Toddler Ghost Costume Safety Report: Cord and Bag Risk

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has published a safety report on a toddler ghost costume sold via Amazon, rating the risk as serious because of a strangulation hazard from a cord and a suffocation hazard from a thin plastic bag. Amazon has removed the listing. If you've bought a cheap ghost costume for Halloween, here is what the report says, how to check yours and what to do.

What the OPSS report says

According to OPSS product safety report 2609-0106, published on 13 October 2026, the product is the QhgPnt Toddler Ghost Costume (Amazon ASIN B0HBBWM2B8). It is a white fabric ghost costume supplied in a plastic bag labelled "80CM", plus a separate cord with a plastic hook on each end and a toggle for adjusting the length around the head.

OPSS found two hazards and rated the risk serious:

• Strangulation: the costume is marketed as suitable for toddlers, but the cord exceeds the permitted length for young children's products and could tangle or wrap around a child's neck.
• Asphyxiation: the thickness of the plastic bag measured below the minimum permitted.

The report also notes that some required documentation and markings were missing, and that the product does not meet the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. The report doesn't give the exact permitted cord length or bag thickness, so we haven't either. The listing was removed by the online marketplace, and the report was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards.

What to do if you have this costume

OPSS's advice for owners is to stop using the product immediately, keep it out of children's reach, and contact the retailer or supplier for a replacement or refund. In practice:

1. Check the listing name and ASIN in your Amazon order history against the details above.
2. Take the cord off and bin the plastic bag straight away, whether or not it's the exact product. Keep both away from babies and toddlers, who can pull a bag over their face in seconds.
3. Don't dress your toddler in it until you've sorted a refund or replacement.
4. Ask for a refund through Amazon or the seller.

This isn't a one-off: OPSS has tested costumes before

In its children's Halloween costume warning, OPSS reported that it tested 128 costumes bought from online marketplaces and that more than 80% failed. Head and neck cords were a particular problem: under the BS EN 14682 cord standard, 61 of 74 tested items failed. OPSS also said 28 of the 128 costumes failed flammability checks and 98 failed labelling checks. It was clear the products were picked for low price, poor reviews and apparent low quality, so the results are not a national estimate. Even so, the pattern is a good reason to be wary of very cheap marketplace costumes.

OPSS's own advice is to buy costumes from trusted sources and to take care around fires, particularly open flames. Our Halloween and Bonfire Night safety guide covers the full costume checklist and burns first aid.

A quick costume check before your toddler wears it

Check	What to look for
Cords and ties	Remove or avoid long cords, drawstrings and ties at the head or neck. OPSS flags head and neck cords as a strangulation hazard.
Plastic packaging	Throw bags away immediately. A thin bag was one of the two hazards in this report.
Labelling	Look for a supplier name and address, age information and warnings. Missing markings were noted in this report and failed in many of the OPSS tested costumes.
Fit	Avoid anything that trails on the floor or covers the face. A sheet-style ghost costume with no cord can still trip a new walker.
Source	Buy from a retailer you recognise and check the OPSS recalls list for the product name.

The fit and trip-hazard tips are our own common-sense suggestions rather than OPSS findings. The cord, packaging and labelling points come from the reports above.

Safer alternatives to a bought ghost costume

A ghost is one of the easiest costumes to make at home. A plain white cotton pillowcase or an old, light sheet with eyeholes you've cut and hemmed does the job with no cord at all. If you do make one, check that it sits clear of the face and doesn't drag on the floor, and keep the plastic bag from any bought material away from your toddler. A ghost costume is also easy to wear over normal clothes in cold weather, which suits a toddler better than a bulky padded outfit. For why a thick layer isn't ideal under a coat, see our guide to baby winter coats and car seats.

Other child-product reports published the same day

OPSS published several child-related entries on 13 October 2026. One is a product safety report on a baby electric soothing sleep pillow, a bear-shaped pillow with a patting function sold via AliExpress, which OPSS says presents a serious risk of asphyxiation when used in a baby's sleep space. We explain why pillows and soft items don't belong in a baby's cot in our baby sleep pillow safety report round-up. A plush caterpillar toy report was published the same day, covered in our plush toy safety guide.

How to check any product before you buy

• Search the OPSS product safety alerts, reports and recalls list by product name.
• Read our explainer on toy safety standards and what the marks mean.
• Be extra careful with second-hand items too; see buying second-hand baby gear safely.
• Tidy away packaging as part of baby-proofing your home.

The bottom line

If you've bought the QhgPnt Toddler Ghost Costume, stop using it, remove the cord, bin the plastic bag and ask for a refund. For any Halloween costume, avoid long head and neck cords, throw packaging away, check the labelling and buy from sellers you trust.