What Hoverboards are Dangerous and Why?

Not all Hoverboards are Dangerous, here's why...

A Big Storm in the Media sparking outrage with Cheap Hoverboards causing fires and accidents worth upwards of £2 Million pounds damage to date (May 2016) has set a really bad image for genuine hoverboard brands on the market.

Recently Authorities have seized thousands of faulty and fake hoverboards which have been manufactured from various factories in China and shipped to distributors around the world, when a popular product gains such a huge demand it's usual for factories in China to replicate the product to sell much cheaper but with that comes problems... cheap components such as wiring, sensors and batteries.

So what causes fires with Hoverboards? 

Take the GIF image above of the Lithium battery for example, this battery is used in the cheaper hoverboards which are commonly sold and have many problems which we'll run over.
First and foremost the Lithium ion batteries contain 4.20V Cells which are seperated by sheets of Polypropylene / Polyethylene insulators, these sheets when compromised from Impact or even Overcharging in which they short circuit meaning the large current that flows through the cells will rise in temperature... and eventually emit an intense flaring fire and harmful chemical smoke from the batteries.

Another reason fires are prone with the cheaper hoverboards is down the different Plug and Socket they provide which don't have a safety feature that cuts out the current when the battery is full, leaving the battery to overcharge cells and rapidly expand causing short circuits & eventually a fire.

What Hoverboards are Dangerous? 

Lately there has been a lot of different names that have popped up around the world including; Mini-segway, Chic Smart 2-wheel, Swegway, AirBoard, AirWheel, Drifting Board, Hover Boost, Monsterwheel, Hyperwalk, eRover, Smart Balance Wheel, MySegboard, Razor Hovertrax and many more.
Most of these branded hoverboards are genuine and safe, however if purchased from the wrong retailer for the wrong price you could end up with a replica board which was built with cheap components. So although we cannot form a list of what hoverboards are dangerous, we can only advise to do routine checks on the Retailer before purchasing from them e.g. Company check, Call or Email and ask plenty of questions about segway certifications and safety certs.

So how can I Prevent a Hoverboard Fire?

The Simple and Best answer I can give is to buy from a Trusted Hoverboard Supplier which only supply branded segboards which are CE Certified and have quality components which can handle the powerful Samsung Battery. This is because Samsung have specially designed batteries which have been rigorously tested to ensure the absolute safety for any user.

Another simple tip would be something we're always reminded of but forget often, charging batteries for the correct Time stated in the Manual is always recommended to ensure the battery has a longer lasting life.

It's also recommended that you don't use your hoverboard in any wet conditions or leave next to any open fires (of course). So we hope this post has helped you identify what hoverboards are dangerous and why they are.