A caution has been issued to parents regarding potentially dangerous baby products being sold on popular online platforms. Which? identified around 150 items that fail safety standards, posing risks of suffocation, choking, and overheating for infants. These products, including self-feeding items, baby sleep pillows, and baby sleeping bags, were found on various websites such as Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy, TikTok Shop, and Wish.
In 2022, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a safety alert concerning self-feeding products, emphasizing the serious choking and aspiration pneumonia risks they present. Despite OPSS’s directive to remove such products, Which? discovered 54 baby self-feeders still available for purchase.
Concerns have also been raised about baby sleep pillows, which have been associated with child fatalities in various countries. OPSS issued a safety warning in 2025, stating these pillows are unsafe for infants under 12 months old due to suffocation and overheating risks.
Which? identified 37 pillows marketed for infants under 12 months, many with terms like “newborn” or “infant” in their names or descriptions, posing potential suffocation risks. Additionally, they found 59 baby sleeping bags for sale that were deemed unsafe, with risks of suffocation due to hoods covering the baby’s head or lacking armholes, which could lead to a baby slipping inside.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection Policy at Which?, expressed concern over the online platforms’ failure to prevent the sale of dangerous products, endangering infants’ lives. Davies emphasized the need for stringent regulations to hold online marketplaces accountable for product safety.
Various online platforms, including Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy, TikTok Shop, and Wish, responded to the issue. They assured prompt action in removing non-compliant products and enhancing control measures to prevent such listings from reappearing on their platforms.
It is crucial for the government to utilize its powers to update product safety legislation and enforce strict obligations on online marketplaces to ensure product safety, with severe penalties for non-compliance.