U.S. Product Safety Agency Issues New Hoverboard Warning

A new, more detailed warning about hoverboards was issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday.

This time, in addition to reminding consumers that there is “no safety standard in place for hoverboards,” CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye also warned would-be hoverboard buyers against considering any UL marks on a hoverboard as an indication of a safe device. UL is one of the most respected safety consulting and certification companies in regards to products sold in the U.S.

“At this time, the presence of a UL mark on hoverboards or their packaging should not be an indication to consumers of the product’s safety,” said Kaye in a statement on the CPSC website. “In fact, any such mark is at best misleading and may even be a sign of a counterfeit product.”

“UL certification of components such as a battery pack or power supply in hoverboards is different from certification of the hoverboards themselves,” reads the statement on UL’s site. “For technology such as hoverboards that use lithium-ion batteries, it is important to understand the interaction among components and UL has yet to evaluate any power supplies or battery packs in a hoverboard system.”

In fact, just last week, UL singled out the most popular brand of hoverboard, the Swagway, as bearing a counterfeit UL mark.