Shark Tail Hooded Baby Sleeping Bag: OPSS Safety Report

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published a product safety report on 22 October 2026 about the Shark Tail Baby Sleeping Bag sold via Wish, a white and light blue hooded baby sleeping bag with a shark-themed design. The OPSS rated the risk as serious, saying the product "presents a serious risk of asphyxiation when used in a sleep space for babies". If you have this bag, or any hooded baby sleeping bag, stop using it for sleep.

What the OPSS report says about the Shark Tail baby sleeping bag

The gov.uk report (reference 2610-0064) lists the product as a baby sleeping bag in the "childcare articles and children's equipment" category. Key points, as stated by the OPSS:

• Hazard: a serious risk of asphyxiation when used in a sleep space for babies.
• Legal finding: the product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
• Action taken: the online marketplace removed the listing.
• Advice to owners: stop using the product immediately, keep it out of the reach of children, and contact the distributor you bought it from to request a refund or replacement.

The report doesn't give a country of origin, and the listing has been taken down, so a quick search for the product name may no longer find it. That doesn't mean copies aren't already in homes, which is why the check below matters.

Why a hood is the problem

This report follows the OPSS's wider Product Safety Alert on baby sleeping bags, published on 1 October 2026, which says to only buy or use a baby sleeping bag that has arm holes and no hood. The OPSS says it has published nearly 50 recalls or product safety reports on dangerous baby sleeping bags since 2023. Our full guide to the OPSS sleeping bag alert explains the two features it warns about.

The Lullaby Trust explains why head coverage matters: babies lose heat through their heads, so if a baby's head is covered they can overheat, and the charity says hats should be removed indoors. A hood on a sleeping bag works against that advice, because it puts fabric around and potentially over the head.

How to check a baby sleeping bag you already own

1. Look for a hood. If the bag has one, including a decorative one such as an animal or character hood, don't use it for sleep.
2. Check for arm holes. The OPSS alert says to only use a bag with arm holes. Bags without them are covered by the same warning.
3. Check the fit. The Lullaby Trust says a sleep bag should be well fitted around the neck and shoulders so the baby can't wriggle down inside, and that sizing goes by weight rather than age, so follow the manufacturer's guidance.
4. Look for the standard. The OPSS alert says it does not apply to bags that meet BS EN 16781:2018, the voluntary standard for children's sleep bags for use in a cot. A genuine, compliant bag should say so on the label or product listing.
5. Don't add blankets on top. The Lullaby Trust says that if you use a sleep bag you shouldn't add extra blankets over it, and that layering two 1.0 tog bags does not make a 2.0 tog bag.

Buying sleep products from online marketplaces

This is one of many OPSS reports on baby sleep products sold through online marketplaces in recent weeks. Our coverage of the warming baby sleep pillow toy report and the sleep wedge recall shows the same pattern. Practical habits that reduce the risk:

• Be wary of novelty designs (animal tails, hoods, ears) on sleep products. A plain, well-fitted bag is the safer choice.
• Check the product listing and label for BS EN 16781:2018 before you buy, rather than relying on star ratings.
• If you bought a sleep product that turns out to be unsafe, contact the seller. The OPSS says you may be entitled to redress under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 for products marketed for unsupervised sleep that fall short.

Keeping your baby comfortable without a hooded bag

The Lullaby Trust recommends keeping the room at 16 to 20°C, where a lightweight, well-fitting sleep bag or light bedding is comfortable. Check your baby's chest or the back of their neck for heat, since hands and feet are usually cooler. Our winter baby room temperature guide covers what to do as the nights get colder, and the safe sleep guide covers the rest of the cot setup: a firm, flat mattress, nothing else in the cot, and baby on their back.

If you're worried about a product you've already used, or your baby seemed unusually hot or hard to wake, call NHS 111 or your health visitor for advice. In an emergency, call 999.