01.Introduction
Of the 16 playpens tested, only one model passed all our safety tests.
CHOICE assesses playpens on:
- Small parts that can come loose and be swallowed or inhaled
- Sharp corners, edges, points, and hazardous projections
- Entanglement with projections and openings
- Climbing footholds
- Entrapment in openings or between moving or rotating components
- Sturdiness and stability.
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It comes as quite a shock to parents when their formerly immobile baby becomes a fearless little explorer. So to avoid that dreaded “where are they?” moment during times when you can’t keep a constant watch, a playpen can bring some peace of mind.
But there’s a catch. As there is no current mandatory or voluntary Australian standard for playpens, unlike high chairs, some models currently on the market may pose potential safety risks to your child (such as sharp edges or protrusions to bump themselves on and the possibility of trapping body parts between gaps).
In the absence of a standard, our testers developed a set of safety requirements and test procedures that are based on various Australian and overseas standards for children’s products such as baby furniture, as well as the Product Safety Framework, and used those to assess the playpens. It's a tough test, and only one playpen passed. However, several models failed only minor tests and are still worth considering.
- Chicco Open Sea Square Playpen
- Infa-Secure 888 Playtime Play yard
- Kiddy Cots 3 in 1 Delux
- Lindam Safe & Secure Play Pen
- Jolly KidZ MagicPanel Playpen
- Roger Armstrong Large Expandable Entertainer Playzone
- Valco VeeBee 6-Sided Play Yard
Previously tested models:
- Baby Dan BabyDen
- Graco Tot Block Pack 'n Play 9261QB (A)
- Infa Outdoor/Indoor 884
- Jolly KidZ Jolly Versatile HPP005 (A)
- Jolly KidZ Jolly Wooden (A)
- Kiddy Cots Pushbutton PBP3 (A)
- North States Superyard XT 8666 (B)
- Plebani Recinto ART 044 (B)
- Valco VeeBee V1253
(A) Discontinued or changed since test. (B) Still made but not distributed in Australia - may be found online.
As there is currently no standard for playpens in Australia, our tester Matthew Tung uses safety requirements and test procedures based on various Australian and overseas standards for children’s products, as well as the Product Safety Framework. He assesses the playpens for the following:
- Small parts that can come loose and be swallowed or inhaled
- Sharp corners, edges and points
- Hazardous projections
- Entanglement with projections and openings – if a child’s clothing snags on a projection, there is a risk of strangulation
- Can the child climb or otherwise get out of the enclosure?
- Entrapment in openings or between moving or rotating components
- Sturdiness and stability.
Matthew also checks how easy they are to set up and pack up, and how easy they are for a carer to access a child occupant.
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