Which? identifies 150 dangerous baby products sold on major online marketplaces

A new investigation by consumer association Which? has revealed that 150 potentially lethal baby products are currently being sold to UK consumers across major online marketplaces, including Amazon, Etsy, and TikTok Shop.

The investigation identified dangerous items, ranging from “self-feeding” bottle props to baby sleep pillows and unsafe sleeping bags, being sold on Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy, TikTok Shop, and Wish.

Despite previous safety alerts issued by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), all these platforms were found to be hosting products that experts warn could lead to an infant’s death.

Which? focused on three product categories known to pose severe risks:

• Self-feeding devices: These allow babies to feed without caregiver assistance, creating a high risk of choking or aspiration pneumonia. Despite being subject to a 2022 safety alert, Which? found 54 such devices for sale, including 21 that fasten around an infant’s neck.

• Baby sleep pillows: Linked to suffocation and SIDS, these products are often marketed for babies under 12 months. Researchers found 37 such pillows, with some listings even using imagery of infants in cribs.

• Unsafe sleeping bags: Which? identified 59 sleeping bags that fail to meet British safety standards, often featuring hazardous hoods or lacking necessary armholes, which can cause an infant to slip inside and suffocate.

Call for urgent legislation

The report highlights a lack of meaningful progress from these platforms, noting that the investigators found these items easily using basic keyword and image searches. Nearly a quarter of the identified products were found on Amazon.

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, slammed the platforms for their inaction: “The lives of babies are at risk because these platforms won’t stop dangerous products from reaching their customers,” she said.

Which? is now calling on the government to act immediately. While the Product Regulation and Metrology Act provides the power to hold marketplaces accountable, secondary legislation has been delayed. The consumer group insists that online marketplaces must be given a clear legal duty to ensure the safety of third-party products, backed by the threat of significant fines for non-compliance.