Should we test to the old standard or the new one
- James Ryan
- May 12
- 2 min read
A compliance question I keep getting from buyers sourcing portable ovens and air fryers from China: "Should we test to the old standard or the new one?"
For EU shipments under the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU), the short answer right now: stay with the old version, prepare for the new one.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 — 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀
EN 60335-2-9:2003 + A13:2010 remains the harmonised standard listed in the EU Official Journal, with restriction conditions set by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1357.
This is what gives your CE mark a presumption of conformity at customs today. Nothing else does, for this category.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 — 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱
EN IEC 60335-2-9:2023 + A11:2023 has been published by CENELEC but is not yet listed in the OJ under the LVD. Until it is, it cannot serve as the basis for CE conformity.
Why some factories push it anyway? It's significantly easier to pass on surface temperature rise — table value +40K or double limits, plus ventilation opening exemptions. For thin-walled portable ovens, that's the difference between passing first sample round and re-tooling.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜'𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲
→ Shipments going out now: test reports against EN 60335-2-9:2003+ A13:2010, meeting Decision 2017/1357 restrictions.
→ 2026 development: also evaluate against the new version. When the OJ updates, you'll already have data.
→ Don't let a supplier tell you the new version is "good enough" for CE today. It isn't — until the OJ catches up.
Sourcing compliance isn't glamorous. But it's where most launch dates quietly get killed.
𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘑 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥.
"Source links for anyone digging in:
- Decision 2017/1357: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2017/1357/oj/eng
- EU Commission LVD harmonised standards page: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/european-standards/harmonised-standards/low-voltage-lvd_en"
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