Balloons sold on AliExpress, Debenhams, and eBay contain cancer-causing substances, Which? reveals
In the last ten years, more than 100 balloon brands have been recalled or flagged in official product safety alerts. Despite a decade of warnings, Which? found that AliExpress, Debenhams, eBay, The Range (Wilko) and Shein have been allowing the sale of carcinogenic balloons on their platforms.
Which? bought 21 packs of latex balloons from seven online marketplaces and put them through British standard tests to find out about the levels of carcinogenic chemicals they contained.
Eight out of the 21 balloons contained concentrations of potentially carcinogenic chemicals far above the UK’s permitted limit - meaning that they were being sold illegally.
Tests revealed that one balloon from AliExpress contained more than six times the legally permitted level of nitrosamines (chemicals that are probable carcinogens). An eBay balloon and one from The Range (also available at Wilko) were found to contain more than four times the safe level of nitrosamines. A balloon bought from Debenhams contained more than twice the legal amount of nitrosatable substances - chemicals that can turn into nitrosamines when they mix with saliva.
Testimonies from consumers suggest that Which?’s investigation may only be the tip of the iceberg for dangerous balloons sold on online marketplaces.
In March 2024, Trevor and Lucille Mathers bought balloons from Amazon Marketplace for their child’s birthday. A full year later, Amazon sent a notification warning Trevor and Lucille that the balloons they bought could cause cancer. The balloons contained at least 25 times the legal limit of potentially carcinogenic chemicals.
The alert stated that substances in the balloons may cause cancer through ingestion or dermal exposure and a child could be exposed when touching or putting them in their mouth. Trevor told Which?: “It wasn’t easy to read when you know your kids have been doing exactly that, months after Amazon knew the balloons were loaded with carcinogens but didn’t tell us”. Amazon said it removed the balloons from sale immediately when notified. And later, when it received a request to contact customers, this happened immediately.
Natalie Hitchins from Which? had a similar experience. She bought two packs of balloons from Shein for her son’s birthday. Natalie said: “The strong chemical smell from a pack of superhero themed balloons was really noticeable. As I blew them up my lips went numb, all I could taste were chemicals and I became dizzy. At that point my partner came into the room and was shocked by the chemical smell.”
Which? tested the same balloons that Natalie bought and found them to contain more than twice the legally permitted level of nitrosamines.
The sales figures for carcinogenic balloons on these platforms paint a bleak picture. One seller on the Shein store reported 99,000 sales for balloons which have more than twice the legal limit of nitrosamines. Another seller of carcinogenic balloons on eBay has 277 listings and claims to have sold more than 300,000, albeit Which? hasn’t tested the remainder of these listings beyond those specified.
When it comes to dangerous products sold on online marketplaces, carcinogenic balloons are far from an isolated case. Which?’s investigations have shown time and again that online marketplaces need to be given clear responsibilities for ensuring the safety of products that they list on their sites.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, adopted in July, enables the Secretary of State to impose product safety requirements on online marketplaces through secondary legislation, but these have been delayed. The government urgently needs to use these powers to ensure that products such as carcinogenic balloons are prevented from reaching people in the UK.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said:
“Allowing children to be exposed to high concentrations of carcinogens is outrageous - especially given the repeated official safety warnings for balloons over the last ten years.
“Seemingly innocent items like party balloons can have serious health consequences if there aren’t proper checks to make sure they comply with safety laws.
“The government must urgently prioritise secondary regulations for 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.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
The 100+ safety alerts referred to in this press release were issued by Safety Gate. Safety Gate is the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products
Here is what parents need to know to ensure safety when buying and using balloons.
Buying balloons:
Always look for the CE/UKCA mark on balloons or any product. While these marks can be counterfeited by unscrupulous manufacturers and traders, when used properly they show that the balloons meet all of the required health, safety, and environmental standards.
Look for safety warnings when you buy balloons and be very wary of any that fail to carry them. Five of the eight that failed our safety tests were missing safety warnings and usage information. And look for well packaged products containing information about the manufacturer and the country of origin.
If the balloons you buy are sent to you loose in a plain plastic bag with no certification markings or safety warnings, the best place for them is the bin.
Using balloons:
Use a pump - the main risk of carcinogenic substances in balloons comes when they’re being inflated and from contact with the mouth. So, use a pump to inflate balloons.
Adults should inflate balloons - if children are under eight years of age, adults should inflate any balloons for them.
Children should be supervised with balloons - if children are under eight they will need to be supervised when playing with balloons.
Keep uninflated or burst balloons away from children under eight - kids can choke or suffocate on uninflated or burst balloons.
Stop blowing up the balloons if you feel faint - if you have numb lips or feel faint, stop blowing up the balloons and report this to the seller you bought them from.
Imagery
Pictured: Unbranded balloons bought from AliExpress. Which? Found that these contained more than six times the legally permitted level of nitrosamines.
Pictured: Balloons bought from eBay. Which?’s tests found that these contained more than four times the legal levels of nitrosamines and twice the permitted amount of nitrosatable substances.
Pictured: Unbranded superhero-themed balloons bought from Shein. These are the same balloons Natalie bought and Which?’s tests found that they contain more than twice the legally permitted level of nitrosamines. The Shein seller we bought from had 12 balloon listings and 20,000 sales.
Pictured: Football-themed balloons bought from The Range. Which?’s Steph Kipling reported a strong petro-chemical smell when she bought these balloons for her son’s birthday. Which? tests revealed that these contain more than four times the permissible levels of nitrosamines. These balloons were also for sale at Wilko.
Methodology:
Which? bought 21 brands of latex balloons from seven leading online marketplaces and stores and tested them to find out whether they are safe to be sold in the UK.
Our tests measured the levels of known carcinogenic substances (nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances) that are found in the balloons and released when they're inflated.
Tests were carried out to BS EN 71-12:2016 – Safety of toys – Part 12: N-Nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances. Nitrosamine levels found shouldn’t exceed 0.05 mg/kg and nitrosatable substances aren’t allowed to exceed 1mg/kg.
Right of replies:
An AliExpress spokesperson said:
“We take product safety very seriously and we have strict rules and policies in place to ensure a safe online shopping environment. Third-party sellers who list items for sale on our marketplace must comply with the applicable law as well as our platform rules and policies. The listings of the products that failed the test have been removed from the site. Our Platform will inform consumers who have purchased the products directly about the risks, unsuitability for use and support consumers’ refund request. We have been and will continue to work closely with the OPSS and other regulators to prevent non-compliant product sales on our marketplaces.”
A Debenhams spokesperson said:
“We take product safety and compliance extremely seriously across all items sold on our platform. The product in question was listed by a third-party seller through our marketplace. As soon as we were made aware of a potential safety issue, we immediately removed this product and all similar listings under the same brand from our website. We have contacted the customer who purchased this product to inform them of the issue and provide support. While the product was sold by an independent third-party seller, we are liaising with them to understand how this occurred. We expect all our marketplace partners to be aware of and comply with their obligations and our expectations when listing products on Debenhams.”
An Ebay spokesperson said:
“Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. The two listings identified by Which? have been removed and the sellers have been informed. We’re reviewing the wider marketplace to remove any listings offering identical products and automatically notifying buyers of any safety issues. We prevent and remove unsafe product listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms, AI-supported monitoring by in-house specialists, and close partnerships with regulators. These measures prevent millions of potentially unsafe products from being listed each year. In 2024, we proactively removed approximately 5.9 million potentially prohibited or counterfeit items.”
A Shein spokesperson said:
“Shein takes product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to its customers. Upon learning of these claims, we immediately removed the items from our site as a precaution while we investigate. On Shein Marketplace all vendors are required to comply with our code of conduct and must abide by the relevant laws and regulations of the countries the company operates in. We work closely with international third-party testing agencies to ensure compliance with safety standards.”
A Wilko spokesperson said:
“We independently tested these products in June 2025 and found them to be safe. But, as customer safety remains our top priority, we have recalled the balloons from our stores and website as a precautionary measure while we undertake further testing to verify the suitability of these items. Any customers who have purchased these balloons are able to obtain a full refund by returning the product to us. For customers with any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused our customers.”
The Range did not reply, but the balloons have been removed from its site.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.
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