New CHOICE testing has revealed that five out of eight bassinets tested have serious safety failures.

"Unfortunately, there is currently no mandatory Australian safety standard for bassinets. This means that year after year we continue to see unsafe bassinets make it onto the shelves," says Kim Gilmour, CHOICE baby product expert. 

The bassinets with serious safety failures are: 

- 4baby Serenity 

- 4baby Sleep and Stay 

- Collective Sol Lyla 

- Grotime Bebe 

- Quirky Bubba Sienna Cradle 

"There were a number of serious safety issues with the bassinets we tested in this batch," says Gilmour.

"Some of the mattresses in the bassinets we tested were not firm enough, and presented a suffocation hazard. Other bassinets lacked the sufficient breathable zones that are also needed to prevent suffocation." 

The 4baby Sleep and Stay bassinet

"When we tested the 4baby Sleep and Stay bassinet, we actually found that the suffocation hazard label was a suffocation hazard itself, as the label was obstructing the surface of the breathable material," says Gilmour. 

CHOICE's experts also found that some bassinets carried an entrapment risk, which means that your baby's limbs or head could get stuck while they're in the bassinet. 

"When our experts tested the Quirky Bubba Sienna Cradle bassinet, we discovered it had head and limb entrapment risks between the bends of the rattan. Pieces of this bassinet can also easily break off, causing a choking hazard," says Gilmour.

"These serious safety failures reiterate the need for a new product safety law, which CHOICE continues to campaign for. This new law would stop unsafe products from ever hitting the shelves in the first place," says Gilmour.

If you've purchased one of these bassinets, CHOICE's advice is to take it back to the retailer and ask for a refund. If the retailer doesn't give you a fair refund you can escalate your complaint to your state or territory fair trading body. 

In more positive news, the results of CHOICE's latest high chair testing are also in, with 10 out of 11 high chairs receiving a score of 70% or over. 

The latest high chairs that performed well in CHOICE's testing are: 

- Childcare Cloud 360

- Anko Prandium High Low Chair

- Joovy Nook

- Mocka Jenson High Chair

- Childcare Osmo High Chair

- Childcare Uno

- Anko Flat Fold High Chair

- Grotime Lyon High/Low Chair

- Stokke Clikk High Chair

- Mother's Choice Egg 3 in 1 High Chair

Images and video available here: https://sites.google.com/choice.com.au/bassinets/home

Read the full story on bassinets here: www.choice.com.au/unsafebassinets

Media contact: Katelyn Cameron, 0430 172 669, [email protected] 

CHOICE is continuing calls for a General Safety Provision, which is a law that puts the onus on manufacturers and retailers to ensure products they sell are safe before they hit store shelves and online platforms. Australians can join the call for better product safety laws at: www.choice.com.au/productsafety