Urgent warning Amazon and eBay baby sleeping bags pose a suffocation risk

More than 30 baby sleeping bags found on online marketplaces including Amazon and eBay pose a suffocation risk, according to an investigation.

But these online marketplaces had been allowing the sale of baby sleeping bags similar or identical to products officially recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for suffocation risks. Consumer group Which? said the hoods could cover a baby's head and face and result in suffocation.

The inclusion of this characteristic does not comply with the British Standards Institution's safety standards for this reason. Some of the sleeping bags Which? looked at, such as a teddy bear-style blanket on Amazon Marketplace, did not have arm holes, despite sleeping bags needing them to meet the safety standard. Those without can cause a baby to slip down inside the sleeping bag, covering their face and risking suffocation.

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Which? also found a sack-style sleeping bag listing on eBay which showed a baby being "positively swamped" by the item. The consumer group also found five listings on Etsy that it was "concerned about", with two appearing to be identical to recalled products, and the other three in a similar style and listed as sleeping bags.

Which? is urging shoppers to avoid baby sleeping bags with hoods or excess material, such as large bows or other novelty additions, which risk covering a baby's head and face while they move around in their sleep. It is best to always use a sleeping bag with arm holes as these help to stop babies slipping down inside the bag.

Other items to avoid included products sold as multipurpose items, such as a swaddle, stroller cover and baby cocoon as well as a sleeping bag, to ensure individual items conform to safety standards.

Which? said it was concerned the products continued to be sold despite market surveillance undertaken by the OPSS earlier this year. The regulator undertook test purchasing for a range of items sold online, including baby sleeping products, and worked with online marketplaces to remove the listings.

However Which? said it found 35 potentially lethal sleeping bags still being sold just four months later. Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: "It's outrageous that dangerous baby sleeping bags are still being sold on online marketplaces.

"Our previous investigations showed this is part of a wider pattern: unsafe products are removed, only to resurface. The only way to break this cycle is by holding online marketplaces legally accountable, with tough penalties for failures."

An Amazon spokesman said: "We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies. The products flagged are not in scope of the safety alerts shared by Which?.

"If customers have concerns about an item they've purchased, we encourage them to contact our customer service directly so we can investigate and help resolve their issue."

An eBay spokeswoman said: "Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We work diligently to keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists.

"These proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe products from being listed every year. Listings that violate eBay policy, including those identified in this investigation, are swiftly removed."