EN 71 refers to a series of standards formulated by the European Union for toy safety (EN 71 series standards). They aim to regulate the design, production and sale of toys and guarantee the safety of toys for children (from infants to 14 years old). It is a mandatory compliance requirement for toys exported to the EU market. Covering physical and mechanical properties, chemical properties, flammability and other aspects, detailed introduction is shown as below:

I. Core Test Items of EN 71 Series Standards

The EN 71 standard consists of multiple parts, specifying detailed test requirements targeting different risk hazards. The core sections are listed below:

1. EN 71‑1: Mechanical and Physical Properties

It mainly assesses the structural safety of toys to prevent injuries such as ingestion, suffocation, laceration and entanglement to children. Core test contents include:

• Small Parts Test: For toys intended for children under 3 years old, detachable components (such as small beads and buttons) shall be tested with a small parts test cylinder (31.7 mm in diameter, 57.1 mm in depth). If a component can be fully inserted into the cylinder, it is defined as a small part which may lead to suffocation by ingestion; such parts shall be prohibited or firmly fixed;

• Sharp Edges and Sharp Points: Metal or plastic edges of toys shall be free of burrs and sharp edges. Points shall be inspected with a sharp point tester to avoid lacerating children’s skin;

• Cords and Elastic Cords: If the cord of pull-along toys exceeds 220 mm in length, its strength and toughness shall be tested to prevent neck entanglement. The stretched length of elastic cords shall not exceed 300 mm (to eliminate entanglement hazards);

• Stability and Load-bearing Capacity: Items such as baby walkers and toy furniture shall undergo stability tests (to prevent overturning) and load-bearing tests (to avoid collapse);

• Projectile Toys: The kinetic energy of projectiles (e.g. toy gun pellets) shall be limited to a specified range (e.g. ≤0.08 J) to prevent eye or bodily injuries;

• Packaging Materials: Plastic bags or films shall have a thickness ≥0.038 mm or be provided with ventilation holes to prevent suffocation if children put them over their heads.

2. EN 71‑2: Flammability

It evaluates the flame retardancy of toy materials to avoid fire hazards caused by rapid combustion upon exposure to ignition sources. It mainly applies to:

• Plush and fabric toys: Vertical flammability test is conducted. The flame spread rate shall not exceed 30 mm/s, or self-extinguishing shall be achieved within 10 seconds;

• Headwear toys such as wigs and beards: Combustion duration shall be ≤2 seconds, and no molten drips shall be generated;

• Paper or film toys: Horizontal flammability test is carried out to control combustion rate and prevent fast burning.

3. EN 71‑3: Migration of Certain Elements (Chemical Properties)

It restricts the content of migratable heavy metals in toy materials to prevent children from ingesting hazardous elements via sucking or chewing. The tested elements and limits (calculated by migration amount) are shown below:

Note: Different materials of toys (plastics, metals, paints, fabrics, etc.) shall be tested separately. The test simulates an acidic environment resembling children’s saliva or gastric juice to extract migratable elements.

4. EN 71‑8: Swings, slides and similar toys for indoor and outdoor domestic use

It applies to large outdoor toys (such as swings, slides and climbing frames). Tests cover structural strength, stability, protective measures (e.g. buffer mats) and secure connection of components to prevent falls and pinching injuries to children.

5. EN 71‑9: Organic chemical compounds — Requirements

It regulates organic chemical substances potentially present in toys (such as flame retardants, plasticizers, dyestuffs and solvents) by limiting their content or migration, including:

• Phthalates (such as DEHP, DBP, BBP, limit: 0.1%);

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), formaldehyde, azo dyestuffs (which may decompose into carcinogenic aromatic amines);

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), etc.

6. EN 71‑12: N‑Nitrosamines and N‑Nitrosatable Substances

It targets toys intended to be placed in the mouth (such as pacifiers and teething toys) and restricts the content of N‑nitrosamines (potent carcinogens). The limit for individual substance is ≤0.01 mg/kg, and total content ≤0.05 mg/kg.