European Union · Mandatory
EN 71
The European toy safety standard series. EN 71-3 is the part that limits migration of heavy metals from materials a child can mouth.
EN 71 is the harmonised European standard series that gives the Toy Safety Directive its technical teeth. The parts most relevant to babies and toddlers:
- EN 71-1 — mechanical and physical properties: small parts, sharp edges, cords, and the choke-hazard testing that governs whether a toy can be sold for under-3s.
- EN 71-2 — flammability.
- EN 71-3 — migration of 19 elements including lead, cadmium, chromium VI, and arsenic. "Migration" matters: it measures what actually leaches out under simulated saliva or stomach conditions, not merely what's present.
What it does not mean
A claim of EN 71 compliance doesn't tell you who tested it. Compliance may be self-assessed. Ask whether an accredited third-party lab issued a report, and for which parts — "EN 71 compliant" without a part number is close to meaningless.
Read it yourself: the standard as published ↗
Brands citing this standard
Each row links to the source backing that brand's claim, and says how we checked it. A brand appears here only when its claim cites something.
- BIBS EN 71-1 governs the small-parts and choke testing relevant to soothers.
- LEGO DUPLO DUPLO bricks are oversized specifically to pass under-3 small-parts testing.
- PlanToys PlanToys states EN 71 compliance for goods sold into Europe.