Smart blinds and child safety in the UK
Short answer
Motorised blinds can remove the looped cords and chains that many manual blinds need, and that removes one known hazard in UK homes. It does not make a window covering risk-free. Manual overrides, charging leads, small parts and moving tracks all need the same care, and the UK blind safety standards are still relevant.
Which standards cover blind cords in the UK?
New blinds sold in the UK are normally designed to meet a set of standards for internal blinds that BSI publishes as BS EN versions of the European standards. BS EN 13120 is the base standard for internal blinds, and its child safety requirements were strengthened by an amendment in 2014. BS EN 16433 sets the test methods for checking strangulation protection, including break-away systems, while BS EN 16434 sets the requirements and test methods for the safety devices themselves.
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| BS EN 13120 | Base standard for internal blinds; safety rules strengthened in 2014 |
| BS EN 16433 | Test methods for strangulation protection, including break-away systems |
| BS EN 16434 | Requirements and test methods for cord safety devices |
In broad terms, the standards work as a ladder. First, design the blind so that no cord, chain or loop is within reach. If that is not possible, limit cord lengths, fit a break-away or tensioning device, and attach warning labels and fitting instructions.
Alongside the standards sits general product safety law. In Great Britain, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 require consumer products to be safe in normal or reasonably foreseeable use; Northern Ireland has followed EU Regulation 2023/988 since 13 December 2024. The rules may change, so check GOV.UK for the current position.
Blind safety standards were tightened in 2014 and apply to blinds made after they were published, so older blinds may lack child-safety features. A blind fitted before 2014 should be checked, not assumed to meet current design practice.
What changes when a blind is motorised?
The motor does the moving, so in normal use there is usually no pull cord or beaded side chain to operate, and the loop the standards target first is not needed. Control comes from a remote, a wall switch or an app. This removes one common hazard from the window.
That is where the change ends. A motorised blind is still an internal blind, so the same safety standards are relevant to it, and any cord, chain or wand that remains is still a hazard. A motor is not a safety device in itself.
What risks remain with motorised blinds?
Several risks remain, and some are easy to miss. Some motorised blinds keep a manual crank, wand or gearbox so they can still be moved if the power fails or the motor stops working, and any loose cord or chain left near a headrail can still form a loop within a child's reach. A motorised curtain track still has moving carriers, and some keep a pull cord or wand. Motor-drawn curtains can pinch or trap fingers resting on the fabric or the track.
Batteries bring their own hazards. Rechargeable packs need charging leads, and a lead trailing near a cot can be a strangulation hazard. Small batteries and connectors can choke if left within reach.
Remotes, brackets, magnets, spare clips and packaging can be small enough to swallow. A blind that closes on a schedule, or on a command from another room, can move while a child is at the window, and bottom rails and slats can knock or pinch.
None of this is a reason to avoid motorised blinds. It is a reason to fit and check them as carefully as any other window covering.
What checks can parents make?
Walk every room, including spare rooms and landings, and look for any loop of cord or chain. Move cots, beds, high chairs and anything climbable away from windows and controls. Watch each blind and curtain run its full travel, and note where it could pinch or knock at a child's height. Re-check the safety devices after decorating or cleaning, when they are often disturbed.
Look for
- Yes:Break-away and tensioning devices present, undamaged and secured as the instructions require
- Yes:Battery covers screwed or locked shut
- Yes:Remotes, chargers and battery packs stored out of reach
- Yes:Cots, beds and high chairs well away from windows and blind controls
Be wary of
- No:Any loop of cord or chain, including loose cords or chains left near a headrail
- No:Tensioners taped on, tied loosely or left hanging off the wall
- No:Charging leads trailing near a cot, bed or climbable furniture
- No:Small parts within reach, such as magnets, spare clips and packaging
What can we say about Stilba products?
Not much yet, and we would rather say so than guess. Stilba products are in development. We cannot yet state which standards the finished blinds will meet, how any manual override will work, or what safety devices will ship with them.
Our aim is to avoid operating cords wherever a motor makes them unnecessary, but no design has been tested yet. Until the finished blinds have been tested, we make no claims.
Frequently asked questions
Do motorised blinds still have cords or chains?
Some do. Models with a manual override for power or motor failure may keep a crank, wand or gearbox, and a few may keep a cord. Check the finished fitting, not the brochure.
Does removing cords remove the risk?
No. It removes one serious hazard. Batteries, charging leads, small parts and moving tracks still need managing around children.
Which standard should a new blind meet?
In the UK, blinds are normally designed to BS EN 13120, with any cord safety devices meeting BS EN 16434 where cords remain. Ask the supplier which standards the product was tested to.
Are older blinds covered by the standards?
Not in the same way. Blind safety standards were tightened in 2014 and apply to blinds made after they were published, so blinds fitted before then may lack child-safety features. Check them and fit a tidy, tensioner or cleat where needed.
When will Stilba publish its safety details?
When we have tested the finished products. Until then, we make no compliance claims about Stilba blinds.