U.S. Safety Commission Declares Hoverboards Unsafe

Hoverboards, a popular holiday gift in 2015, have recently been declared unsafe by the consumer product safety commission.

A letter from the CPSC, published on Feb. 18, explains that the popular hoverboards are unsafe and pose an "unreasonable risk of fire to consumers." Previously many consumers believed that the more expensive brands of the hoverboards were safer, but U.S. consumer protection commissions have yet to declare a single brand of hoverboard safe for use.

Viral videos circulating in 2015 showed hoverboards catching fire in homes and stores. A house fire was reportedly started by a flaming hoverboard in 2015. The CPSC wrote that in total it has received 52 reports of hoverboard fires, which have caused over $2 million worth of damage.

Underwriters Laboratories, a group that certifies thousands of products each year, established testing standards for the device over three weeks ago. But so far, not a single hoverboard has received a stamp of approval from the organization.

For NewsBeat Social, I'm Christelle Koumoué