As consumers, we understand the importance of quality and safety, especially when purchasing products designed for creative expression, like colored pencils. In this blog post, we'll delve into three popular brands: Crayola, Amazon Basics, and Soucolor. We'll examine their product quality, safety measures, and relevant certification details.
Crayola Colored Pencil Set
A household name in art supplies, Crayola’s Colored Pencil Set offers 36 vibrant, creamy pencil colors. The pencils are designed to be durable with presharpened tips, and the soft cores don't break easily, enhancing their longevity.
Being safe and non-toxic, they are suitable for kids ages 5 and up. This aligns with Crayola's commitment to sustainable, safe products. They ensure their colored pencils are made from wood sourced from well-managed forests, not tropical rainforests or endangered species habitats. However, it's essential to note that this product information doesn't explicitly mention any quality certificates or quality test reports.
Amazon Basics Premium Colored Pencils
Amazon Basics' colored pencils are artist-quality, boasting soft lead for rich pigment and smooth application. The set contains 24 premium colored pencils in a tin storage case with a built-in tray for organization and protection.
One crucial certification these pencils conform to is ASTM D4236. ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards. The D4236 standard signifies that the product has been assessed for potential chronic health hazards and is properly labeled for safe use.
Soucolor 72-Color Colored Pencils
Soucolor offers an expansive 72-color set, promising soft leads that are easy to sharpen and resistant to breaking, cracking, or crumbling. The set comes with a pencil eco-friendly tube for easy storage and visibility.
Soucolor pencils have the safety certificate EN71. The EN71 is a set of European Product Safety standard that applies to all toys sold in the European Union. It encompasses a variety of safety aspects, including mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. While these colored pencils are made in China, they comply with this important European safety standard, making them a safe choice.
Understanding quality and safety certifications like ASTM D4236 and EN71 can give consumers peace of mind when choosing the right colored pencils. While Crayola doesn't explicitly mention any such certifications, their longstanding reputation and commitment to sustainable practices attest to their product safety and quality.
Additional Explanation of Quality Certification & Test Information
ASTM D4236 and EN71 are widely recognized safety standards for products. Here's a brief explanation of both:
ASTM D4236: This standard is developed by ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials), an international organization that develops and publishes technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. Specifically, ASTM D4236 pertains to art materials, and it means the products have been evaluated by a qualified toxicologist for any potential acute or chronic health hazards. It requires clear labeling for safe use, especially if the use of the product involves any potential risk. Many art supplies like paints, markers, and colored pencils comply with ASTM D4236 to ensure they are safe for intended users, including children.
EN71: The EN71 standard is a European product safety standard that applies to all toys sold within the European Union. It is developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), which ensures that the products comply with the essential requirements of the European Toy Safety Directive. EN71 encompasses several parts, each focusing on a specific aspect of toy safety:
Part 1: Mechanical and physical properties
Part 2: Flammability
Part 3: Migration of certain elements (like heavy metals in materials)
Part 4: Experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
Part 5: Chemical toys (sets) other than experimental sets
Part 6: Graphical symbol for age warning labeling
Part 7: Finger paints
Part 8: Activity toys
Part 9: Organic chemical compounds
Part 10: Organic chemical compounds – Sample preparation and extraction
Part 11: Organic chemical compounds – Methods of analysis
Part 12: N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatable substances
Part 13: Olfactory board games, cosmetic kits and gustative games
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