Entertainment Standards: October 2025 Monthly Overview

Looking back at October 2025, the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports sector witnessed the publication of five critical standards—four consolidated and updated versions of IEC 60335-1:2020 and one focused on fabric steamers (IEC 60335-2-85:2022). These standards collectively raised the bar for electrical appliance safety, addressed emerging technological risks, and reinforced harmonization in safety protocols for both domestic and commercial environments. For industry professionals, quality managers, and compliance teams, this overview provides essential context, comparative analysis, and targeted guidance to ensure no recent regulatory advances are overlooked.

Monthly Overview: October 2025

October 2025 marked a significant period for standardization in electrical safety within the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports sector. The month's standards concentrated on general and product-specific safety requirements for household and similar electrical appliances. The updated editions of IEC 60335-1:2020 underscore the IEC’s commitment to keeping pace with rapid technological evolutions—particularly around electrical safety, battery integration, and performance in abnormal environments. The publication cadence for IEC 60335-1 reflects its centrality in the regulatory ecosystem, while the update to the fabric steamer standard signals an attentiveness to growing niches within the consumer appliance space.

These standards collectively point to a broader industry trend: an increasingly complex and interconnected domestic appliance landscape, with novel power sources (such as metal-ion batteries) and a higher degree of user accessibility. Safety, therefore, is no longer static—with new hazards and user expectations, these standards represent a deliberate move to futureproof both compliance and consumer welfare.

Standards Published This Month

IEC 60335-1:2020 – General Requirements for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements

In its sixth edition, IEC 60335-1:2020 solidifies itself as the foundational safety standard for electrical household and similar appliances, addressing appliances with rated voltages up to 250 V for single-phase units and up to 480 V for others, including DC and battery-driven models. Covering everything from protection against live parts to constructional durability and abnormal operation, this standard sets forth comprehensive requirements designed to prevent electrical, mechanical, and thermal hazards in normal and foreseeable use.

This edition is notable for its extensive technical revisions and realignment with contemporary safety needs:

• Updated normative references: Ensures harmonization with the most current international requirements.
• Conversion of notes to normative text: Enhances legal and technical clarity.
• Expanded battery considerations: Incorporates detailed provisions for metal-ion batteries, addressing charging, mechanical shock, and vibration resistance.
• Clarification of testing and measurement: Refines requirements for power input, current, and mechanical strength testing, particularly for appliances with newer design elements.

Stakeholders affected include appliance manufacturers, certification bodies, procurement teams, and safety engineers across a wide spectrum of domestic, commercial, and light industrial domains. The standard also aligns closely with national health, labor protection, and water supply authorities’ requirements, providing a robust foundation for global market access.

Key highlights:

• Coverage expanded to appliances with metal-ion and battery systems
• Refinement of durability and moisture resistance criteria for cord reels and socket-integrated units
• Greater emphasis on normative over advisory text for enforceability and uniformity

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-1:2020 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-1:2020 – General Requirements for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances (Reiteration for Emphasis)

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements

Given multiple consolidated and amended versions released, this overview reiterates key updates:

• Alignment with battery testing protocols: Follows UN transport recommendations and IEC 62281 for large (>12 kg) battery systems, ensuring global consistency in lithium battery safety testing.
• Clarification for detachable power supplies: Addresses interpretation regarding subclause 24.2, ensuring flexible and safe power supply configurations without ambiguity.
• Enhanced mechanical strength protocols: Specific guidance for appliances with integral pins, supporting compliance for plug-in units.

The interpretive sheets and amendments included in the 2025 release are critical for product development teams, ensuring that emerging technologies do not generate compliance gaps due to evolving appliance architectures.

Key highlights:

• Integration of international lithium battery testing requirements
• Interpretation guidance for complex appliance configurations
• Specific mechanical, electrical, and environmental testing enhancements

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-1:2020 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-1:2020 – General Requirements for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances (2025 Amendment)

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements

October 2025’s consolidated edition incorporates Amendment 1, further refining the application of safety provisions to modern appliances. Of particular note are:

• Renewed focus on representative test periods: ‘Annex S’ delivers detailed guidance on measuring power input and current during variable operating cycles, vital for accuracy in energy and safety labeling.
• Expanded normative requirements for software evaluation (Annex R): Recognizes the integral role of embedded software in safety-critical appliance functions.
• Broader definitions and clarifications: Tightens scope boundaries and ensures consistent application across a diverse appliance base.

Industry professionals responsible for testing, quality control, and certification will find this amendment essential for uniform application and for preventing regulatory non-conformities in a global marketplace increasingly concerned with energy efficiency and battery safety.

Key highlights:

• Structured guidance for real-world power and current measurement
• Expanded software safety evaluation criteria
• Harmonized implementation for global trade and certification

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-1:2020 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-1:2020 – General Requirements for Household and Similar Electrical Appliances (Commented Version Reference)

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 1: General requirements

The commented versions and interpretation sheets provide essential clarification on the application of the standard:

• Application scope adjustments: Confirms exceptions for industrial, medical, and specific tool categories, supporting compliance for complex, multi-function devices.
• Detailed test routines for battery appliances: Clarifies testing logic for modern lithium-ion and hybrid appliances.
• Structured transition to updated requirements: Guidance for implementation timelines supports smooth migration for manufacturers re-certifying legacy equipment.

For compliance officers and product certification bodies, these clarifications ensure that ambiguities around device categorization or testing standards do not hinder market access or safety certification.

Key highlights:

• Scope and category clarification for multi-domain appliances
• Testing protocol upgrades for lithium-ion and battery-powered products
• Transition guidelines for legacy product recertification

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-1:2020 on iTeh Standards

IEC 60335-2-85:2022 – Particular Requirements for Fabric Steamers

Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-85: Particular requirements for fabric steamers

This product-specific standard complements IEC 60335-1 by addressing the unique safety challenges of electric fabric steamers, including both domestic and commercial uses (e.g., shops and laundries). It covers devices up to 250 V AC (or DC/battery equivalent), taking account of hazards particular to steam generation, such as pressurization, scalding, and moisture ingress.

The third edition introduces significant technical changes:

• Alignment with IEC 60335-1:2020: Ensures consistency and avoids contradictory requirements for manufacturers producing a range of appliance types.
• Normative text conversion: Moves previously advisory safety notes into fully enforceable requirements, reducing ambiguity.
• Inclusion of pressurized steamers: Addresses hazards unique to newer, higher-pressure designs found in both commercial and high-end consumer settings.

Target users include appliance manufacturers (domestic and commercial), safety labs, and retailers, particularly those dealing with garment care appliances. The revised requirements underscore the growing prevalence of high-powered steam appliances and the necessity for rigorous electrical and mechanical safety provisions.

Key highlights:

• Stringent safety requirements for both atmospheric and pressurized fabric steamers
• Harmonized test protocols for household and commercial use
• Formal adoption of previously advisory notes as required safety practices

Access the full standard:View IEC 60335-2-85:2022 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Several patterns emerge from October 2025’s standardization activity:

• Battery and Energy Safety: Multiple editions and amendments to IEC 60335-1 highlight the centrality of battery system safety—especially lithium and metal-ion chemistries. Test protocols now explicitly reference international transport requirements for large, stationary, or high-capacity batteries.
• Clarification and Harmonization: Across the board, there is a movement from advisory guidance (notes) to binding requirements (normative text), providing global uniformity and certainty.
• Product-Specific Safety: The update to IEC 60335-2-85 demonstrates how industry is responding to new risks associated with specialized appliances—pressurized steam generation now being a notable focus due to its prevalence and associated injury hazards.
• Digital and Electronic Complexity: Expanded sections on embedded software and power measurement reflect the growing interplay between mechanical, electrical, and digital domains in domestic appliances.

Collectively, these standards respond to the drive for safer, more reliable, and globally harmonized domestic and commercial appliance ecosystems, reflecting both regulatory and consumer expectations.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

For organizations working with or supplying electrical appliances within the scope of these standards, the following considerations are paramount:

1. Immediate Standards Adoption: Where not already implemented, October 2025 marked a reasonable starting point for integrating these versions into design, testing, and certification processes.
2. Battery System Assessment: Special attention should be paid to updated testing and certification requirements for products featuring metal-ion batteries—especially those exceeding 12 kg or destined for global markets.
3. Test Methodology Review: Engineering and quality teams should review and adapt internal lab procedures to align with clarified power measurement, moisture resistance, and abnormal operation testing outlined in the new editions.
4. Software Safety Protocols: For devices with embedded control, updated software evaluation procedures must be instituted, ideally supported by cross-functional collaboration between hardware and software teams.
5. Transition Planning: Where legacy products are involved, establish transition plans for updated marking, instruction, and test reporting to ensure existing inventory and new production meet the harmonized requirements.

Resources for getting started:

• Review each complete standard via iTeh Standards for detailed requirements and implementation guidance
• Consult IEC TC 61 supporting documents and guidance tools
• Stay engaged with testing and certification bodies for local compliance timelines

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from October 2025

Reviewing October 2025’s newly published standards, several dominant themes stand out: a heightened focus on battery safety, a harmonization of test and compliance protocols, and a strong trend towards formalizing previously optional safety guidance. For professionals in the Domestic and Commercial Equipment, Entertainment, and Sports sector, these updates necessitate a proactive realignment of product design, testing practices, and regulatory documentation.

The rigorous and iterative updates to IEC 60335-1:2020 (spanning several releases and commentaries) underscore this standard’s foundational role. Meanwhile, the updated IEC 60335-2-85:2022 anticipates market realities in garment care technology. To maintain compliance and market access, organizations must:

• Regularly consult authoritative standards resources (such as iTeh Standards)
• Engage early in product development with safety, testing, and certification considerations
• Reassess internal procedures in light of updated, harmonized requirements

Staying up to date with these standards is an investment in product safety, consumer trust, and global competitiveness. For more details on each standard and to access complete documents, follow the provided links to iTeh Standards.