The European Commission (EC) has published Guidance Document No. 19 – On the Application of Directive 2009/48/EC on the Safety of Toys – Soother holders. Published by the Toy Expert Group on September 23, 2019, this document clarifies which European Union (EU) standards are relevant for particular soother holders.

Soother holders attach a soother, or pacifier, to a child’s garment to prevent its loss. While many soother holders purely have a ‘keep-safe’ function, others have an additional ‘play value’. The second type, with ‘play value’, are also regarded as toys and therefore come under the scope of the EU Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC.  

Guidance Document No. 19 clarifies the differences between purely functional soother holders and soother holders with ‘play value’. The document includes examples of both types:

• Soother holders that are NOT toys – these ‘functional soother holders’ have a simple strap with no play value. They may be designed to appeal to children. For these soother holders the General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC and the dedicated soother holder standard EN 12586 apply.
• Soother holders with a play function will have additional features. These can include:

1. Intended interaction
2. Highly varying shaped elements (e.g. cars, flowers) in the same soother holder strap with beads
3. Rattle effect
4. Three-dimensional figurine (animal, child, etc.) built of various elements
5. Plush toys attached to the strap

For these soother holders the General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC and the EU Toy Safety

Directive 2009/48/EC apply.

Stakeholders are advised to now check their soother holders conform to the correct standards.

SGS Toy & Juvenile Product Services

SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with relevant standards for childcare articles and children’s equipment. They provide consulting, training, product development, testing, audit and inspection services to ensure that products comply with strict regulations worldwide, demonstrating the safety and quality of juvenile products being brought to the market. Learn more about SGS’s Toy & Juvenile Product Services. 

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For further information contact:

Sanda Stefanovic

Global Toy Expert

Tel: +31 88 2144517

Email: crs.media@sgs.com

Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

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