Before the onset of the holiday season, hoverboards were among the top listed items for gifts. However, recent reports on the low quality of certain brands and models of the personal transportation devices have made customers wary of purchasing hoverboards.

There have been reports of hoverboards posing explosion risks and other safety concerns regarding the components of the devices. Thousands of hoverboards that were impounded in ports in the United Kingdom contained non-compliant plugs with no fuses, which heightens the chances of overheating that could lead to the hoverboard catching fire, or worse, exploding.

Hoverboards have been banned in flights of British Airways, Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines over fire hazard concerns.

These, however, do not mean that all hoverboards present the danger of suddenly blowing up. The personal transportation device is a cool gadget to own.

Tech Times has created a buying guide to help customers figure out which ones are worth buying and which ones should be avoided.

Purchase Hoverboards from Quality Brands

Cheaply made versions of hoverboards, mostly coming from China, are the main culprits in the reports of exploding hoverboards. Many manufacturers in China are producing non-branded hoverboards that are cheaper than those by U.S. brands, but come with overheating issues that pose fire and explosion hazards. It would be best to stay safe and shell out more money for quality hoverboards as opposed to saving dollars but for a dangerous device.

Popular and trustworthy brands in the market right now include Hovertrax, Swagway, PhunkeeDunk, IO Hawk and Ninebot. While hoverboards are hot items this holiday season, Amazon has pulled the self-balancing scooters from its online store over safety concerns. The company has requested sellers to provide documentation proving their products are compliant with safety standards.

Know the Price

In relation to purchasing quality hoverboards and not China-made cheaper versions, customers should have an expectation on the price of the gadgets. Hoverboards being sold for about $300 most likely come with the aforementioned fire hazards. Hoverboards that garner the best reviews come with price tags starting from $1,000 each, though some reliable models can be found in the price range of $500 to $900.

Read Customer Reviews

As with any product, it would be best to search for online reviews of hoverboard models before purchasing the item. This would provide customers with a better idea of what they should expect from the hoverboard that they are purchasing, and could lead to the discovery of better deals for the particular item.

Stay safe on your hoverboards!