Wooden toys are very popular with young and old. If you are a designer or work in the manufacture of wooden toys, you will surely be familiar with the toy standard. In this article, we present the characteristics of this standard for wooden toys. It is demanding and precisely characterises the good quality of the finishing product for wooden toys.
WHAT IS THE TOY STANDARD ?
THE PURPOSE OF THE TOY STANDARD
The toy standard found on certain protective products for wooden toys refers to the EN 71-3 standard on toy safety. This is a toy safety standard for manufacturers. This standard enables the assessment of the migration of certain heavy metals which could be toxic for a child when he handles the toy or puts it in his mouth (licking, prolonged contact with the skin, ingestion...). Certain finishes for wooden toys may indeed contain substances prohibited by the toy standard, often to maximise the properties of the product (better resistance, improved drying ability, colouring...).
THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TOY STANDARD EN 71-3
The toy standard is awarded by an independent laboratory to products that meet certain conditions. To carry out its test, the laboratory will dissolve the film of the wooden toy finish and measure the level of toxic substances. Various elements are analysed such as chromium, lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminium and many others. Carcinogenic substances of category 1A (substance with proven carcinogenic potential) and category 1B (substance with suspected carcinogenic potential) are also investigated and banned to obtain the toy standard EN 71-3. Finally, allergenic substances must be below a certain threshold.
The EN 71-3 standard ensures that protective products for wooden toys are of high quality and safe for children. As wood is a natural material, it is important to protect wooden toys with healthy products.
WHICH FINISH FOR WOODEN TOYS?
VARNISHES TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL APPEARANCE OF THE WOODEN TOY
The application of a wooden toy finish is not mandatory. If you wish, you can leave the wooden toy untreated. This allows the natural appearance of the wood to be favoured. However, over time the toy may become damaged and blackened by children's hands. As a manufacturer of wooden toys, it is probably the natural appearance of the material that interests you. For this reason, we do not recommend wood paints. These products make the surface opaque and lose its natural appearance. The grain of the wood is no longer visible. Wooden toy paints are often used when the quality of the wood is poor, as manufacturers then wish to mask the defects of the wood with paint.
Wooden toy varnishes preserve the natural appearance of the material while protecting it. They are often used by wooden toy manufacturers who wish to enhance the essence of the wood. Varnishes form a protective layer on the surface of the wooden toy, protecting it from physical and mechanical aggression (stains, blows, shocks, etc.).
OUR RANGE OF VARNISHES: NON-TOXIC WOOD VARNISHES
It is important to choose a toy standard wood varnish. Indeed, to create resistant varnishes, some manufacturers may add resins or toxic compounds that would not comply with the toy standard presented. The varnishes in the Anova Bois range have the EN 71-3 toy standard. Mainly intended for the protection of wooden furniture (tables, furniture), they can very well be used as non-toxic varnishes for wooden toys. Non-yellowing, they will allow you to preserve the natural colour of the wood. For a colourless finish, we recommend Furniture Varnish VM500. To protect and tint wooden toys, we recommend Colour Wood Varnish VBC500. These varnishes are very suitable for creating wooden games or for varnishing a cot for example.
