What Does EN71 Certified Mean?

EN71 is a series of harmonized Toy Safety Standards developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), with the fULl name "Toy Safety". It is the core technical specification for ensuring the safety of toys for children under 14 years old and serves as the "access pass" for toys to enter the EU market. Its core value lies in providing actionable testing methods and technical details for the EU Toy Safety Directive (2009/48/EC). Products complying with en71 standards are directly deemed to meet the requirements of the Directive without additional verification. In addition, electric toys must also comply with the EN 62115 standard developed by CENELEC.

Main Test Contents

I. Mandatory Tests

1.EN71-1: Physical and Mechanical Properties

Targets physical risks that may arise during the use or misuse of toys. It includes sharp point/edge testing (to prevent scratches), small parts pull test (parts of toys for children under 36 months must withstand a 20N pull force without detachment to prevent accidental swallowing), and packaging plastic film thickness requirements (≥0.038mm or densely perforated to prevent suffocation). Christmas balls and plush toys are often recalled due to small parts detachment, mostly for failing this test.

2.en71-2: Flammability

Classifies toy materials into three categories. Among them, Category 1 materials such as plush and fabrics must have a burning rate of ≤30mm/s. Materials like foaming agents that are explosive when exposed to fire are prohibited. Party streamers and fabric toys must pass this verification.

3.EN71-3: Migration of Certain Elements

The most stringent chemical safety standard. The 2024 revised version (en 71-3:2019+A2:2024) further optimizes testing methods and specifies limits for 19 heavy metals: lead ≤90ppm, cadmium ≤75ppm, and hexavalent chromium in scratchable materials as low as 0.053mg/kg. The standard also allows inferring the compliance of hexavalent chromium/organotin through "total chromium/total tin migration", simplifying the enterprise testing process.

II. Supplementary Tests

1.Specialized Chemical Toys:

• EN71-4 (Chemical experimental toys, such as kits)

• EN71-5 (Non-experimental chemical toys, such as pigments)

• EN71-7 (Finger paints, with additional restrictions on      preservatives and aromatic amines)

2.Special Function Toys:

• EN71-8 (Household activity toys such as swings and slides,      including dynamic load testing)

• EN71-14 (Household trampolines, with anti-fall design      requirements)

• EN71-13 (Cosmetic/olfactory toys, controlling the safety of      cosmetic ingREDients and odor substances)

3.Organic Compound Control:

• en71-9/10/11 (Restricting the migration of organic compounds      such as formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

• EN71-12 (Nitrosamine content in rubber toys ≤0.01mg/kg)

EN71 Testing Process and Cycle

I. Testing Process

Preparatory Stage (1-3 working days)

Enterprises need to provide: product manual, list of key materials (such as plastic grade, pigment composition), and representative samples (usually 3-5 finished products; additional material samples may be required for chemical testing).

Laboratory Testing (Core Cycle)

Classified by the complexity of test items:

• Basic package (EN71-1/2/3): Suitable for traditional toys, with      a cycle of 5-7 working days. Among them, chemical testing (EN71-3) takes a      longer time, requiring sample digestion, instrumental analysis (ICP-MS      method) and other steps.

• Specialized package (including EN71-4/7/13, etc.): For example,      chemical experimental toys need additional EN71-4 testing, and the cycle      is extended to 7-10 working days.

• Composite package (including EN 62115): Electric toys need to      add electrical safety testing, with a cycle of 10-15 working days,      involving multi-dimensional testing such as heat generation and radiation.

Report and Certification (2-5 working days)

After passing the test, the laboratory issues a report with the CEN recognition mark. Enterprises apply for CE-TOY certification with the report, ensuring that the product model and test number in the report are consistent with those in the certificate.

EN71 Testing Cycle