Calls from ����Vlog for the online marketplace to step up its commitment to product safety led to more than 15,000 supporters adding their names to our petition, urging Temu to lift its standards. That collective effort has made a difference.

However, we shouldn’t confuse voluntary commitments with the lasting reform needed to stop unsafe products entering Australian homes in the first place. 

����Vlog has repeatedly found dangerous products available for sale on Temu. In 2024, ����Vlog tested 15 products sold by the online marketplace, including toys and novelty items, and found every single product failed mandatory button battery safety standards. 

Temu removed the products, but we were concerned we had only scratched the surface when it came to dangerous products sold through online marketplaces. 

Dangerous products flourishing online

����Vlog research has found that 6% of Australians who bought products from companies online in the past two years reported suffering an injury or property damage as a result. For every case that becomes a headline, we know that there are many more that don’t.��

Dangerous products aren’t even hard to find, with a quick online search leading consumers directly to potentially banned, prohibited and unsafe goods. Such easy access to dangerous products is so concerning that it motivated our recent designated complaint to the ACCC, where we called on the regulator to investigate systematic issues across major online marketplaces.��

Many consumers assume the law already protects them from unsafe products. In fact, ����Vlog research found that 91% of Australians believe products are legally required to be safe in order to be sold, and almost nine in ten believe selling unsafe products is illegal.��This is not the case.

Current safety regime falling short

It’s not unreasonable to expect that level of protection. But the law has failed to keep up and give Australians that protection. We agree, it shouldn’t take an organisation like ����Vlog testing these products for action to be taken. Consumers should be able to trust that what they’re buying and bringing into their homes is safe.��

Our current product safety regime relies heavily on mandatory standards for specific products and reactive measures such as recalls. Yet out of thousands of product categories, mandatory standards exist for only a small fraction of them. Too often, action is only taken after someone has been hurt.��

That’s why Temu joining the Product Safety Pledge matters and it helps the situation – up to a point.

What the pledge does

The strengthened pledge includes broader commitments from participating marketplaces, including Amazon, AliExpress, eBay and Gumtree, to proactively identify unsafe products, report annually to the ACCC on their performance and strengthen systems designed to stop unsafe products appearing in the first place. These commitments go beyond existing legal requirements and should help reduce risk for consumers, but they don’t go far enough.��

Why? The pledge is only voluntary, so while Temu and others can choose to join, they can also choose to leave. They can choose how seriously to implement their commitments and there are no penalties if a product they sell hurts someone. 

This isn’t the solution that we should settle for. Consumers deserve more, and we need the government to deliver. It’s clear that we need stronger laws, like an overarching general safety provision that would actually make it illegal to sell unsafe products to begin with. 

Anything short of that, and we’re piling bandaids on top of one another without ever actually treating the growing wound underneath. 

If we have to wait for someone to be injured before a dangerous product is removed or a safety standard is introduced, then we’re failing. 

Consumers deserve laws that make safety the rule, not a voluntary extra. 

Join our call to the ACCC to take stronger action against unsafe products sold online by endorsing our

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If you’re a bleary-eyed brand-new parent, the nappy aisle can be overwhelming. 

(Honestly, even getting to the shops is a superhuman feat. You should be proud of yourself!)

It’s hard enough just keeping a baby fed and clean on two hours’ broken sleep; how are you supposed to decode all the info on the nappy packs and make the right choice for your bundle of joy?

Never fear – we’ve done all the hard work for you. Here are the three top-scoring newborn and infant nappies from our tests, plus the ones that took the wooden spoon.

In this article:

• Best and worst newborn nappies from our tests
• Best and worst infant nappies from our tests
• Tips for saving money on nappies

Advice from one parent to another

While you might be a die-hard Huggies fan or a life-long Babylove lover, our experts suggest that you keep an open mind when it comes to choosing which nappy will grace your cherub’s bottom. 

Our tests often reveal some lesser-known superstars that outperform the big brands (and are sometimes cheaper to boot).

Remember that every baby is different. Just because Beth next door swears by Huggies doesn’t mean that they’ll be right for your baby. Babies come in all shapes and sizes – and so do their, erm, bodily functions. 

You might need something with excellent absorbency to deal with Junior’s over-enthusiastic bladder emptying. Or maybe a nappy with a high back and close-fitting legs will save you if your kid’s signature move is the poo-nami. 

And of course you never know how your baby’s delicate skin will react to a particular nappy. Unfortunately this is simply trial and error.

Size matters, too: a nappy will fit a baby with gorgeous chubby thighs very differently to one with sweet, skinny little newborn legs. 

So before you rush out and stock up on enough nappies to last you the entire first six weeks, try a few different brands to find out which one works best for you. 

Our experts have lab-tested 92 nappy products on the market, from newborn right through to junior sizes. Check out our disposable nappy reviews before you hit the shops.

Best rated newborn nappies from our tests

Our experts only recommend nappies with a ����Vlog Expert Rating of at least 80%, and at least 70% for absorbency, leakage and wet feeling.

Unfortunately none of the newborn nappies we tested scored highly enough to be recommended by our experts, with many of them let down by their absorbency scores – one of the key things you need in a nappy!

But fortunately six of the 14 newborn nappies we tested didn’t leak, which is good news for you (and your laundry).

That doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t work for your baby, though. Our detailed disposable nappy reviews include scores for absorbency, leakage, wet feeling and velcro strength, so you can find the best nappy for your needs.

The top-rated newborn nappies are:

Cuddlies Bamboo Eco Nappies

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 86%
• Absorbency score: 90%
• Rewet score (wet feeling): 62%*
• Price: 78c per nappy

*The higher the score, the less wet the nappy five minutes after wetting.

Huggies Pure & Sensitive size 1

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 83%
• Absorbency score: 68%
• Rewet score: 88%
• Price: 41c per nappy

Coles CUB Newborn Size 1

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 78%
• Absorbency score: 62%
• Rewet score: 86%
• Price: 18c per nappy

Huggies Essentials size 1

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 78%
• Absorbency score: 58%
• Rewet score: 82%
• Price: 29c per nappy

Worst rated newborn nappies from our tests

A common factor amongst the lowest-scoring newborn nappies we tested is their inability to contain liquids, both in and out of the nappy: they generally didn’t score well for either absorbency or leakage.

In fact, our experts rated the two lowest scorers as poor for absorbency and only OK for leakage, which is a pretty wet and wild combination!

The Pandas by Luvme nappies leaked heavily during our testing. Combined with their weak velcro strength, they could leave you with some pretty messy nappy changes.

Here’s the lowest rated newborn nappies:

Ecoriginals Newborn+ Nappies Size 1

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Absorbency score: 41%
• Leakage score: 60%
• Price: 58c per nappy

BabyLove Cosifit Newborn size 1

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 57%
• Absorbency score: 40%
• Leakage score: 60%
• Price: 35c per nappy

Pandas by Luvme Bamboo Nappies Size 1 Newborn

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 64%
• Absorbency score: 73%
• Leakage score: 40%
• Price: 64c per nappy

Best rated infant nappies from our tests

By the time your newborn is not so new any more, you’ll be a dab hand at nappy changes.

But just when you’ve found a nappy that works for your little one, it’ll be time for them to move up a size in nappies – which means finding a new nappy all over again.

Fortunately, the infant nappies we tested performed far better than the newborn nappies, so at least you’ll have more peace of mind while you navigate this new phase.

Two infant nappies scored highly enough to be recommended by our experts. The top performer delivered excellent results for absorbency, leakage and wet feeling, while the number two nappy (sorry) was rated as very good for absorbency and wet feeling, and excellent for leakage.

If you were hoping to save money by buying nappies at Aldi, you might end up spending a little more on laundry detergent: Aldi Mamia Ultra Dry Size 2 Infant nappies scored only 60% for absorbency. However, they didn’t leak so that might save you a few loads while you’re saving a few dollars.

Here are the top nappies for your infant’s bottom:

Huggies Pure & Sensitive size 2

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 92% (Recommended)
• Absorbency score: 90%
• Leakage score: 100%
• Price: 47c per nappy

Rascals Premium nappies size 2

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 86% (Recommended)
• Absorbency score: 83%
• Leakage score: 100%
• Price: 32c per nappy

Worst rated infant nappies from our tests

While Cuddlies Bamboo Eco Nappies were the top performers in newborn sizes, they were the lowest-scoring infant nappies, which just goes to show that you shouldn’t shop on brand alone.

In fact, they were the lowest-scoring nappies by 13 percentage points, scoring a soggy 20% for absorbency and 40% for leakage.

Unfortunately the four ‘eco’ infant nappies we tested were the lowest scorers overall due to issues with absorbency, leakage or both. They’re also some of the most expensive infant nappies we reviewed, so while they might be better for the planet, they’re worse for your wallet.

These are the lowest-scoring infant nappies from our tests:

Cuddlies Bamboo Eco Nappies Size S Small Infant

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 41%
• Absorbency score: 20%
• Leakage score: 40%
• Price: 78c per nappy

Bunjie Probiotic Eco Nappies Size 2

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Absorbency score: 46%
• Leakage score: 40%
• Price: 57c per nappy

Bambo Nature Size 2

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 56%
• Absorbency score: 30%
• Leakage score: 60%
• Price: 89c per nappy

Tips for saving money on nappies

There’s no two ways about it: children can be expensive. And new babies go through nappies at an alarming pace, so you’re likely to see your grocery bills grow as your baby does. 

To help minimise your nappy spend, here are a few tips for new parents:

• Check unit pricing whenever you’re buying nappies – it’s a much better indicator of cost than the overall pack price. And it’s much easier to understand when you’re sleep deprived!
• Buying in bulk can save you money – while a large pack will cost you more than a smaller one, you’ll pay less per nappy. 
• Reusable nappies are far cheaper in the long run than disposables. They might cost more up front, but over time they’ll significantly reduce the impact on your wallet, and the planet. If you don’t want to commit to cloth nappies full-time, you can always alternate with disposables. 
• Check prices from online retailers as well as at your local supermarket. You might be able to find a good price on special, and as a bonus they’ll be delivered to your doorstep so you won’t have to lug them home from the shops. 

How we test nappies

We send nappies to be tested in a state-of-the-art laboratory where we test for:

• Absorption: We measure the amount of time it takes for synthetic urine to disappear into the nappy
• Leakage: A visual assessment of whether any leaks come out the side of the nappy
• Rewet: We assess how wet the nappy is five minutes after the absorption test
• Velcro strength: We measure how strong the nappy’s adhesive closure is

Want to know more? Learn about how we test nappies.

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But there are some big decisions to make (aren’t there always when it comes to kids?). Do you want disposable or a reusable modern cloth nappy? A mix of both?

If you go for disposable, will ‘eco’ products perform as well as others?

And wouldn’t it just be easier to buy the popular brands that have been around for years that we’re all familiar with? Keep an open mind when it comes to choosing the right nappy – brands you may not have considered have performed well in our lab tests.

In this buying guide, we give you the low-down on all things nappy-related and answer some common questions.

Disposable nappies: What to know

Disposable nappies are made of a number of layers using a combination of fibres and chemicals to achieve absorbency.��

The top sheet (closest to the baby’s skin) is commonly made of polypropene, which works to pass the baby’s urine through to the other layers. The next layer is usually made of cotton and polyester to absorb the urine away from the baby’s skin. And finally, there’s the absorbent layer that usually contains some cotton and sodium polyacrylate, a super absorbent polymer that turns the urine into a gel to prevent the wet feeling inside the nappy.

There are generally six sizes, depending on the child’s size and weight, starting from newborn through to junior. Here’s a guide to the sizes and general weight ranges.

• Newborn – Size 1 (up to 5kg)
• Infant – Size 2 (3–8kg)
• Crawler – Size 3 (6–11kg)
• Toddler – Size 4 (10–15kg)
• Walker – Size 5 (13–18kg)
• Junior – Size 6 (16kg+)

Pros of disposable nappies

• Absorb moisture quickly to prevent leaks and ‘lock it in’ to keep your bub relatively dry.
• Easy and quick to fasten.
• Stay closed during use.
• Fit various shapes and sizes.
• Are very convenient, especially when out and about.

Cons of disposable nappies

The environmental cost associated with the manufacturer and disposal of disposable nappies are their biggest disadvantage.

A staggering 3.75 million disposable nappies are used each day in Australia and New Zealand. That’s a lot of waste going into landfill. And once there, conventional nappies can take up to 150 years to break down due to their antibacterial properties.

Biodegradable disposable nappies

While no nappy is 100% biodegradable, in our testing, the Ecoriginals, Pandas, Velona Cuddlies Bunjie and Tooshies nappies claim to have biodegradable components.

However, nappies still need to be disposed of in landfill, making it difficult for them to actually biodegrade.

Nappies made with plant-based materials are another option to consider if you’re looking to be more ‘eco’ conscious when buying nappies.

But while they’re likely a better option for the environment, they can be at the more expensive end of the scale, a factor you’ll also need to take into consideration.

Their results for absorbency, leaks and wet feeling can also be a bit hit and miss, so check our results before buying.

Modern cloth (reusable) nappies: What to know

More manufacturers are offering reusable nappies, also known as modern cloth nappies, in a range of designs, so we’ve included some in our testing.

Modern cloth nappies feature a water-resistant cover, leak-proof elasticised leg holes and an absorbent padding and liner.

This type of nappy is usually a one-size-fits-most sizing scenario, with adjustable velcro/tabs, so there’s no need to invest in various sizes as your baby grows. 

Their environmental impact is much less than disposables and in the long run they’ll save you money. 

Materials 

The absorbent materials (shell liners, pads and boosters) include bamboo, cotton, hemp or fleece, with breathable polyurethane laminated fabric (PUL) or lanolised wool often used for covers.

The type of fabric affects drying time. Natural fibres usually take longer to dry than synthetics, and you’ll want to make sure you have enough nappies to get through a few days of wet weather if you don’t have a clothes dryer. 

Paper or fabric nappy liners make your laundry life easier by keeping solids off the nappy. 

The different styles 

• All-in-ones have a moisture-resistant outer layer sewn together with an absorbent inner to form the nappy – they can take quite a while to dry. 
• All-in-twos consist of a lined waterproof outer layer and absorbent inner layers, which ‘snap in’ with press studs. They can be taken apart for laundering, so they dry faster than all-in-ones. 
• Pocket nappies have a waterproof outer layer sewn together with a soft inner lining, which forms the shell. Between these two layers there’s a pocket for the absorbent inserts. These are removed for washing then replaced, which can be a bit fiddly, but on the plus side, they dry quickly.��
• Traditional terry-towelling square nappies are also still available. They can take a little practice to fold and fit right, but they’re a cheaper reusable option, and modern fasteners mean you no longer need to use safety pins. 

All the products in our reusable cloth nappies review are all-in-twos, but they can also be used as pocket nappies.��

Pros of modern cloth nappies

• Kinder on the environment.
• Ideal for ‘eco’ conscious parents who want to reuse and recycle rather than throw away. 
• They can save you money over time. 
• Using one set of cloth/reusable nappies with a cold wash cycle and line drying is about half the cost of using disposables. 

Cons of modern cloth nappies 

• There are power and water costs associated with washing cloth nappies. 
• The process of cleaning cloth nappies (soaking, washing, drying) takes time and some may find the thought of cleaning a dirty nappy unpleasant. 
• The initial start-up cost associated with reusable nappies is high – you’ll need to make sure you have enough nappy covers and absorbent liners. 
• Our testing finds that generally, reusable nappies can struggle to compete with disposables in terms of absorbency and leakage.

The verdict: Disposable vs reusable

For environmental and financial reasons, you can’t go past modern cloth nappies. Despite the environmental costs of fabric production and nappy laundering, cloth nappies that are dry-pailed and mostly line-dried still come out ahead of disposable nappies.

But for ease of use and convenience, disposables are the way to go.

Of course it doesn’t have to be one or the other: you could use a combination of cloth and disposable nappies.

You may find cloth nappies work when you’re home, and disposables when out and about, going away, at nights, at daycare, and during long periods of rain when cleaning and drying is time consuming. 

If you’re unsure: 

• Buy a single nappy of each type to try out. 
• Some modern cloth nappy companies sell trial packs with samples of the different styles. 
• Hire a trial pack from a nappy library, a service offered by nappy companies and community groups – search the internet for ‘modern cloth nappy library’ to find one near you.

How to choose more eco-friendly disposable nappies

Disposable nappies really don’t have the best green reputation with millions of nappies ending up in landfill every day, but there are some ways you can reduce their impact. 

• Look for brands made using plant-based and/or biodegradable materials. 
• Some products have compostable or recyclable packaging. There are two Australian Standards that define compostable materials – Home compostable AS5810 and Compostable AS4736.
• Buying locally-made nappies, rather than imported, saves on transport carbon costs. 

How do you know you’ve chosen the right nappy?

Whatever you’ve decided on, here’s the checklist for buying a good nappy:

• No leaking around the legs.
• No liquid seeping through the cover.
• Not too tight or too loose around hips and legs.
• No rubbing or chafing from the nappy or fasteners around the legs or hips.
• Your baby’s skin feels reasonably dry when the wet nappy is removed.
• The nappy holds enough liquid to be practical (i.e. you don’t have to change too often).
• Your baby can move their legs freely and, at later stages, crawl and walk without being bothered by the nappy.

Words of wisdom

In our survey, we asked parents what advice they’d give to first-timers. Here are some of the useful tips and tricks they dished out.

• Change frequently – “It’s a good idea to change your baby’s nappy at every feed or, if required, earlier. Leaving them in the same nappy for too long can cause skin irritations and nappy rash.”
• It’s all about trial and error – “Always buy a small pack first. You never know which brand and which size of nappy will fit your child best. Sometimes even the best brands can give the worst nappy rash to a baby. So never think that costlier brands are always the best.” 
• Preparation is key – “Always unfold the fresh nappy and place it underneath the bum before removing the soiled nappy. Therefore you can just pull the soiled nappy away and slip the new one on without any accidents!” 
• Sizing is important – “Choose the right size by their weight rather than their age/mobility. When they’re almost too big for their current size, move them into the next size up or else they’ll overfill their current sized nappy.” 
• Shop around – “Be prepared to try various types, cloth nappies, disposable nappies, to find what suits your lifestyle. Always put them in scented bags when used and dispose in the outside bin so you don’t stink your house out.” 

How much do nappies cost?

In our latest disposable nappies review, the cost of a disposable nappy starts at 17c, and the most expensive is $1.10.

In our reusable cloth nappies review, the products we tested range in price from $9 to $43 per nappy.

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It was one of the first campaigns I worked on when I joined the organisation almost seven years ago and, in many ways, it has been the most frustrating. There’s a simple solution, but it continues to sit on the shelf – a general safety provision that would prevent companies selling unsafe products in the first place.

In the 60s, ����Vlog tested the flammability of children’s nightwear by placing nine nighties on a fireproof dummy, lighting each and recording the results. “In 90 seconds the dummy was enveloped in flames… a couple of minutes later the dummy was stained black,” read the May magazine of that year.

����Vlog lobbied state and federal governments about the issue, writing: “How many more children have to be burnt to death before governments will legislate to force manufacturers to label clothing, especially children’s nightwear, as to whether or not it is inflammable?”

By the 70s, protections were finally brought in and, to this day, mandatory sleepwear standards continue to impose safety obligations on suppliers.

But the battle is still far from over. Just two years ago a distraught mother was left wondering why her child had to be burned in order for a product to be recalled.

Daniella Jacobs-Herd was only 8 years old when her hoodie from Temu caught fire.

Daniella suffered burns to 13% of her body, including her face, her arm and her chest. The hoodie wasn’t compliant with those mandatory safety standards. And even after it was clear the hoodie was dangerous, it took four months for the product to be recalled.

Hard-fought consumer protections are not set-and-forget. They can be undermined and undone, seemingly overnight. The rise of online marketplaces exploiting gaps in the law to flood the market with unsafe and non-compliant products has proven this.

A few months after this incident, a ����Vlog test found that all 15 products we bought from Temu failed to meet at least one requirement of Australia’s mandatory button battery standards. Those mandatory standards took the deaths of three children, dozens of serious injuries, and many years to be introduced. A major victory, but at a terrible cost.

And yet, people continue to be hurt. New ����Vlog research shows that 6% of people who purchased products online experienced harm, like injuries and damage to property, in the last two years. Surely, we can do better than this as a country?

It was heartening to see the ACCC announce court proceedings against Amazon last week for allegedly controlling and shipping backpacks that did not comply with button battery mandatory standards. This will put a grey and untested area of the law to the test for the first time. It’s likely to delve into the level of control Amazon has over unsafe products and whether it can be held accountable, or whether responsibility will continue to be shifted to third-party suppliers with little consequence.

Even if the ACCC is successful in this case, it’s still part of a piecemeal approach, with the regulator constantly trying to put out fires as they pop up. Just yesterday, the ACCC issued takedown requests to Amazon, eBay, Kogan and Fruugo for toys and games containing potentially deadly small magnets – they’re banned because they can cause catastrophic internal injuries if swallowed.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The government can deal with this problem, the whole problem, right now. We don’t need to wait.

That’s why today we’ve made our second-ever super complaint today about product safety. We’re urging the ACCC to do more to enforce and test the laws we have, but we also need the government to strengthen consumer protections and close the loopholes that allow online marketplaces to get away with selling unsafe products at a staggering scale.

We hear a lot of opposition about new laws that would make consumers safer – that the cost and regulatory burden is just too high. But we rarely hear about the cost and burden of continuing the way that we are. Of playing a game of whack-a-mole with a patchwork of complicated regulations. It shouldn’t take serious injuries or even death for just a small part of the problem to be addressed. 

If the burden is not on the companies that cause, and profit from, these problems, it is on consumers. And that burden is far too heavy to bear.

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The mandatory safety standard that came into effect in 2022 – which requires manufacturers to design battery compartments that can’t be accessed by children and to include safety warnings on the packaging – came in the wake of hundreds of serious injuries and at least three deaths caused by children ingesting a button battery.   

But adherence to the standard has been spotty at best, and products with button batteries that contravene it seem to be everywhere.  

In November 2025, ����Vlog purchased 24 toys from the online marketplaces Shein, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon and tested them against the button and coin battery mandatory standards. Seventeen failed to meet the standards and posed serious safety risks.

In May 2024, we purchased and tested 15 coin and button battery-operated products from Temu. Every toy failed at least one requirement of the mandatory button battery safety standard.

Light-up unicorns more dangerous than they look

Questions have lingered for years about who’s responsible for product safety in these instances – the makers of the products or the online marketplaces that sell them?

Now – in what could prove to be a groundbreaking case – the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking legal action against Amazon for selling Unicorn Toddler Backpacks that come with a detachable light-up unicorn plush toy containing button batteries. The ACCC alleges that button battery safety warnings were missing from the backpacks, the packaging or both.

“This is the first time that the ACCC has brought this type of case against an online marketplace and it will be an important test of the law in relation to the level of control that online marketplaces have over the products sold on their platforms and whether they can be held responsible for those breaches,” says ����Vlog director of campaigns Andy Kelly.

The case covers Amazon sales of the backpacks to Australians between 22 June and 1 November 2022, during which time 41 were purchased and another 267 were held in Amazon’s Australian fulfillment centres.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, it’s illegal for businesses to possess goods that violate the mandatory battery standards.

“Button batteries pose a serious hazard for young children,” says ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe.

“If swallowed or inserted, they can cause severe internal burns and injury, and in some cases death. These mandatory warnings are there to help keep children safe and businesses must get them right.”

Significant gaps in the law

Amazon AU is one of three signatories to the , a voluntary initiative which aims to strengthen product safety measures across online business to protect consumers.

Suppliers must report any death, serious injury or serious illness associated with a consumer good that they have supplied to the ACCC within two days. Button battery compliance is one of the ACCC’s 2026–27 enforcement priorities.

“Too often, online marketplaces get away with selling unsafe and non-compliant products to consumers by acting as an intermediary, so we’re glad that the ACCC is putting this grey part of the law to the test,” says Kelly.

“Significant gaps in the law that put consumers at risk still remain, so we continue to urge the government to strengthen Australia’s lax product safety laws so that they actually prevent all businesses from selling unsafe products in the first place – including online marketplaces.”

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A pram may be one of the most expensive and important items you’ll be buying in preparation for the arrival of your newborn, and one of the products you’ll be using most days over the next few years as your child grows. 

With some prams costing into the hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars, it’s a purchase that can take a lot of research and consideration. 

As well as looking at features and design – including how easy a pram is to fold, how big it is, how much it weighs, and even how it looks and what accessories it comes with – you also need to consider how safe it is.

On this page:

• Pram safety issues identified by ����Vlog testing
• iCandy Peach 7
• Silver Cross Wave 3

Pram safety issues identified by ����Vlog testing

While prams sold in Australia need to meet mandatory safety standards, ����Vlog experts also test to a newer, voluntary safety standard that goes above and beyond mandatory requirements.

Although we’re pleased to see many manufacturers now test to this standard too, unfortunately it’s not compulsory and our results show that many prams still pose significant safety risks.

“While the ����Vlog labs have seen an overall improvement in pram safety, there are still many models on sale which have serious fall, head entrapment, strangulation and other risks. In fact, 15 out of 48 models in our latest review failed our key safety tests,” says ����Vlog babies and kids expert Kim Gilmour.

And in case you thought you could avoid safety issues simply by buying a high-end model, think again – we’ve seen safety failures even in expensive, well-known brands. 

“We found that in some cases the pram wheels could move even when the parking brake was engaged, and in others, a child’s head could become trapped between the head barrier and the end of the seat,” says Kim.

“Plus, the straps in some prams pose a strangulation risk, while others broke in durability testing.“

����Vlog experts also remind Australians that if you’re buying children’s products from international online platforms such as eBay or Amazon, you can’t always trust that the product will comply with local safety requirements, so be wary if you’re shopping from overseas retailers.

The following products were the lowest ranked in our latest testing of prams. ����Vlog recommends that you avoid purchasing these, or if you already own them, to stop using them immediately.

iCandy Peach 7

• Price: $2600
• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 32%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

One of the most expensive prams in our tests, the iCandy is even pricier than high-end brands like Bugaboo, Joolz and Stokke. 

But despite its high price, its scores are very low – it received the lowest score overall in our test of 48 prams.

For this kind of money, it’s reasonable to expect that a pram would meet or exceed safety standards, but unfortunately the iCandy Peach 7 didn’t pass our safety tests or the mandatory standard when we tested it in our labs.

Our expert testers found that the pram’s straps pose a potential strangulation risk – the shoulder and waist straps don’t automatically separate from each other when the buckle is pressed and they are difficult to separate manually. This means they create a loop that could be a strangulation hazard.

In addition, when the pram is fully reclined it poses a potential head entrapment hazard and fall risk, which means that a young baby could be injured by falling out or getting their head caught in the hood of the stroller. 

Both of these issues represent serious safety failures.

iCandy responds

iCandy disagrees with our findings, saying: “The iCandy Peach has been tested extensively internally and independently by labs around the world, with no reported issues of test failures or non-compliance.”

It also says the seat angle of the pram doesn’t recline enough for the head entrapment/fall test to apply, but ����Vlog stands by its results.

Read the full iCandy Peach 7 review.

Silver Cross Wave 3

• Price: $2299
• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 33%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

Another pricey pram, the Silver Cross Wave 3 bills itself as a ‘future-proof travel system’ that can be configured 12 different ways, including converting from a single to double stroller. 

While the stroller offers obvious conveniences that appeal to parents – such as the adjustable seat and handle height and adjustable seat recline – ����Vlog experts found two serious safety failures with this pram.

The first is that the waist and crotch straps can be removed from the seat, which means a child can become entangled in the straps causing injury. And the second is that a child can potentially be injured by falling into the soft fabric space between the seat and soft stroller canopy.

Silver Cross responds

Silver Cross disagrees with our findings, saying: “Silver Cross treats all matters regarding product safety with the utmost importance. All Silver Cross products are rigorously tested for reliability, durability, and safety. Our products are tested and certified by an accredited independent laboratory, and typically approved compliant to multiple international safety standards”.

It says it can “confidently” report no safety issues have been raised. ����Vlog stands by its findings. 

Read the full Silver Cross Wave 3 review.

Other pram safety failures

These two prams are among our lowest scoring, but our testing has identified others that also have serious safety failures, many of them still on the market, and some of them costing well over $1000.

Before you start shopping for a pram for your baby, check our pram and stroller reviews. You can filter the results to check which prams have passed all the key safety tests, and we also tell you how easy they are to use.

And if you’re looking at a second-hand stroller, you can search past results for discontinued products by applying our filter.

Other prams that didn’t pass key safety tests include:

• Pouch 2 in 1 – $360
• Baby Jogger City Select Lux (Single) – $1295
• Mountain Buggy Cosmopolitan 4.0 2021+ – $1220
• Cybex Gazelle S – $1899
• Cosatto Giggle Quad – $1399
• Baby Joy Baby Stroller – $200
• 4Baby Como – $330
• Redsbaby Aeron – $799
• Phil & Teds Go V2 – $400
• Leclercbaby Influencer – $860
• Bugaboo Fox 5 – $1899
• Edwards & Co Oscar M2 – $899
• Baby Jogger City Select 2 – $1299

How we test if a pram or stroller is safe

“There is a mandatory safety standard that ,” says Kim.

“However, it’s outdated. We test to the voluntary 2013 standard which has had widespread adoption by manufacturers and goes above and beyond mandatory requirements. There’s even a more recent 2022 revision now that takes newer designs of prams into account such as convertible tricycle strollers.”

“We believe the voluntary requirements should be made mandatory, so our test experts go above and beyond, by not only testing against the mandatory requirements but also testing against the voluntary standard and basing our recommendations off of it,” she says.

Our expert testers have decades of experience in testing children’s products and sit on the Australian Standards committee for prams and strollers, so we keep up to date with changes to the standard. Our lab is also NATA-accredited to test products to both the mandatory and voluntary prams and strollers standards.

To learn more about our testing process, read . 

The post Prams to avoid buying appeared first on ����Vlog.

There’s 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’s access to a staircase or any other area of the house you don’t want them to toddle into unattended. 

They’re 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 – 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.

����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. ����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’s products, to create our comprehensive in-house testing method to assess which gates are the best and safest.

“Manufacturers whose models we’ve failed say they do meet existing international safety gate standards, but ����Vlog experts believe our requirements address key safety concerns,” says Kim Gilmour, ����Vlog household goods expert.

When we assess each gate, we’re looking to see how well they are constructed and checking for obvious potential hazards. We make sure the lock can’t 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.

����Vlog director of campaigns, Andy Kelly says: “The lack of mandatory standards for safety gates is a symptom of Australia’s reactive product safety laws – it might take a serious injury or death before a new mandatory standard is introduced or an unsafe product is recalled.”

“With 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.”

Safety gates from our latest testing with serious failures

����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

• ����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 “Creativity Baby Safe Guard” 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 ‘pets’ in the product name, the product description and imagery used infers it is also suitable to be used as a baby gate.

“It’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

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

����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’s lock that presents a potential strangulation hazard if a piece of child’s 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

• ����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’t reliably lock unless the user takes multiple deliberate steps – and it’s surprisingly easy to get those steps wrong. The lock button must be manually activated, but there’s no strong, obvious indication when it hasn’t 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’t.

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’s also a minor but notable risk of a child’s 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’s 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, ����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 ����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.��

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 – 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’re looking to babyproof your home, a safety gate is one of the key items you’ll be adding to your shopping list. You’ll 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 – heavy items such as bookcases, tallboys and cabinets should be anchored to the wall so they don’t 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 – 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.

����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’t 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 ����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’s 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.

“There is no law that says goods have to be safe, but there should be,” 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’s 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’s nightwear and more. But it’s 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.

����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 – including ear thermometers, kitchen and bathroom scales, and remote controls – 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’t mean manufacturers won’t break them. ����Vlog has conducted several battery button safety tests in our labs since 2022, and failures have been common.

In January 2024  – 18 months after the mandatory standard came into effect – 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’s 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’s 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’re sold. It’s an idea that’s sweeping the globe.

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

Pram and stroller failures

Late last year, in our most recent test of essential children’s 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’s products, prams sold in Australia do need to meet mandatory safety standards, but ����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’s 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 – trust in the profit-driven, often overseas-based manufacturer, that is.

Safety failures from online marketplaces

Over the past couple of years we’ve 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 ����Vlog button battery lab test of children’s 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 – including rattles, teethers and whistles – 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’s voluntary Product Safety Pledge as a gesture of good will, but the ACCC has no power to make sure they’re 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 ����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’s 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’s 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.

The post Why isn’t the law stopping the sale of unsafe goods? appeared first on ����Vlog.

And baby food is particularly persistent – have you ever tried to get dried Weet-Bix off the wall without taking a layer of paint off with it? That stuff sets like concrete!

Between the nappies, extra laundry and sleep deprivation, you already have enough to deal with – so anything you can do to lessen the load is worth it.

Since the high chair is ground zero for mealtimes, minimising the nooks and crannies where food can accumulate will make cleaning up faster and less agonising.

So what makes a high chair easier to clean? And how do you decide which one is best for your baby? We’ll explain, and tell you which hard-to-clean high chairs are best to avoid.

How we test ease of cleaning

To assess how easy high chairs are to clean, our experts play with their food – literally.

In our labs, they cover the tray, seat back, padding and harness with Weet-Bix and milk, spaghetti with tomato sauce, and baby food, then let it dry overnight.

The next day, they set to work wiping, scrubbing and washing each section of the high chair, then score it on how difficult it is to clean.

They find that chairs with lots of cracks and crevices are generally harder to clean, so they tend to score lower.

Since cleaning is such a big part of what makes parents’ lives easier, the ease of cleaning score makes up 30% of the total ����Vlog Expert Rating.

What to look for in a high chair

Just like every baby is different, so too is every family’s priorities for a high chair. Here are a few things to consider before you go shopping:

Space

How much room do you have? If your dining room is tiny (or non-existent), a high chair that folds up could help free up space in between meals. 

Trays might be handy, but they do increase the size of a high chair. Would you be better off just parking the high chair at the table and using the table top instead of a tray? Or would you rather keep the mealtime mayhem well away from your furniture?

Safety

Toddlers are squirmy creatures and if there’s a way to escape, they’ll find it. If they’re not securely contained in their high chair they could fall or climb out and be injured.

“It’s best practice for a high chair to have a five-point harness with waist, shoulder and crotch straps,” says ����Vlog baby and kids product expert Kim Gilmour.

Stability

Chair legs that splay outwards will make a high chair more stable, so look for a high chair that has a footprint larger than the seat.��

Our expert testers rigorously assess each high chair to check if it’ll topple over sideways or backwards – check our reviews to make sure you’re buying a chair that’ll stay put, no matter how active your child is.

Sustainability

Rather than buying a new chair every time your child grows, you could consider a convertible chair that you can modify to suit your child’s needs. 

Convertible high chairs may cost more upfront, but take into account how much use you’ll get out of it – if your child uses it until they’re big enough to sit in a regular dining chair, then you won’t have to spend money on booster seats and the like.

Bear in mind though that you may need to pay extra for attachments such as a tray, harness and safety bar.

The high chairs that score lowest for ease of cleaning

Unless you’re keen on spending hours scrubbing mushed avocado, days-old Bolognaise and broccoli puree from hard-to-reach corners, avoid these high chairs.

They range in price from $35 to $578, which just goes to show that even expensive designer chairs aren’t necessarily designed to be parent-friendly.

Leander Chair

• Ease of cleaning score: 20%
• Price: $430

Mocka Soho High Chair

• Ease of cleaning score: 45%
• Price: $150

4Baby Easy Highchair

• Ease of cleaning score: 47%
• Price: $35

Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair (with Baby Set)

• Ease of cleaning score: 48%
• Price: $578

4Baby Diner

• Ease of cleaning score: 48%
• Price: $99

InfaSecure Babytime Sedia High/Low Chair

• Ease of cleaning score: 49%
• Price: $330

Love n Care Montana BP 894 High Chair

• Ease of cleaning score: 50%
• Price: $250

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On this page:

• How much do high chairs cost?
• What to look for in a high chair

High chairs should be sturdy and safe and have all the right features to make feeding time easy. This guide includes things to consider when buying a stand-alone high chair, as well as other options like portable or clip-on baby chairs.

High chair safety

The most common form of injury involving high chairs is when a child falls after trying to stand up in, climb into, or get out of the chair. Other serious injuries can result from having their fingers, toes or limbs pinched or crushed by moving parts or gaps, or choking on easily detachable small parts. 

Make sure you check out the chair when it’s set up in the store, and really get in there – rock it to check stability, get your fingers into any nooks and crannies, and play with moving parts to check for finger or limb traps.

When shopping, look for chairs that comply with the Australian Standard for high chairs, AS 4684:2009, or the European Standard (EN 14988) – there are a variety of different styles, so you shouldn’t have to sacrifice safety to buy one that looks good in your kitchen or dining room, if that’s important to you. 

And when you get home, make sure you set up the chair at least half a metre from anything your child could use to push off from and topple over – windows, large furniture, pull cords on lights or blinds, and so on.

How much do high chairs cost?

Given the high chairs in our most recent test start at $29 and go up to almost $800, it can be difficult to work out how much you should be paying.

However, our testing has shown that a higher price tag isn’t always an indicator of a better performer – we recommend several models under $100 that pass all our key safety tests and score well for ease of cleaning, so you don’t have to spend big to get a quality high chair.

What to look for in a high chair

Five-point harness

This means a harness with shoulders, waist and crotch straps so kids can’t fall or climb out. One with three points (waist and crotch straps only) may be worth considering, but five-point harnesses are safer.

Shoulder straps that attach to the seat at shoulder height provide more effective restraint than ones that attach to the back of the waist strap.

The crotch strap should be anchored close enough to the back that the child can’t slip through one side. The buckles should be easy for you, but not your child, to release.

Ideally, the harness should be non-removable, or at least require a tool to remove it for washing (such as undoing a screw). This is so that you or your child are unlikely to take it off and lose it, or forget to reattach it.

Convertible chairs

Some high chairs are sold as junior chairs suitable for young children, but with a high chair attachment (seat and tray) that costs extra.

Construction

This should be sturdy and robust enough to carry the weight of a child. Push on the seat and backrest to see if these squeak, sag, deform, move out of position or collapse.

Stability

Look for legs that spread outwards further than all other parts of the chair – the area of the floor space between the four legs should be greater than the area of the seat. Perfectly vertical legs aren’t as stable.

Moving parts

These shouldn’t be able to pinch, crush or trap a child’s finger, toe, limb or head (or the fingers of an adult folding or adjusting the chair). Also check for sharp edges and points along the edges of the chair and tray, and easily detachable parts (including stickers) that could pose a choking hazard.

Castor wheels

These are handy for moving the chair around and they should have brakes that lock in position on at least two of them (the front or back set). If the chair doesn’t have castors, make sure it’s light enough to move easily without them.

Large or adjustable seat

This is useful if you plan to use the chair for some years, as it will accommodate a toddler.

Reclining back or seat

This is good for younger babies who can’t sit upright for long.

Tray

This should be secure when fitted, but easy to remove, attach and adjust.

Height adjustment and back-reclining

Height adjustment is a handy feature that should be easy for you, but not your child, to operate. It lets the chair match the seat you’re feeding your child from. The mechanism should be out of the child’s reach and require some strength or dexterity to use. 

Any models that have back-reclining should never be used in this position for feeding solids or sleeping.

Foldable

This is handy for storage. The chair should be easy to fold and unfold, and preferably lock in its folded position.

Lightweight

If you’re going to be regularly getting the chair out and storing it away again, make sure it’s not too heavy.

Footrest or leg support

This is important to support the child’s feet or calves. Adjustable footrests are useful as the child grows.

Simple to clean

Watch out for nooks and crannies in the chair frame, cushion or straps where food can be hard to clean out. Some models have a lot of cushioning which may be comfy for your child, but can be very difficult to clean.

Material

You may be able to choose from a range of colours and patterns. The cushioning on many high chairs may be wipe-clean vinyl. Darker colours and busy patterns may disguise stains better.

Portable high chairs

Harnesses, boosters and clip-on toddler and infant seats are compact alternatives to a standard high chair – here are additional things to consider if you like this option.

Fitting

The seat should fit securely and easily. Most stores (and product websites) have them set up so you can see how they work.

Security

Make sure the seat won’t move, or tip over the table or chair, once it’s attached and your child is in place. Give it a firm tug up, down, sideways, back and forth to make sure it’s anchored securely.

Seat

The seat should have back and side support, and prevent the child from leaning too far and unbalancing or falling. A seat that reclines is useful for seating an infant.

Tray

If provided, the tray should be secure when fitted but easy to remove, attach and adjust.

Washable

The chair should be easy to clean.

Height-adjustable

Some booster seats can be height adjusted for smaller or larger children.

Capacity

Check that the recommended age and weight for the seat suits your child.

Junior chairs

When your child has grown up a little and no longer needs a harness to sit safely, you could consider a tall junior chair as a replacement for the old high chair. These are simply elevated, child-sized seats that allow your youngster to sit at the dinner table with the family. They usually have a footrest so the child can sit comfortably without their legs dangling. (As mentioned previously, some of these chairs come with high chair attachments.)

The high chair standard does not technically apply to chairs like these, so check that the chair is stable enough to not topple sideways or backwards if the child pushes against the table.

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