Toys and Games
A Swallowed Coin Battery Can Burn a Child’s Throat Within Hours
A lodged coin battery can burn a child’s throat in about two hours. What Reese’s Law requires of new products, and what to do immediately if one is swallowed.
Toys and Games
Toys judged against the age label, the small-parts test and what children actually do with them.
6 articles
Toys and Games
A Hoverboard Under the Tree Needs a UL 2272 Listing, and Its Charger Matters as Much as the Board
A UL 2272 listing certifies a hoverboard’s electrical system, not the rider. CPSC counts 17 hoverboard-related deaths from 2017 through 2024, 11 of them tied to fires, and falls, age limits and charging habits matter just as much.
Toys and Games
The 3+ on a Toy Box Is a Choking Rule, Not a Measure of How Clever the Child Is
A 3+ label is a legal safety determination, not a measure of how advanced a child is. How the small-parts rule and choking-hazard warnings actually work.
Toys and Games
RC Car LiPo Batteries Tend to Burn on the Charger, Not the Track, and a LiPo Bag Only Buys Time
Most RC LiPo fires start at the charger, not the track. Balance charging, storage voltage and retiring swollen packs prevent them; a fire-resistant bag only slows one down.
Toys and Games
“DCC-Ready” on a Model Train Box Means a Decoder You Still Have to Buy and Install
DC controls a whole track’s voltage; DCC sends addressed digital commands so locomotives run independently. “DCC-ready” usually means a decoder is still sold separately.
Toys and Games
LEGO-Compatible Bricks Cost Less and Clutch Unevenly; Counterfeit Sets Skip Safety Paperwork
Compatible bricks can be a fair value, but the safety paperwork a set skips is a bigger risk than whether the studs click as tightly as the original.