News and Media
30/11/2011
Reminder: Children’s Sleepwear must be Certified and Labeled under CPSC Rules
The purpose of the children’s sleepwear flammability standards is to protect children from burns. These rules require that children’s sleepwear and loungewear must be flame resistant and self-extinguish if a flame from a candle, a match, lighter or similar item causes it to catch fire.
These rules cover all children’s sleepwear above size 9 months and up to size 14 and require that (1) the fabric and garments must pass certain flammability tests and (2) be “tight-fitting” as defined by specified dimensions.
Must Use 3rd-Party Labs, Issue Certifications for Flammability
Each manufacturer or importer of children’s sleepwear that is subject to these regulations and that is manufactured after February 17, 2011 must have sufficient samples of the product, or samples that are identical in all material respects to the products, tested for compliance with these flammability regulations.
Such testing must be done by a CPSC-accredited third-party lab. Based on this testing, manufacturers or importers must also issue a certificate of compliance with 16 CFR parts 1615 or 1616.
Testing Requirements
CPSC has provided the following clarifications of the testing requirements specific to the flammability of children’s sleepwear:
All 3 Steps of Test Must be done by 3rd-Party, Must Follow Sampling Rules
CPSC explains that the flammability standards for children’s sleepwear have sampling criteria that must be met.
They also require testing at three separate stages in the process of developing and producing the sleepwear:
- fabric testing;
- prototype testing in which seams and trims are tested; and
- final production unit testing. The first prong of these requirements can be satisfied if the fabric that was used had already been third-party tested and certified.
Exceptions for 0-9 Month & Tight-Fitting Sleepwear
According to CPSC, two categories of children’s sleepwear are exempt from the children’s sleepwear flammability standards:
- sleepwear for infants sized nine months or smaller and
- tight-fitting sleepwear as defined in 16 CFR 1615.1(o).
As these categories of sleepwear are not subject to the flammability standards, no testing and certification will be required to show compliance with 16 CFR parts 1615 and 1616; nor will any testing or certification be necessary to show that these products meet the standards’ exceptions.
Labeling Requirements
Since 2000, the CPSC requires hangtags and permanent labels on snug-fitting children’s sleepwear, made of cotton or cotton blends, to remind consumers that because the garment is not flame-resistant, it must fit snugly for safety.
The new yellow hangtag for snug-fitting garments says: “For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose-fitting garment is more likely to catch fire.”
The permanent label says “Wear snug-fitting. Not flame resistant” and is sewn into the neck of the garment.
For more information on the labeling requirements, please see
