Amazon, eBay, Wish, and AliExpress are selling electric blankets that are poorly made, with some posing a “serious safety risk” to consumers, according to an investigation by Which?.

Electric blankets have grown in popularity during the the cost-of-living crisis as people look to reduce spending on central heating.

The consumer organisation did tests which found that nine out of 11 electric blankets, throws, and shawls it bought from third-party sellers on the four online marketplaces should not be sold legally in the UK because they are poorly made or have problems with packaging, markings, or instructions.

Three of the electric goods, all sold by AliExpress, posed a “potential electric shock hazard”, said Which?.

AliExpress said that as a third-party marketplace it does not take custody of the goods being sold. It added that the items identified by the investigation have been removed from the site.

“Electric blankets have surged in popularity as people look to save money during the cost of living crisis, but our latest research shows that buying these products cheaply on online marketplaces can put your safety at risk,” said Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy. “The government must urgently act to give online marketplaces greater legal responsibility for unsafe and illegal products sold on their sites so that consumers are no longer put at unnecessary risk of harm.”

Amazon, eBay and Wish say that safety is a priority and that they take safety seriously. Each of nine products have now been removed across all four online marketplaces.

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