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About children’s nightwear
Children's nightwear covers items in sizes 00 to 14, including:
- pyjamas
- nightdresses and nighties
- nightshirts
- dressing gowns and bathrobes
- loose boxer shorts used as nightwear
- all-in-ones or onesies
- infant sleep bags with sleeves or arm openings
- blankets and towels with a sleeve or arm opening.
The standard also applies to sewing patterns for children’s nightwear.
Risks and injuries from the product
Children are at risk of severe burns or death if their nightwear catches fire.
Things to look for when buying the product
Children can suffer severe burns and even death if their nightwear catches on fire. For this reason, there’s a mandatory standard that suppliers and retailers must comply with.
Only buy and use children's nightwear that complies with the nightwear for children mandatory standard.
The mandatory standard doesn’t include these types of garments:
- knitted all-in-one garments up to and including size 2 that are not made from or include fabrics that have a pile or nap
- knitted all-in-ones for daywear in sizes 3 to 14
- woven all-in-ones for daywear
- knitted trunks or boxer shorts in form fitting styles commonly worn as underwear
- tee-shirts, singlets, track tops and similar where they are not sold as nightwear and are not a component of a nightwear set
- track pants, leggings, shorts and similar that aren’t sold as nightwear and aren’t part of a nightwear set
- towels and blankets that don’t have a sleeve or arm opening
- headwear, footwear and hand-wear
- infant’s sleep bags without sleeves or arm openings
- sleeping bags in all sizes
- baby wraps and swaddles
- detachable capes, hoods, wings, tutus and similar costume accessories.
Design and construction
- Choose well-fitting nightwear. This is because loose-fitting nightwear has a higher risk of catching fire.
Marks and labels
- Sewing patterns are templates used to trace the shape of the garment onto a piece of fabric. The fabric is then cut to size and sewn together to form a garment. A pattern for children's nightwear must carry a safety warning label about the danger associated with flammable fabrics and nightwear styles.
- There is a safety warning statement label with the children’s nightwear. The labels indicate high fire danger and low fire danger.
High fire danger
- Don’t buy nightwear labelled with high fire danger if your child will be near open flames and heat sources.
The safety warning statement for high fire danger must have these words in this type of format, as required by the mandatory safety standard:
WARNING — High fire danger. Keep away from heat and flame.
High fire hazard warning label
The safety warning label for high fire hazard is red and will look something like this.
Low fire danger
- Be aware that if you do buy garments with a low fire danger label they can still be flammable.
The safety warning statement for low fire danger must have these words in this type of format, as required by the mandatory safety standard:
CAUTION — Keep away from heat and flame.
Low fire hazard warning label
The safety warning label for low fire danger is white and looks similar to this.
How to use the product safely
- Keep children away from open flames and heat sources where there’s a chance their clothing or nightwear may catch on fire.
- Garments with a low fire danger can still be flammable. No nightwear is fireproof.