US recalls over half a million potentially unsafe hoverboards

The hoverboard craze is here, and while we're not floating around like "Back to the Future" predicted, our rolling hoverboard are now cause for concern, leading to a massive recall of over half a million units.

Looks like powerful batteries and cheap electronics aren't a desirable combination, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 501,000 hoverboards over safety concerns. This recall affects devices from AirWalk, Razor, Swagway, Self Balancing Electric Scooter, the iMoto, the Hype Roam, the Wheeli, 2Wheelz, Back to the Future, Mobile Tech, Hover Shark, NWS, X Glider and X Rider - or, simply put, practically every hoverboard sold in the US.

This doesn't mean every hoverboard is a potential fire hazard, as there are models, like the Swagtron T1 or T3 that are UL certified and considered safe to use. The Safety Commission recommends affected customers to ask for refunds and get a certified device - though that won't be easy for those have bought devices in international online stores.

Although a major inconvenience, just keep in mind that there's really no point in trying to save a few hundred dollars... when you risk potentially losing your home and even put lives at risk, should your hoverboard start a fire overnight while you're charging it.