Press release

Unsafe and illegal sunglasses sold online pose serious risk to children’s eyesight, Which? investigation warns

A third of children’s sunglasses bought from online marketplaces including Amazon, AliExpress, Ebay and Temu, do not provide the eye protection required and are unsafe to wear, according to a Which? investigation.
7 min read
Press Team

With summer holidays around the corner and the country already basking in warmer temperatures, it is understandable that parents will want to buy their children sunglasses at affordable prices to protect them from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. 

However, a Which? investigation found that children’s sunglasses sold on some of the most popular online marketplaces in the world failed safety tests and are illegal to sell in the UK.

Children are particularly vulnerable to UV light as their eyes are still developing and they spend more time outdoors than adults. Ineffective sunglasses can cause serious damage to a child’s eyes. Overexposure to UV over time can lead to cataracts and macular degeneration. 

Which? researchers bought 20 pairs of kids’ sunglasses from six online marketplaces: Amazon, AliExpress, eBay, TikTok, Temu and Shein. 

UV protection levels were found to be dangerously low for two of the pairs tested, despite claiming to have full UV protection. This also makes the sunglasses illegal to sell in the UK.

Some offered significantly different protection from one lens to the other, when good sunglasses should offer the same protection in both lenses. 

Several models may look enticing especially to children, with heart or cat-shaped lenses or vintage styles, including: Cute Cat Kids’ Sunglasses UV Protection (£1.59 from Amazon); Classic Vintage Holiday Sunglasses UV400 (£3.99 on eBay); Kids’ Aviators (£1.16 from AliExpress); Kids £1 Sunglasses (from Temu); and Red heart-shaped sunglasses (£5.28 from eBay). These models either made misleading claims about their ability to block UV rays or had inconsistent UV filtering.

All of the sunglasses tested were found to be missing key information, labels and markings, such as CE or UK Conformity Assessed markings (UKCA), which are required for them to be sold in the UK legally. As a result, none of the 20 pairs of sunglasses bought from online marketplaces can be sold legally in the UK. Which? is labelling these sunglasses as Don’t Buys and would urge consumers to avoid them. 

Which? is urging consumers to avoid buying cheap children's sunglasses from online marketplaces, especially if they appear to be unbranded, and stick to high street stores, where compliance with safety rules is much more stringent.

The consumer champion believes this investigation underlines the need for tough new laws to make online marketplaces take responsibility for the products they sell on their sites. In the meantime, avoid any unbranded products, including brands that only appear to have a presence on marketplaces, where there is a safety concern. This includes products for children, like these sunglasses and toys, plus electronics and cosmetics and healthcare.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill is an opportunity to protect online shoppers by placing clear legal responsibilities on online marketplaces that are backed up by tough enforcement, such as heavy fines. 

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: 

“With summer holidays approaching, it is understandable that parents will want to buy their children sunglasses, and kids and parents alike might be tempted by some of the cheap and trendy options sold online.

“Our research shows many of these models are so ineffective as to be dangerous for children to wear and this is a consequence of online marketplaces having no real responsibility or incentive for taking safety seriously.

“The government’s Product Regulation and Metrology Bill must be strengthened to include legal responsibilities for online marketplaces to ensure the products they sell on their sites are safe, with heavy fines for those that fall short of the required standards.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors 

Which? Don’t Buy models

From left to right (top row): Pink Retro Love Heart shape UV400 (£2.83, eBay); Red Heart Pattern UV400 (£5.28 eBay);, Pilot Aviators (£1.16, AliExpress). Bottom row - Classic Vintage Holiday Sunglasses (£3.99, eBay), Trendy & Vibrant (white/red/rainbow) (£1, Temu); Cute Cat Kids’ Sunglasses UV Protection (£1.59, Amazon).

Which? advice for buying children’s sunglasses

  • Try them on - make sure the glasses fit your child and are comfortable for them.
  • Go for category 3 lenses - this category of sunglasses comes with dark lenses for use on bright days and will be best for children. Go for category 4 if you’re going skiing.
  • Choose recognised brands - go for glasses from a brand you recognise or a retailer you trust. Avoid cheap glasses from online marketplaces.
  • Look for a CE or UKCA mark - while we know that these markings can sometimes be faked, your best bet will be to buy glasses with a CE or UKCA mark displayed on the glasses and on the packaging.
  • Look for UV400 protection - glasses with UV400 protection will block out almost 100% of UV rays.
  • Pick robust frames - go for glasses that won’t break if dropped or those with flexible frames.
  • Consider glasses that come with a strap to keep the glasses close to a child’s head - kids are likely to be playing while wearing sunglasses, so a strap can sometimes help prevent losing or damaging them. Avoid any dangling straps and only choose this type for children over two.

Right of replies 

A spokesperson for Amazon said: 'Safety is a top a priority, and we require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies. We continuously monitor our store and take action to maintain a safe selection for our customers, including removing noncompliant products and reaching out to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information. If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can investigate and help resolve their issue. The products in questions have been removed.'

AliExpress told Which? it had removed the items that failed our tests from its platform. A spokesperson said: 'AliExpress takes 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. AliExpress requires the merchants to submit photos of the product package and label reflecting CE or UKCE when listing children's sunglasses on our platform for verification. The product will not be allowed for listing in case the photos submitted do not meet the requirements. Nevertheless, AliExpress as a marketplace does not own or control the physical products, while AliExpress conducts random inspections on the physical products and takes action against the merchants selling non-compliant products, but we may not be able to verify the compliance of all the physical products.' 

A spokesperson for eBay said: 'Consumer safety is a top priority. We proactively keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists. Our filters blocked 32.6 million attempts to list potentially unsafe products in 2023. Additionally, our Regulatory Portal enables authorities to report listings, and unsafe items are automatically removed within two hours. If we find an unsafe product, we remove it immediately and alert buyers, which is the exact approach we took on April 4, 2025, before Which? contacted us.'

A spokesperson for Temu said: 'We take product safety very seriously. All three flagged listings have been removed from the platform pending further review. As a precaution, we expanded screening of similar products to ensure full compliance with UK safety regulations. Temu works closely with globally recognized testing and certification organizations to help ensure that the products offered by third-party sellers meet relevant safety and quality standards.'

A spokesperson for TikTok said: 'The safety of our customers is of our utmost priority, and we have strict measures in place to ensure that our sellers comply with regulations and safety standards.These listings have been removed from our platform.TikTok has policies and processes to protect customers and promote a trustworthy shopping experience. This includes policies on what can and can't be sold, seller registration and verification requirements, and features like product reviews, reporting tools, and easy returns.'

A spokesperson for Shein said: 'We take product safety very seriously and is committed to offering safe and reliable products to its customers. We immediately removed the items from our site as a precaution while we investigate. On Shein Marketplace, both Shein branded products as well as products from a global network of third-party sellers are available. All vendors are required to comply with Shein’s code of conduct and must abide by the relevant laws and regulations of the countries the company operates in. Shein works closely with international third-party testing agencies to ensure compliance with product safety standards.'

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk