CEN/TS 18296-2:2026: how to apply children’s anthropometric and strength data in designing and assessing products — from child seats and furniture to toys and personal protective equipment
On 5 October 2026 CEN announced the recently published Technical Specification CEN/TS 18296-2:2026 with guidance on the correct application of anthropometric and strength data of children in Europe. It accompanies the updated statistical data in CEN/TR 18296-1:2026 and helps translate measured body dimensions and strength values into practical design and assessment decisions.
- Full title: Ergonomics – Anthropometric and strength data of children in Europe – Part 2: Guidelines for the correct application of anthropometric and strength data (ICS group 13.180, ergonomics). The document provides guidelines for the correct application of children’s anthropometric and strength data; the updated statistical data it helps to apply were published in Part 1, the Technical Report CEN/TR 18296-1:2026.
- According to CEN, users previously had statistical tables but did not always receive guidance on how to interpret the values in a specific application. The specification links the data to application notes and a visual system of icons, distinguishes between core data, biological transfer data and interface transfer data, and the icons draw attention to factors that modify a measured value: posture, movement, clothing, protective equipment and contact with a product or technical environment.
- Applications named by CEN: products used by children, such as toys and children’s vehicles, as well as furniture, bedding, school equipment, pushchairs, child restraint systems, personal protective equipment, footwear, technical medical products and the design of public or built environments. The document is intended to give designers, manufacturers, testing bodies and standards developers a common basis — among others when selecting body dimensions, percentiles and strength data, in computer-aided design, digital human models and product testing.
- According to CEN, better interpretation of the data can improve the consistency and quality of product assessment and comparative testing. An example from the announcement: when designing a child seat, dimensions measured in a standardised posture may change when the child is seated, allowances may be needed for clothing or protective equipment, and contact with the seat can compress or displace soft tissue and change the effective dimensions.