New Safety Rules for Infant and Cradle Swings Coming Soon

You might care about this because the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, is changing the safety rules for infant and cradle swings. This is a direct final rule, which means it will become law unless someone sends a significant negative comment. The rule updates the current safety standard by adopting a newer version from an organization called ASTM. This new standard is called ASTM F2088-25. The CPSC has to do this because of a law passed in 2008 called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. This act makes sure that durable infant and toddler products meet certain safety requirements. When an organization like ASTM updates its voluntary safety guidelines, the CPSC reviews them. If the CPSC does not reject the updated guidelines, they become the new mandatory safety standard. The main goal here is to make sure infant and cradle swings are as safe as possible for babies. The new standard will officially take effect on July 25, 2026, unless CPSC receives a significant adverse comment before May 20, 2026. What is particularly interesting about this update is how it improves safety by clarifying which products fall under which rules. The new standard, ASTM F2088-25, makes an important distinction for infant and cradle swings that can also be used in a still, non-rocking position for sleeping. Previously, there might have been some confusion about whether these still-position products were fully covered by the swing safety rules. Now, the new rule makes it clear that if a swing is used in a non-rocking position for sleeping, it must meet the safety standards for bassinets and cradles. These are known as ASTM F2194. This change is important because bassinets and cradles have specific safety requirements designed for safe infant sleep. By directing products used for sleep to the correct, more appropriate safety standard, the CPSC is helping to close a potential safety gap. This helps ensure that all products where an infant might sleep, even a swing in a still mode, are held to the highest safety standards for that purpose. This focus on clarifying the scope helps protect infants from potential hazards related to sleep environments. Parents and caregivers of young children would be very interested in this legal document. Anyone who uses or plans to buy an infant or cradle swing will want to understand these updated safety requirements. Manufacturers and designers of infant products are also a primary audience. They must ensure their products meet these new mandatory standards to be sold legally in the United States. Retailers who sell these swings also need to be aware of the updated rules to ensure they only stock compliant products. Child safety advocates and organizations focused on infant well-being would also find this information highly relevant. These groups often push for stricter safety measures and monitor regulatory changes like this one. Finally, legal professionals specializing in product liability or consumer law might also review these updates to understand the evolving regulatory context for infant products. Essentially, anyone involved in the creation, sale, or use of infant and cradle swings should pay attention to these changes.