The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has opened a public review of updated safety standards for infant cradles, swings, and portable hook-on chairs, with comments accepted until 12 February 2026. While the rulemaking formally applies to finished baby products, its impact will extend directly and materially into the textile supply chain.
At the core of the review are revised ASTM standards — ASTM International F2088-25 and F1235-25 — which are expected to tighten performance and safety criteria. For textile mills, converters, and trim suppliers, this could translate into higher expectations around:
- Fabric tensile and tear strength
- Seam and stitch integrity under load
- Durability after repeated use and laundering
- Flammability performance
- Secure attachment of labels, slings, and harness textiles
Once adopted, ASTM infant safety standards are typically incorporated by reference into mandatory CPSC regulations, effectively shifting compliance responsibility upstream. U.S. brands and importers are therefore likely to require updated test reports, revised technical specifications, and enhanced traceability documentation from textile suppliers.
For exporters supplying fabrics, padding, webbings, and covers used in infant and toddler products, the risks of inaction are non-trivial: shipment holds, order rejections, liability exposure, or recalls.
Strategic takeaway for textile suppliers:
This consultation period is an early warning window. Suppliers should proactively audit infant-use materials, align testing protocols with draft ASTM revisions, and engage buyers now—before standards move from consultation to enforcement. Early compliance readiness will be a competitive advantage as U.S. buyers tighten sourcing requirements in sensitive child-safety categories.
