Dangerous baby swim floats for sale on online marketplaces
Hannah is an investigative journalist covering retail issues from fake reviews and unsafe products to supermarket pricing practices. She's been at Which? for 12 years.
A snapshot investigation has uncovered 171 inflatable swim floats for infants for sale by third party sellers on online marketplaces that could be deadly.
Many of these appear to match products in official safety alerts, or posed the same risks, begging the question of why marketplaces continue to list them when we uncovered them easily. We found:
- Swim floats with canopies that could capsize, or risk falls, injury and drowning
- Inflatable neck floats that may risk neurological damage and drowning
- 25 floats that appear to be the same as a float involved in the drowning death of a 2 year old in the US
We believe these products would not meet any safety standards. Marketplaces should be well aware of the dangers these floats pose, and yet we found them for sale by using simple search techniques including reverse image matches and keywords.
Find out how to avoid dangerous products online with our detailed guide.
Floats with canopies that risk capsizing and drowning
There are at least 14 alerts for swim floats with canopies on the UK government’s recall site, plus another voluntary recall notice from TikTok shop for the entire product category. In windy conditions, floats with canopies may be lifted or tipped over, creating risks of falls, capsizing, entrapment, or drowning.
We found 115 floats with canopies for sale across Aliexpress, Amazon, eBay, OnBuy and Shein. These included products that appeared to be identical or pose the same risks as those in safety alerts issued by the OPSS.
We found two unicorn floats with canopies for sale on Amazon Marketplace that appeared very similar to a unicorn float recalled from Tiktok shop in December 2025. Both were new on Amazon in the last month and one was dispatched by Amazon.
A further concern of these products is that toy-like designs could lead to complacency by parents around water. A listing on eBay for a shark design float shows a baby alone in the water in the float while the parents sit on sun loungers by the side of the pool.
We also found several listings on eBay and Aliexpress for a float with a car design that matches another image used in the voluntary recall by TikTok Shop. We believe this product shouldn’t be for sale thanks to the toy-like design and attachments, and the overhead canopy.
Amazon AI chat warns against floats sold by Amazon
Another float for sale via Amazon features a shark design and canopy. We asked Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus if it was safe to use on a windy day, and it told us that there would be a ‘significant safety concern’ on windy days as the canopy acts as a sail making it difficult to control.
We then questioned if the float was similar to any recalled products and it told us that we needed to be aware of an ‘important safety concern’ as multiple similar baby pool floats with canopies have been recalled by UK and US safety authorities, due to ‘serious drowning and injury risks’. It listed recent recalls, including the ‘Relaxing Baby’ float linked to a child’s death in the US. It concluded that it couldn’t recommend the product because of these safety risks. The shark float that Amazon’s own AI told us not to buy because of safety concerns remained for sale on Amazon Marketplace for several weeks.
Unsafe neck floats that risk drowning, suffocation and neck injury
Baby neck floats fasten around an infant’s neck and suspend them inert in the water. International consumer organisations, including Which?, and ANEC (The European consumer voice in standardization) working with ergonomists, pediatricians and product safety experts found that baby neck floats present a risk of drowning and suffocation, strain, and neck injury.
Industry bodies including the Swimming Teachers Association (STA) have also issued warnings about neck floats. Kaylë Brightwell, Director of Education at the STA, told us they do ‘not endorse or recommend the use of baby neck floats.’ In 2017, STA and Birthlight jointly published a report raising concerns about their use and the potential risks they pose to babies and the organisations continue to warn against them. 'Babies should be closely supported in the water at all times, with constant and active adult supervision', Brightwell told us, 'but devices that support a baby by the neck do not align with this approach, and no flotation device should ever be considered a substitute for close adult supervision and physical support in the water.'
A recent voluntary recall notice issued by TikTok Shop, published on the government’s OPSS recall safety alert site, states that baby neck floats present a risk of drowning as they may place inappropriate pressure on the infant’s neck and may restrict normal movement or airway positioning.
Consumer organisations, industry bodies and even a marketplace agree that these products shouldn’t be for sale. But we found 33 items for sale across OnBuy (5) and Vinted (28). Several listings included images that matched the images in the category recall issued by TikTok. Some of the neck floats for sale via OnBuy had been removed at the time of writing, but had been live since at least October 2025 based on the reviews.
- Find out more:second-hand and pre-loved baby products, what's safe?
Float responsible for toddler death for sale in UK
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers in April to stop using a float from 'Relaxing Baby' - sold on marketplaces including Amazon US and eBay US - immediately, following the death of a two-year-old child who was using the hazardous float. The floats could flip over and/or submerge the occupant underwater, posing a risk of drowning to infants and toddlers.
Separately two safety alerts were issued in the UK by Trading Standards for an almost identical looking float sold on Amazon in 2024, although the concern with that model was the potentially dangerous detachable canopy.
We found 14 floats with the brand name Relaxing Baby that appear identical to the CPSC alert - 1 on OnBuy and 13 on Vinted. A further 11 (1 on Aliexpress and 10 on Vinted) appeared identical but carried a different brand name or no brand name.
While there isn’t a UK alert for the same float with the brand 'Relaxing Baby', Which? believes that if online marketplaces really consider safety to be a priority, they should be on top of safety alerts for other sites and countries and actively taking down dangerous products.
- Find out more: how to babyproof your home
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stop the sale of dangerous products
This is just the latest in what feels like an endless string of failures from online marketplaces to keep unsafe products from being sold through their sites. Time and again we are told safety is a priority, but we continue to find concerning gaps in their claimed protections - often seeming to expose babies and children to an alarming level of risk.
Which? believes online marketplaces will not take meaningful action to protect their customers unless they are compelled to do so by law. This means clear responsibilities for ensuring the safety of products that they list on their sites and these rules must be backed up by heavy fines if they fall short.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, adopted in July last year, enables the Secretary of State to impose product safety requirements on online marketplaces through secondary legislation, but these have been delayed and the government has only recently consulted on possible changes. The government has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stop the sale of potentially dangerous products on these platforms, but it must use these powers to ensure that products such as these are prevented from reaching UK consumers.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said: 'Babies’ lives are potentially at risk because online marketplaces continue to operate what we see as an irresponsible business model that allows anonymous third-party sellers to list almost anything and face no consequences. We’ve seen time and again that they will not do enough to prevent the sale of unsafe products unless they are forced to.
'The government must stand firm against Big Tech lobbying and do what is needed to keep children safe. It must urgently use its new powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act to impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces for ensuring the safety of products sold through their third-party sellers, with tough enforcement for those that fall short.'
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How to buy a safe swimming aid
Children of all ages should feel comfortable in the water, and some parents find that a swimming aid can help children with their swimming confidence. But what should you look for?
Kayle Brightwell told us that 'baby swimming should be about creating safe, positive experiences in the water that encourage natural movement, confidence and, importantly, interaction and bonding between baby and parent or carer.' The most important thing to remember with any swimming aid is that they are not safety devices. Brightwell told us 'babies should be closely supported in the water at all times, with constant and active adult supervision.'
There are different types of aids including:
- Infant pool floats - inflatable pool seats may be an option for younger children, although any pool float poses the risk of tipping. If you do use a pool float it should be the correct size (eg the leg openings shouldn't be tight on the baby), shouldn't have a harness, and must be held by parents at all times during use. Do not use floats with overhead structures or that fasten around the neck.
- Armbands - these are widely available and can help to build confidence. They must be the correct size for the child, and checked for leaks regularly.
- Swim vests - there are two types of swim vests. One has consistent built-in buoyancy and the other has pads that can be removed to adjust buoyancy. These must undergo buoyancy testing, so buy from a reputable retailer or brand. Check the age range too, as the buoyancy level and size must be correct for your child.
When it comes to buying a swimming aid, Andrew Regan of the Buoyance Aid Manufacturers and Retailers Association said that his concern is 'uncompliant products that have flooded the market, and the uncontrolled import of untested products. He said 'consumers should look to local and reputable companies for certainty of conformity.’ Check the legitimacy of the brand of the product, as well as the retailer you are buying from.
What the marketplaces told us
We shared our findings with the marketplaces, here’s what they said.
AliExpress told us that product safety is a top priority. ‘Following notification from Which?, we immediately removed the flagged listings from sale in the UK and are rolling out additional category-level safety measures for baby swimming floats. We are committed to working with UK regulators and consumer organisations to ensure a safe shopping environment.’
An Amazon Spokesperson said: ‘Nothing is more important to us than safety, particularly when it comes to babies and infants. It's why we prohibit certain products from our store and have strict proactive controls on this category, which require independent third party lab testing and certification documents.‘We've removed the products in question and are investigating how these came to be available. We continuously monitor our store and we take swift action when we're alerted of potential issues. If customers have concerns about any item they've purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can investigate and help resolve their issue.’
An eBay spokesperson said: ‘We’ve removed the listings identified by Which? and carried out further checks to identify and remove similar items. We'll be using learnings from these listings will be used to improve enforcement and detection to make filters stronger going forward. eBay uses technology, AI-supported monitoring and specialist teams, working closely with regulators, to help prevent unsafe products from being sold. Together, these proactive measures prevent millions of potentially unsafe items from being sold each year.’
OnBuy said ‘product safety is a top priority for OnBuy, and our Risk Team works closely with Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) to identify and remove unsafe and non-compliant products. The products identified have been removed from our marketplace, and we have initiated and are overseeing a recall to ensure affected customers are contacted and offered full refunds. We have also undertaken a wider review to identify and remove similar products. We continue to strengthen our product safety controls, including the adoption of new technology designed to identify and block potentially non-compliant products as they are created.’
A Shein spokesperson told us: 'We take product safety extremely seriously and are committed to providing a safe and reliable shopping experience for all our customers.
As soon as we were informed of the findings, we initiated our established product safety protocols and immediately removed the products identified from sale as a precaution while we investigate. We have also initiated a site-wide review of similar products. All sellers on SHEIN Marketplace are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations, as well as our product safety standards. We have robust measures in place to prevent non-compliant products from being listed on our platform, and continuously strengthen these safeguards. These controls begin before sellers are permitted to join SHEIN Marketplace, and products remain subject to ongoing monitoring and post-listing reviews. Where sellers are found to be in breach of our requirements, we take appropriate enforcement action.'
TikTok Shop issued a voluntary recall notice for four different types of floats which were subsequently published on the Office for Product Safety and Standards’ (OPSS) recall site. According to TikTok, the company has been engaging with the OPSS on this product category and takes action when product safety concerns are identified. Its Product Safety & Recall Policy covers concerns flagged by users and by regulatory government bodies in the UK and other countries. Listings for any products recalled by the manufacturer or a government agency are not permitted, and recall notices are sent to any customers affected.
A Vinted spokesperson said: 'Under our Catalogue Rules, items prohibited by law or regulation are not allowed to be sold on Vinted. We take action as soon as we become aware of potentially prohibited listings, whether through our own detection tools or through reports from members. If a listing or a member’s behaviour goes against our rules, we take action. Depending on the case, this may include removing listings or suspending accounts. We care about the safety of our members, and are constantly working on our processes and policies to respond to emerging safety risks. We also collaborate closely with the relevant authorities when appropriate to help us maintain effective detection and compliance efforts.’
