How QA Ensures Safe and Age-Appropriate Custom-Printed Toys
Last Updated: 25 July 2025
Designing a toy for a toddler is nothing like creating one for a teen. Toddlers need soft, oversized, non-toxic custom toys that can’t break or be swallowed. Teens expect gadgets, style, and real-world use. But that gap isn’t just about age—it’s about risk, expectations, and purpose.
Quality Assurance (QA) ensures that each toy is built with the right user in mind. If your brand gives out printed toys, quality isn’t optional. It’s the difference between building trust—or damaging it.
Key Takeaways
- Quality Assurance (QA) ensures branded toys are safe, durable, and meet safety standards for each age group.
- Toys undergo drop testing, material safety checks, and size assessments, to guarantee safety and compliance.
- Custom toys must meet global safety standards like EN71, ASTM F963, and ISO 8124.
- QA ensures your toys align with your brand values, are safe for children, and create a positive impact.
Why Quality Assurance Matters for Branded Toys
A toy may look fun, but without QA, it can quickly become a safety hazard—or a PR nightmare. QA helps brands avoid problems like:
- Unsafe products
- Mismatched age targeting
- Weak or broken branding through low-quality goods
When your logo is printed on a toy, it becomes part of your reputation. QA makes sure the toy lives up to that reputation.
What QA Looks Like for Toddlers vs. Teens
Toddlers (Ages 1–3):
- Require large, soft, and durable parts
- Must not include anything that could break off or be swallowed
- Must use non-toxic, BPA-free, lead-free materials
- It should be easy to grip and impossible to misuse
Teens (Ages 13+):
- Can handle small parts, electronics, or multifunction toys
- Expect practical items they’ll use—think phone stands, pop sockets, tech gadgets
- Care about style, trends, and perceived value
QA tailors the entire production process based on these user profiles.
How The QA Process in Toy Production Works
Toys in a tradeshow
Here’s how QA shapes the journey from concept to safe, age-appropriate toys:
Step 1: Early Concept Approval
Before anything gets made, QA checks the toy concept. Is it safe for the age group? Does it match what toddlers or teens need?
Step 2: Material Selection
QA then reviews every material choice. Are they safe to chew? Will they hold up to rough use? Teams check for safety certifications like EN71 (Europe), ASTM F963 (USA), and ISO 8124 (Global).
Step 3: Prototype Stress Testing
Toys undergo bite tests, drop tests, tear tests, and impact tests. Anything that fails is scrapped or reworked.
Step 4: Label & Warning Check
Proper packaging and labelling are critical. QA ensures the toy clearly states:
- Appropriate age group
- Safety certifications
- Warnings (e.g. choking hazards)
This protects both kids and your brand legally.
Quality Standards for Age-Appropriate Toys
No matter the audience, every toy must comply with internationally accepted safety benchmarks:
- EN71 (Europe): Covers mechanical and physical properties, flammability, and chemical composition.
- ASTM F963 (USA): Includes electrical safety, sharp point regulations, and toxic element limits.
- ISO 8124 (Global): Provides harmonised standards for global markets.
These are required for toys made for giveaways or brand promotions. QA teams cross-check every toy to ensure it meets these requirements before mass production.
Why Choose Cubic Promote?
- Local Expertise: We are a trusted Australian supplier with years of experience in delivering high-quality, safe, and compliant toys.
- Thorough Safety Standards: We ensure all our custom toys undergo rigorous safety testing, meeting both Australian and international standards.
- Fast Turnaround: We understand the importance of timelines, so we offer quick delivery to meet your event or campaign schedules.
- Comprehensive Service: From concept to delivery, we handle every step of the process, ensuring your branded toys meet safety requirements while looking great and staying within your brand guidelines.
Deliver Age-Appropriate Toys That Impress and Protect
As the industry leader in promotional products, we help businesses design and deliver safe and age-appropriate toys that are safe, age-appropriate, and compliant with global standards. Whether your audience is 2 or 17, we care for the QA, so you do not have to guess. Let’s create branded toys that represent your brand in the right way. Contact us today to start your project.
