, sold via online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay and online marketplace partners for retailers such as Big W, Harvey Norman, Dick Smith and Myer.

Retractable Pet Fence Universal Pet Safety Enclosure

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 21%
• Ease of use score: 70%
• Serious failures: small parts that can be detached are choking hazards; it is flimsy and not secure or high enough and therefore ineffective.

This product has multiple significant failures and is marketed as a 鈥淐reativity Baby Safe Guard鈥� with images of babies and pets in its advertising material.

“This gate is so flimsy, it feels like a plastic book covering,” says product expert Kim Gilmour.

“Even though there is an emphasis on 鈥榩ets鈥� in the product name, the product description and imagery used infers it is also suitable to be used as a baby gate.

鈥淚t’s far too low to prevent children from climbing over, and there are only cheap sticky hooks holding it in place on the door frame.”

Read the full Retractable Pet Fence Universal Pet Safety Enclosure review.

The BoPeep Retractable Safety Gate SG021

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 29%
• Ease of use score: 50%
• Serious failures: strangulation hazard and lack of security.

糖心Vlog experts noted three serious failures and one minor failure on The BoPeep Retractable Safety Gate SG021 (a product that is currently available for purchase from multiple retailers).

The serious failures include an aspect of the gate鈥檚 lock that presents a potential strangulation hazard if a piece of child鈥檚 clothing was to become snagged on it, and an issue with the locking mechanism that means it is not completely secure.

Experts also found that the gate could easily be removed from its wall mounts by hand. And crucially, the gap created between the gate and the door frame has the potential for limbs to get stuck in it.

Read the full BoPeep Retractable Safety Gate review. 

Dreambaby Glide ‘N Hide Xtra-Tall Retractable Gate G9377

• 糖心Vlog Expert Rating: 29%
• Ease of use score: 50%
• Serious failure: lack of security (lock is easy to be left inadvertently unengaged).

The baby safety gate raises a significant concern around basic security: it doesn鈥檛 reliably lock unless the user takes multiple deliberate steps 鈥� and it鈥檚 surprisingly easy to get those steps wrong. The lock button must be manually activated, but there鈥檚 no strong, obvious indication when it hasn鈥檛 been engaged.

Even more worrying, the gate can appear closed while only one of its two catches is secured, leaving the other side unintentionally loose. In practice, this creates a false sense of safety, where caregivers may believe the gate is properly locked when it isn鈥檛.

Beyond that, the overall design feels unnecessarily complicated and somewhat flimsy. Locking happens at one end, while securing the two catches happens at the other, forcing users to manage multiple points of interaction every time they open or close it. The retractable fabric mechanism can be awkward to guide, and ensuring both the top and bottom catches are engaged is fiddly.

There鈥檚 also a minor but notable risk of a child鈥檚 limb getting caught in a gap near the edge of the gate.

Read the full Dreambaby Glide ‘N Hide Xtra-Tall Retractable Gate review. 

What the manufacturers say

We contacted the manufacturers and suppliers of the safety gates we marked as having serious failures, requesting a response. eBay removed the Retractable Pet Fence Universal Pet Safety Enclosure, and similar items, for sale but it鈥檚 still available to buy on Ali Express. We have not received a response from the supplier of the BoPeep gate.

In response to our findings, Dreambaby says that its Glide N’ Hide gate passes the European (EN1930) and US (ASTMF1004) safety gate standards. It says the gate can be “conveniently removed from the wall if an adult chooses to do so” and will review its instructions.

Minor safety failures

In several of the gates we tested, 糖心Vlog experts found a risk of limb entrapment, which we consider an important factor parents should consider when deciding whether or not to buy a particular model of gate.

Kim says: “Manufacturers rightly warn that children should never be left unattended when a safety gate is used, but in a split second, an adventurous child could well test the waters and attempt to unlatch or escape from the gate, causing their arm or leg to get lodged between the bars.”

To find out which baby safety gates had minor failures, and to see the ones that passed our tests with flying colours, check out the baby safety gate review.

Meet our tester

Our safety gate tester Antonio Bonacruz knows his stuff. He’s been testing children’s products for the past 22 years and sits on various committees for Standards Australia, where he helps write the safety requirements for children’s products. This includes specifying how these products should be tested for safety. 

He helped develop 糖心Vlog’s in-house test method, which consists of safety requirements and test procedures based on various Australian and overseas standards for children’s products. 

The method tests for things such as choking hazards, entanglements that can cause strangulation, access to dangerous places, falls from heights, entrapments in openings and between moving components, and structural integrity. 

Things to consider when buying a child safety gate

If you’re looking for a child safety gate, you might also like to consider features that will affect how adults will use the gate. 

Is it a trip hazard for you?

We found some gates pose a trip hazard as the floor bar is high enough for you to catch your foot on as you walk through. To lower the risk of dropping your baby while carrying them through a safety gate, look out for a safety gate with either a low-profile floor bar with chamfered edges, or one that doesn’t have a floor bar at all.听

Is it easy to open and close?

Some safety gates can be tricky to open and close, and some even need two hands to open and close them. Given that parents tend to have their hands full most of the time, this could mean that you either don’t close the gate properly or stop using it altogether 鈥� which rather defeats the purpose of having a safety gate in the first place. 

Is it difficult to assemble?

If you’re a parent, you’re likely to be running on reduced sleep, so a safety gate that’s difficult to assemble may just tip you over the edge! Make sure you check the ease of use scores in our review so you can avoid the models that are a nightmare to set up. 

Tips for baby-proofing your home

If you鈥檙e looking to babyproof your home, a safety gate is one of the key items you鈥檒l be adding to your shopping list. You鈥檒l find some of the most important things to look out for in a safety gate in our baby safety gate buying guide. Here are a few other things to consider:

• You may need to buy more than one safety gate; consider placing at both the bottom and tops of stairs and in front of entrances to rooms that may contain hazards, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
• Babies and toddlers often pull themselves up on furniture 鈥� heavy items such as bookcases, tallboys and cabinets should be anchored to the wall so they don鈥檛 topple over. Check out the dangers of topping furniture and how to avoid it.
• Cover electrical outlets with outlet covers, and secure or put away electrical cords. 
• Install childproof locks (either magnetic locks or latches) on cabinets or drawers with items that can cause harm, such as sharp utensils, cleaning supplies, medicines or alcohol.
• Add corner guards to sharp-edged tables or furniture stands.
• Place fragile, breakable items such as pot plants or ornaments well out of reach.
• Ensure any items that may contain button batteries are secured or out of reach 鈥� you might be surprised at the number of household items that contain button batteries that can be extremely harmful if ingested. Think bathroom scales, light-up toys or shoes, glucose monitors, remote controls, car key fobs, musical greeting cards, hearing aids or digital thermometers.

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One longstanding truism of the consumer rights movement is that it takes a long time and a lot of effort to get new laws passed. Legislative reform  often comes long after the issues that made it necessary have already done considerable damage.

糖心Vlog has been campaigning for stronger product safety laws in Australia since 2018, and our campaign continues in 2026. Over the years, our test labs (accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities) have documented a disturbingly high number of product safety failures, especially in products designed for kids and babies, where the lack of adequate safety standards can pose nightmare scenarios. 

Astonishingly, the law doesn鈥檛 prevent the sale of unsafe products in Australia. Risks and dangers often come to light only after people are injured.

But, according to the results of a national 糖心Vlog survey, three out of four Australians (74%) still mistakenly believe that retailers are legally obligated to ensure the products they sell are safe. It鈥檚 a logical assumption that, unfortunately, is not a reality.

In 2019, as our campaign for an overarching product safety duty under Australian Consumer Law gathered steam, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that there were around 780 deaths and around 52,000 injuries per year from consumer products that many Australians have in their homes, not including motor vehicles.

鈥淭here is no law that says goods have to be safe, but there should be,鈥� then ACCC chair Rod Sims said at the time.

This year, 15 March is World Consumer Rights Day, so we thought it would be a good time to revisit some examples of what happens when products are made available without mandatory pre-market safety tests to inform their design.

It鈥檚 worth noting that Australia does have mandatory safety standards for some consumer goods, including baby products, electrical appliances, child motor vehicle restraints, bicycle helmets, children鈥檚 nightwear and more. But it鈥檚 a short list compared to the number of goods available that lack such standards.

Button batteries

As of 2022 there have been mandatory standards for button batteries, requiring manufacturers to secure battery compartments and include label warnings to prevent young children from ingesting these potentially deadly items.

糖心Vlog campaigned strenuously for this reform, which came in the wake of the deaths of three children and the serious injury of countless others.

Prior to the mandatory safety standard, there was a voluntary standard that manufacturers could choose to observe or ignore. They mostly did the latter.

In 2019, we tested 17 common household items 鈥� including ear thermometers, kitchen and bathroom scales, and remote controls 鈥� against the voluntary standard. Ten had unsecured batteries that could have easily been accessed and swallowed by children.

And just because we finally get laws doesn鈥檛 mean manufacturers won鈥檛 break them. 糖心Vlog has conducted several battery button safety tests in our labs since 2022, and failures have been common.

In January 2024聽 鈥� 18 months after the mandatory standard came into effect 鈥� we reported on the results of our test of 15 common household products containing button batteries. Ten of the products failed to meet the mandatory standards.

Around the same time, the famed Australian children鈥檚 musical group The Wiggles admitted in a case brought by the ACCC that it had breached regulations by selling thousands of Emma Bow headbands that lacked mandatory button battery safety warnings.

Australia remains an outlier

In May 2025, a new mandatory standard came into effect for furniture that鈥檚 prone to toppling over and seriously injuring people, especially small children.

It is not a big ask for manufacturers. They are now merely required to prominently warn consumers about the very real risks of this happening on labels, instruction manuals and other communications.

But many other products sold in Australia are not subject to any safety standards at all.

Australia is an outlier in this regard. Canada, the UK and the EU, for instance, have laws that stipulate products across the board must be safe before they鈥檙e sold. It鈥檚 an idea that鈥檚 sweeping the globe.

In December last year, the United Nations released its Principles for Consumer Product Safety, which 鈥渁ffirm the right of all consumers to safe, non-hazardous products, sold online and offline鈥�.

Pram and stroller failures

Late last year, in our most recent test of essential children鈥檚 products, we tested 54 models of prams and strollers. Sixteen of them had serious safety failures.

The manufacturing defects included the risk of falls, durability failures, locking mechanism failures, parking brake failures and harnesses that posed the risk of strangulation and head entrapment.

Manufacturers for each brand responded with their own test results, declaring the products safe. Unlike many other children鈥檚 products, prams sold in Australia do need to meet mandatory safety standards, but 糖心Vlog experts also test to a newer, voluntary safety standard that goes above and beyond mandatory requirements.

We think the more stringent voluntary standard should be mandatory. (A 2022 revision to the voluntary standard takes newer designs of prams into account, such as convertible tricycle strollers.)

While prams must meet safety standards (which we view as inadequate), and a new mandatory infant sleep standard covers infant sleep products, many other children鈥檚 products are still not subject to standards, including high chairs, change tables, baby bottles and teats, safety gates and barriers, backyard play equipment, baby carriers and slings, and playpens.

It means you take it on trust that these items are safe for your child 鈥� trust in the profit-driven, often overseas-based manufacturer, that is.

Safety failures from online marketplaces

Over the past couple of years we鈥檝e turned our sights toward the new generation of online marketplaces that sell many billions of inexpensive goods around the world every year. What we found is not cause for celebration.

In late 2025, we published the results of a 糖心Vlog button battery lab test of children鈥檚 products purchased on Shein, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon. The safety failure rate was high across all four marketplaces and included lack of suitable warning labels and insecure compartments.

We followed the button battery test up with a mechanical safety test of 22 products suitable for children under three 鈥� including rattles, teethers and whistles 鈥� purchased on Temu, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon.

Six of them had serious safety failures based on Australian mandatory standards, ranging from choking hazards to lack of safety warnings.

Online marketplaces have added new dangers to the purchasing of consumer goods in Australia. And at the moment we have little protection.

These marketplaces can choose to sign up to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission鈥檚 voluntary Product Safety Pledge as a gesture of good will, but the ACCC has no power to make sure they鈥檙e actually complying.

A phenomenon known as “product safety washing” has emerged. Amazon Australia, eBay Australia and Chinese retailer AliExpress have all signed the pledge. But the most recent Australian Product Safety Pledge annual report, which did not name names, says adherence by signatories is spotty. Some resumed selling unsafe products after removing them, while others took too long to remove them.

A global issue

Australia is far from alone in the struggle to rein in online marketplaces that specialise in cheap goods. In December last year, we published the results of a mystery shopping exercise of Temu and Shein by International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT), a London-based global consortium of consumer organisations (including 糖心Vlog).

Consumer organisations in Germany, France, Denmark and Belgium tested 162 products purchased on Shein and Temu across three categories: toys and products for children under three, USB chargers, and necklaces.

A massive 65% of the products bought on Temu failed to comply with EU safety standards, while the failure rate for Shein was 73%. The worst safety failures were in the children鈥檚 toys category, where all 27 products purchased on Shein and 26 out of 27 bought on Temu failed.

According to the European Commission, about 12 million low-cost parcels per day were imported to Europe from China (where Temu and Shein are based) in 2024. That equals about 4.6 billion parcels for the year. It was twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2022.

It鈥檚 a sign that we urgently need stronger product safety laws that make it illegal for all businesses to sell unsafe products. Until then, compelling cut-rate online marketplaces to conduct safety tests on products before they go on sale, or to make sure their many suppliers do so, remains a work in progress.

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How secure is the furniture around your home? Common items such as bookshelves, televisions and chests of drawers can cause serious safety risks if they’re not anchored properly, and are particularly dangerous for younger children and older people. 

Toppling furniture has killed at least 28 people in Australia since 2000 and caused nearly 20 injuries a week.

A new mandatory information standard came into effect on 4 May 2025, with the aim to reduce the accidents and deaths from these sorts of incidents, which can result in head and crush injuries and asphyxiation.

This new standard requires safety warnings to be provided to consumers online and instore at the point of sale on items that pose a risk. Warnings should be available on the products themselves and in any accompanying instructions.

The standard came into effect following the ACCC review into the risks and dangers of toppling furniture, to which 糖心Vlog made recommendations in 2021. It applies to chests of drawers, wardrobes, bookcases, hall tables, display cabinets, buffets and sideboards with a height of 686mm or more, and entertainment units of any height.

Low levels of compliance

Suppliers were given a transition period to put the warning measures in place, before the rules became mandatory on 4 May 2025, with stiff penalties possible for non-compliant businesses.

Despite the transition period and the threat of penalties, a sweep of businesses conducted by the ACCC found a concerning level of non-compliance.

State and territory consumer protection agencies examined more than 3000 furniture products at more than 160 businesses and found 90% had failed to comply with the new standard in relation to one or more of their products. More than half were non-compliant in relation to all the products examined. Just 10% were assessed as fully compliant. 

ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe says the low level of compliance is concerning.

鈥淚t is critical that businesses include warning and safety information on toppling furniture,鈥� she says, adding that monitoring will continue. 鈥淲e expect to see significant improvement in compliance, and will consider enforcement action if this does not occur.鈥�

Still more to do

The mandatory information standard is a 鈥減ositive step鈥� and something 糖心Vlog has advocated for, says 糖心Vlog Director of Campaigns and Communications Andy Kelly, but he expressed disappointment at the lack of compliance.

鈥淭he majority of consumers mistakenly believe it鈥檚 already illegal to sell unsafe products in Australia, so prominent warnings and clear instructions to minimise risk are especially important,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 disappointing that most furniture suppliers are failing to comply with the new standard.鈥� 

As well as the lack of compliance, loopholes that make some sellers exempt from the new rules are also a concern. 

鈥淎 gap in the law means that online marketplaces aren鈥檛 legally required to ensure the products sold by third parties on their platforms are safe and compliant,鈥� says Kelly.

鈥淲ith more people buying furniture from online marketplaces, 糖心Vlog continues to call for the introduction of stronger product safety laws that would place a duty on all businesses to ensure that all the products they sell are safe 鈥� including online marketplaces.鈥�

Making it easier for renters

Renters often report having trouble securing furniture in their home, since anchoring furniture requires drilling holes in the wall and requires permission from the landlord. In a 2020 糖心Vlog survey, 58% of renters who hadn’t anchored furniture said the number one reason was because their landlord or managing agent didn’t allow it.

If you’re renting a home, contact your landlord or agent about installing anchor devices to the wall. Some states have laws that make it easier for tenants to secure furniture, and all tenants can speak to their landlord or agent about installing anchoring devices to help ensure their family’s safety.

If you’re unsure about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant, you can check local laws, or seek support from your local consumer protection agency.

How to choose safer furniture when shopping

When you鈥檙e out shopping, look for the safety warnings on any products you鈥檙e considering. The ACCC encourages consumers to report concerns about unsafe or non-compliant furniture items to the supplier. Concerns can also be reported to the ACCC using the .

When choosing items for your home, particularly if you’re shopping for furniture for a child鈥檚 room, or if you have young children living in or regularly visiting your home, use these tips to help select options that pose the least risk:

• Choose stable furniture.
• Pull out any top drawers of a chest of drawers or open doors on other furniture items and apply a little pressure to see how stable the furniture is.
• Make sure the drawers don’t fall out easily.
• Look for built-in drawer stops that limit how far drawers can be extended or interlocks that prevent more than one drawer being opened at the same time.
• Look for furniture with sturdy backing material, which increases stability.
• Look for low-set furniture or furniture with a sturdy, stable and broad base, which makes it less likely to tip over.

Tips to reduce toppling furniture incidents in your home

Whether assembling or arranging new furniture or reviewing the safety of your current furniture, here are some things to keep in mind. 

• Securing furniture to the wall or floor is the best way to prevent furniture from tipping over. If your furniture doesn’t come with anchoring hardware or you’re securing furniture you already own, you can get the necessary parts from a furniture retailer, hardware store or a specialty baby goods store. If you’re not sure which product is right for your furniture, ask at your local hardware store or seek the advice of a professional. 
• Locate furniture on a flat, even surface where possible. Furniture is more unstable when it’s on an uneven or soft surface, such as carpet or a rug. If you plan to place your furniture on carpet against a wall, check to make sure the carpet isn’t bulging.
• Keep your heaviest items at the bottom of your drawers or shelves. Top-heavy furniture is easier to tip over.
• Do not place heavy items such as TVs or items that are enticing to children on top of furniture.
• Put locking devices on all drawers to help prevent children from opening drawers and using them as steps.

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Pretty well all baby monitors use audio and video monitoring these days. While some have stuck with a dedicated monitoring unit (such as a tablet), others use smartphone apps, which can reduce the overall price. 

We can help you decide which option is right for your home.

On this page:

• Do you need a baby monitor from birth?
• How do baby monitors work?
• Baby monitors vs. smartphone apps
• Using a security camera as a baby monitor
• How much do baby monitors cost?
• What to look for in a baby monitor
• How to set up a baby monitor
• Protecting your family’s privacy

Do you need a baby monitor from birth?

While it’s recommended that your baby sleeps in your room for the first six months (at least), it’s still a good idea to get a baby monitor from birth. That way, anyone else in the house will be alerted quickly if there’s an emergency, even when one parent is always watching the child.

Otherwise, we strongly recommend using a baby monitor from the moment you start leaving your baby alone for any period of time.

How do baby monitors work?

Baby monitors fall into two broad categories:

• Audio: Essentially a walkie-talkie between you and your baby’s room. Though common for decades, these have almost been entirely replaced by audio/video systems.
• Video: Sends a live video feed from a camera, to a tablet-like viewing device (aka a carer’s unit) or smartphone app. If it’s app-based, then you buy the monitor and download the official app to your own smartphone or tablet.

If your baby starts crying, makes a different sound, consistently moves during restless sleep, or stops moving for a significant period, the viewing tablet or app will send an alert. Then you can tap into a live feed or review recorded footage to see if there’s a problem.

Do all baby monitors use Wi-Fi?

No, in fact there are many baby monitors that use radio, a proprietary signal, or mobile networks such as 3G, 4G or 5G. However, a Wi-Fi unit is usually the best option if you have good internet coverage in your home, particularly from something like a mesh network.

Home Wi-Fi networks operate on at least two bands: 2.4 and 5GHz. This is why you’ll often see two Wi-Fi options at home when you’re connecting a device such as your smartphone.

Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitors can connect to both, but some can only operate on the 2.4GHz band. If you’re having networking issues on the camera or viewing unit, open the settings and make sure they’re connected to the 2.4Hz option, not 5GHz.

Sound range, interference and sensitivity

The baby monitor should maintain quality sound and picture, even when you’re at the other end of the house. The monitor should also be able to pick up and reproduce soft sounds. Build quality is a big part of this, but you also need to consider interference from other devices.

While most monitors use Wi-Fi or proprietary signals these days, some still use common radio frequencies. These may experience interference from nearby devices (including those of your neighbours) such as cordless phones, microwaves, or other baby monitors.

However, some monitors let you choose from several frequencies to minimise this. Others use DECT (digital enhanced cordless communication), which is an even better option that encounters less interference. It’s probably best to buy a monitor that doesn’t use common radio frequencies, but if you do buy this type, look for one that supports DECT.

What’s the best camera resolution: HD, 2K or 4K?

Most baby monitors can stream and record in high-definition (HD), but some support higher resolutions including 2K and 4K UHD. 

The marketing for these models will often claim that the increased detail gives you a clearer picture of how your baby feels while it鈥檚 sleeping, but there鈥檚 more to it than resolution alone.

Installing software that supports 2K or 4K is one of three parts of the puzzle. The camera also needs a good-quality lens and a decent processor to properly capture and output video to ensure the added detail and clarity remains. Otherwise, footage won鈥檛 look much better than HD, especially at night.听

A low-end processor can also cause other issues, including blocky or smeared video, over- or under-exposed light, and blotchy colours.

Most baby monitors are cheaper than cameras or smartphones, which can be a good indication of the quality of the lens and processor. So, while they can technically record in 2K or 4K, it might not look very good.

This isn鈥檛 the only issue with higher resolution video:

• Video streaming limitations: Baby monitor video receivers usually use HD screens, so you can only view 2K or 4K content when it鈥檚 saved to a different device. In other words, you鈥檙e paying for something that you won鈥檛 use most of the time. This might not be an issue if you鈥檙e streaming from the baby鈥檚 room to a smartphone or tablet app.
• Storage: Higher resolution video takes up more space on your hard drive, SD cards or cloud storage accounts. Extra space costs money, which can add up over time.

Baby monitors vs smartphone apps

As far as performance, picture and sound quality go, we’ve come across good and bad apps and carer’s units across the board. Additional functions and features are also fairly comparable. And both types connect to a dedicated camera in the child’s room.

Pros and cons of using smartphone app with your baby monitor

Monitors that use an app are typically cheaper as you don’t need to cover the cost of a proprietary carer’s unit. The app may cost a little extra on top of the monitor, but this is rarely more than ten dollars. 

You’re also likely to have your phone nearby at all times and it can switch to mobile data if the Wi-Fi drops out.

But older phones may not support the latest versions of the carer’s app, so double check compatibility before you buy. 

Baby monitoring apps can also drain your phone’s battery, in addition to all the other apps you may run throughout the day, as well as calls, messaging and so on. Keep this in mind because you don’t want your phone to shut down when you’re relying on it as a baby monitor.

Props and cons of using a carer’s unit with your baby monitor

Carer’s units are designed to work with the included camera out of the box so you don’t need to worry about compatibility or owning the latest model. 

They typically use physical controls (which you may prefer over a touch screen) and come with mounts or kickstands for easy access while in use.

But they’re usually larger than phones and most pockets, so you need to find a place to put them that’s in earshot. It’s easy to forget the carer’s unit if you duck upstairs or head outside for a while.

Using a smartphone as a baby monitor

Installing a baby monitor app on two smartphones (or tablets) is a viable, and potentially cheap, option if you have an old phone kicking around the house. But there are a few considerations:

1. The phone must have a good-quality camera and microphone.
2. It has to be plugged into a power point so it can monitor your baby 24/7.
3. You have to find and install a stand or mount to position the phone towards the sleeping area.

Almost all phones position the charging port at the bottom, which can make mounting tricky. Wireless charging can get around this but it’s usually limited to premium smartphones and tablets. 

Also, picture quality in dark lighting conditions can be very poor unless you turn on the phone’s light, which could disturb baby’s sleep.

Using a security camera as a baby monitor

The difference between a security camera and baby monitor quite often comes down to branding and aesthetics. In fact, we usually add one or two security cameras to our baby monitor tests just to see how they stack up. 

The main difference is that almost all modern security cameras connect to an app on your smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi or mobile data. They don’t come with their own viewing device.

If you already have security cameras around the house then you may want to consider this route; however, you won’t get some of the purpose-specific features that come with a dedicated baby monitor, such as two-way audio communication or playing a soothing tune. 

Most brands let you monitor multiple cameras from within the same app, so you can simply integrate the baby’s room into your existing security system. Some “smart” cameras can even hook up to your smart TV for a larger and more-detailed viewing experience.

How much do baby monitors cost?

While some baby monitors can cost as little as a few dollars for an app, other physical baby monitors we’ve tested range in price from $39 to almost $800. Our test results have shown a higher price tag isn’t always an indicator of better performance, and we even recommend some that cost less than $100.

Baby monitor subscription services

Yes, even baby monitor manufacturers are reaching for a slice of the subscription pie. Far be it from anyone to tell others how to parent, but the features on offer don鈥檛 seem to be worth the monthly fee. Most brands will offer two core extras 鈥� a cry translator and cloud storage.

Ever seen that episode of ‘The Simpsons’ where Homer鈥檚 half brother builds the baby translator? Well, now you can live that reality with paid features like CryAssist, which supposedly interprets the meaning behind your baby鈥檚 tears. Are they sleepy, fussy, hungry, or gassy? Now you can know, apparently.

Suggesting that you need a computer to truly understand your child鈥檚 needs feels a bit predatory. It probably isn鈥檛 worth the asking price (which varies between brands).

Cloud storage does make it easier to back up, save and access videos of your baby, especially while you鈥檙e out and about. But why pay for this when you can easily move video from the camera鈥檚 internal storage/SD card onto your computer or phone and into a free cloud storage service? You鈥檙e really just paying for convenience here.

What to look for in a baby monitor

There are plenty of features and functions to consider, whether you go for a camera with a dedicated carer’s unit or smartphone app.

Movement monitor

This sounds an alarm when the baby is restless, or when there is no movement after a specific length of time. This time limit will be noted in the instructions.

Infrared camera

This is useful if the baby’s room gets quite dark or if you’re monitoring them at night, though the image will show up as black and white and can have poor contrast.

Sound indicator lights

The visual sound indicators will light up to alert you when bub cries. They allow you to ‘see’ the noise your baby makes rather than hear it.

Camera mount type

There’s a range of camera mounts available that let you place the camera in a variety of locations. It’s very important to consider this, especially if you’re in a rental property where you may not be able to screw the camera into a wall.

• Flat surface: For placing the camera on a surface such as a chest of drawers, changing table or windowsill. This is the most common mount type.
• Clamp: Lets you attach the camera to the side of a bookshelf, top of the bassinet or floor lamp, for example.
• Wall mount: Includes fittings to drill the camera into the wall. 
• Floor mount: Similar to a floor lamp, the arm extends over the sleeping space with the camera mounted on the end.

The most versatile models offer a combination of these mounts, giving you the freedom to place the camera pretty much anywhere you want.

Camera viewing angle

A shallow viewing angle will only really show what’s directly in front of the camera. This isn’t a bad option if you’re able to position the monitor in front of the baby in such a way that it can’t move out of frame.

Cameras with a wider angle will capture more of the room, which is useful if placement is restricted or you need to keep an eye on two or more kids. Some cameras can be controlled remotely with pan and zoom functions so you can keep better track of what’s going on.

Two-way communication

This puts a speaker in the baby monitor so you can communicate with your child from another room. It can help when the baby is restless, but you don’t want to risk waking them up by going into the room.

Baby room temperature monitor

This lets you set an alarm that activates if the room temperature goes above or below the limits you’ve chosen.

Lullaby mode 

The baby monitor can play a tune into the room to relax a restless baby or send them gently off to sleep. 

Night light

Some models include a night light for babies who don’t like to sleep in the dark.

Battery power

A back-up option that can keep the camera rolling if the mains die or the camera is accidentally unplugged.

Video recording

You can record footage from the video baby monitor in some models, though this isn’t a standard feature. If it’s available, then you’ll need to buy an SD card to store the footage. Check the instructions and make sure you buy a card that’s compatible with the monitor, particularly the class type.

Multi-cam support

Gives you the option to connect additional cameras to the same account. You can place these in the same room or multiple rooms if you need to monitor two or more kids. Security cameras usually allow this through a single app, within the same manufacturer.

Remote access

Access the live stream while you鈥檙e away from home (hopefully while someone else is looking after the baby), not unlike a smart doorbell or security camera. This feature may require a monthly/annual fee.

How to set up a baby monitor

These are some broad points you should consider during set-up.

Where to put your baby monitor

Whether the monitor is audio only or audio plus video, make sure it has a clear view of your child with no blind spots where your baby could exit the frame. If your model supports video, watch the live feed while setting up the camera so you can find the best position. Try to put it relatively high up so you’re looking down at an angle.

If the monitor uses Wi-Fi, get it as close to the router, repeater or mesh hub as possible. This will ensure a strong signal that has a lower risk of dropping out.

Try not to point the camera directly towards any windows or light sources. This could “blow out” the image (think a white-out like a snow storm) and make things difficult to see, especially if you’re using infrared. It also could interfere with movement detection.

Keep the monitor away from other electrical devices and anything that emits noise, if possible. Poorly built electronics don’t tend to have good shielding, which can interfere with video and audio signals.

How close should the baby monitor be?

This is up to you, though check the instructions for manufacturer recommendations. As a guide, we position the camera and audio-only devices one metre away from the “baby” during our tests.

Sensitive microphones should be positioned a bit further away, but not so far that environmental sounds start to interfere. Similarly, don’t move the camera back to the point where your baby is difficult to see.

Protecting your family’s privacy

Audio-only baby monitors operating on public transmission frequencies mean that anyone with a receiver (such as a two-way radio, walkie-talkie or another baby monitor) could listen in to conversations you have near the baby monitor. Be aware of this.

If you’re using a Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitor, set it up with a secure login password known only to you and separate to your local Wi-Fi password. If you don’t change your camera’s login password from the default (which is often blank), you risk leaving your connection vulnerable to hackers.

Make sure your Wi-Fi monitor is upgraded to the manufacturer’s latest firmware version to close potential security loopholes (the instructions should tell you how to do this), and also make sure that any associated smartphone apps are up to date.

SIDS and baby monitors

There’s no evidence that using a baby monitor will prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

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Nobody knows how many unsafe products are for sale on the world鈥檚 most popular online marketplaces, but it鈥檚 safe to say the numbers are staggering. These borderless operators have become a conduit for super cheap goods of dubious quality. 

In recent years 糖心Vlog has called out several shopping platforms for making unsafe products available to Australians, but it鈥檚 clearly an international issue.

In a recent mystery shopping exercise, International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT), a London-based global consortium of consumer organisations (including 糖心Vlog), provided fresh evidence.

What they tested

Researchers from consumer organisations in Germany, France, Denmark and Belgium found that a high percentage of products purchased on two of the world鈥檚 biggest marketplaces, Temu and Shein, both based in China, failed EU safety standards and posed a safety risk to children as well as adults.

In the ICRT project, the researchers tested 162 products across three categories: toys and products for children under three, USB chargers, and necklaces.

The forensic detail of the reporting reveals the multitude of health risks that can lay hidden in items purchased on these platforms.

Children鈥檚 toys and products were tested for physical hazards such as sharp edges, long cords, or poor construction; and for chemical hazards including phosphorus flame retardants, formaldehyde, phthalates, cadmium, PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) and pentachlorophenol.

Children鈥檚 products were also tested for the risk of electrical shock, overheating and burns, and access to batteries. And they were checked to see whether safety labelling was compliant with EU standards.

Necklaces were tested to see if they contained potentially dangerous substances that are regulated in the EU, including cadmium, lead, nickel, PAHs and phthalates.

USB chargers were tested to see if they complied with safety requirements to prevent shock, fire and overheating and were durable enough to withstand impacts and repeated use.

Safety failure rates of 65% and 73%

In all cases, the results were enough to recommend a rethink on buying certain goods from these sites. Sixty-five percent of the products bought on Temu failed to comply with EU safety standards, while the failure rate for Shein was an even less impressive 73%.

Most of the safety risks that the ICRT team discovered were of medium to high severity. Overall, about one quarter of the products tested posed a serious safety risk, while in other cases products lacked required safety warnings, had misleading warnings or had other comparatively minor safety risks.

The worst safety failures were in the children鈥檚 toys category, where all 27 products purchased on Shein contravened EU standards, and 26 out of 27 bought on Temu failed.

Several teething rings, rattles and bath toys contained small parts, stickers, or suction cups that could easily detach and be swallowed, posing a choking hazard.

A toy tissue box shaped like a bus sold on Temu had excessive amounts of formaldehyde in the cloth tissues, a substance that鈥檚 commonly used in clothing to reduce wrinkles. The EU limit for children under 36 months is 30mg of formaldehyde per kilogram of material. In two of seven cloth tissues the testers found 164mg and 143mg respectively.鈥���

A silicone teething glove sold on Temu had around four times the permitted levels of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which can adversely affect human hormones.

Of the 52 USB chargers tested, only one from each marketplace was fully compliant. The rest had a high or medium level of non-compliance. Seventeen of the chargers (12 from Shein and five from Temu) posed a serious fire risk.

A Temu spokesperson tells 糖心Vlog that the success of its platform “depends on keeping out bad actors so that responsible merchants can operate and customers are protected. Our approach aligns with the public interest in preventing unsafe or illegal goods from reaching consumers”.

“Most sellers on Temu operate lawfully and responsibly,” the spokesperson says. “When violations occur, they differ in severity, and we investigate each case thoroughly. Every incident we identify strengthens our system and helps us stay ahead of emerging risks.”

A Shein spokesperson says the company “takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to customers. All products in question were offered for sale on the Shein marketplace by independent third-party vendors”.

“As soon as we were informed of these findings, out of an abundance of caution, we immediately initiated our standard protocol to ensure that these items were removed from sale globally.”

Thousands of sellers, billions of parcels

The ICRT project manager who oversaw the coordinated mystery shop, Berlin-based S铆lvia Gomes da Silva, tells 糖心Vlog that the sample size was relatively small given the volume of products sold into the EU via Temu and Shein, but the findings nevertheless deliver a 鈥渟trong warning signal鈥�.

The failure of two-thirds of the products to meet EU safety standards shows that 鈥渢he current system struggles to cope with the realities of cross-border e-commerce,鈥� Gomes da Silva says.

Rather than revealing a failure of regulation, however, the results highlight 鈥渁 structural mismatch between traditional market surveillance tools and a business model based on millions of low-value parcels shipped directly from outside the EU to consumers”.

“Authorities were set up to inspect warehouses and physical shops, not to control billions of individual parcels from thousands of third-party sellers,鈥� says Gomes da Silva.

Any workable way forward must include online marketplaces such as Temu and Shein doing their own proactive surveillance to prevent unsafe goods from being offered on their platforms in the first place, Gomes da Silva says. But at the moment the opportunity for profit far outweighs any risk of consequences for non-compliance.

鈥淭he legal and enforcement framework has not yet fully caught up with the scale, speed, and opacity of these China-based online marketplaces, and the platforms have not used their considerable technical and financial resources to close those gaps proactively. They’re taking advantage of the profit gains while they can,鈥� Gomes da Silva says.

While it鈥檚 nearly impossible to measure the impact the mass importation of unsafe products is having on people who live in the EU, there are indicators.

The EU鈥檚 Safety Gate system collects notifications of dangerous non-food products found in the EU and their associated risks, such as chemical exposure, electric shock, burns, and choking. Recent Safety Gate annual reports show that alerts have reached record highs, with toys, electrical products and items containing hazardous chemicals among the top categories. A disproportionate share of the alerts are linked to products originating outside the EU.

鈥淲e have strong evidence that unsafe goods including those sold online can and do cause real injuries and health risks, and that alerts are rising,鈥� Gomes da Silva says.

The loophole must be closed

Stine M眉ller of the Danish Consumer Council was involved in the ICRT testing of children鈥檚 products purchased on Shein. He points to a critical regulatory loophole, one that also exists in Australia.

The EU鈥檚 Digital Services Act (DSA) requires online marketplaces to remove goods from their platforms that don鈥檛 comply with EU standards, including goods from third-party suppliers. But there鈥檚 no law that says they have to prevent these products from being put up for sale in the first place.

鈥淔rom our perspective, this is the key problem [that] needs to be addressed as it poses an unacceptable risk to European consumers,鈥� M眉ller says.

Requiring marketplaces such as Temu and Shein to ensure that products are safe before they go on sale is the key because no regulator has the resources to hold thousands of sellers around the globe accountable.

鈥淭he rules and requirements are there for a reason, to decrease the risk of accidents to children and to consumers in general. Preemptive measures by these marketplaces would make it at least possible for the authorities to enforce regulations. This is now all but impossible, since they often can鈥檛 even reach the seller from the country in question, in this case China,鈥� M眉ller says.

The Danish Consumer Council believes that global online marketplaces should be held to the same standards as any other business importing goods into the European market. But the relentless onslaught of super cheap goods bought online is a different challenge for regulators than automobiles or beef or computers or other goods coming in by sea or air.

When informed by the consumer organisations about products with serious safety defects, both Temu and Shein removed them. But it was an infinitesimally small step toward protecting consumers.

The scale of goods flooding into the continent makes an effective solution look like building the pyramids. In 2024, about 12 million low-cost parcels per day were imported to Europe from China according to the European Commission, many of them via Temu and Shein. That equals about 4.6 billion parcels for the year. It was twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2022.

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If you鈥檙e tempted by the ultra-cheap toys available online, think twice.

Online marketplaces largely operate beyond the reach of regulation, so buying presents for your baby or toddler from one of these digital retailers could mean they end up with a toy that poses a serious safety risk 鈥� one that you had no way of knowing about.

It鈥檚 a high price to pay for what would generally be a very cheap product.

Such incidents have become more possible than ever because fast-growing global retailers such as Temu, AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, Kogan and others aren鈥檛 required to make sure the products they sell through third-party suppliers on their platforms are safe before selling them.

Online marketplaces can choose to sign up to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission鈥檚 voluntary Product Safety Pledge as a gesture of compliance, but if they make safety commitments, the ACCC has no power to make sure they鈥檙e actually following through on them.

The results of our most recent test of products bought from the above-mentioned platforms show what can happen when regulations don鈥檛 keep pace with accelerating developments in the digital marketplace.

Serious safety failures found in 糖心Vlog toy testing

We purchased 22 products suitable for children under 3, including rattles, teethers and whistles. Six of them had serious safety failures based on Australian mandatory standards, ranging from choking hazards to lack of safety warnings. These are design failures that could send your child to the hospital or worse. 

Our mechanical testing comes on the heels of the button battery safety testing we conducted earlier this year on children鈥檚 products bought from online marketplaces. This also revealed multiple safety failures. 

We also selected a further 18 painted and brightly coloured toys and tested them for chemical content, such as lead and cadmium; fortunately they all passed these tests.

Symptom of a larger issue

The failure to prevent online marketplaces from selling unsafe products is just part of the problem.

With no laws currently in place that require manufacturers or retailers to ensure products are safe before they go on sale in Australia, consumers become the unwitting guinea pigs 鈥� and often suffer the consequences.

The ACCC estimates that unsafe products cause tens of thousands of injuries and many hundreds of deaths every year in Australia, including products that have been recalled but remain in people鈥檚 homes.

Marketplaces remove dangerous products

After we got in touch with the marketplaces selling the toys with safety issues, they generally did the right thing.

A Temu spokesperson says the company 鈥渄oes not permit third-party sellers to list products that fail to meet applicable safety or regulatory requirements,” adding that the teether toy that failed our test had been removed before we contacted the company about it.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the unsafe products had been removed after we flagged them, saying 鈥渁ll products offered in our store must comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies鈥�.

eBay also confirmed it had removed the dangerous products after we contacted them.

AliExpress rejected our claim that an unsafe baby rattle was for sale on its platform, saying it couldn鈥檛 find the item. But we found many similar rattles still available to order.

If there鈥檚 a problem with a purchase, customers are generally told by these global sites to take it up with the third-party seller, which is often based overseas and, in many cases, unreachable. In short, today鈥檚 digital marketplaces sell billions of cut-rate products of dubious quality and gladly take the money, but they take no responsibility for the safety of what they sell.

鈥淲hile these unsafe toys have now been removed from sale, they should never have been available for purchase at all. Until we introduce stronger product safety laws, online marketplaces will continue to be under no clear, legal obligation to ensure the products sold by third party suppliers on their platforms are safe, even for children,鈥� says 糖心Vlog director of campaigns and communications Andy Kelly.

鈥溙切腣log is continuing to call for stronger product safety laws which will make it illegal for all companies, including online marketplaces like AliExpress, Amazon, eBay and Temu, to sell unsafe products.”

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Australia theoretically became a safer place for children on 22 June 2022, when mandatory button battery safety standards came into effect.

Since then, manufacturers selling products containing button batteries in Australia have been required to secure battery compartments to prevent children from accessing them. They also have to undergo their own testing to make sure batteries are secured, and include warnings and emergency advice on packaging about the dangers of button batteries.

This product safety legislation was a world first, and it applies to retailers as well as manufacturers 鈥� but not to online marketplaces themselves when acting as an intermediary between the customer and a third-party supplier.

The impetus for this long overdue reform couldn’t have been more urgent, or more tragic. As of 2020, three deaths and at least 44 serious injuries had resulted from children ingesting button batteries in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also reported in 2020 that an estimated one child a month is seriously injured after swallowing or inserting a button battery.

Bright, shiny and lolly-shaped, small children naturally want to put these bite-sized batteries in their mouths. Once that happens, they pose not only a choking hazard but can cause severe internal burns and tissue damage when lodged in any part of the body.

The risk is increased by the fact that medical professionals can misdiagnose symptoms and be slow to link a child’s worsening illness to a button battery ingestion.

Many products fail our test

Laws, of course, only work to the extent that businesses follow them. 糖心Vlog has conducted several battery button safety tests in our labs in recent years, and failures have been common. Last year, we reported on the results of our test of 15 common household products containing button batteries. Ten of the products failed to meet the mandatory standards. 

The focus of our most recent safety test was the online marketplaces Shein, AliExpress, Amazon, Kogan Marketplace and eBay.

We purchased five toys or novelty items from each site that contained button batteries 鈥� products that would likely be attractive to small children. The results once again show that adherence to the mandatory button battery safety standards is spotty at best, with online platforms failing to stop sellers from listing unsafe products. 

Amazon, eBay and Shein remove the products

We reported the results of our button battery safety tests to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as well as the online marketplaces. 

When we alerted AliExpress about our findings, the company rejected them as ‘unsubstantiated’ within hours. When we appealed that decision, our appeal was rejected. Amazon, eBay and Shein removed the products from their sites shortly after we reported them. 

A Shein spokesperson tells 糖心Vlog the company “takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to its customers”, adding that its code of conduct stipulates that vendors that sell products on its platform must comply with the laws of whichever country they’re sold in. 

In May 2023, the ACCC issued its first penalties for violations of the button battery standards against The Reject Shop and Dusk totalling around $240,000. The retailers were selling novelty Halloween products that failed to adhere to the safety standard. 

In October this year, the ACCC recalled three products with non-compliant button batteries. Two of them 鈥�  (sold by Oceana International) and  (sold at Coles supermarkets) 鈥� were Halloween themed. The third were  (sold by online retailer Shein).

The Wiggles sell thousands of non-compliant headbands

In more recent legal action, the ACCC compelled the famed Australian children’s musical group The Wiggles earlier this month to admit it had breached regulations by selling thousands of Emma Bow headbands that lacked mandatory button battery safety warnings. The headbands were recalled in August 2024 and The Wiggles have agreed to produce an episode of its podcast “Wiggle Talk 鈥� A Podcast For Parents”, which will cover the recall of the Emma Bow headband and discuss safety issues relating to button batteries and children’s toys. 

In two other cases this year, the ACCC issued eight infringement notices and $150,240 in penalties to Hungry Jack’s for supplying a Garfield-themed toy that didn’t comply with the safety standard, and commenced court proceedings against the retailer City Beach for selling 70 product lines with button batteries that were non-compliant.

The long road to regulation 

糖心Vlog has been campaigning on button battery safety since 2016, when we launched a petition in partnership with Kidsafe Queensland and The Parenthood calling on the government to introduce mandatory safety standards. This followed the deaths of four-year-old Summer Steer and 14-month-old Isabella Reese, both of whom had swallowed batteries. Isabella’s mum, Alison Burns, became a tireless advocate for mandatory standards following the death of her daughter, setting up an organisation called  to raise awareness and drive change. 

According to Queensland Health, around 20 children a week around Australia are taken to the hospital due to a suspected button battery incident. 

The ACCC issued a voluntary industry code for button battery safety, but it did little to reduce the risk of injury and death to children. Manufacturers generally ignored it. 

In 2019, we tested 17 common household items 鈥� including ear thermometers, kitchen and bathroom scales, and remote controls 鈥� against the voluntary standard. Ten had unsecured batteries that could have easily been accessed and swallowed by children.

In 2020, Australia recorded its third button battery death. Three-year-old Brittney Conway died after swallowing a button battery that became lodged in her oesophagus, burning a hole through to her aorta.

It was clear that self-regulation wasn’t working. But now that government regulation has been introduced, it’s also clear that mandatory standards are one thing, and universal compliance is another. 

“It’s disappointing that online marketplaces continue to undermine the effectiveness of strong mandatory standards by failing to ensure that the products they sell are compliant and safe,” says deputy director of campaigns and communications, Andy Kelly.

“That’s why 糖心Vlog is calling for stronger product safety laws that make it illegal for all companies to sell unsafe products 鈥� and online marketplaces should be no exception,” says Kelly.

The post Shein, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon failing on button battery safety appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

Our expert testers

糖心Vlog maintains a highly professional NATA-accredited laboratory and the vast majority of our product testing is done in-house. However, some tests 鈥� including trampolines 鈥� demand particular expertise and equipment that we don’t have, so in these cases we engage an expert external lab to do the testing according to our requirements.

How we choose what we test

With so many to choose from, what makes us choose one trampoline to test over another? As with most of our product testing, our aim is to test the most popular brands and types on the market and what you’re most likely to see in stores.

We survey manufacturers to find out about their range of products, we check market sales information where available, and we also check for any member requests to test specific models. From this information we put together a final list that goes to our buyers.听

They then head out to the retailers or go online and purchase each product, just as a normal consumer would. We do this so we can be sure they’re the same as any consumer would find them and not ‘tweaked’ in any way.

How we test

Our test is based on the Australian standard for trampolines, AS 4989:2015. This is a voluntary standard, but many trampoline distributors and manufacturers design and test their products to it.

The standard includes tests for UV degradation (whether the enclosure, mat and padding will deteriorate too quickly from being left out in the sun) and for salt spray corrosion, but we don’t assess these because of the time and cost involved.

Structural testing聽

We carry out a range of tests that apply weights and forces to the trampoline frame, the mat, and the enclosure, to ensure the trampoline doesn’t break or deform in any significant way under stress. This could happen if a user lands heavily on the mat or frame, or crashes against the enclosure. The tests also help determine whether a trampoline will survive and remain structurally sound over a long period of usage.

Impact testing聽

We test the padding and enclosure to measure how well they attenuate (reduce) the impact force of a user hitting them. The pads and enclosure need to be soft and energy-absorbent so that a user isn’t injured in an impact, but also must be tough enough to not get damaged in the process.

The structural and impact tests are tough tests and only the better trampolines pass them.

Entrapment and other hazards聽

These tests check for head entrapments, finger entrapments, places where clothing can snag, sharp edges and protruding bolts, among other things. Some of these we consider relatively minor hazards, but not always; for example, a head entrapment gap that’s accessible to a child bouncing on the mat is considered a serious failure.

Product marking and safety information

The standard specifies various safety warnings and information that should be present, on the trampoline itself and/or in the instructions.

Ease of use聽

As well as the performance tests based on the Australian standard, the testers also assess:

• the quality of the instructions 鈥� are they comprehensive and easy to follow?
• how easy the trampoline is to assemble. Note that for most people who aren’t experienced at doing this, any trampoline can be challenging to put together.
• how easy it is to get in and out of the enclosure’s entry
• how easy it is to relocate the trampoline by picking it up or pushing it.

Test criteria explained

The 糖心Vlog Expert Rating is made up of:

• performance (70%)
• ease of use (30%).

The performance score is based on how many failures we find in the structural, impact and information tests. Serious failures lead to a low score and any models with serious failures won’t be recommended. A trampoline with only very minor failures, such as in the information and label requirements, will score well and can still be recommended.

Our test lab

Testing trampolines requires a very specific laboratory setup, not to mention a lot of floor space and high ceilings. While 糖心Vlog does have high quality NATA-accredited laboratories, we don’t have the necessary equipment or skills 鈥� or indeed the floor space and ceiling heights 鈥� to test trampolines to the Australian standard. So instead, when we review trampolines, we send them to an expert external lab.

The post How we test trampolines appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

On this page:

• How to choose a safe trampoline
• Assembly and maintenance
• Using a trampoline safely
• Exercising on a trampoline
• The Australian standard
• Insuring against trouble
• How much do trampolines cost?

And while some of those injuries are not the fault of the trampoline (double backflip anyone?), our reviews have found that most of the tested trampolines failed to meet the Australian safety standard.听

Here’s what you can do to find a good one and use it safely.

How to choose a safe trampoline

Safety padding

• The metal frame and springs should be padded to avoid injuries should a child fall and hit them.听
• The safety pads should be a contrasting colour to the mat of the trampoline 鈥� this helps define the edge of the mat more clearly.听
• The trampoline should meet the current Australian trampoline standard AS 4989:2015, but there’s no easy way for the average buyer to tell, other than looking for a statement of compliance to the standard.
• Springless models such as those from Springfree and Vuly have a soft-edge design, where the bounce comes from mechanisms such as fibreglass rods or steel leaf springs beneath the level of the jumping mat, so they don’t need a padded edge like the traditional spring models. Other springless models, such as the Kmart and Lifespan models in our latest test, use wide rubber bands instead of metal springs, but are otherwise built much like a traditional trampoline, so they do need padding over the rubber bands.
• Unfortunately, we’ve found in our trampoline reviews over the years that although most models came with safety padding, not all pass the safety tests.

Enclosure

• A netted enclosure helps prevent falls from the trampoline and we strongly recommend you only use trampolines that have one.听
• It shouldn’t be suspended from unpadded rigid or stiff poles, as this introduces another hard object that could pose a risk to a child.听

Ladder

• A ladder can be used to help kids get on and off a trampoline safely, but it should be removed when the trampoline is not in use.
• If a child is unable to get up there alone, they may not be at the right developmental stage to use a trampoline at all.听

Instructions

• Instructions need to be clear, comprehensive and complete with good text and pictures. They should specify how to assemble the trampoline, maintain it and use it safely.

Assembly and maintenance

First, do you actually have the right space for a trampoline?聽

It should be placed on a level surface that’s free of hazards such as furniture, and the area around the trampoline should be covered in soft, impact-absorbing material.听

Lawn, pine bark, wood chips or sand are good. Not paving or concrete 鈥� there’s too much risk of injury; from falling onto a hard surface.听

You need two metres’ clearance on all sides and five metres overhead.

Using a trampoline safely

Our reviews show that many trampolines have safety hazards. These include padding that isn’t durable enough, head entrapment hazards, and enclosures that don’t stand up to rough treatment. But these hazards can often be avoided by sensible use.听

The bottom line: don’t rely on the trampoline to do all the safety work for you. Do your part by playing safely.

• Supervise children while they’re using the trampoline. Young kids especially (under six) should only use trampolines under close supervision.
• A safety enclosure can help prevent falls but it’s no substitute for good safety padding and a sturdy frame, or for sensible use of the trampoline.
• Even with an enclosure in place, kids still need to play safely on the trampoline and under adult supervision.
• Don’t let kids bounce against the netting on purpose.
• One child at a time on the trampoline. Accidents are more likely to occur when more than one child is playing on the trampoline.
• Large trampolines are not recommended for kids under six.
• Clear safety rules such as “one at a time”, “bare feet only”, and “do not use when wet” are good boundaries to set early on.
• Jump only in the middle of the trampoline and don’t jump off the trampoline when finished.
• To control bounce, teach your child to focus their eyes on the trampoline.
• If you have an older trampoline, consider getting it retrofitted with a frame padding system that’s compliant with the current standard. Or replace the old trampoline completely.

Are trampolines really that dangerous?

Trampolines are the second-biggest cause of hospital-treated injuries on play equipment, just behind monkey bars.听

Children aged five to nine are the most frequently injured, though there’s also an alarming number of injuries to children aged under five.听

There’s a common attitude that trampolines always have been and always will be inherently risky 鈥� that kids sometimes get hurt and that’s just how it is.听

We don’t agree.听

Many games and sports come with some risk, and kids are pretty good at collecting scrapes and bumps as they play 鈥� that’s part of life.听

But there’s no reason to accept unsafe products, especially when standards exist to define good, safe design, and when products exist that meet those standards.

Exercising on a trampoline

Trampolines are a great way to exercise; not just fun, but effective too.听

A 1980 study by NASA showed that rebounding on a trampoline is an excellent and efficient way to gain fitness as well as muscle and bone strength, more so than running on a treadmill.听

Trampolining uses a wide range of leg and core muscles, and is good for improving coordination.听

And the impact on your joints is relatively low, due to the mat absorbing some of the impact each time you land from a bounce, so it may be a better exercise option for people with bad knees than other forms of exercise such as running.

Even so, if you’re planning to use the trampoline for exercise, start slow and build your way up to more intensive workouts over time.听

There are plenty of video guides online that show a range of exercises to try, such as squats, twists, single-leg bounces, jumping jacks and more.听

Attempting a backflip?

One of the more popular challenges is learning to do a backflip. This is a difficult move and if you’re going to learn it, you should work your way up to it in stages: again, there are many guides online to help you.听

A word of safety advice: some guides suggest you should have a partner to assist and advise you, which is definitely a good idea, but we don’t recommend that they stay on the mat with you while you’re attempting the moves. They should watch from outside the trampoline at that point.

The Australian standard

The current Australian standard for trampolines, AS 4989:2015, is only voluntary. So while we expect manufacturers to strive to meet this standard, they’re not required by law to do so.听

Several manufacturers we’ve spoken to do support the standard, and some even take part in the standards committee.

The standard specifies performance tests for the padding or soft-edge system, to ensure it will properly protect a child’s head in the event of a fall or impact, as well as requirements for instructions, labels and safety warnings.听

It also requires the trampoline to have a safety enclosure (net) and includes tests to check that the enclosure is free from strangulation hazards, limb entrapments and other hazards, and that the frame and enclosure are structurally safe and sound.听

We strongly believe that the Australian standard for trampolines should be made mandatory. This will help weed out the more dangerous and flimsy trampolines from the market.

RELATED: No child should be put in hospital because of dangerous products, whether it’s trampolines, button batteries or anything else.听 calling for the government to make it illegal to sell unsafe products.听

Insuring against trouble

If you or a household member is seriously injured while using your trampoline, then your health insurance policy may come into play, especially if you need an ambulance or ongoing treatment.听

But what if the injured person is a visitor?聽

And what happens if strong winds hit your area and blow your trampoline into the neighbour’s yard, causing injury or damage? (It can happen!)

How much do trampolines cost?

A typical 10-foot round trampoline, such as the ones in our review, costs anywhere from under $549 to about $2099.听

We’ve found that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. Most trampolines fail one or another of our safety and durability tests, whether they are cheap or more expensive models. Some cheap trampolines turn out to be solidly made, but may have other safety issues such as head entrapment hazards, while some more expensive models can fail structural durability tests.

The post How to choose a safe trampoline appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

With no mandatory safety standard in place for trampolines, it’s currently up to manufacturers to ensure their products are safe. But in recent 糖心Vlog testing of several popular brands, we’ve found a number of trampolines that do not pass all of the voluntary safety tests as set out in the Australian Standard.听

“Our trampoline safety tests look at how children can use the product in real life as well as how the trampoline performs if you follow all safety instructions,” says 糖心Vlog testing expert Chris Barnes.听

“We look at what can happen if children bounce against the enclosure net or land hard on the padding.”

The models that failed had issues such as padding that doesn’t provide adequate protection or isn’t durable, frames that didn’t pass structural integrity testing, or models with pinching hazard or risk of limb entrapment.

Our testers noted other issues such as inadequate or difficult-to-follow instructions, which can result in incorrect or unsafe assembly, and minor safety failures such as a padding colour that doesn’t contrast with the mat, making it more difficult to differentiate.

The trampolines that passed our safety tests

Two Springfree trampolines 鈥� the Springfree Medium Square S72 and the Springfree R79 Medium Round 鈥� have both passed when tested to a method based on the voluntary Australian safety standards and are recommended by our experts.听

A Vuly model also passed (once we had adjusted the testing methods to accommodate its unique design), but it has since been discontinued.听

“Both the Springfree models and the discontinued Vuly trampoline passed all our structural, impact and safety tests. They each have a strong, durable frame and enclosure, which helps protect the user from any impacts,” says Barnes.

“There are no significant entrapment hazards and the instructions are clear and easy to follow, with instructions and safety labelling that meets the requirements of the voluntary standard.”

Trampolines with safety failures聽

These are the trampolines from our two most recent tests that had safety issues and are still available to buy. There are other models that failed our durability tests that have now been discontinued from sale. Click the links to see the full reviews, including their safety failures:

• Lifespan HyperJump3
• Lifespan Hyperjump4 10ft spring trampoline
• OzTrampolines 10ft Round Summit
• Plum 10ft Space Zone II Springsafe

糖心Vlog tests trampolines to the voluntary Australian standard, as there is no mandatory standard for trampolines.听

“Unfortunately, the current Australian standard for trampolines is only voluntary, which means manufacturers are not required by law to meet it,” says Barnes.

We’re continuing to call for stronger product safety laws that put the onus on manufacturers and retailers to ensure products they sell are safe before they hit store shelves and online platforms. Australians can join the call for better product safety laws at choice.com.au/productsafety.

糖心Vlog calls for safer products for Australians

Right now, it is not illegal to sell unsafe products in Australia. While a handful of products are subject to mandatory standards and product bans, there’s no general law preventing the sale of unsafe products, unlike in other jurisdictions like the EU and UK.

This means when you go to the shops or buy something online, you can’t be certain that the manufacturer has made sure it’s safe for use. This is why 糖心Vlog wants stronger safety laws.听

“It’s disappointing to see these products failing our safety testing, but not surprising given Australia’s lax product safety laws,” says Andy Kelly, 糖心Vlog deputy director of campaigns and communications.

“Unfortunately, it can take someone being seriously injured or killed before an unsafe product is recalled, or a new mandatory standard or product ban introduced. That’s why 糖心Vlog is calling on the government to introduce strong new product safety laws that would make it illegal for businesses to sell unsafe products. Until then, people will continue to be exposed to unacceptable risks.”

Expert tips for buying the best, safest trampolines

Aside from buying a trampoline that meets the voluntary safety standard, parents and carers can take other precautions to minimise risks when buying and using a trampoline.听

• Choose a trampoline with a strong, flexible net that fully encloses the mat, that won’t tear if a jumper jumps into it. Take notice of different brands of trampolines owned by friends or neighbours – has the net held up well or is it torn and sagging?
• Nets should be attached inside the springs or frame to prevent falls onto hard edges.听
• Springless trampolines (rods or elastics instead of springs) reduce the chance of pinching, entrapment and hard impact points.
• If buying a spring model, check for thick, durable padding that fully covers the springs and frame. It is a requirement of the voluntary standard that this padding is a different colour from the mat to make it easier to see.
• Choose a trampoline that’s large enough to suit your kids’s ages, sizes and number of jumpers (although it’s safest if you only allow one jumper at a time).
• Look for galvanised steel frames and UV-resistant nets and mats.
• Trampolines can be notoriously difficult to assemble and it’s important to ensure a trampoline is assembled correctly. In our reviews we note whether the trampoline comes with adequate, easy to follow instructions. If you’re buying secondhand, ask the person you’re buying from if they have kept the instructions.听
• Supervise children when they’re using the trampoline, particularly if they’re under six years old.

“Many safety risks can be minimised or avoided completely by safe use of the trampoline, such as only allowing one person on the trampoline at a time, or no deliberate bouncing against the net,” explains Barnes.听

“We know that for a fun product like a trampoline, safety instructions aren’t always followed exactly by children. That’s why the Australian standard tests trampolines for foreseeable misuse and accidents, like bouncing against the enclosure net or landing hard on the padding.”

Responses from manufacturers

After testing, we contacted the manufacturers of the trampolines we tested with our results.听

Some manufacturers disputed our findings, producing test certificates showing that their product meets the voluntary Australian standard.

Testing trampolines requires a very specific laboratory set-up, not to mention a lot of floor space and high ceilings. While 糖心Vlog does have high-quality NATA-accredited laboratories, we don’t have the necessary equipment or skills 鈥� or indeed the floor space and ceiling heights 鈥� to test trampolines to the Australian standard. So instead, when we review trampolines, we send them to an expert external lab. We stand by the results of this testing.听

The post Too many trampolines still failing 糖心Vlog safety tests appeared first on 糖心Vlog.