Safety has always been at the heart of every SnoozeShade product.
SnoozeShade's inventor Cara explains how it all began:
"I invented SnoozeShade to use with my own baby daughter. She had a febrile convulsion when she was tiny (she was in hospital for 2 days) and so I was super paranoid about her overheating. Before I even started developing the product idea fully I investigated the safety requirements needed for a baby product.
I was actually quite shocked to discover that most mainstream products (made by well-known and trusted brands) only actually needed to test to show their products were safe enough for a three year old to use. The assumption was that the product was actually being used by the parent. That wasn't safe enough for me.
Safety comes above all else so SnoozeShade products are designed to meet the same strict safety regulations as a toy for a newborn baby. This is the safest standard I could find.
Many of the safety features I have mean that my product doesn't look as pretty as other baby products and many add cost to the manufacturing process, but I have always been an advocate of function over fashion and SnoozeShade products do what they’re designed to do - safely!"
Some of the safety features that SnoozeShade products have include:
- Short straps to minimise risk of strangulation or entrapment (it would be easier and cheaper to have two longer straps but this would not pass newborn standards)
- Strong zips which are tested against heavy loads to ensure that they do not break off easily which would otherwise be a choking risk
- The poppers we use are the only baby-safe certified poppers in the world
- All fabric and components are tested for any toxic nasties
- The mesh fabric has been tested for, and scored highly for, air-permeability - this means air passes through it easily
- The fabric is scored as non-flammable as it self-ignites (Cara has even tested this herself with a lighter)
Every product has been designed to comply with European Standards, particularly BS EN 71 (the standard for the safety of child use and care articles).
In addition, the SnoozeShade range has been designed to meet, tested, and is compliant with, the following UK, European and US safety standards.
- BS EN 71-1:2014+A1:2018 Safety of Toys – Mechanical and Physical Properties
- BS EN 71-2:2011+A1:2014 Safety of Toys – Flammability (our fabric self extinguishes)
- EN71-32013+A3:2018 Migration of Certain Elements
- CEN/TR 13387: Safety Guidelines
- BS EN 13758 PART 1 (2002): UV Radiation Through Clothing
- BS EN 13758 – 1:2002+A12007: Textiles Solar UV Protective Properties with measurement made in the visible light range
- BS EN ISO 9237:1995 Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics
- BS EN ISO 105-X12: 2002 Colour Fastness to Rubbing
- BS EN ISO 5077: 2008/BS EN ISO 3759: 2011/ BS EN ISO 6330:2012: Dimensional stability to washing
- BS EN ISO 14184-1: 2011: tests for presence of formaldehyde - not detected
- REACH 1907/2006 Annex XVII: Cadmium content - not detected
- REACH 1907/2006 Annex XVII entry 43: tests for presence of banned Azo dyes - not detected
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1500.48 - sharp parts in toys
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1500.49 - sharp metal in toys
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1501 - choking, aspiration or ingestion hazards for children under 3 years of age
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1500.44 - method for determining extremely flammable and flammable solids (Did NOT ignite)
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1303 - Lead in paint
- US CPSC 16 CFR 1307 - Phthalates content
- Title 16, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter II - Consumer Products Safety Commission of USA - Part 1303 - Ban of Lead
- CPSIA section 101 - Total Lead content
- CPSIA section 101(f) (1) Lead in Paint
- CPSIA section 101(a) (2) Lead in accessible substrate materials
- US 16 CFR Part 1307 - Phthalates
Cara also keeps an eye on what safety testing is possible
"I have been in business since 2010 and a lot has changed. In 2021, I invested a significant amount with a respected US safety testing laboratory to test my products for CO2 rebreathing (which can be a risk for SIDS) and direct suffocation (as if a baby was enveloped in the fabric). My products came in at the lowest level of risk. I didn't have to do this testing but felt it was a sensible investment as many parents worry about air circulation around their baby.
I appreciate the trust parents put their trust in my products and hope that the above shows how committed to product safety SnoozeShade is."
If you have any further questions (and there is no such thing as a silly question), then please click here to get in touch.
We are here to help.
PS: We often get asked why our products are not CE marked. This is because you can't put a CE mark on any product that is not relevant. Children's toys have to be CE marked - this does not apply to any SnoozeShade product!
Further Reading:
Why Is SnoozeShade a Dark Colour?
Which SnoozeShade to Choose for My Stroller?
A SnoozeShade is for Life, Not Just For Summer
