Buying clothing and accessories online
More people in Canada are choosing to shop online for clothes, footwear and accessories. It's a great way to shop for deals, but there are safety considerations to be aware of.
On this page
- General safety tips
- Heated clothing and accessories
- Children's clothing
- Children's jewellery
- Children's costumes
- Stay informed
General safety tips
Check for recalls
Clothing can be recalled in Canada for a variety of reasons, such as:
- failure to meet flammability requirements
- excessive amounts of lead or other chemicals
- the presence of drawstrings on children's clothing
- small parts releasing from young children's clothing
Before you add something to your online cart, it's important to check if it's been recalled.
Wash before you wear
It is a good idea to wash new clothes before wearing them.
- Clothing may be treated with chemicals for various reasons when they are manufactured.
- Clothes can pick up dust or dirt during shipping.
Washing clothes before wearing them can help reduce your contact with chemicals, dust and dirt, and may reduce your risk of skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Watch out for counterfeit clothing
Clothing is one of the types of products more likely to be counterfeited. Counterfeit clothing may not comply with safety requirements, be low quality and may pose health concerns from hazardous chemicals and heavy metals.
If the deal seems too good to be true, it could be a sign of a counterfeit item.
- Buy from a seller that you trust.
- Make sure the seller is clearly identified and that you can contact them if you have an issue with the product.
- Look for spelling mistakes in the product advertisement. Compare the advertisement against the manufacturer's website's description of the item.
- Check for reviews and overall ratings from customers.
- If there are none, or very few reviews, don't take a chance. Learn how to spot a five-star fake out, and how to report fake reviews.
Heated clothing and accessories
Be aware that heated clothing and accessories (such as jackets, vests, gloves and socks) may be powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. These products may pose a burn or fire hazard if used improperly.
Reduce the risk of injury:
- Use the battery and charger that came with the product. Contact the original manufacturer or product retailer if you need a replacement battery or charger.
- Don't leave products to charge unattended and remove or unplug them from the charger once they are fully charged.
- Turn off products when they are not in use. Check regularly for signs of damage and don't use products with exposed wires, frayed cords, or swollen or dented batteries.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for safe use, cleaning and storage.
- Choose products that are certified by a recognized Canadian safety certification body (such as CSA, cUL or cETL).
Learn more about lithium-ion battery safety.
Children's clothing
Whether buying new or used children's clothing online, there are important safety tips to keep in mind.
Buttons, snaps and zipper pulls
Be aware that small parts can sometimes come loose from clothing or shoes and become a choking or aspiration risk to young children. Since you can't examine clothing bought online, buy from sellers you trust to make quality items.
After purchase, check clothing regularly for loose or missing parts.
Children's clothing with drawstrings, cords or ties
Drawstrings, cords or ties that can detach from clothing can be a strangulation risk for children. Drawstrings in the hood or neck area can get caught on playground equipment, fences, furniture or other objects and put a child at risk of being strangled.
- Check that clothing items like hoodies, jackets and snowsuits don't have drawstrings in the hood or neck area before buying them.
- If your online purchase arrives and it includes a drawstring in the hood or neck area, remove it before your child wears the clothing.
- Look for jackets and snowsuits with easily detachable hoods, like those with Velcro, so that they release if caught on something.
Drawstrings at the waist and bottom of jackets and hoodies can also be a risk. For example, drawstrings can catch in a car door and a child can get dragged by a moving vehicle.
Keep drawstrings at the waist short. They should be 7.6 centimetres (3 inches) or less.
- Make sure they are free of knots or toggles at the ends, as these can catch more easily.
- Check that the waist drawstring is securely stitched to the clothing.
The safest option is to choose children's clothing without drawstrings or cords.
Children's scarves and mittens with strings
Leave scarves and mittens with strings out of your online shopping cart. Just like drawstrings, these clothing items pose a strangulation risk.
- Look for a neck warmer instead to keep your child warm in winter.
- If you're worried about your child losing their mittens, choose mitten clips instead of strings.
Flashing or light-up clothing or shoes
Be aware that flashing or light-up clothing or shoes may be powered by button batteries. These tiny batteries can be very harmful if swallowed.
- Look for product pictures showing the battery is in a secure compartment that children can't access.
- Double check the compartment once the clothing or shoes arrive and continue to check it regularly.
- When replacing button batteries, make sure that used batteries are discarded right away.
- Check with your municipality on how to safely dispose of your button batteries. Even used or expired batteries can cause life-threatening injuries.
Children's sleepwear
For sleep time, your child is safest when dressed in sleepwear. Children's sleepwear has different flammability requirements than children's daywear.
Learn more about children's sleepwear safety.
Children's jewellery
Be a smart shopper when purchasing children's jewellery online:
- Buy from reputable online retailers and sites. Ask the seller whether the jewellery complies with Canadian regulations.
- Don't give jewellery to children under the age of three. Small parts on jewellery can be a choking hazard.
- Never purchase or give adult jewellery to children. In Canada, children's jewellery is not allowed to contain harmful levels of lead or cadmium. Chewing or swallowing jewellery containing lead or cadmium can be very harmful to children's health.
- When buying children's necklaces, consider buying ones with a break-away feature to reduce the risk of strangulation.
- If buying light-up jewellery, make sure it has a battery compartment that screws shut.
Learn more about Children's jewellery safety.
Children's costumes
In Canada, children's costumes have been recalled for:
- failing to meet flammability requirements
- chemical hazards
- failure to secure button batteries
Be sure to check on the safety of the costume you want to buy before checking out.
Learn more about Halloween safety and choosing the right costume.
Stay Informed
For further information:
- Visit the resources below.
- Check for product recalls. If you have questions, contact the manufacturer.
- Subscribe to our electronic newsletter to receive the latest news and information about product advisories, warnings, safety tips, notice of webinars or consultations.
- Contact Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety Program. Please use our General Enquiries Form or call us at 1-866-662-0666 (toll-free within Canada and the United States).
You can also report an incident involving consumer products. Reporting injuries, near misses and safety concerns is easy and could save lives.