Guides · Newborn kit · Changing
What is the difference between an EN 12221 Type 1 and Type 2 changing unit?
What did Type 1 and Type 2 mean on the 2008 + A1:2013 label?
EN 12221-1:2008+A1:2013 was the domestic changing-unit standard most UK plates still quote. The 2013 amendment added two definitions. Type 1: a changing unit intended from birth up to 12 months, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Type 2: a changing unit intended from birth up to 15 kg. The marking and purchase-information lines were: Type 1 — 12 months, up to 11 kg; Type 2 — 15 kg.
Swipe sideways for the full table
| Mark | Intended use on the amendment | Minimum changing area (2008 clause 4.1) | What it is not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Birth to 12 months; marking line 12 months, up to 11 kg | At least 380 mm wide × 650 mm long | A pass/fail for your individual baby |
| Type 2 | Birth up to 15 kg | At least 550 mm wide × 750 mm long | A toddler or potty-training class |
The amendment also said the length of the changing area is the intended longitudinal position of the child, and the width is the measurement perpendicular to that length. Which? has mentioned BS EN 12221 on travel-cot add-ons; that is the same family of standard, not a separate UK type system.
What did EN 12221:2026 change, and do the types still exist?
CEN approved EN 12221:2026 on 16 February 2026 and published it in March 2026 as a single document: *Child care articles — Changing units and changing pads for domestic use — Safety requirements and test methods*. It supersedes EN 12221-1:2008+A1:2013 and EN 12221-2:2008+A1:2013. National standards bodies must publish an identical standard by September 2026; conflicting national standards are to be withdrawn by March 2027.
The 2026 size table in clause 8.2.1 no longer lists Type 1 and Type 2. It lists two product classes: a changing unit (minimum 380 mm wide × 650 mm long) and a changing unit accessory (minimum 380 mm × 500 mm) — an accessory that attaches to a cot or playpen so the combination can be used as a changing unit. Changing pads with side barriers are now in scope. Convertible furniture still has to meet other relevant standards for the other function (cot, storage, bath).
The 2026 laboratory method still uses a 9 kg test mass (Test mass A) and a 15 kg test mass (Test mass B). Those are test tools, not a new Type 1 / Type 2 stamp on the box. IKEA UK pages for SNIGLAR and GULLIVER already print “Complies with European standard EN 12221:2026” and “For children up to 15 kg” beside a max. load of 11 kg. Quote both; do not collapse them into one number.
A 2026 mark is not a statement that Type 1 / Type 2 never existed. It is a new document. Older stock in UK homes will still show the 2008+A1 types until that plate is replaced.
How do I read the label on a UK changing unit?
- Find the standard line Look for EN 12221-1:2008, EN 12221-1:2008+A1:2013, BS EN 12221, or EN 12221:2026. Photograph it. The year tells you which type system, if any, the plate was written for.
- Find Type 1 or Type 2, if present If the plate says Type 1, the published intended-use lines are 12 months and 11 kg. If it says Type 2, the published line is 15 kg. If it says neither, do not invent a type from the width of the top.
- Find the maker's own weight and age Mothercare's Hampstead cot-top guide said 12 months or 9 kg, whichever comes first — tighter than Type 2. IKEA may print 15 kg and a lower max. load on the same page. The lower applicable figure on *that* product is the use limit for that product.
- Find the wall-anchor warning GOV.UK says heavy furniture should be attached to the wall. Many changing chests repeat a tipping-hazard warning. The standard's changing function is separate from the storage-furniture function.
- Stop when the printed limit is reached Move to the NHS floor method. A type mark does not extend itself because the baby is not yet sitting.
Does a Type 2 mark mean the unit is approved for toddlers?
The published Type 2 line is 15 kg, not an age called “toddler” and not potty training. NHS and CAPT still prefer the floor and tell you never to leave a baby on a raised surface. The 2026 text also says the product shall not be fitted with a harness or belts for the changing function — straps on older units were never a reason to turn away (NHS: do not rely on straps).
Which? discussing BS EN 12221 on a travel-cot changer is a reminder that the same standard family appears on add-ons. It is not a Which? ranking of Type 1 versus Type 2, and this page will not invent one.
In shortType 1 and Type 2 are 2008+A1:2013 classes: 12 months/11 kg and a smaller top, versus 15 kg and a larger top. EN 12221:2026 replaces those parts. Read the plate you have; do not treat a type code as a personal all-clear.
Questions parents ask
- Is Type 2 always the better buy?
- Type 2's published extra is a higher intended weight and a larger minimum surface on the 2008+A1 text. It is not a quality score. A Type 1 unit used within its 11 kg / 12-month lines is being used as that class describes.
- My new IKEA table says EN 12221:2026 and 15 kg, but max. load 11 kg. Is it Type 1?
- The 2026 standard does not use the Type 1 / Type 2 pair in its size table. The IKEA page prints both a 15 kg intended-use line and an 11 kg max. load. Do not relabel it as Type 1 or Type 2 unless the plate itself does.
- Does a standard mark mean I can leave a baby on the unit?
- No. NHS and CAPT still say stay with the baby on any raised surface, and they prefer the floor. A standard mark is a test class, not supervision.
- Are changing pads included in the old Type 1 / Type 2 split?
- The 2008+A1 standard covered pads only when they formed part of the unit. EN 12221:2026 brings stand-alone changing pads with side barriers into scope. Flat mats without barriers are excluded from that 2026 pad definition.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- Intertek Inform — EN 12221-1:2008+A1:2013 — checked 10 September 2026
- CEN / iTeh catalogue — EN 12221:2026 — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — How to change your baby's nappy — checked 10 September 2026
- GOV.UK — Consumer products: staying safe — checked 10 September 2026
- Child Accident Prevention Trust — Preventing falls — checked 10 September 2026
- Which? — Travel cot features (mentions BS EN 12221) — checked 10 September 2026
- IKEA UK — SNIGLAR changing table — checked 10 September 2026
- IKEA UK — GULLIVER changing table — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.