Toy safety is the cornerstone of our membership. In this section you will find information on how we keep children safe and what you should look out for so your child has healthy, safe play experiences.
There are specific rules regarding toys for the under-3s and electric or chemical based toys.
Members have access to safety guidance, our safety news service and are always welcome to contact the office by email for specific advice which will be handled by our expert consultant when required – this is part subsidised by the association to ensure all members can access safety expertise.
In short, the toy industry is one of the most heavily regulated product sectors in the world and everyone involved in the making and selling of toys has a duty to adhere to UK regulations. However, only reputable companies do this; there are many toys on the market that are non-compliant, unsafe and illegal. So how do you spot the difference?
Beware of where you buy
UK-based toy retailers have to ensure all the toys they sell are safe. They do that by checking the correct tests have been done, that they carry the correct warnings and markings (eg age warnings) and they carry an address in the UK for the manufacturer or importer. If the toy is source overseas, our members add their own address to the toy. That way, if anything goes wrong and you want to take it back, or report a concern, you know who to contact. They also fall within the jurisdiction of UK enforcement authorities, so if something does go wrong, they have to work with Trading Standards to remove a product from the market and inform consumers.
Beware online platforms!
Online platforms are not the same. They currently have no responsibilities to ensure the toys they give a shop window to in the UK are safe, and thousands of their sellers are based overseas, outside the enforcement authority of UK Trading Standards. This means many products are sold to UK consumers with no checks taking place. The British Toy & Hobby Association has been testing toys from online platforms since 2018 with high levels of failure. In their 2026 testing 90% of the toys they tested failed to comply with UK legislation. That leave UK children exposed to harm, such as toxic chemicals, burns from non-compliant electrical toys, choking from small parts and needing operations to remove small magnets from intestines when swallowed.
The TRA and BTHA have been campaigning for online platforms and their sellers to be properly regulated so only safe, compliant toys can be sold in the UK. If you want to know that the toy you are placing in the hands of your child is safe, make sure you buy from trusted UK retailer such as a member of the TRA.