Most plush buyers do not think of their product as a magnetic toy. Then a sample arrives with a voice module, or a magnetic paw that holds a small accessory, or a bag clasp sewn into a plush backpack — and the order has quietly moved into the part of EN 71-1 that has caused more recalls than any other clause in the standard.
This is a buying guide, not a legal opinion. Anything that follows should be confirmed against the published standard text and with your notified body or testing lab, because the wording that matters is theirs, not ours.
Why magnets are treated so seriously
A swallowed coin passes. A swallowed magnet usually passes too, if it is alone.
The injury case is two magnets, or one magnet and a piece of metal: they find each other across loops of intestine and clamp the tissue between them. Blood supply is cut off, the wall perforates, and the result is surgery — sometimes with sections of bowel removed. There is no symptom that warns a parent early, because the damage is mechanical and happens out of sight.
That is why the rule is not about the size of the magnet alone. It is about the size of the magnet and its strength, because a weak magnet that comes apart inside a child is not dangerous in the same way a neodymium disc is.
Where a magnet hides in a plush order
Five places, in our experience, and four of them are decided by the buyer rather than the factory:
| Location | Usually specified by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voice or sound module | Buyer | The speaker driver contains a magnet |
| Magnetic closure on a plush bag or backpack | Buyer | Often a hidden disc pair |
| Detachable plush accessory that “sticks” | Buyer | The classic high-risk configuration |
| Magnetic dress-up or sensory pieces | Buyer | Sold as a set; parts separate |
| Decorative fridge-magnet plush | Buyer | Frequently forgotten in testing scope |
If any of those describe your design, say so at the RFQ stage. A factory quoting “EN 71 certified plush” without knowing there is a magnet inside is quoting the wrong test.
What the current rule says
Under EN 71-1, a magnet or magnetic component that is a small part — that is, it fits entirely inside the small parts cylinder — must not exceed a magnetic flux index of 50 kG²mm². This index is a deliberately practical measure: it combines the flux density with the area over which it acts, which is a better proxy for “how hard will this pull another magnet through tissue” than either number alone.
Magnets that are not small parts still have to survive the attachment tests, so that they cannot be worked loose by a child and become small parts.
What changed in EN 71-1:2026
EN 71-1:2026 was published by CEN in late 2025 and takes over as the cited harmonised reference from August 2027. The flux index threshold itself is retained at 50 kG²mm² — the tightening is in how it is measured and how the hazard is communicated:
- 24-hour flux decay measurement. Magnets are measured again after a period of relaxation, rather than only at the moment of receipt.
- Surface-of-envelope measurement protocol. The measurement position is specified relative to the toy’s outer surface, removing an ambiguity that let two labs produce two different numbers from the same sample.
- A mandatory magnetic hazard pictogram — a child silhouette — is required where the flux threshold is exceeded.
- The small parts cylinder test gains a 5 N applied rotational force test using a truncated-cone variant for rounded or tapered parts. This one matters for magnets indirectly but importantly: a magnet that survives a static gravity drop can still be worked free by a twisting motion.
The change was driven by exactly the incidents the rule exists to prevent. Consumer bodies and national authorities reported continued magnet ingestion cases despite the existing threshold, which pointed at the measurement protocol rather than the number.
The larger deadline behind it
The EU has replaced the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC with Regulation (EU) 2025/2509, adopted on 26 November 2025 and published in the Official Journal on 12 December 2025.
Two things about that are worth knowing even if your next order ships this quarter:
- It is a regulation, not a directive, so it applies directly in all 27 member states with no national transposition. There is no longer a set of 27 local versions to track.
- The substantive toy obligations apply from 1 August 2030, with the institutional provisions in force since 1 January 2026. Until 2030 the Directive remains the operating framework, and toys placed on the market before that date can continue to be made available afterwards.
The Regulation also introduces a Digital Product Passport and expands the chemistry requirements, both of which will change what documentation a factory has to hand over — but those are subjects of their own.
What to put in your RFQ
If your design contains any magnet, send this with the enquiry:
- Where it is and what it is made of. Grade matters — a weak ferrite disc and a neodymium disc are not the same risk.
- Whether it is a small part. State the intended age grade so the factory can assess it against the right band.
- A request for the flux index test report, not just a certificate. A certificate says the toy passed. The report shows the measured value and the margin.
- Pull and torque test results for the attachment. This is what stops the magnet becoming a small part in the first place.
- The destination market and the date you need to ship. The August 2027 changeover means the test the factory runs depends on when the goods land, not only where.
Enquiries that name the magnet get a quotation that includes the right tests. Enquiries that do not get a quotation that looks cheaper and is not comparable.
Flechazo manufactures OEM/ODM plush toys to GB 6675, GB/T 9832 and GB 18383, with batch test reports and material declarations issued against each product specification. If your design includes a magnet, sound module or detachable component, tell us at the RFQ stage and the quotation will carry the correct test scope.