Amazon Product Laboratory Testing Requirements

For a growing number of products sold on Amazon.com, third-party laboratory testing is mandatory. In this guide, we will cover the key information Amazon sellers need to know about laboratory testing and test report submission.

1. Do all products sold on Amazon require laboratory testing?

Amazon requires products sold on its platform to comply with relevant safety standards, substance restrictions, labeling, and certification requirements. If you sell products on Amazon.com (U.S.), your products must meet U.S. product regulations. Similarly, products sold on Amazon Europe must comply with EU product directives and safety standards.

Therefore, whether laboratory testing is required depends on the country or state where you intend to sell your products.

That said, keep in mind that all unsafe products are subject to recall. Third-party laboratory testing is the only reliable method to assess product safety and compliance—even if it is not mandatory.

Notably, Amazon is facing increasing pressure to take responsibility for the safety of products sold on its platform. It may not be long before third-party safety testing becomes mandatory for all applicable products.

2. Which products require laboratory testing on Amazon?

Whether product testing is mandatory depends on the applicable regulations. For example, all children’s products sold in the U.S. must comply with the cpsia, which in turn requires test reports from CPSC-accredited testing laboratories.

The following are some product categories that typically require laboratory testing:

①　Toys

②　Children’s products

③　Children’s furniture

④　Medical devices

⑤　Cosmetics

⑥　Power banks

In some cases, Amazon sets higher standards than legal requirements. A few years ago, Amazon.com mandated that all hoverboard sellers provide valid UL 1642 and UL 60950-1 test reports.

Interestingly, UL standards are voluntary. Nevertheless, Amazon’s approach with hoverboard sellers demonstrates its authority to require compliance with safety standards that exceed government regulations.

This requires sellers to understand both product regulations and any additional standards imposed by Amazon.

3. What type of test report does Amazon require?

The type of test report Amazon may request largely depends on the market, product category, and age group. Theoretically, Amazon can require any test report mandated for a specific product in that country or market.

That said, most test report requests we handle fall into the following categories:

a) astm f963-17 Test Report

When selling children’s products in the U.S., compliance with ASTM F963-17 is mandatory. Therefore, Amazon will request an ASTM F963-17 test report when verifying cpsia compliance.

b) reach test report

REACH restricts chemicals and heavy metals in all consumer products sold in the EU or the UK. We have seen Amazon require REACH test reports for various products, including jewelry and accessories.

c) CE Test Report

The CE mark is mandatory for toys, electronic products, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical devices, and many other products sold in the EU. However, using the CE mark also requires the product to technically comply with applicable harmonized standards, which in turn necessitates laboratory testing.

If you sell products requiring the CE mark, Amazon will typically request a test report as part of its compliance check.

d) ul test report

In the U.S., compliance with UL standards is generally voluntary, but the CPSC recommends adherence for certain products. Additionally, Amazon requires compliance with UL standards when selling specific types of products.

4. How do I know which tests my product needs?

Amazon’s Product Safety Guidelines can be found in Seller Central. Some of the product categories they cover include:

①　Drawstrings in children’s clothing

②　Children’s jewelry

③　Children’s products

④　Toys sold in the U.S.

⑤　Power banks

⑥　String lights

Amazon usually lists the mandatory standards for which corresponding test reports must be provided.

Example: Power Banks

①　ul 2056 certification

②　OR ul 2054 and UL 60950-1

③　OR UL 62133 and UL 60950-1

Example: Children’s Jewelry

①　astm f2923-14

②　CSPA Phthalates and Cadmium

You can also request a third-party testing company to assess applicable safety standards and testing requirements.

5. Which laboratory testing companies does Amazon accept?

This also depends on the specific product. For example, test reports for children’s products must be issued by a testing company accredited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This is not an Amazon-specific requirement but a mandatory one for all children’s products sold in the U.S.

For certain product categories (e.g., power banks), Amazon requires testing companies to hold certifications such as ILAC ISO 17025.

6. How to submit test reports to Amazon?

Amazon will typically contact sellers when test reports are required, and these reports can be submitted via email. Amazon may request test reports after you list a new product or at a later date. Failure to provide test reports may result in product removal.

7. How much time do I have to submit test reports?

Amazon usually requires you to submit test reports within 30 days.

8. At which stage should Amazon sellers arrange laboratory testing?

You should never wait until Amazon requests test reports to book laboratory testing. Arranging laboratory testing typically takes more than 30 days. Additionally, if you discover your product fails laboratory testing at this stage, you may need to discard all affected inventory.

It is crucial that your products are tested and verified for compliance before your supplier ships anything to Amazon or your own warehouse.

9. Why does Amazon request test reports unrelated to my product?

We have seen instances where Amazon decides that certain product categories must suddenly comply with specific regulations or standards.

For example, this happened in 2015 when Amazon removed all hoverboards that did not meet certain UL standards. In 2023, we received several reports from Amazon backpack sellers who faced cpsia test report requests—even though the sellers believed the backpacks were not children’s products.

Making certain claims about a product’s ability to provide therapeutic benefits can also trigger a test report request.

10. Can I dispute Amazon’s test report request?

You can try, but it is unlikely to succeed. Disputing a test report request is not the same as disputing a parking ticket.

Your product is either safe and compliant or it is not. If it is safe and compliant, you must have a test report to prove it. If you do not, you have no evidence that your product is safe and compliant.

Amazon has the right to verify product compliance, and its compliance team will not back down.

11. Can I provide my supplier’s test reports?

Some sellers attempt to use existing test reports held by their suppliers. This is a rarely feasible option for the following reasons:

①　The test report must be valid for the exact same product/SKU (not a "similar" or completely different product).

②　For certain products, the test report must be valid for the exact same production run. Therefore, you cannot use "old" test reports.

③　Test reports held in the supplier’s name cannot sometimes be linked to the product you are selling. This is often the case when you purchase products from a trading company, which in turn provides test reports held by the original manufacturer. Additionally, some regulations explicitly require test reports to be held by the importer.

In short, there are only a few scenarios where you can use test reports held by suppliers or other companies.