Release Date: August 21, 2025
Release Number: 25-443
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a consumer product safety standard for water bead toys, reflecting the agency’s ongoing commitment to protecting vulnerable consumers and preventing avoidable tragedies in American homes. The new rule is aimed at reducing the risk of injury or death associated with children ingesting, inserting into their ear or nose, or aspirating or choking on water bead toys. The vote was 2 to 0.
A water bead is defined as a “various shaped liquid absorbent polymer, composed of materials such as, but not limited to, polyacrylamide and polyacrylate, which expands when soaked in liquid.”
The new rule:
- Sets a maximum expansion size limit for water bead toys to prevent them from becoming large enough to cause blockages if ingested, and other injuries if inserted into an ear or nose; or aspirated.
- Establishes limits on the amount of allowable acrylamide to reduce toxicity risks.
- Requires strongly worded, easily seen warning labels to caution consumers.
“China has flooded our market with hazardous water bead toys that have already cost lives,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “CPSC will intervene when the evidence is clear, and the danger is real. This standard will make a meaningful difference in protecting young children.”
From 2017 to 2022, an estimated 6,300 water bead-related ingestion injuries were treated in U.S. emergency departments. There was at least one reported death of a 10-month-old girl in 2023 due to water bead ingestion.
The new standard reflects CPSC’s ongoing commitment to protecting vulnerable consumers and preventing avoidable tragedies in American homes. The rule takes effect 90 days after publication in the Federal Register.
CPSC Recommended Safety Tips:
- Remove water beads from any environment where young children may be present.
- Store water beads in a secure container and location where young children cannot easily access them.
- Do not allow children to play with water beads unsupervised.
- If toy contains water beads such as a ball filled with water beads, discard the product if beads start to come out.
- Water beads can easily scatter, roll, and become lost. After use, clean the area and remove any beads that may have rolled away.
- Remember, some water bead products are not marketed as children’s toys and fall outside the scope of this rule. Keep these products out of spaces where children live or play.
Additional Resources:
Water Beads – Education Center
Poison Prevention – Education Center
Toy Safety Business Guidance | CPSC.gov
