Christmas is approaching and millions of consumers are still filling the virtual carts of Temu, Shein and Ali Express, attracted by the rock-bottom prices and wide offer. Among the toys most loved by children are soft toys, but behind those colorful teddy bears and those puppets costing a few euros lies a real danger, which could put the lives of the little ones at risk.
A shocking investigation, conducted by the Swiss magazine Good to know, found that half of the soft toys purchased on Temu, Shein and AliExpress pose a fatal choking risk to children under 3.
Laboratory tests
To understand how safe soft toys intended for young children are, 20 toys were subjected to rigorous laboratory tests according to the Swiss standard SN EN 71-1. The main objective was to verify two fundamental aspects: the risk of suffocation and the presence of dangerous chemicals.
The soft toys intended for children under 3 years of age were evaluated by Patrick Edder, cantonal chemist of Geneva, through two phases:
The toys were also analyzed for the presence of toxic or carcinogenic flame retardants. The good news is that none of the soft toys tested contained these substances.
But we certainly cannot rest assured, in fact out of 10 plush toys ordered from Chinese platforms, 5 showed very serious defects. Laboratory analyzes have shown how the eyes and noses detach very easily, while the seams give way, exposing the internal padding. All these small elements, if ingested by a child, can be fatal.
Patrick Edder, cantonal chemist of Geneva, has no doubts:
Consumers should be aware that when purchasing goods from foreign websites, they do so at their own risk.
The difference with the products sold in traditional shops is evident. While soft toys sold in Swiss brick-and-mortar outlets showed high safety standards, with only one product in ten failing, those from Temu and Shein failed tests alarmingly. This is not a coincidence, but the direct consequence of the absence of controls.
Temu and Shein, in fact, escape the mesh of European and Swiss regulations. Products arriving directly into consumers’ homes via these platforms do not pass through the security checks mandatory for traditional retailers, Swiss experts warn.
On Bon A Savoir it reads:
Buying a stuffed animal on these foreign websites is like playing Russian roulette with your child.
Among other things:
These platforms indicated that the toys were suitable for young children. Almost all the packages bore the CE logo, probably counterfeit, to guarantee the product’s compliance with European standards.
The replicas
The two platforms defend themselves by stating that they require suppliers to comply with current regulations. Robin Kiely, spokesperson for Shein, said that all partners must comply with the laws of the markets in which they operate, including Switzerland. Words that ring hollow when faced with the data: three out of four plush toys ordered from Shein did not meet safety standards.
After the publication of the investigation, both platforms removed the non-compliant products, but the pages of their catalogs continue to overflow with thousands of other soft toys of dubious origin.
The problem is structural and difficult to resolve. As Patrick Edder points out, Swiss and European authorities have no legal tools to intervene on platforms based in China. Even the recent motion approved by the Swiss Council of States to ban the online sale of dangerous toys risks proving to be an ineffective tool in the face of giants operating outside European jurisdiction.
This is not the first time that Temu and Shein have come under fire. Numerous analyzes conducted by consumer associations across Europe have already documented the massive presence of harmful substances in the products sold by these platforms. This time what emerges in particular is the immediate physical danger, i.e. the risk of suffocation.
How to protect our children
The very low prices charged by Temu and Shein seem to be the result of a production that cuts every possible corner, including safety (as demonstrated by tests like this). That stuffed animal that costs three euros instead of fifteen is not a deal, it’s a potential danger. Experts recommend always being wary of products that are too cheap and categorically avoiding purchases of toys on foreign sites that are not subject to controls.
Before giving any stuffed animal to a child, it is essential to personally check that the eyes, nose and stitching are secure. Better yet choose toys without small detachable parts and with minimal seams. But the safest solution remains only one: avoid Temu and Shein when it comes to purchasing products for children and rely on shops that comply with European safety regulations.
