Standard EN71 - Handmade toys

What standard for toys?

A toy is defined as any product or material designed or clearly intended to be used for play by children under the age of 14.
Regulations require that toys have :

• CE marking
• CE certification
• Conformity with standard EN 71, with the 3 main chapters 71-1 71-2 71-3, and test reports.

A product is considered a toy only if it is a finished product.

The EN71 standard

The EN 71 standard is derived from European Council Directive 88/378/EEC. This European standard sets out the requirements and test methods to be taken into account when manufacturing toys. Its aim is to reduce as far as possible risks that are not obvious to users.

The standard includes specific requirements for toys intended for children under 36 months.
EN 71 is divided into several chapters, covering the following areas in particular:

• EN 71-1: Mechanical and physical properties :which includes tests to prevent the detachment of 'small parts' that can cause choking hazards, and others to detect sharp points and edges that can cause injury.
• EN 71-2: Flammability: analyzes the speed of flame propagation on a toy to ensure that your children have time to get away from it if it catches fire.
• EN 71-3: Migration of certain elements:which simulates a child's digestion of a piece of the toy, to analyze whether heavy metals migrate from the material into the body.(Checking for the presence of chemical elements, banning bisphenol A, lead, nickel, etc.).

In the case of wooden figurines (references TECH-656,657,658,659,660), due to their shape and size, they cannot be considered as toys.

They must be assembled with other products and then submitted to a laboratory for analysis of the physical, mechanical (71-1) and flammability (71-2) tests of the EN 71 toy standard, before they can be placed in the hands of a child under 36 months.
The use of this type of article is identical to that of a wooden bead used to attach a pacifier or mobile to a child.

For teething rings

The term " teething ring " systematically and obligatorily classifies the product as a finished toy, making it subject to the EN 71 toy standard and its 3 main chapters, to its obligations but also to CE marking and certification.

For our professional customers, some important information if you wish to manufacture and market teething rings:

• Make sure that the products you use comply with REACH regulations for metal items (nickel, lead, cadmium), and that your wooden or other products have been tested for the presence of heavy metals or other toxic substances - ask your supplier for analysis reports.
• Once the teething ring is complete, submit your creation to a certified laboratory for analysis/testing to the EN 71-1 and 71-2 toy safety standards in force.
• Affix the CE mark/logo to your creation, and ask your laboratory to carry out a conformity check in accordance with the toy directive.
  Only once your laboratory has approved the validation and certification can you market your teething ring.

Important: this procedure must be repeated each time your model changes.
However, if you use the same components, colors and models, you won't need to carry out this procedure for every production run.

We can recommend the SMT analysis laboratory
Contact:[email protected]

NB: We are neither lawyers nor legal advisors.
The above information is not exhaustive and we cannot be held responsible for any misunderstandings, standards problems or other issues relating to you.
This text is for information purposes only.