Choosing a safe pushchair, you would think that every product is rigorously tested for safety, right?
Wrong – unfortunately, that is simply not true.
Not every pram has all the necessary safety accreditations – especially in the UK and EU markets. If you are considering purchasing a pushchair or pram system, make sure you read this first, do your research, and choose wisely!
Children and traveling are a challenging combination. Logistically, a successful trip with a baby or toddler requires a whole host of equipment…and time… and energy. We’d love to be able to provide you with the time and energy but unfortunately, these are out of our hands – we can, however, take care of the equipment.
Tested to the highest standards
All Babylimo products adhere to UK and EU safety norms. We believe it is crucial that your travel system is tested to the highest possible standards, so rest assured, your precious baby will be safe and happy inside any of our travel systems.
Childcare items used by babies are subject to strict product testing standards and guidelines, with good reason. Pushchairs and strollers are in constant evolution. The common thread, however, is safety and compliance with regulatory standards. The standard EN 1888 was revised in May 2012, and wheeled child conveyances in Europe are impacted by those particular rules. It introduces more accurate requirements and test methods – making compliance clearer and easier and now takes a hazard-based approach to children’s safety.
In line with the above, every element of the pram is tested multiple times, some 720000 times in fact. If a product fails testing it is resubmitted to the manufacturer for improvement or correction.
What to look out for
When deciding on your purchase – make sure the product is prepared for the EU market and for UK usage.
Many products on the market today are produced in China where consumers are shorter and lighter so make sure the height of your pushchair or pram system matches your height. Also, you’ll want to know that your product has been tested for babies, not for dolls, which are clearly much lighter.
Key areas of testing
Features that are particularly well tested are: locking mechanisms and folding system designs. More recently, handle strength, parking devices and stability requirements have been reinforced to take into account foreseeable risks linked to the everyday use of products. Also, product information requirements have been reworded to highlight essential safety warnings and information to improve consumer understanding. It is a very thorough test and not every product is successful.
What tests include
Testing of baby strollers or pushchairs to EN 1888 is the recommended way to show compliance with The Wheeled Child Conveyances (Safety) Regulations 1997. This is a legal requirement for manufacturers, retailers, suppliers and distributors of these products. The standard covers a variety of risks and hazards including chemical, thermal, mechanical, suffocation, entanglement, and choking and ingestion. It also includes tests for the durability of the stroller with the use of a rolling road. By testing to EN 1888, clients can continue to be confident and trust in the product, which demonstrates safety and reliability.
Strength tests
During strength testing the stroller is loaded with a variety of different masses ranging from 9 kg to 15 kg each designed to simulate a child during the use of the item. While loaded with these masses, the stroller or pushchair is then subjected to vigorous stability, impact, and durability testing.
Durability tests
The test repeats the use of components of stroller products by subjecting them to repeat cycles of use, ensuring they will function as intended during the time the stroller is in use. Parking devices and locking devices are activated and deactivated 200 times and then put through further strenuous testing. The wheels on the stroller are also tested for durability on a rolling road traveling at 5 km/h and having to deal with several obstacles 72,000 times.
Entrapment tests
In line with EN 1888, the tests assess any area on the stroller where a child could become trapped are tested for size using probes varying from the size of a child’s finger to the size of their head and hips.
Babylimo Tests
In addition to the EN1888 certificate, we hold an OEKO-TEX, standard 100 certification. OEKO-TEX is one of the world’s best-known labels for testing textiles for harmful substances. It stands for consumer confidence.
According to a modular system OEKO-TEX tests, every single component and ingredient before the final article is allowed to carry the STANDARD 100 label. This includes threads, buttons, zippers, and linings. The prints and coatings applied to the outer material are also tested for harmful substances according to the criteria applicable to them. Whether baby textiles, clothing, home textiles, or decorative materials: products carrying the STANDARD 100 label signal trust. Babylimo is a proud holder of this accreditation as well!
Our products bring quality and safety to life and are continually tested by experts. These experts share your concern regarding child safety and that a safe home and travel environment should be provided for all children.
Over and above the stringent safety tests that all Babylimo products have to satisfy, we personally inspect every frame, pushchair, car set, and basinet before it is delivered to you.
You can read more on regulations in the bulletins:
- European standard for pushchairs and prams (EN 1888:2012) (SafeGuards No. 090/12 JUN 2012)
We take care of your parenthood all the way from safety to design and style. That’s our job, so you can focus on the best bits of parenthood. 🙂
