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Second-hand kit · pram · official records

Second-hand prams and pushchairs

Official records show what Trading Standards and OPSS publish about used prams and pushchairs: look for the BS EN 1888 mark, then check the locks, harness, brake and fire label. This page restates those records. It is information, not a verdict that any listing is safe or unsafe.

Information compiled from official sources, checked 14 August 2026. Not a laboratory test, not a product endorsement, and not a guarantee that any pram or pushchair is safe to use.

What official records show

Official records show that prams and pushchairs supplied in Great Britain — new or used — must be safe. Chartered Trading Standards Institute guidance (Business Companion, last reviewed June 2024) treats compliance with BS EN 1888 as one recognised way to show that. The same guide says a damaged or modified chassis may no longer meet the standard, and that a laboratory test is the only way to be certain. OPSS (June 2025) also tells buyers to check the national recall list and to confirm the seller has not altered the product.

Nameplate and standards

On a pram, start with the chassis sticker, the seat-unit tag and any basket or raincover labels. Write down brand, model, and every standard code before you search recalls.

  • BS EN 1888current

    Business Companion: look for this mark on the frame or seat covering. It is the UK designation of the wheeled child-conveyance standard.

  • BS EN 1888-1:2018+A1:2022current

    Current BSI Part 1 for prams and pushchairs. Prefer a label that cites 2018 or later, not only an older year.

  • BS EN 1888:2003superseded → BS EN 1888-1:2018+A1:2022

    Older edition still seen on long-used frames. Official records treat later parts as the current family.

  • BS 7409withdrawn → BS EN 1888

    Withdrawn predecessor. A frame that only cites BS 7409 has not been shown to meet the current standard.

Second-hand checklist

These checks follow the used-pram list in Business Companion (June 2024) and the OPSS second-hand advice (3 June 2025). They are not a laboratory test.

  1. Find a permanent label citing BS EN 1888 on the frame or seat covering.
  2. On upholstered seats, find a permanent fire label that includes the words CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE. Business Companion says that if a used item lacks this permanent label, it must be assumed not to comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and should not be sold.
  3. Confirm the folding chassis has a primary and a secondary locking device, and that both engage.
  4. Check the harness is a secure five-point set, not frayed, and that buckles latch and release cleanly.
  5. Test the parking brake forwards and backwards; it should engage properly.
  6. Check wheel security and look for heavy wear on the tyre edges.
  7. Look for bent tubes or linkages from kerb or stair impacts.
  8. Check stability forwards, backwards and to both sides. Do not hang shopping on the handles — that is a common way a pushchair becomes unstable.
  9. Look for sharp edges or points, and for finger entrapments (open tube ends should still be capped).
  10. Ask the seller whether any part has been modified, repaired with non-original parts, or involved in a vehicle collision if it is a travel system.
  11. Search the brand and model on the OPSS Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls list before you pay.

Walk away when official records show this

  • OPSS, Safety Gate or US CPSC (overseas advisory) lists an open recall or safety report for that brand, model or batch.
  • The BS EN 1888 label is missing, unreadable, or only cites a withdrawn mark such as BS 7409.
  • The permanent fire label is missing on an upholstered seat.
  • A lock, brake, wheel or harness fails the checks above, or the frame is bent or cracked.
  • The listing is a travel system and the car seat is included — OPSS advises not to buy second-hand baby car seats, because crash damage may not be visible. Use the car-seat page for that part.

Travel-system car seats are covered on the car seats page. Sleep surfaces that come with a carrycot belong with cots and mattresses.

Check the recall lists

Official records of UK alerts sit on the OPSS list. EU Safety Gate can add extra hits for the same brand sold under another name. US CPSC is an overseas advisory, not a UK recall. A blank search is not a pass — Not found ≠ safe. It only means no matching public record was found that day.

Prefer the on-site search so we can keep the result with that brand and model: check this model on MayTally.

Same template for other long-tail kit

High chairs, carriers, monitors, toys and sleep bags use the same pattern: name the standard, quote the official second-hand position, run a physical checklist, then search recalls. Car seats and cots have their own pages.

High chairs

high_chair · BS EN 14988:2017+A2:2024

FIRA and Trading Standards product guides treat BS EN 14988 as the recognised high-chair standard for children who can sit unaided (typically up to three years). Official records show a five-point harness and a crotch restraint; do not treat the tray as the restraint. Check stability, locks on folding frames, and the fire label on any upholstery.

Check a brand or model

Carriers and slings

baby_carrier · BS EN 13209-1:2022 / BS EN 13209-2:2015

Framed back carriers sit under BS EN 13209-1:2022 (from six months, up to 18 kg on the current BSI scope). Soft carriers with integral leg openings sit under BS EN 13209-2:2015 (up to 15 kg). This page does not give babywearing training. Check stitches, buckles, and the stated weight before reuse.

Check a brand or model

Baby monitors

monitor · Electrical safety + PSTI (connectable)

OPSS second-hand advice (June 2025) tells buyers to check instructions and to confirm no modifications. Electrical Safety First covers used electrical goods. A monitor that connects to the internet and was supplied new in Great Britain after 29 April 2024 is also in scope of the PSTI connectable-product rules. Check cords for strangulation risk and never treat a monitor as a medical device.

Check a brand or model

Toys

toy · EN 71 · Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011

Business Companion: new toys are under the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011; second-hand toys are under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and must still be safe. Used toys do not have to carry a CE/UKCA mark, but if they never had one they were likely not legal when new. Keep age warnings and physically check for wear, as OPSS advises.

Check a brand or model

Sleep bags

sleep_bag · BS EN 16781:2018

BS EN 16781:2018 covers children’s sleep bags for use in a cot, for babies who cannot yet climb out (about 24 months). Safer-sleep rules for the cot and mattress are on the cots page and in Lullaby Trust material cited by OPSS. Look for a tog rating, no hood, and intact fastenings. This is not medical advice.

Check a brand or model

Sources