The Hong Kong Consumer Council recently tested 30 popular infant clothing brands and found that many of them have safety risks. Among them, 11 samples had buttons falling off during the tensile test. Five samples’ strap designs failed to meet European standards, thus posing risks of neck strangling. The amount of free formaldehyde released by one sample exceeded the upper limit of the mainland standard by more than 50 percent, which might cause irritation to the infants’ skin.
The Consumer Council purchased 30 samples of clothing from baby clothing stores, chain clothing stores, and department stores, all claimed to be suitable for infants and toddlers aged two or below. The samples include jumpsuits, hip suits, and the commonly known “monk’s gown” or “butterfly suit,” each costing an average of HK$22 (US$2.8) to HK$419 (US$54). In this infant and toddler clothing test, which includes tests on mechanical and physical properties, chemical assessment, and durability, four of them received the highest overall score of 5 stars, namely “Topvalu,” “B.Duck baby,” “Happyland.” and “CHICKS.”
