Hoverboards would make a hot gift this holiday season, but if you want to order one through Amazon, you're out of luck. The retailer has stopped selling some hoverboards over safety concerns.
Leading hoverboard manufacturer Swagway confirmed to The Verge on Sunday that Amazon has taken steps to restrict brands and models until each product's safety has been better tested.
"Amazon just sent out a notice to all 'hoverboard' sellers to 'provide documentation demonstrating that all hoverboards you list are compliant with applicable safety standards,'" Swagway said.
Swagway and Amazon did not immediately respond to NTRSCTN's request for comment.
Certain Swagway models, along with models from Razor, Jetson, and PhunkeeDuck, are no longer available to purchase through Amazon. All major U.S. airlines have banned hoverboards out of safety concerns primarily related to the product's lithium-ion batteries, USA Today reported.
In a statement, Delta Air Lines explained, "Poorly labeled, powerful lithium-ion batteries powering hoverboards are the issue. Delta reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries."
Many hoverboards contain a lithium-ion battery that exceeds the government's 160-watt-hour limit, and such batteries have been known to explode or catch fire, according to NBC News. The Consumer Product Safety Commission told NBC on Dec. 10 that it had received "at least 10" reports of hoverboard fires with more reports accruing daily.
Although lithium-ion batteries are used in many gadgets—from cell phones to laptops—their size in hoverboards and the risk of overcharging may be behind the device's problems. "In rare cases, these batteries can overheat, catch fire, or explode," Amazon said.
We can't recall Tickle Me Elmo posing this kind of danger when it hit holiday shelves.
