In general, a toy tester is someone who is hired to play with prototypes or new products in order to determine the viability of certain toys. A toy tester may test a product for safety in addition to looking for characteristics such as being fun and visually appealing. A toy manufacturer can hire a toy-testing company, which can provide additional services like certifying toys as safe according to certain international standards, depending on where the toy will be sold. In many cases, an individual toy tester, such as a parent, is not paid to test toys at home but is given the option of keeping the toys or being compensated for writing a review. Toys ranging from children’s toys to pet toys and even adult products have been tested.
Companies usually like to get feedback from potential customers before investing resources to produce a large quantity of a new toy. If they want to sell their toys in certain countries, they may need to have them certified to ensure that they meet international safety standards and import regulations. Toy manufacturing and marketing can be costly, so testing can help save money by soliciting customer feedback and ensuring the safety of a product before it is released.
A toy tester assesses toys based on criteria established by the manufacturer. Both children and adults are usually asked to record their findings, either by giving verbal feedback while playing with the toy or by writing a review later. Children may be brought into a laboratory as focus group members, where professionals observe them playing with toys and record their reactions. Toy testers can also work from home; for example, parents can evaluate their children’s toys by having them play with them and then observing and recording the results.
In the majority of cases, no specific qualifications are required to work as a professional toy tester. However, in addition to product knowledge, it is usually advantageous for that person to have some business or marketing experience. Someone looking for a job inspecting toys for safety may need some specialized knowledge or experience. One way to find toy tester jobs is to look on the websites of toy manufacturers. In addition to hiring professional testers, they often have information available for parents and other people looking for unpaid toy tester opportunities.