# The U.S. Increases Testing Requirements for Stroller Seat Cushions, Adding Color-Release Standards

In recent years, as global attention to the safety of infant and toddler products continues to rise, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has introduced new, specific requirements targeting the dyeing of fabric seat cushions—building upon its existing testing standards for baby walkers. This adjustment not only underscores the international market's growing emphasis on the ecological safety of infant and toddler products but also provides Chinese export companies with clearer guidelines for compliance.

## New Regulations: A Comprehensive Upgrade from Structural Safety to Ecological Security

According to the ASTM F977-22e1 standard, effective in 2023, the testing of baby walkers now covers physical safety indicators such as structural strength, stability of moving parts, and braking performance. However, as consumers become increasingly concerned about the safety of product materials, the CPSC has identified that the dyeing process used for fabric cushions could potentially pose a risk—harmful substances like formaldehyde and heavy metals from low-quality dyes may endanger infants' and toddlers' health through skin contact or saliva penetration. For instance, China's standards specify that formaldehyde content in infant and toddler textile products must be ≤20 mg/kg, while the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, adopted by 20 countries including Switzerland, goes even further, requiring that "no detectable formaldehyde" be present in products intended for infants and young children. These international discrepancies have prompted the U.S. market to further tighten its testing requirements.

## New Testing Feature: Strictly Control Dyeing Risks with Four Core Metrics

The new regulations explicitly require that the dyeing process for fabric cushions pass four key tests:

1. **Chemical Substance Limit Testing**: Cushion fabrics must comply with the CPSC 16 CFR 1303 standard, with total lead content ≤90 mg/kg and phthalate (plasticizer) levels ≤0.1%. For instance, a certain brand of toddler walker was forcibly recalled by the CPSC due to excessive levels of diisononyl phthalate (DINP) in the cushion dye—this affected over 23,000 units of the product.

2. **Colorfastness Testing**: The cushion must pass three colorfastness tests—resistance to saliva, sweat stains, and abrasion—to ensure that dye molecules do not detach due to infants chewing or rubbing against the material. According to SGS laboratory data, conventional walker cushions may exhibit dye release rates as high as 15% in simulated saliva tests, whereas products certified under the new regulations must keep these rates below 0.5%.

3. **Formaldehyde Emission Testing**: The climate chamber method is used to simulate real-life scenarios for infant and toddler use, measuring the formaldehyde emission levels from the cushion under conditions of 37°C and 65% humidity. The new regulation mandates that formaldehyde emissions must be ≤0.01 ppm—just 1/10th of China’s current national standard.

4. **pH Testing**: The pH level of cushion fabrics must be maintained between 4.0 and 7.5 to prevent excessive alkalinity that could irritate infants' and toddlers' skin. One exporting company once faced product returns after its cushions registered a pH level as high as 9.2. Only after making necessary adjustments and passing re-testing did the products regain access to the U.S. market.

## Corporate Response: A Comprehensive Upgrade from Supply Chain to Production Processes

To meet the new regulatory requirements, exporting companies need to undergo transformations across three key areas:

1. **Raw Material Control**: Priority is given to dyes certified by GREENGUARD Gold, which have formaldehyde levels ≤0.01 ppm and are free from heavy metals. For instance, the fabric seat cushion of the UPPAbaby CRUZ V2 stroller uses reactive dyes that are SGS Gold-certified, achieving a colorfastness rating of 4–5 while ensuring no detectable formaldehyde content.

2. **Optimization of Production Processes**: Adopting low-temperature dyeing technology (≤80°C) helps reduce formaldehyde generation and introduces an additional color-fixing process. One company, by implementing ultrasonic color-fixing equipment, improved the colorfastness of its cushions from Grade 3 to Grade 4.5, while also cutting down dyeing time by 30%.

3. **Testing and Certification System**: Each batch of products must be tested by a third-party laboratory accredited by the CPSC, and a CPC (Children’s Product Certificate) must be provided. The certificate must clearly indicate the testing standards (e.g., ASTM F977-22e1), the name of the laboratory, and the date of testing. Amazon has already mandated that sellers upload the CPC certificate; failure to do so will result in the risk of product removal from the platform.

## Market Impact: Driving the Industry Toward High-End and Secure Transformation

After the new regulations took effect, the average unit price of baby walkers in the U.S. market rose by 12%, yet consumer satisfaction climbed to 92%. Compliance-focused companies have seized the opportunity to capture the high-end market through technological upgrades—such as one brand launching a "antibacterial dyed cushion" walker, priced 35% higher than standard products, yet still selling over 5,000 units per month. Meanwhile, non-compliant businesses face severe challenges: from January to September 2025, Chinese baby walker exports to the U.S. were detained 47% more frequently compared to the same period last year due to dye-related issues, involving goods worth over $20 million.

The U.S. upgrade of dyeing requirements for baby walker seat cushions reflects the global trend toward stricter safety standards for infant and toddler products, while also presenting a golden opportunity for China’s manufacturing sector to transition from "Made in China" to "Smartly Made in China." Only by equipping themselves with technology as their defense and ensuring compliance as their anchor can companies secure long-term competitiveness in the international market.

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