Ruth Watts, a registered health visitor who posts advice on social media, told the BBC that she was not surprised that a number of unsafe baby products were still on the market.
“Parents are the most vulnerable consumers out there,” she said. “We want what’s best for our babies, we’re desperate for sleep – and if a product is promising you that it will help or your baby sleep better… it’s of course tempting.”
When shopping for baby products, Which? advises parents not to buy any self-feeding aid, and that babies under the age of one do not need a pillow to sleep at night.
It also says never to buy a baby sleeping bag with a hood or without armholes, or one with excess material or attachments, and to make sure to buy the right size sleeping bag.
Watts’ advice for parents struggling to figure out whether a sleep-related product is safe for babies is to check whether that item is recommended by the baby sleep safety charity the Lullaby Trust.
“If something seems too good to be true, if someone is promising you a quick fix of a problem, then chances are it’s too good to be true,” she said.
The safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat mattress on their back in a clear cot with no toys inside, according to the Lullaby Trust.
Seven of the online marketplaces issued statements in response to the findings.
An Amazon spokesperson said it had removed the products highlighted by Which?, adding that it continuously monitored products being put on sale on its site and took swift action when alerted to potential issues.
“Parents trust Amazon because we take customers’ safety incredibly seriously, particularly when it comes to babies and infants,” they said.
Alibaba said it had removed any “non-compliant products” and that it would “continue to educate sellers, and take action against those who violate our terms of use”.
AliExpress said it “takes customer safety and product compliance extremely seriously”, that the relevant products had been removed from the UK market and that it will be making “necessary enhancements to our existing control measures” to ensure these products did not reappear.
EBay said it uses “technology, AI and expert teams” to keep unsafe items off its platform, that it had removed some of the items flagged and was carrying out wider checks to remove similar items.
An Etsy spokesperson said it had removed all the listings flagged by Which?, adding: “Keeping our users safe is paramount.”
TikTok said the products flagged by the investigation have been removed and that it had notified customers.
OnBuy said all relevant products had been removed and that it had been working closely with OPSS to ensure that unsafe and non-compliant products were removed from its marketplace as quickly as possible.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said the results of the Which? investigation were “incredibly concerning” and that any product that puts babies and children at risk should not be sold in the UK online or in shops.
“It’s not enough for companies to act when such products are flagged – they have an obligation to proactively stop unsafe products making their way onto their sites in the first place,” they said.
The BBC has contacted Wish for comment.
