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听 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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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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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听

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听

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听

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听

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.

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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听

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

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And with the real dolls notoriously hard to lay hands on, there’s been a surge in counterfeit copies, also known as Lafufus. But听some fakes can come with very real potential dangers, especially to small children.听

While most counterfeits look pretty similar to the real deal, those in the know can tell their Lafufus from their Labubus.听

To find out how convincing they can be, we bought five Lafufus and one real Labubu. Can you tell them apart?听

To help you spot the difference, we’ve compiled a list of tips you can use to tell a Labubu apart from their so-creepy-it’s-cute counterfeit cousin.

The replicas we purchased very closely resemble the real dolls, so this isn’t a foolproof guide, but looking at these key features should help prime you to spot a dupe.

How to tell a Labubu from a Lafufu

Count the teeth

Count the Labubu’s teeth. Authentic Labubus are known for their distinct design featuring nine pointy teeth. An incorrect tooth count is a glaring giveaway of a counterfeit.听

Check the colour and quality

Check for fur and vinyl that looks just a听 little too bright, and overly saturated blush cheeks. Widely spaced ears, lower quality fabrics, and loose stitching are also red flags.听

While minor paint misprints can occur on genuine dolls due to errors in quality control, the counterfeits we purchased all showed obvious design issues, including patchy or misaligned paintwork, scuff marks, loose stitching and other forms of damage.听

Look at the packaging

Another way to tell them apart is to look at the boxes they come in.听Fake boxes often feature shiny packaging while genuine Labubu packaging has a matte texture and the boxes are opened using a cardboard pull-tab.

Labubu manufacturer,听Pop Mart, also uses anti-counterfeiting measures, such as a holographic QR code sticker on the box that takes you to a verification tool. Genuine Labubus also have a unique character card corresponding with the doll’s design inside the box.

The post Labubu or Lafufu: Can you spot the difference? appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

When Melbourne mother Benita’s six-year-old daughter finally unboxed the toy she had been coveting for weeks, her delight rapidly crumbled into disappointment.听

Instead of the fuzzy, so-ugly-it’s-cute Labubu she had been dying to show off to her friends at dance class, she was looking at a counterfeit “Lafufu”. Its soft vinyl face was deformed, cheap stuffing leaked from its split seams, its feet were loose and its trademark serrated smile painted hopelessly askew.听

While Benita knew the boxes, bought from a two-dollar shop, weren’t the real deal, she hadn’t been expecting a product that was so obviously damaged and poor quality. Genuine Labubus from popular culture toy brand Pop Mart are known to vanish from shelves within minutes of release.听

However, when it comes to fake Labubus, there is more to worry about than cosmetic defects. Regulators around the world have pointed to serious safety issues 鈥� running from choking hazards to dangerous chemicals. And these issues could potentially place young children at risk.

What is a Labubu?听

Fuzzy, fugly and famous, Labubu has become one of 2025’s biggest viral crazes.听

Equal parts cute and creepy, these bunny-bodied, gremlin-faced dolls have become a popular accessory for children and adult collectors alike. They’re equally as likely to be found dangling from a child’s school backpack as they are clipped to the designer handbags of celebrities like Madonna, Rihanna, Naomi Osaka, and K-pop idol Lisa from Blackpink.

Love for the dolls from celebrities, combined with the popularity of social media unboxing videos, have helped fuel the toys’ rocketing popularity over the past two years, transforming them into a phenomenon.听

Based on a partnership between Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lunch and Beijing-based toy company Pop Mart, Labubu’s success is built on “blind boxes” 鈥� sealed mystery packages, where buyers don’t know which toy they’ll get until opened.

Each series includes a limited set of designs with a small chance of receiving a rare or special edition, transforming every purchase into a mini lotto.

Eugene Chan, associate professor of marketing at the University of Toronto, says the hunt for a specific Labubu can be problematic, potentially encouraging addictive behaviour and excessive spending.

“That sense of excitement, that adrenaline, the sense of gambling, really plays a part in the human psychology behind it all,” he says.

He says these toys, expensive relative to their size, rely on these marketing gimmicks that promise a flood of dopamine with every unboxing.

For collectors, this might mean buying box after box in the hopes of completing a set or discovering a special version or rare Labubu, the odds of which vary from one in 72 to one in 168 blind boxes.听

For Pop Mart, the blind box model has made bank. In the past year the toy retailer’s revenue has more than doubled. With 40% of their revenue coming from outside of China, record sales have rapidly transformed Pop Mart into a billion-dollar company.听

In its half-year results, Labubus alone made Pop Mart over $1 billion and accounted for approximately 35% of the company’s total global revenue.

Chan says that, while Labubus might eventually go out of fashion, he does not see the hype around collectibles, especially blind boxes, dying down anytime soon. From Tamagotchis in the 1990s, Beanie Kids in the 2000s and Squishamallows in the 2010s, he says the trend of colourful toy collectibles “will likely continue”.

Why the hype?

The major appeal of Labubus, beyond their bizarre cuteness, comes with the toy’s exclusivity and carefully orchestrated scarcity.听

As Labubu mania has gone global over the past year, social media platforms and news sites have been flooded with scenes of people queuing for hours, sometimes even overnight, to snag themselves a Labubu, while online sales have sold out in seconds.听

Official Labubus drop in limited runs, selling out so quickly it can feel borderline impossible for most everyday buyers to get their hands on one.

At Pop Mart’s Melbourne Central store, restocks are quietly announced to a group of diehard fans through WhatsApp groups between 10 to 30 minutes before the store opens, with products sold out before many shoppers would know they were available. In May, Pop Mart had to temporarily suspend sales of Labubus in their United Kingdom stores when brawls broke out between shoppers.听

As the popular plushies continue to sell out, resale prices have also soared. Rare Labubus can earn resellers and scalpers hundreds of dollars on online marketplaces like Facebook and eBay.听

Counterfeits: The Lafufu听

The hype surrounding Labubus has led to counterfeit Lafufus becoming widespread,听filling the gap created by the real product’s scarcity.听

Sold in deceptive replica packaging across the world, some buy knock-off Labubus by accident, thinking they’re the real thing. Others, like Benita, intentionally buy Lafufus and take the risk that the product might disappoint.听

Authorities in the US recently seized 11,000 counterfeit Labubus at Seattle airport at an estimated retail price of over $US500,000.听

However, issues with Lafufus run deeper than a few misshapen chompers. Trading authorities around the world have raised the alarm over safety issues with the counterfeit dolls.

Safety concerns听

In the UK, The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warned that poorly made counterfeit Labubus may contain small detachable parts such as eyes, hands, feet and accessories which pose a serious choking hazard to children under the age of three.听

Loose stitching and exposed stuffing, CTSI claimed, could further increase the risk of suffocation.

They added that dangerous counterfeits have “no regard for the safety of their consumers”, bypassing rigorous safety checks and compliance demands required for toy products in the UK.听

Beyond choking hazards, Lafufus can be toxic to children.听In the Philippines, the Ecowaste Coalition found unauthorised variants of the dolls tested positive for heavy metals like lead and also that they contained phthalates, a chemical compound used to soften plastics and can contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that interfere with the body’s hormones and damage children’s development.

糖心Vlog goes Lafufu shopping

To test out the quality of some of these counterfeit dolls, 糖心Vlog purchased three fakes from online marketplace Shein in August and two from a two-dollar shop in Melbourne.听

Many of the dolls had small, easily detachable parts that could represent a choking hazard to infants.

Three of the five Lafufu dolls we purchased had a small rubber part around one centimetre in length that easily detached itself from the foot. All five also had small metal clips on their tags that were easy to remove. On one of the Lafufus from Shein, the two plastic eyes popped out when its face was lightly squeezed. The real doll had no small parts that were easily removed.听

糖心Vlog test coordinator of children’s products Antonio Bonacruz, says according to the Australian and ISO safety toy standards, these small parts would likely fail the “small parts test” and would pose a choking hazard to children under the age of three.听

However, Bonacruz says the way that the dolls are marketed both online and in stores, and their lack of child-specific labelling, does not suggest they are being specifically targeted at young children.听

“These items, whether genuine or imitation, are not toys for babies and toddlers and should not be treated as such” Bonacruz says.听

“I usually see primary-school aged children and young adults collecting these items and they appear to be marketed at children of these ages. Choking can unfortunately happen to anyone of any age, but babies and toddlers are at greater risk because they would put almost anything in their mouths or noses and accidentally swallow or inhale small objects. And it is important that parents are aware of the potential harm to infants and younger children,” he adds.

How to spot a Lafufu听

There are several ways to avoid getting stung by accidentally buying a counterfeit:

• Buy directly from the manufacturer, Pop Mart, either at their bricks-and-mortar shops, vending machines, online store, or through verified vendors like EB Games.听
• Look for Pop Mart’s anti-counterfeiting measures, which include holographic QR code stickers that take you to a verification tool. Of the fake ones we bought, most were without QR codes, though one had an imitation code linking to the Pop Mart general website. Real Labubus also come with a unique character card corresponding with the doll’s design, a detail none of our fake dolls included.
• Count your Labubu’s teeth. Authentic Labubus are known for their trademark pointy smile with exactly nine teeth.听
• According to NSW Fair Trading, overly bright coloured fur and vinyl, widely spaced ears, lower quality fabrics, and loose stitching are also signs of counterfeits.听
• Be suspicious of low prices. Real Labubu keychains retail for $32, smaller phone-sized charms for $28 and larger plushies for upwards of $50. Our Shein Lafufus were priced between $8 to $15, and our two-dollar shop Lafufus were $25 each.
• Check the packaging. Fake boxes often feature shiny packaging, while genuine Labubu packaging has a matte texture and the boxes are opened using a cardboard pull-tab.听

The post Labubu warning: Why counterfeit toys could be putting young kids at risk appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

On this page:

• Key findings from our Temu safety investigation
• Temu hasn't signed the safety pledge
• Call for general safety provision听
• Safety advice on button batteries
• Temu safety failures: The full results

Toys bought from popular online shopping platform Temu are failing Australian safety laws and have been found to carry deadly coin and button battery hazards, a 糖心Vlog investigation reveals.

We randomly chose 15 coin and button battery-operated products from the Temu website and purchased them anonymously in May 2024. The products included听children’s watches, an electronic writing pad, spinning tops, mini electronic games, an LED tea light and a light-up tutu.

Our expert tester found that most had unsafe, insecure battery compartments. In fact, every product tested failed at least one requirement under the Australian button battery regulations that are designed to protect children’s lives.

Although Temu has now removed the offending products, 糖心Vlog is warning buyers to be cautious when buying toys powered by button or coin batteries online as the suppliers may be flouting Australian laws.

An ongoing issue

This investigation follows previous 糖心Vlog tests of button batteries bought from a range of online retailers such as eBay and Amazon, as well as “bricks and mortar” retailers.听

All too many are failing the requirements that have been in place since June 2022.

What’s the danger?

Once coin and button batteries become loose, they have the potential to be ingested, with devastating consequences including death, choking and localised internal burning.听

Three Australian children have died from ingesting button batteries to date.

Key findings from our Temu safety investigation

A Roy Morgan survey from August 2024 found that 3.8 million Australians aged 14 or older have bought from Temu at least once in the past 12 months, with a whopping 80% of these being repeat shoppers.听

Temu’s website and app are full of offers for “limited time deals” and “blowout sales”, and enticing alerts designed to encourage impulse purchases.听

糖心Vlog bought 15 products from Temu, including toys (our full findings are published below), and all of them failed safety testing.听

The toys we bought were dirt cheap, including a set of four mini electronic piano keyrings for $7.79 and a knock-off Tamagotchi pet for just $3.50.

There were three types of failures.

1. Easily accessible button batteries

Seven products we bought had unsafe battery compartments that were not resistant to being opened by young children.

One of the worst offenders, a $12.79 LED tutu skirt, had an accessible lithium battery compartment that was not child-proof and could be opened without a tool, making it especially unsafe. (While the model we tested has now been removed, a quick search on Temu suggests that other, similar-looking LED skirts that use button batteries are still on sale, but it’s unknown if those meet safety requirements.)听

Another worrying product, a coin cell charger, had two lithium batteries supplied loose in a plastic zip bag, and the batteries could be easily removed from their holder.

2. Non-captive screws

A further seven toys had non-captive screws, meaning that the screws don’t remain with the battery compartment cover once it is opened.

If a screw is lost when changing the batteries, it becomes easy for a child to open the cover and access the batteries inside.听

A captive screw (that is, one attached to the battery cover) is a requirement under the Australian toy safety standard, which is one of the industry standards used to prove that a product meets the button battery regulations.

3. Labelling failures

Apart from the physical failures, 14 of the 15 products did not have the required button safety alert symbol on the front of the packaging, and several had general safety labels (such as choking hazard statements) that were so small they were virtually unreadable.

Products now removed from the site, but buyer beware

Temu says it had already removed three of the dangerous products in July and August, prior to 糖心Vlog alerting it to the failures: the LED tea lights, the writing pad and the light-up tutu.

Temu removed the remaining 12 products we tested from its platform only after we alerted them to our findings.

It says听third-parties who sell through its platform听are required to submit relevant documentation and sign agreements “affirming their commitment to product safety and adherence to regulations relevant to their intended markets”.

Despite this, it looks like plenty of unsafe products have the potential to slip through the net. It’s a worrying set of results, given Temu’s surging Australian popularity in recent months during a cost-of-living crisis.

Temu hasn’t signed the safety pledge

In Australia, online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, catch.com.au and AliExpress have signed up to the ACCC’s Voluntary Product Safety Pledge.听

The pledge commits signatories to 12 product safety-related actions, including removing unsafe products listings within two days of receiving a takedown request from an Australian regulatory authority.

To date, Temu has not signed up to the pledge. The company says it’s “in regular communication with consumer groups and regulatory authorities to address inquiries and facilitate product takedowns or recalls when required”.听

But our spot check suggests more needs to be done to reduce the number of problematic items sold in the first place.

While Temu continues to grow and recruit sellers 鈥� and sell products that may not meet local laws 鈥� 糖心Vlog advice is to remain vigilant about which products you buy on the site.听

And if you find a problem with a listing, report it to Temu and ACCC Product Safety for further investigation.

Call for general safety provision听

“It’s disappointing that big companies like Temu continue to flout mandatory button battery safety requirements, putting children in Australia at risk of serious injury or even death,” says Andy Kelly, 糖心Vlog deputy director of campaigns and communications.听

We’re calling on Temu to urgently sign up to the .

“糖心Vlog is also calling on the government to introduce a general safety provision that would make it illegal to sell unsafe products in the first place, and this should apply to online marketplaces like Temu,” he says.

The e-commerce giant has attracted ACCC attention recently, with the recall of several unbranded LED headlights designed for Croc-style shoes that were sold via Temu.

Even though Temu says its suppliers must sign product safety commitments, Temu still has a duty to protect its customers. An ACCC spokesperson explains that “if a business supplies consumer products in Australia at any stage in the supply chain, they are legally responsible for product safety”.

“All businesses, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers, involved in the supply chain for button batteries or products powered by them must comply with the mandatory button battery safety and information standards,” they say. “These standards include design requirements and safety warnings and information to be provided on the product and its packaging.”

Although the ACCC won’t comment on specific investigations, the spokesperson says it “takes alleged non-compliance with the button battery standards very seriously and will continue to take enforcement action where necessary”.

Since the laws came into effect, several brands including The Reject Shop and Tesla have been fined for failing to comply with mandatory safety and information standards for products powered by button batteries.

Safety advice on button batteries

The ACCC gives the following advice about button batteries.

• If you suspect a child has swallowed or inserted a button battery contact the 24/7 Poison Information Centre on 13 11 26, and Triple Zero (000) immediately if your child is having any difficulty breathing.
• Check for a secure compartment and warning labels, even when shopping with a trusted seller. If you need to buy a product with a button battery online, make sure to check the compartment is secure when it is delivered.
• Regularly check that products and toys are not damaged or broken, or if the button battery compartment does not close securely. If faulty, stop using the product and keep it away from children.
• If you need to dispose of button batteries, put sticky tape around both sides, safely put them in a child resistant container and recycle them at your nearest drop-off point.
• Consumers can report an unsafe product to the ACCC via the .

Temu safety failures: The full results

For more specifics on the Temu failures, see the results below.

The products originated from Chinese suppliers, but were all received in one package with a return address listed in Bankstown, NSW, which corresponds to that of a third-party global freight forwarder.听

The products included children’s toys and novelty items. All of the listings have since been taken off the platform, but it’s possible that similar items may still be available, so we advise shopping with caution.

Square watch

• Screw is not captive, meaning it did not remain with the battery compartment when opened.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.

Spinning top with launcher

• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Light-up projectile with fins

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children, and the batteries can be removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries become released.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Space figurine building blocks

• Battery compartment failed the tension test and batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Writing tablet (lithium battery)

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Finger spinning top

• Upper and lower halves of the item’s body were separated in the tension test and consequently, batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Slap-on animal watch

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery was removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries became released.
• Certain warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Tutu skirt (lithium battery)

• Battery compartment failed the tension test and batteries became released without the use of a tool.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Musical keyboard

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Camera projector

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Projector watch

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

LED tea light (lithium battery)

• Battery compartment is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery was removed without the aid of a tool. The battery became released.

Coin cell charger (lithium battery)

• Battery holder is not resistant to being opened by young children and the battery can be removed without the aid of a tool. The batteries became released.
• Certain warning statements about the batteries are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.
• Two lithium coin batteries were supplied loose in plastic zip bags and are not designed to be child-resistant.
• The internationally recognised “keep out of reach of children” symbol is not present on the batteries.

Cartoon projector

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the batteries, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

Electronic pet game

• Screw is not captive. When you open the battery compartment to change the battery, the screw that fastens the cover comes off completely and does not remain with the battery compartment cover. If this screw is lost then the cover could be accessed by a child.
• Warning statements about the battery are not present.
• Safety alert symbol is not present on the front of the packaging.

How Temu monitors unsafe products

In response to our findings, Temu tells 糖心Vlog it conducts spot checks on physical products to see if they meet relevant standards, and uses customer feedback to identify potential issues with products.听

“Accountability and penalties are clearly defined within Temu’s quality control framework. We continually guide sellers on the need for strict product safety compliance, ensuring they are fully aware of their responsibilities,” a spokesperson tells us.听

“Violations can lead to warnings, penalties, product delisting [and] account closure, and Temu maintains a blocklist to prevent problematic sellers from re-entering the platform.”

About our expert tester

Our test coordinator Antonio Bonacruz is a children’s product safety expert and sits on Australian and international committees for toy safety. He tested items in our accredited labs based on the that apply to button battery product safety and information standards. Where applicable, the Australian (Safety of Toys) Standard and Australian (Electric Toys) Standard were used.

The post Dangerous toys found on online shopping platform Temu appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

As the holiday shopping season draws near, product safety remains a particular concern for parents of young children.

Since the beginning of September, the ACCC has issued nine听, from projectile toys that fail to warn that they shouldn’t be aimed at the eyes or face, to teething toys that pose a choking risk.听

Since the start of the year, .

And while recalls in the category are down significantly compared to 2021, products from big names like Kmart and Target are still on the list.

In December 2020,听糖心Vlog reported that 1426 kids’ and baby products had been recalled in Australia since 1986, but many were still in people’s homes.

The ACCC has also issued a number of recalls of kid-related products in the home and living category, including Halloween and Christmas novelty items.听

More recently, we reported on some of the shortcomings of the product recall system in Australia, which puts the onus on manufacturers and retailers to communicate recalls to customers. As our reporting revealed, this can create a conflict of interest and lead to gaps in the way recalls are made public.听

Dangerous products still on sale

The root cause remains the lack of a general safety provision in Australia, a regulatory regime that would require a product to be proven safe before it can be sold in this country. 糖心Vlog has been pushing for the introduction of such a law for years, in line with consumer safety regulations that exist in many other countries.

In 2019, a total of about 780 Australians were killed by consumer products, and a further 52,000 injured, according to the ACCC.

Some of the most horrific incidents have involved the ingestion of button batteries by children. Since 2013, three deaths and 44 serious injuries have been recorded. In a 2019 糖心Vlog lab test, 10 out of 17 common household products failed our button battery safety test.

As of June 2022, new mandatory safety and information standards for all products containing button batteries came into effect in Australia, a change that 糖心Vlog and other consumer rights groups had long championed.

“Ultimately, It shouldn’t be up to parents and families to test the safety of products in their homes,” says 糖心Vlog director of campaigns and communications Jessica Kirby.听

“They should be able to trust that what they buy will not harm their loved ones. A general safety provision, requiring manufacturers to ensure products are safe is the only way we can fix the problem.”

The post Kids’ product recalls continue as shopping season approaches appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

The tiny, super-absorbent polymer balls can expand up to 400 times their original size when they come into contact with liquid. And while they’re commonly used as decorative items in bowls or vases, they’re also sold as a sensory activity for kids.

ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said: “The products are small and colourful and can be attractive to young children, who naturally place items in their mouths at early stages of their development.”

“Once ingested, just one ball can expand inside a child’s body and cause intestinal obstruction, vomiting, severe discomfort and dehydration and may need to be surgically removed,” she said.

Kiddy appeal

Sometimes called fairy eggs or dragon eggs, water beads have obvious appeal to kids. They’re available in a rainbow of colours, and kids enjoy the magic of watching the beads steadily absorb water over a number of hours, as well as the tactile experience of playing with the resulting gel-like spheres. Our video illustrates how absorbent the beads are – and these were the variety that just expanded to the size of a marble!

You can buy packs of water beads online for just a few dollars, and they come in a range of sizes 鈥� from those that expand to the size of a small marble to others that can expand to the size of a golf ball. And they’re frequently marketed specifically for kids. We saw them variously described as “slippery, squishy, and a fun and addictive sensory experience for kids of all ages”, an “awesome play experience” and a “tactile learning tool for older children”.

Water beads for display not play

But the ACCC wants this to change.

“We urge businesses who are supplying these products as toys to immediately stop. The ACCC will work with industry to address safety concerns,” said Rickard.

The ACCC urged consumers to follow these safety steps:

• Stop using expanding water balls as toys or playthings immediately.
• Keep expanding water balls out of reach of children 鈥� make sure these products are well out of sight and out of reach of children.
• Keep any items such as decorative pieces like vases that contain expanding water balls well out of reach of children.
• If consumers suspect their child has swallowed these water balls, they should seek medical attention immediately.

糖心Vlog on toy safety

Choking and suffocation are the biggest toy-related hazards for children under three. And while you could argue that water bead play leans towards older kids, it appeals to younger children as well which is where the risk largely lies. And only two of the websites we looked at warned that the beads aren’t suitable for the younger age group.

糖心Vlog’s Safe toys buying guide has more details, but as a guide, if a toy or its parts could fit wholly into a 35mm film canister, don’t give it to a child under three.

The post Water beads a safety risk for kids, warns ACCC appeared first on 糖心Vlog.

We believe this list of products can pose a risk to your child’s safety. 糖心Vlog doesn’t consider any of these necessary to your child’s development, and we recommend you think twice about buying any of them.听

We don’t want to sound all doom and gloom-y, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry 鈥� particularly when it comes to your little bundle of joy.

Baby walkers

Basically a frame on wheels, a baby walker is a piece of play equipment designed to support a baby who’s not yet able to walk.

Because babies in walkers are much more mobile they can readily get themselves into dangerous situations, which can lead to serious injury 鈥� head injuries being the most common.听

A series of studies in the 1980s and 90s uncovered serious risks to children using baby walkers. To reduce injury rates, a mandatory safety standard came into effect in February 2013 to regulate design, construction, performance, and labelling requirements for baby walkers.

We strongly discourage the sale and use of baby walkers. There’s no evidence that they help children to start walking sooner; in fact, they may even delay a child’s first steps.听

Consider other products without wheels 鈥� such as playpens, play mats and play tables 鈥� that can entertain your baby. If you feel you must use a baby walker, look for a model that complies with the mandatory standard.听

Baby bath aids

Allowing a parent to have two free hands while bathing their child may seem like a good idea, but babies have drowned using bath aids and bath seats.

Drowning can occur when the bath seat tips over, the child slips or rolls off, or the child becomes trapped in the seat openings when left unsupervised. It can happen quickly and even if the water is only a few centimetres deep.听

Young children should never be left unsupervised in a bath, but these products give the illusion of security, and as a result carers feel able to take the risk of answering a phone call or racing into the next room to pick up a forgotten item.

A mandatory standard for baby bath aids, covering labelling requirements and packaging, was introduced following five known child drowning cases linked to these products between 2002 and 2005.

Bean bags

Children can choke if they inhale the small polystyrene beads contained in bean bags, and babies and young children are at risk of suffocation if placed on bean bags.

If you have any products with these beads, including bean bags, pet beds, bean-filled soft toys and pool bean bags, you should ensure that the filling isn’t accessible to children.

Toy boxes

Kids create mess and you want them to learn to clean it up, so what’s harmful about something as traditional as a toy box? Well, it’s simple 鈥� the lid.听

Injuries and deaths have been recorded in Australia and overseas from toy box lids falling onto children’s heads or necks. Kids up to two years old are most at risk. Children can also become trapped inside.

Tips for making toy boxes safer

• Remove the lid. This is the safest option.
• Look for stoppers on the inside of the lid that make a gap of 12mm or more when the lid is closed.听
• A box with ventilation holes allows air flow if the child climbs in and becomes trapped.
• A lightweight plastic crate is safer than a box with a heavy lid.

Cot frills, bumpers, pillows or quilts

A pretty cot with all the trimmings looks great in the pictures 鈥� but frills, bumpers, doonas, pillows and quilts all put babies at risk of suffocation. (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) research indicates the safest cot for a baby has a firm mattress, a securely fitted sheet and blanket, and nothing else.

Projectile toys

Projectile toys, particularly suction darts in target gun sets, can be a choking danger to children and many are illegal. The projectile can also injure on impact. In 2004, 17 children in Western Australia alone required hospital treatment following injury from projectile toys.听

Jolly jumpers听

Baby jumpers, also known as “jolly jumpers”, hang from a door frame or tripod, supporting a baby that is not yet able to stand. The baby’s feet can then touch the floor allowing them to bounce up and down.

However, the door clamps can break, causing a baby to fall, and older children can cause harm by pushing the baby into the doorway.

Any toy, part of a toy or object small enough to fit into a film canister

Busy little fingers and developing minds like nothing better than exploring the world by pulling things apart and sticking them in their little mouths, but small parts can easily become lodged in a child’s airway and cause choking.

Marbles, pieces from board games, toy darts, loose buttons, coins, dolls’ eyes, bells, wheels, lollypops, small construction blocks, burst or uninflated balloons, and batteries are all items that have caused children to choke.

A good rule of thumb: if it fits into a 35mm film canister or is smaller than a ping pong ball, it’s a risk to an unsupervised young child.听

Most trampolines

They can be fun exercise and help develop co-ordination and balance skills, but some trampolines are also the cause of many injuries to children, most commonly fractures and sprains to the arm.

Most injuries happen at home when children fall off or hit the side of some trampolines, but there are also risks for young children who can wander underneath and get hit when another child bounces above.

Trampolines need regular inspection and maintenance, and children under six should always be supervised 鈥� so unless you have a lot of time, you should think twice before putting one in your backyard.

There’s a voluntary Australian Standard for trampolines, but we think it should be mandatory. In our latest trampoline reviews only one product passed and was recommended.

Bunk beds

They’re great space-savers, particularly if you live in a flat or a small house, but bunk beds are also associated with significant injury rates due to falls, or children jumping from the top bunk during play.

We say you’re better off with a more crowded bedroom, but if you must have bunk beds, we recommend guard rails be permanently attached to the top bunk. And we don’t recommend bunk beds at all for children under the age of nine.

Child-specific products

There’s been a boom in products tailored to babies and toddlers. For almost every adult product there’s a “baby” or “child” version sitting next to it on the shelf, often with a higher price tag than the grown-ups’ version.听

We’ve found many of these products are simply unnecessary. In particular, we recommend you ignore baby- and toddler-targeted:

• moisturisers and body wash
• shampoos
• sunscreen
• milk
• juice
• snacks.

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