Five EN 71-1 Failures on a Kids' Scooter, and the One That Came After It Passed

Jacky, Sales & Marketing Director

Published 13 Nov 2026

HYDK206 is our folding two-wheel kick scooter for young children. In September 2024 its first sample failed five points of EN 71-1 at Intertek. We fixed all five, and the scooter passed in October 2024.

Then customs found a problem in the first production order. When the scooters were cleared at import, customs took samples and sent them for testing. A plastic stopper at the folding joint had been mounted slightly off position, which left a gap of 5 to 12 mm. EN 71-1 does not allow that size, because a child's finger can be trapped. We refunded the order in full and paid for the scooters to be destroyed.

Here is each failure, what we changed, and what we learned about the step between a passed sample and a compliant shipment.

Where HYDK206 came from

A customer was selling our HYDK201, a two-wheel scooter for children aged 6 to 9. HYDK201 is built for riders up to 100 kg, so we test it to EN 14619 (see EN 71 or EN 14619?). The customer wanted a smaller model for ages 4 to 6.

We based HYDK206 on HYDK201. For a 4–6 year old the scooter is a toy, so it has to meet EN 71-1. To keep the price down, we also changed the folding mechanism to our basic one. We knew the new folding joint left a gap, so we added a plastic stopper to close it.

Five failures on the first sample, and the fixes

Intertek Wuxi tested the first sample in September 2024 for children aged 4 to 6. EN 71-2 (flammability) passed. EN 71-1 failed on five points:

#	What failed	The requirement	What we changed
1	Gaps between the wheels and the forks	On a toy that carries a child and has a folding or sliding mechanism, a gap that admits a 5 mm rod must also admit a 12 mm rod.	Moved the front and rear wheels closer to their forks, so the gaps are under 5 mm.
2	The hole for the spring button	An accessible opening in a moving part that could cut a finger must not admit a 5 mm rod.	Reduced the hole to 4.7 mm.
3	Steering tube	In the steering tube strength test, the locking device must not fail or come loose.	Fitted a thicker clamp and added a bushing inside the stem tube, so the clamp locks the T-bar tight.
4	Handlebar ends	The ends of toy scooter handlebars must be at least 40 mm in diameter.	New grips with ends over 40 mm.
5	Warning	A toy scooter for children up to 50 kg must carry the warning: "Protective equipment should be worn. Not to be used in traffic. 50 kg max."	Corrected the warning label.

5 mm test rod held against the spring button hole on the stem of an HYDK206 kick scooter — Fix 2: after the hole was reduced to 4.7 mm, the 5 mm rod does not go in.

Thicker black quick-release clamp on the stem of an HYDK206 kick scooter, with a bushing at the top of the stem tube — Fix 3: a thicker clamp, with a bushing inside the stem tube.

Digital caliper measuring the end of an HYDK206 handlebar grip at 42.55 mm — Fix 4: the new grip end measures 42.55 mm, above the 40 mm minimum.

Points 1 and 2 are the finger rule. Under 5 mm, a finger cannot go in. Over 12 mm, a finger that goes in can come out. Between 5 and 12 mm, it goes in and can be trapped when the parts move.

The retest sample went in on 29 October 2024. The next day Intertek issued a report with EN 71-1, EN 71-2 and EN 71-3 passed.

The failure after the pass

A test report covers the sample that was tested. In mass production, the plastic stopper at the folding joint ended up slightly away from where it sat on the sample. On the shipped scooters the folding gap was more than 5 mm and less than 12 mm: exactly what the stopper was there to prevent.

5 mm test rod inserted into the gap at the folding joint of an HYDK206 kick scooter — Customs laboratory test of a production unit: the 5 mm rod enters the gap at the folding joint.

Customs found it. At import clearance they took samples from the shipment and had them tested. A gap in the frame cannot be fixed with a label or a manual, and the scooters could not be reworked. They could not be sold. We refunded the full order and paid for the scooters to be destroyed.

What we changed

The stopper sat correctly on the sample and slightly off on production units. So the fix had to work for every unit we assemble, not just for a careful sample. We moved the stopper's mounting hole slightly lower. With the hole in the new position, the folding gap stays under 5 mm, even with the normal small differences between one assembled scooter and the next.

Test rod in the gap under the black plastic stopper at the folding joint of a green HYDK206 kick scooter — Before: the gap under the plastic stopper at the folding joint.

Test rod against the lowered black plastic stopper at the folding joint of a blue HYDK206 kick scooter — After moving the mounting hole lower: the gap under the stopper stays under 5 mm.

5 mm test rod stopped at the folding joint of an HYDK206 kick scooter after the fix — After the fix: the 5 mm rod does not enter the folding joint.

HYDK206 was tested again by TÜV Rheinland in February 2025 to EN 71-1, EN 71-2 and EN 71-3 (report 304117530a 001). That sample already had the stopper in the new position. The first page of the report is on our test reports page.

Two rules came out of this:

When a customer change touches the structure of a product, or its target age, we review the design against the target standard again before we approve the pre-production sample. A change of target age can move a scooter from EN 14619 to EN 71.
For any part that brings a gap within limits, such as a stopper or a cover, we check whether it still works if it is assembled slightly off. If it only works in the exact position, we change the design.

If you are ordering a custom version

Tell us every change you want at the quotation stage, including a different target age.
If the change touches a moving part, ask how the gaps were checked, on the sample and on production units.
Check whether the existing test report still covers your version. If the structure or the target age changed, an older report does not show that the new version complies.
Ask which parts keep the product within limits, and what happens if one of them is fitted slightly off. Customs and market authorities test units from the shipment, not the sample that passed.

Get a quote

Sources

EN 71-1:2014+A1:2018, Safety of toys – Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties (CEN)
Intertek Testing Services Wuxi, test result notice SHJ1733841 (2024-09-09) and test report SHAH01733841 (2024-10-30), HYDK206, applicant HYDO Sports
TÜV Rheinland test report 304117530a 001, HYDK206, 2025-02-28 (first page on our test reports page)

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.