Are Hoverboards Safe? How to Buy a Hoverboard that Won’t Catch Fire

It’s hard to miss all the reports and videos of hoverboards bursting into flames. And that has led persons to ask – are hoverboards safe? The truth is, not all hoverboards are made equal. How they are made, and the quality of the materials used directly impacts the safety of your hoverboards.

Hoverboards, or electric scooters, have risen in popularity over the past few years. And with that rise has also come more uncertified factories manufacturing unsafe hoverboards. These hoverboards fail to meet basic safety standards adopted by reputable manufacturers in Canada and the USA.

And when you buy these uncertified personal transportation devices, they cause major problems. Some have led to thousands of dollars in damage from house fires, and even death. These issues have led more and more to the question – are hoverboards safe? And that’s what we are going to look at today.

What Makes a Hoverboard Safe?

As a self-balancing scooter, hoverboards are intricately designed pieces of equipment. There are many parts that affect the quality of the hoverboard. These include:

  • electrical circuit boards
  • lithium-ion batteries
  • an electric motor
  • Bluetooth chips, and
  • hoverboard chargers.

If your hoverboard carries any defective or inferior quality parts, then your whole hoverboard will be affected.

Are Hoverboards Safe? Hoverboard Certification and Safety Standards

However, there are standards in place that reputable makers of hoverboards follow. Amazon, for example, asked its sellers to ensure that their hoverboards meet certification standards. And in Canada, manufacturers adopted the safety standards set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). UL is a premier American safety and certification company. The adoption of the standards by Canada made the UL certification a bi-national accreditation for Electrical Systems for Self-Balancing Scooters.

UL’s safety testing and certification for fire and electrical safety determine the quality of the parts used in the hoverboard. A UL certified hoverboard, therefore, carries the following certification numbers:

Signs to Look Out for When Buying a Hoverboard

Hoverboard fire safety concerns are growing. And with the many cases of exploding hoverboards, these concerns are justified.

But, there are some simple things that you can look out for when buying a hoverboard, especially online. Here are a few areas to scrutinize when buying your new hoverboard.

  • The Hoverboard Price:

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. And you will find many hoverboards for sale on eBay, Amazon, and individual company sites priced extremely low. They can afford to sell those boards at low prices because they were not made to meet the safety criteria of quality hoverboards. Cheap hoverboards are not a safe buy.

  • The Seller Reviews:

Yes, you should read reviews with a cautionary eye because you will have persons with malicious intent trying to ruin reputations. But, if the negative reviews are all along the same line, these are signs you should look elsewhere. Some reviews to look out for include the company not answering calls, they don’t honour guarantees, the boards are defective, etc.

  • Certifications:

You will find several online sellers of fake cheaply made hoverboards. And these will not have UL certified components and chargers because they would have used inferior components to keep the price down. You should, therefore, only purchase hoverboards where the hoverboard components, the charger, and the battery pack are all UL certified.

Where to Buy Safe Hoverboards?

You should find a legitimate company that specializes in hoverboard sales. They should have easily accessible customer service and ready to assist with any queries you have.

 

Related Article: Where to Buy a Hoverboard Online? Finding Reputable Hoverboard Sellers Online

 

At Brents Cool Picks, we only sell UL certified hoverboards and chargers. We enjoy using our self-balancing scooters and want our customers to have the same enjoyable experience. If you have any questions about our hoverboards, leave them below in the comments, and we’ll be sure to answer you.

Or, you could call us directly at 1-800-661-8789. We would be happy to help you choose the right style and size hoverboard.

About The Author

I am a small business owner for over 30 years and believe that the best customer service possible is the key to a successful business.