EN 71 or EN 14619: Which Standard Applies to Kick Scooters and Balance Bikes?
Jacky, Sales & Marketing Director
Published
Balance bikes are toys in the EU, so they are tested to EN 71. Kick scooters can go either way. A scooter for riders under 20 kg is always a toy (EN 71). A scooter built for sport or for riding on roads and paths, for riders over 20 kg and under 100 kg, falls under EN 14619. Between 20 and 50 kg, the design and intended use decide.
We make both kinds in Yongkang and hold test reports for both. Below is how we decide which standard a model needs, with examples from our own reports.
The short answer
| Product | Europe | Rider weight |
|---|---|---|
| Balance bikes | EN 71-1, EN 71-2, EN 71-3 (toy safety); REACH | — |
| Toy kick scooters, for play | EN 71-1, EN 71-2, EN 71-3 | up to 50 kg |
| Kick scooters for sport or for riding on roads and paths, including stunt scooters | EN 14619 | over 20 kg, under 100 kg |
| Skateboards | EN 13613 (boards for children of 20 kg or less are toys: EN 71) | — |
Balance bikes: EN 71
A balance bike is a toy, so the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC applies and the bike carries a CE mark. The usual test package is:
- EN 71-1: mechanical and physical properties (strength, sharp edges, small parts, stability)
- EN 71-2: flammability
- EN 71-3: migration of certain elements (heavy metals in paint and plastics)
- REACH: restricted substances
EN 71-1 has a new edition. CEN released EN 71-1:2026 in January 2026. It rewrites the ride-on toy section and adds a definition for toy balance bikes, with new tests for handlebars, brakes, steering tubes and seat posts. When we checked on 9 November 2026, the EU list of harmonized toy standards still cited EN 71-1:2014+A1:2018, not the 2026 edition. For an order shipping in 2027, ask your supplier which edition the report uses.
Kick scooters: rider weight comes first
EN 14619 covers kick scooters propelled only by the rider, for a body mass over 20 kg and under 100 kg. It has two classes:
- Class A: riders over 20 kg, up to 100 kg
- Class B: riders over 20 kg, up to 50 kg, with a scooter height of 74 cm or less
Scooters for riders under 20 kg are outside EN 14619. They are toys and are tested to EN 71.
Between 20 and 50 kg, both kinds exist. A scooter can be a toy for play (EN 71) or sports equipment for roads and paths (EN 14619). The standard does not settle this by weight alone. Market authorities decide case by case, based on the design and how the product is presented and sold.
Examples from our test reports
The word "kids" in a product name does not decide the standard. The design load and intended use do.
| Model | Max rider weight / age (spec sheet) | Standard | Laboratory, date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HYDK206 | 50 kg, 3+ | EN 71-1, -2, -3 | TÜV Rheinland, 2025 |
| F3 | 50 kg | EN 71-1, -2, -3 | TÜV SÜD, 2021 |
| HYDK201 | 100 kg, 5+ | EN 14619:2019 Class A | Intertek and TÜV Rheinland, 2022 |
| HYDK009 | 100 kg | EN 14619:2019 Class A | TÜV Rheinland, 2025 |
| HYDS001 | 100 kg (stunt scooter) | EN 14619:2019 Class A | Intertek, 2020 |
HYDK201 is sold as a kids' scooter, but it is built for riders up to 100 kg, so we test it to EN 14619. HYDK206 is a toy scooter for children up to 50 kg, so it goes to EN 71.
What changes for the buyer
Toy scooters and balance bikes (EN 71)
- CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity under the Toy Safety Directive
- Toy warnings and age grading on the product and packaging
- Technical documentation kept by the manufacturer and available to the importer
Sport and stunt scooters (EN 14619)
- Not toys, so no CE marking under the Toy Safety Directive
- The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 applies: the product must be safe. We test our sport and stunt scooters to EN 14619 to show this
- EN 14619 has its own marking and user-information requirements (clauses 6 and 7)
Some of our EN 14619 reports, such as the ones for HYDK201, leave out clauses 6 and 7 because the buyer did not ask for them. These clauses cover the product marking and the user manual, which usually carry the buyer's own brand and language.
Keep the listing consistent with the test. A scooter tested as a toy should not be advertised for riding on roads or for tricks. A scooter tested to EN 14619 should not be presented as a toy for small children.
A new EU toy law from 2030
The EU published the Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on 12 December 2025. It applies from 1 August 2030 and replaces the Toy Safety Directive. It adds a digital product passport for every toy, among other changes. Toys placed on the market under the current Directive before that date can still be sold. For orders today, the Directive and the EN 71 reports above still apply.
How we handle it on an order
- You tell us the market and how the product will be sold (toy for play, or scooter for sport and roads).
- We confirm which tests the model needs and send the existing reports. The first page of each report is on our test reports page.
- If a report is older than the current edition, or your design changes the frame or wheels, we retest. We send samples to SGS, TÜV, Eurofins, Intertek, BV or a laboratory you choose.
Sources
- EN 14619:2019, Roller sports equipment – Kick scooters – Safety requirements and test methods (CEN), clause 1 and 4.2
- European Commission, Guidance Document No. 1 on the Toy Safety Directive: scooters (2016)
- SGS SafeGuardS 028/26: EN 71-1:2026 published
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety
- European Commission, Harmonised standards for toy safety
Jacky
Sales & Marketing Director, HYDO Sports
Jacky has led sales and marketing at HYDO Sports since 2014. He also oversees production and testing for all our balance bikes, scooters and skateboards.
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