Which? finds 171 potentially dangerous baby pool floats on six online marketplaces

Mixed · 2The consumer group Which? says it found 171 potentially dangerous baby swim floats for sale on six online marketplaces: Amazon, AliExpress, eBay, OnBuy, Shein and Vinted. 1 2 Right · 1Which? identified floats that had been subject to safety alerts in the UK and overseas, then used reverse-image searches and key terms on the marketplaces to find similar products still on sale. 2 Mixed · 2Many of the floats have canopies for shade, which Which? says can become unstable or act like sails in wind, risking the float overturning and trapping a baby underwater. 1 2

Mixed · 2Which? found 33 examples of floats with inflatable rings that fasten around a baby's neck, which experts say carry drowning, suffocation and injury risks. 1 2 Left · 1According to the Daily Mirror, Which? said some products appeared identical to, or posed the same risks as, those in alerts from the Office for Product Safety and Standards, and that there are at least 14 UK alerts for floats with canopies. 1 Left · 1Which? said 25 products looked similar to one involved in the death of a two-year-old in the US. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers in April to stop using Relaxing Baby Swim Floats, and there is no UK alert for that brand. 1

Mixed · 2Which? also reported that Amazon's own AI shopping assistant warned against buying one float because of 'significant safety concerns' and its similarity to recalled products. 2 1 Right · 1The Daily Mail said the toy-like designs could encourage complacency, citing an eBay listing for a shark-shaped float that showed a baby alone in the water while parents sat on loungers. 2 Mixed · 2Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said babies' lives are potentially at risk because marketplaces run what Which? sees as an irresponsible business model that lets anonymous third-party sellers list almost anything without consequences. 1 2

Mixed · 2Which? urged the government to stand firm against Big Tech lobbying and use its new powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act to impose a clear legal duty on marketplaces to ensure the safety of third-party products, with tough enforcement. 1 2 Right · 1Kaylë Brightwell of the Swimming Teachers' Association urged parents not to use baby neck floats, saying no flotation device should replace close adult supervision and physical support. 2 Mixed · 2All six marketplaces said they take product safety seriously and have removed the flagged listings, and several said they were running wider reviews of similar products. 2 1

Mixed · 2Amazon said it was investigating how the items became available and that its controls for the category require independent third-party lab testing and certification; OnBuy said it had started a recall offering affected customers full refunds; Vinted said prohibited items are not allowed and it removes listings and suspends accounts when it learns of them. 1 2