Safe Children's Toys: What the Quality Seals Mean

When it comes to toys, parents want to provide their children with only the best. They should be educationally valuable and also meet the necessary safety standards. To offer consumers a certain guarantee, there are quality seals that provide information about the quality of the toys. Parents often rely entirely on the certification but do not really know what it promises. We shed light on this and explain the meaning behind the respective quality seals and when it really is safe children's toys.

Basic requirement: the CE marking

The CE marking is mandatory for all goods sold on the European market. Toy manufacturers are also required to affix this seal. It guarantees that the toys meet the minimum requirements of EU directives as well as German laws. It is important that the manufacturer bears the responsibility for compliance themselves and that no independent quality certification takes place. The symbol consists of the two letters CE paired with a four-digit number.

EN 71

Especially wooden toys are painted colorfully by manufacturers to the delight of children. In this context, the EN 71 guarantees that it is still safe children's toys. The seal provides information about whether the respective toys are free from any harmful substances. Accordingly, children can lick or nibble on the toys without any risk of ingesting certain toxins. EN 71 is also a European quality promise.

DIN 53160: Safe even for the smallest

DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization). The standards set are developed by the institute as DIN norms. This includes DIN 53160, which guarantees that the toy has been painted with sweat- and saliva-resistant paint. Thus, it is safe children's toys that can already be put in the mouths of babies and toddlers. Parents do not have to worry that their offspring will be harmed by this.

GS – tested safety: voluntary quality seal

Unlike the CE marking, the awarding of the GS seal is voluntary. It is issued by independent testing bodies such as TÜV, which test both product safety and manufacturing. Children's toys are, for example, tested for choking hazards or small parts that can be swallowed.

howa: Wooden children's toys

We at howa place great importance on the safety of our wooden toys. Our range includes many products that are otherwise only available in plastic versions. Made from the natural product wood, they are durable. The wood for our products comes from sustainable forestry that places great value on the natural regenerative capacity of the forest. Image rights: ©iStock / bankrx