Buying safe toys
Many cheap toys from unknown sellers on online marketplaces come from abroad and have not been safety tested.
From super-strong magnets that can rip through your child’s belly, to easy-access button batteries that can kill your child if swallowed, to dangerous electrical goods that can start fires in your home, these dangerous toys can be deadly.
So please SHOP SMART and STAY SAFE.
Below we share our top tips for buying safe toys online. But remember that corner shops and cash and carries also buy from online marketplaces. So take care when buying from them too.
5 top tips for buying safe toys online
Take care when shopping at marketplaces online (think of websites like AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Groupon, Joom, OnBuy, Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop and Wish). There might be dangerous products that haven’t been safety checked.
Buy toys from brand names you know. If you’ve never heard of the seller and the price is really tempting, the toy could be dangerous.
Be really careful when buying for under 3s as they’re most at risk from dangerous toys.
Watch out for cheap copies of popular toys. They may not be made to UK safety standards.
Check if the toy has been removed from sale because it’s unsafe. Visit gov.uk for a list of recalled products.
If you buy something that looks unsafe, trust your instincts and send it back.
More toy safety tips
More toy safety tips
Toy safety guide
Which toys are most dangerous? And why are under 3s are most at risk? Discover all this and more in our toy safety guide.
Toy safety fact sheet
Download and share our free toy safety fact sheet with top tips on buying safe toys.
UK toy recalls
See the latest toys and other childcare products that have been recalled in the UK due to serious safety concerns.
The big risks to your child’s safety
The big risks to your child’s safety
Button batteries
Button batteries, particularly big, powerful lithium coin cell batteries, can badly hurt or kill a small child if they swallow one and it gets stuck in their food pipe. Find out more.
