National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 71‑1:2026. It supersedes BS EN 71‑1:2014+A1:2018, which is withdrawn.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee CW/15, Safety of toys.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

This publication has been prepared under a mandate given to the European Standards Organizations by the European Commission and the European Free Trade Association. It is intended to support requirements of the EU legislation detailed in the European Foreword. A European Annex, usually Annex ZA or ZZ, describes how this publication relates to that EU legislation.

For the Great Britain market (England, Scotland and Wales), if UK Government has designated this publication for conformity with UKCA marking (or similar) legislation, it may contain an additional National Annex. Where such a National Annex exists, it shows the correlation between this publication and the relevant UK legislation. If there is no National Annex of this kind, the relevant Annex ZA or ZZ in the body of the European text will indicate the relationship to UK regulation applicable in Great Britain. References to EU legislation may need to be read in accordance with the UK designation and the applicable UK law. Further information on designated standards can be found at www.bsigroup.com/standardsandregulation.

For the Northern Ireland market, UK law will continue to implement relevant EU law subject to periodic confirmation. Therefore Annex ZA/ZZ in the European text, and references to EU legislation, are still valid for this market.

UK Government is responsible for legislation. For information on legislation and policies relating to that legislation, consult the relevant pages of www.gov.uk.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 January 2026.

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 14 December 2025.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and United Kingdom.

European foreword

This document (EN 71‑1:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 52 “Safety of toys”, the secretariat of which is held by DS.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by July 2026, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by July 2027.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

This document supersedes EN 71‑1:2014+A1:2018.

This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its Member States.

For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this document.

Additional information on the background and rationale for various requirements are given in Annex A.

This document constitutes the first part of the EN 71 series of standards on safety of toys.

EN 71, Safety of toys, consists of the following parts:

Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties (this document);
Part 2: Flammability;
Part 3: Migration of certain elements;
Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities;
Part 5: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets;
Part 7: Finger paints — Requirements and test methods;
Part 8: Activity toys for domestic use;
Part 10: Organic chemical compounds — Sample preparation and extraction;
Part 11: Organic chemical compounds — Methods of analysis;
Part 12: N-Nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances;
Part 13: Olfactory board games, cosmetic kits and gustative games;
Part 14: Trampolines for domestic use;
Part 15: Formamide in foam toy materials (content);
Part 16: Certain chlorinated phosphorus flame retardants (TCEP, TCPP, TDCP) in toy materials;
Part 17: Certain isothiazolinones (MIT, CIT, BIT) in aqueous toy materials;
Part 18: Phenol in aqueous (content) and polymeric (migration) toy materials;
Part 19: Migration of bisphenol A from toy materials;
Part 20: Microbiological safety of toys containing accessible aqueous media.

It is up to the user of the standard to determine whether or not a toy is included in the scope of several of the above parts of the EN 71 series, and to apply each applicable standard accordingly. Normative references from one part of the EN 71 series to another, are therefore normally not provided in the individual parts.

NOTE 1 In addition to the above parts of the EN 71 series, the following deliverables have been published:

CEN/TR 15071, Safety of toys — National translations of warnings and instructions for use in theEN71series;
CEN/TR 15371 (all parts), Safety of toys — Interpretations;
CEN/TR 16918, Safety of toys — Children’s mouthing behaviour in contact with toys;
CEN/TR 17695, Safety of toys — Mechanical and physical properties — Guidance on categorisation of projectile toys withinEN71‑1;
CEN/TS 17973, Safety of toys — Categorization of slime type materials;

— CEN/TR 18217, Safety of toys — Migration of certain elements from polymers;

CEN/TR 18240, Safety of toys — Mechanical and physical properties — Guidance on the requirements for food-imitating toys in EN 71-1; and
CEN ISO/TR 8124‑8, Safety of toys — Part 8: Age determination — First age grade for the appropriate play of toys.

NOTE 2 Words in italics (apart from document titles) are defined in Clause 3 (Terms and definitions).

The following significant editorial and technical changes have been implemented in this new edition:

Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

Introduction

This document aims at reducing as far as possible those hazards which are not evident to users; it does not cover inherent hazards (e.g. instability of two-wheeled scooters, sharp needles in a sewing kit, etc.) that are obvious to children or the persons in charge of them. Assuming that the toys are used in the intended manner they should not present any further hazard to children for whom they are intended. Allowance should also be made for foreseeable use, bearing in mind the behaviour of children who do not generally share the same degree of care as the average adult user.

As a general rule, toys are designed and manufactured for particular ages of children. Their characteristics are related to the age and stage of development of the children, and their use presupposes certain aptitudes.

Accidents are frequently due to a toy either being given to a child for whom it is not intended or being used for a purpose other than that for which it was designed. Great care should therefore be taken when choosing a toy or game; account should be taken of the mental and physical development of the child who will be using it.

The requirements of this document do not release parents or carers from their responsibility of watching over the child while he or she is playing.

1 Scope (see A.2)

This document specifies requirements and methods of tests for mechanical and physical properties of toys.

This document applies to toys for children, toys being any product or material designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children of less than 14 years. It refers to new toys taking into account the period of foreseeable and normal use, and that the toys are used as intended or in a foreseeable way, bearing in mind the behaviour of children.

It includes specific requirements for toys intended for children under 36 months, children under 18 months and for children who are too young to sit up unaided. For example, soft-filled toys with simple features intended for holding and cuddling are considered as intended for use by children under 36 months.

NOTE Information relating to the age grading and age determination of toys can be found in CEN ISO/TR 8124‑8 [22] and the European Commission’s Guidance Documents on the Toy Safety Directive.

This document also specifies requirements for packaging, marking and labelling.

This document does not apply to the following toys:

automatic playing machines, whether coin operated or not, intended for public use;
toy vehicles equipped with combustion engines;
toy steam engines;
toy slings and toy catapults, supplied without projectiles;
remote control flying toys incorporating rotor blade(s) which are capable of spinning approximately horizontally, each blade being greater than 175 mm in length, measured from the centre of rotation to the blade tip, and with an overall mass of the flying toy greater than 50 g.

This document does not cover musical instruments, sports equipment or similar items but does include their toy counterparts.

Toy slings and toy catapults supplied with projectiles are covered by this document.

This document does not cover electrical safety aspects of toys which are covered by EN IEC 62115.

Furthermore, it does not cover the following items which, for the purpose of this document, are not considered as toys:

decorative objects for festivities and celebrations;
products for collectors, provided that the product or its packaging bears a visible and legible indication that it is intended for collectors of 14 years of age and above; examples of this category are:
1. detailed and faithful scale models (see A.2),
2. kits for the assembly of detailed scale models,
3. folk dolls and decorative dolls and other similar articles,
4. historical replicas of toys,
5. reproductions of real fire arms;
sports equipment including roller skates, inline skates, and skateboards intended for children with a body mass of more than 20 kg;
bicycles with a maximum saddle height of more than 435 mm, measured as the vertical distance from the ground to the top of the seat surface, with the seat in a horizontal position and with the seat pillar set to the minimum insertion mark;
scooters and other means of transport designed for sport, or which are intended to be used for travel on public roads or public pathways;
electrically-driven vehicles which are intended to be used for travel on public roads, public pathways, or the pavement thereof;
aquatic equipment intended to be used in deep water, and swimming learning devices for children, such as swim seats and swimming aids;
puzzles with more than 500 pieces;
guns and pistols using compressed gas, with the exception of water guns and water pistols;
bows for archery over 120 cm long;
fireworks, including percussion caps which are not specifically designed for toys;
products and games using sharp-pointed missiles, such as sets of darts with metallic points;
functional educational products, such as electric ovens, irons or other functional products, as defined in EU Directive 2009/48/EC (Toy Safety Directive) [21], operated at a nominal voltage exceeding 24 V which are sold exclusively for teaching purposes under adult supervision;
products intended for use for educational purposes in schools and other pedagogical contexts under the surveillance of an adult instructor, such as science equipment;
electronic equipment, such as personal computers and game consoles, used to access interactive software and their associated peripherals, unless the electronic equipment or the associated peripherals are specifically designed for and targeted at children and have a play value on their own, such as specially designed personal computers, keyboards, joy sticks or steering wheels;
interactive software, intended for leisure and entertainment, such as computer games, and their storage media, such as CDs;
babies’ soothers;
child-appealing luminaires;
electrical transformers for toys;
fashion accessories for children which are not for use in play (see A.2).

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

3.62 Ride-on toys

3.65 Springs

4 General requirements

4.1 Material cleanliness (see A.3)

4.2 Assembly (see A.4)

4.3 Flexible plastic sheeting (see 4.12, A.5 and A.16)

4.4 Toy bags

4.5 Glass (see 5.7 and A.6)

4.6 Expanding materials (see A.7)

4.7 Edges (see A.8)

4.8 Points and metallic wires (see A.9)

4.9 Protruding parts (see A.10)

4.10 Parts moving against each other

4.11 Mouth-actuated toys and other toys intended to be put in the mouth (see A.15)

4.12 Balloons (see 4.3 and A.16)

4.13 Cords of toy kites and other flying toys (see A.17)

4.14 Enclosures

4.15 Toys intended to bear the mass of a child (see A.20)

4.16 Heavy immobile toys

4.17 Projectile toys (see A.22)

4.18 Aquatic toys and inflatable toys (see A.23)

4.19 Percussion caps specifically designed for use in toys and toys using percussion caps (see A.24)

4.20 Acoustics (see A.25)

4.21 Toys containing a non-electrical heat source

4.22 Small balls (see 5.10 and A.48)

4.23 Magnets (see A.51)

4.24 Yo-yo balls (see A.52)

4.25 Toys attached to food (see A.55)

4.26 Toy disguise costumes (see A.57)

4.27 Flying toys (see A.58)

4.28 Food-imitating toys (see A.59)

5 Toys intended for children under 36 months

5.1 General requirements (see A.26)

5.2 Soft-filled toys and soft-filled parts of a toy (see A.27)

5.3 Plastic sheeting (see A.28)

5.4 Cords, chains and electrical cables in toys (see A.29)

5.5 Liquid-filled toys (see A.30)

5.6 Speed limitation of electrically-driven ride-on toys

5.7 Glass and porcelain (see 4.5 and A.6)

5.8 Shape and size of certain toys (see A.31)

5.9 Toys comprised of monofilament fibres (see A.32)

5.10 Small balls (see also 4.22 and A.48)

5.11 Play figures

5.12 Hemispheric-shaped toys (see A.50)

5.13 Suction cups (see A.54)

5.14 Straps intended to be worn fully or partially around the neck (see A.53)

5.15 Sledges with cords for pulling

6 Packaging (see A.56)

7 Warnings, markings and instructions for use (see A.33)

7.1 General

7.2 Toys not intended for children under 36 months (see 4.22 and A.34)

7.3 Latex balloons (see 4.12 and A.16)

7.4 Aquatic toys (see 4.18 and A.23)

7.5 Functional toys (see A.35)

7.6 Hazardous sharp functional edges and points (see 4.7 and 4.8)

7.7 Projectile toys (see 4.17.3.1 and A.22)

7.8 Imitation protective masks and helmets (see 4.14.2 and A.19)

7.9 Toy kites (see 4.13)

7.10 Toys intended to be strung across a cradle, cot, or perambulator (see 5.4.9.1)

7.11 Liquid-filled teethers (see 5.5)

7.12 Percussion caps specifically designed for use in toys (see 4.19)

7.13 Acoustics (see 4.19 and 4.20)

7.14 Toys intended to bear the mass of a child (see 4.15)

7.15 Toys comprised of monofilament fibres (see 5.9)

7.16 Magnetic/electrical experimental sets (see 4.23.3 and A.51)

7.17 Toys with electrical cables exceeding 300 mm in length (see 5.4.6)

7.18 Toys with cords or chains intended for children of 18 months and over but under 36 months (see 5.4.3)

7.19 Toys intended to be attached to a cradle, cot or perambulator (see 5.4.9.2)

7.20 Sledges with cords for pulling

7.21 Flying toys (see 4.27)

7.22 Improvised projectiles (see 4.17.4)

8 Test methods

8.1 General requirements for testing

8.2 Small parts cylinder (see 4.6, 4.11, 4.18, 4.23, 4.25, 4.28, 5.1, 5.2 and A.36)

8.3 Torque test (see 4.6, 4.11, 4.14, 4.17, 4.18, 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, 4.28, 5.1, 5.10, 5.12, 5.13 and Clause 6)

8.4 Tension test (see 4.6, 4.9, 4.11, 4.14, 4.17, 4.18, 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, 4.27, 4.28, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.10, 5.12, 5.13, Clause 6 and A.37)

8.5 Drop test (see 4.5, 4.6, 4.10, 4.14, 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, 5.1, 5.10, 5.12 and 5.13)

8.6 Tip over test (see 4.10, 4.22, 4.23, 5.1, 5.10, 5.12 and 5.13)

8.7 Impact test (see 4.5, 4.6, 4.10, 4.14, 4.15, 4.17, 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, 5.1, 5.10, 5.12, 5.13, 8.14 and A.38)

8.8 Compression test (see 4.6, 4.14, 4.17, 4.22, 4.23, 4.25, 5.1, 5.10, 5.12, 5.13 and A.39)

8.9 Soaking test (see 4.11, 4.23, 5.1, 5.10 and 5.12)

8.10 Accessibility of a part or component (see 4.5, 4.7, 4.8, 4.10.2, 4.10.4, 4.15, 4.21, 4.23, 4.27, 4.28, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.7)

8.11 Sharpness of edges (see 4.5, 4.7, 4.9, 4.10, 4.14, 4.15, 4.17, 5.1 and 7.6)

8.12 Sharpness of points (see 4.5, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 4.14, 4.15, 4.17, 5.1 and A.40)

8.13 Flexibility of metallic wires (see 4.8 and A.41)

8.14 Expanding materials (see 4.6 and A.7)

8.15 Leakage of liquid-filled toys (see 5.5 and A.42)

8.16 Geometric shape of certain toys (see 5.8 and A.43)

8.17 Durability of mouth-actuated toys (see 4.11 and A.44)

8.18 Folding or sliding mechanisms (see 4.10.1 and A.45)

8.19 Electric resistivity of cords (see 4.13)

8.20 Cords cross-sectional dimension (see 5.4.7)

8.21 Toys intended to bear the mass of a child

8.22 Stability, heavy immobile toys (see 4.16)

8.23 Kinetic energy and Kinetic energy density of projectiles (see 4.17.3 and 4.17.4)

8.24 Plastic sheeting

8.25 Determination of emission sound pressure levels (see 4.20)

8.26 Measurement of temperature rises (see 4.21)

8.27 Toy chest lids (see 4.14.1 c))

8.28 Small balls and suction cups test (see 4.17, 4.22, 4.25, 5.10 and 5.13)

8.29 Test for play figures (see 5.11)

8.30 Tension test for magnets (see 4.23.2 and A.51)

8.31 Magnetic flux index (see 4.23.2 and 4.23.3)

8.32 Perimeter of cords and chains (see 5.4.4)

8.33 Yo-yo balls measurements (see 4.24)

8.34 Breakaway feature separation test (see 5.4.2, 5.4.3 and 5.14)

8.35 Self-retracting cords (see 5.4.8)

8.36 Length of cords, chains and electrical cables (see 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.5 and 5.4.6)

8.37 Assessment of the tangle potential of two cords or chains (see 5.4.3)

8.38 Determination of projectile range (see 4.17)

8.39 Assessment of leading parts of projectiles and flying toys (see 4.27.1 and 4.17.2)

8.40 Length of suction cup projectiles

8.41 Wall impact test for projectiles (see A.22)

8.42 Escape force for toys that a child can enter (See 4.14.1)

8.43 Combinations of ventilation openings (See 4.14.1 and 4.14.2)

Bibliography

BS EN 71-1:2026

Safety of toys - Mechanical and physical properties

Current

Published:

31 Jan 2026