36th annual Trouble in Toyland report exposes risks of counterfeit and other dangerous toys

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Sander Kushen

Former Consumer Advocate, CALPIRG


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With the holidays around the corner, CALPIRG Education Fund calls attention to toy safety concerns

CALPIRG Education Fund

Los Angeles — Even though legitimate toymakers deserve kudos for making their products much safer over the years, too often, Americans end up buying dangerous toys for children for the holidays.  CALPIRG Education Fund’s 36th annual Trouble in Toyland report shows that many of those toys are counterfeit or recalled products, but still make their way into consumers’ shopping carts.

“The handful of greedy Grinches who are putting children at risk to put more money in their pockets have hearts two sizes too small,” said Sander Kushen, Consumer Advocate with CALPIRG Education Fund. “We need a concerted effort by federal regulators and toy vendors to keep dangerous toys off the market. And, while it’s not fair that gift-buyers need to keep an eye out for these counterfeit or recalled items, we need adults to do so.”

“The holidays are a special time for families, even more so after all the social distancing and isolation brought forth by the pandemic,” said Helen Arbogast, DrPH, MPH, Manager of Injury Prevention at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We expect families to include children in this year’s festivities and celebrate the holidays with new toys. It’s up to adults to ensure children are protected from preventable toy-related injuries such as choking, concussions and falls, and have a safe, fun-filled holiday season.” 

It’s not always easy to determine whether a gift is safe or not, especially online, when you can’t inspect the item and it may be mislabeled, or missing a warning, such as a recall notice. So far in 2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 13 toys. In addition, CALPIRG Education Fund researchers found three additional recalled products — a hoverboard, magnets and children’s watch accessory — that many would consider toys. The recalled toys posed risks including high levels of lead, potential ingestion by a child and small parts from easily broken toys.

Here are the main categories in this year’s report:

  • Knockoff toys on the market: Knockoffs used to be found on a street vendor’s table. Nowadays, knockoffs and counterfeit toys can be bought online, often from overseas, where manufacturers don’t always follow U.S. regulations. Our researchers identified knockoff toys on the marketplace and the safety concerns they can pose to children. See our tips guide to learn how to avoid counterfeit toys.
  • Second-hand toys: People often sell their used goods online without checking to see whether they have been recalled. That can be a big problem when it comes to toys. We found previously recalled toys for sale on eBay. 
  • Choking hazards: Our researchers found discrepancies between website descriptions and warning labels for toys with small parts. Toys advertised for “age 2” had small parts that are unsafe for children under the age of 3. 
  • Noisy toys: Noisy toys are not only a nuisance in the home, but also at risk to children’s hearing. Toy researchers identified five noisy toys and tested the noise levels replicating how a child would use the toy. 
  • Smart toys: We identified privacy issues concerning smart toys looking at three categories: cameras and recording devices built into toys, unsecure mobile apps used to control toys and personalized online accounts that store data specifically about the toy and the toy user. 

“It’s easy when you’re thinking of how fun a toy can be to overlook how dangerous it can be. We all want kids to have fun, but we also want kids to be safe. When it comes to holiday shopping, ignorance is not bliss,” Kushen said.