Online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, and TikTok are still listing dozens of unsafe baby products despite official safety warnings, according to a new investigation by UK consumer group Which?. The probe found 150 such products available from third-party sellers across eight platforms: Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, TikTok, OnBuy, and Wish.
Investigation Findings
Which? examined three product categories that have been the subject of warnings from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS): baby sleeping bags, self-feeders, and sleep pillows. The breakdown of unsafe products is as follows:
| Product Type | Number Found | Key Safety Concern |
|---|---|---|
| Self-feeding bottle devices | More than 50 | Choking risk; included 33 long-straw designs and 21 pillow bottle-holders that fasten around a baby's neck |
| Baby sleeping bags with hoods or without armholes | 59 | Suffocation and overheating risk; violation of NHS safe sleep guidance |
| Sleep pillows marketed for newborns | 37 | Suffocation and overheating risk; OPSS issued alert in December 2025 |
The self-feeding devices were available despite an OPSS alert from 2022 calling on businesses to remove such products. Sleep pillows had been the subject of a specific OPSS alert in December 2025. Some pillows were marketed with claims of improving night-time sleep.
Regulatory Framework and Calls for Action
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said the investigation showed "how easy it is to find these unsafe products" and urged the government to make marketplaces liable for the safety of items sold on their sites. She added that the government "must urgently use the new powers it has under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act" to "impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces for ensuring the safety of products sold through their third-party sellers, with tough enforcement for those that fall short."
Platform Responses
Seven of the eight marketplaces issued statements. Amazon said it had removed the flagged products and continuously monitors its site. Alibaba stated it had removed non-compliant products and will educate sellers. AliExpress confirmed removal from the UK market and promised enhancements to control measures. eBay said it uses "technology, AI and expert teams" to keep unsafe items off its platform.
Compliance Implications for Trade and Regulatory Professionals
For importers, customs brokers, and online marketplace compliance teams, the findings reinforce the need to cross-check listed products against OPSS alerts and recall databases. The Product Regulation and Metrology Act grants the government new powers to impose duties on online marketplaces, which may lead to stricter due diligence requirements for third-party seller onboarding and product screening.
Which? advises parents to avoid self-feeding aids entirely, not to use pillows for babies under one year old, and to ensure sleeping bags are without hoods or excess material and are the correct size. The Lullaby Trust recommends that the safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat mattress on their back in a clear cot with no toys.
While the source does not specify penalty amounts for non-compliance, enforcement under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act could involve civil or criminal liability for marketplaces that fail to remove recalled or unsafe products. Trade compliance teams should monitor OPSS alerts and ensure that products listed on their platforms meet UK safety standards, particularly for baby products that carry elevated risk.
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