A guide for parents
Children's clothing safety: what to check, especially secondhand
Four things worth thirty seconds, one rule that changed and older clothes don't follow, and why clothes are still the safest thing on the secondhand list.
What's in here
- The four checks
- More on cords and drawstrings
- Nightwear and fire
- Fancy dress is the worst offender
- What this actually means for secondhand
Clothes are genuinely the least risky thing you'll ever buy secondhand for a child. There's no crash history like a car seat, nothing that can quietly fail. A jumper is a jumper.
There are four things worth a look though, and one of them is a rule that changed, so anything older might not follow it.
The four checks
Nothing round the neck or hood
No cords, no drawstrings, no ties on anything for a young child. If you find one on something older, snip it and pull it through. The hood works fine without it.
Tug every button and popper
Firmly. Anything that shifts gets sewn back on or taken off. Same for stuck-on sequins, appliqué and plastic eyes on novelty jumpers.
Check the label on nightwear
UK children's nightwear either meets a flammability standard or carries a warning to keep it away from fire. Look for one or the other.
Nothing dangling more than about 7cm
Anywhere else on the garment. And no knots or beads on the ends of a tie, which is what turns a cord into a hook.
That's it. Thirty seconds while you're folding, and you've covered nearly everything that matters.
More on cords and drawstrings
This is the one worth knowing properly, because the rules tightened and older clothes predate them.
The standard simply bans neck and hood cords for young children rather than limiting their length, which tells you how seriously it's taken. Elsewhere they're allowed but short, with no knots or beads on the ends, and a waist drawstring should be stitched to the garment in the middle so it can't be pulled all the way out.
You can just cut them out
Snip the cord and pull it through. Takes ten seconds, the garment is completely fine afterwards, and you never have to think about it again.
Worth doing on anything handed down from an older relative's loft, since that's where the pre-standard stuff lives.
Nightwear and fire
Children's nightwear has its own UK law, the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985, and it exists because nightdresses used to cause a lot of very serious injuries.
The requirement is that nightwear either meets a flammability standard or carries a clear warning to keep it away from fire. Pyjamas, nightdresses, nightshirts and dressing gowns are all covered.
The shape matters as much as the label:
Lower risk
Close-fitting cotton pyjamas. Not much loose fabric, nothing to billow, and this is most of what you'll come across.
Higher risk
A loose flowing nightdress with no label at all, particularly an older one or something bought abroad.
So it isn't a reason to avoid secondhand pyjamas. It's a reason to look at the label on a nightdress.
Fancy dress is the worst offender
Costumes count as children's clothing under the cord rules, and they're routinely the garments most likely to have a long tie, a cape fastening at the neck, or a cord round a hood.
They're also usually flimsier fabric than everyday clothes, and they get worn once a year around candles, bonfires and school events.
A velcro neck on a cape is fine. A tied cord is not, and it's worth two minutes rather than a glance.
What this actually means for secondhand
Honestly, not much, and that's the point.
Clothes carry no hidden history. A jumper that's been washed forty times is exactly what it looks like, unlike a car seat that might have been in a crash you can't see, or a mattress whose story you don't know. Those are the two things genuinely worth buying new, and clothes are nowhere near that list.
What is true is that older garments predate current cord rules, so check one is more useful on something from a decade ago. And buttons loosen with wear, so check two matters more on secondhand than new.
Both take under a minute, and then you've got a perfectly good jumper.
I check poppers on everything now, new or secondhand. Few seconds while I'm folding, and I've found two loose ones this year that I would never have spotted otherwise.
🌱 What we check before anything lists
Every item on Swapaboo is photographed on its own and checked before it goes anywhere. No holes, no stains, no heavy wear, and each piece is graded so you know the condition before you claim it.
The four checks above are still worth doing when a parcel arrives, though. A loose popper is exactly the sort of thing nobody can see in a photograph, ours included, and that's worth saying plainly.
The clothes cost nothing. You photograph what they've grown out of, it becomes credits, and you spend them on the next size from another family. The only money that changes hands is the delivery or collection, from £1.99.
We're opening a few families at a time and it's invitation only just now.
Common questions
Are secondhand children's clothes safe?
Yes. Clothes carry no hidden history in the way equipment does, so they are among the safest things to buy used. Wash them before wearing, check that buttons and poppers are firmly attached, and remove any cord from the hood or neck of a garment for a young child.
Are drawstrings allowed on children's clothes?
Not in the hood or neck area of clothing for young children, where the British standard prohibits them entirely because of the risk of catching and strangulation. Elsewhere on a garment, free ends should be no longer than about 75mm, with no knots or beads on the ends, and a waist drawstring should be stitched to the garment at its midpoint.
Is secondhand children's nightwear safe?
Children's nightwear in the UK must either meet a flammability standard or carry a warning to keep it away from fire, under the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985. Check the label. Close-fitting cotton pyjamas present far less risk than a loose flowing nightdress, and an unlabelled older nightdress is the item to be most cautious about.
What should I check on secondhand baby clothes?
Give every button and popper a firm tug, since attachments loosen with washing and wear and a loose button is a choking hazard. Remove any cord from a hood or neck. Check that stuck-on decorations such as sequins or appliqué are secure. Then wash the garment before it is worn.
Are fancy dress costumes covered by clothing safety rules?
Yes, costumes fall within the standard covering cords and drawstrings on children's clothing. They are also among the most likely garments to have long ties or a cord at the neck, and they tend to be made from lighter fabric, so they are worth checking more carefully than everyday clothes.
Do I need to wash secondhand clothes before use?
Yes, as you would with new clothes. A normal wash is enough. It removes anything picked up in transit or storage, and it also softens the fabric, which many children find more comfortable.