Which parts of EN71 apply to a wooden toy
| Part | What it covers | Where wooden toys fail it |
|---|---|---|
| EN71-1 | Mechanical and physical properties | Small parts that come loose under tension, sharp edges on cut plywood, cords and straps, hinges and folding parts |
| EN71-2 | Flammability | Fabric, felt and fibre elements attached to the toy rather than the wood itself |
| EN71-3 | Migration of certain elements | Paint, varnish, print and the unsealed surface of the wood; lead, cadmium and other heavy metals |
| EN71-9 | Organic chemical compounds in coatings | Solvents, plasticisers and preservatives that reach the child through the coating |
Activity toys for domestic use — slides, swings and climbing frames — are covered by EN71-8, which is a separate test list from the toy parts above. If your range includes playground or activity equipment, say so at quotation stage, because the sample and the laboratory booking are different.
Where wooden toys usually fail
- Small parts released under tension. A knob, a wheel or a peg that passes a hand pull in the laboratory but is held by a screw that can be backed out at home.
- Edges and surfaces. Cut plywood that has not been sanded or sealed, and drilled holes with a raised lip.
- Coating migration. A paint or print that meets the mechanical requirements but exceeds the migration limits for one element. This is a materials question, not a woodworking question, which is why the paint supplier's own documentation matters.
- Cords, strings and straps. Pull-along cords, bag handles and tether straps are measured and tested for length, thickness and loop size.
- Packaging and warnings. Plastic film, and missing or wrongly worded warnings and age marking on the toy and the carton.
Test report, CE marking and declaration of conformity
These are three different things and buyers regularly confuse them. The test report comes from a third-party laboratory and states which parts of EN71 were tested, on which sample, on which date. CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the toy meets the applicable directives; it is not issued by a laboratory and it does not replace testing. The declaration of conformity is the document that names the toy, the standards applied and the party responsible, and it has to be available to market surveillance authorities. In practice, an EU importer's technical file holds all three, plus the risk assessment and the production documentation.
Type testing against per-order testing
A test report is valid for the item and material combination it was issued for. If the paint, the wood species, the hardware or the construction changes, the report no longer describes the product as it is made, and it has to be reissued. That is why the item code on the report should match the item code on your purchase order, and why a report issued for one puzzle does not automatically cover a different puzzle from the same factory.
How we handle EN71 testing
We produce to EN71 requirements and to ASTM F963 for the United States, and the test reports we send belong to the item you are quoting. Reports are shared with the quotation, or after sampling for new development, together with the specification sheet and the packing data. The certificates we can publish, and what each one proves, are listed on the wooden toy safety standards page; the paperwork set is described on the catalogues and documentation page.
The full EN71 guide
The item below goes further into the current requirements, including how to read a report, what the age grading changes, and the documentation an importer should hold in each market. If your question is about a specific item rather than the standard, send us the item code, the age grading and the destination country and we will tell you which report it needs.
Per-market compliance pages
EN71 is the European side of the picture. The pages below cover the other markets and the documents that go with each: EN71 compliance for wooden toys, CE marking and the declaration of conformity, water-based paint and coating limits, and the safety standards hub. For orders outside the EU, use the ASTM F963 and CPSIA pages for the United States, UKCA marking for the United Kingdom, AS/NZS ISO 8124 for Australia and the Toys Regulations for Canada.