Hoverboards Too Hot to Handle?

Right now I’m breathing a sigh of relief that neither one of my kids put a hoverboard on their Christmas wish list (although I know kids at our school who have). The self-propelled two-wheeled device has been one of the most talked about and searched gifts this year. Not only that—they’re not cheap, averaging about $400-$500.

First, there was the story of a Louisiana family who lost their home after their son’s hoverboard caught fire. The boy had just received the gift (which ran on rechargeable lithium batteries) for his birthday and plugged it up before sparks started flying. The original article had a quote from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that said “hoverboard-like devices” have caused 21 injuries that have sent people to the emergency room since September. Only one other injury (not including the boy mentioned) was the result of a fire. But more occurrences of hoverboards catching fire are being reported across the country.

Now, information has been released that cautions parents that the hottest new toy may be a little too unpredictable to gift to a loved one. The National Association of State Fire Marshals and the UK”s National Trading Standards issued an advisory this past Friday, claiming explosions like the one in the Louisiana family’s home are not a “unique occurrence.” Since October, The UK National Trading Standards has seized more than 15,000 hoverboards and after inspection, found that 88 percent of the devices had an increased risk of overheating or exploding because of faulty plugs.

Experts are advising consumers to only purchase hoverboards that are UL certified, as purchasing a cheaper knock-off version poses more of a risk.