Monday 9 January 2017

What Certification?


A few years ago (in 2015), there was multiple articles out having to do with hoverboards catching fire, sparks and “exploding”.

Customers have become extremely cautious when purchasing an electric scooter also known as hoverboards. Questions that often pop-up in conversations are similar to, “Will it catch fire”, “Will it explode”, “What should I be worried about”, and so on. I’m sure you can think of some questions that have popped into your mind while shopping online looking for a hoverboard or when you listening to your child or loved one talk about these cool devices.

With all of this concern there are now certifications for hoverboards that can be found on batteries and chargers, this certification is UL 2272.

This certification is created and given out by Underwriter Laboratories. “UL certifies, validates, tests, verifies, inspects, audits, advises and educates. We provide the knowledge and expertise to help customers navigate growing complexities across the supply chain from compliance and regulatory issues to trade challenges and market access. In this way, we facilitate global trade and deliver peace of mind.”[1]


All UL Certified hoverboards have received a certificate as well as a holographic labels which feature the UL Enhanced Mark. This makes it easy for customers to identify excellent quality products, which also has helped reduce “fake” or bad hoverboards.

“UL Certification means that consumers can purchase with more peace of mind, knowing that the electrical system has been safety-certified to electrical and fire safety requirements, and retailers can source UL certified hoverboards with confidence in their safety certification and can build UL 2272 compliance into their procurement policies.”   ~ Jeff Smidt, Vice President and General Manager of UL’s Energy and Power Technologies division[2]

UL Charger will say UL on it
Please keep in mind that this is currently for the United States of America and not all countries have to have this in order to sell a hoverboard. With that being said some companies in Canada have decided to get the UL Certification as well to comfort customers.

The majority of Hoverboards in the market are not UL 2272 certified and most of them do not carry any UL certification for batteries and/or chargers. Some sellers are still not aware of this certification due to lack of knowledge in the industry as well as market.


What do these sellers typically do then?

Some sellers are currently liquidating surplus Hoverboards available in Canada especially in Toronto Market, before UL2272 Hoverboards enters the market and because of that sometimes they are able to offer very low prices.

I encourage you to verify that you receive a proper UL Charger and UL Battery. As well as to make sure that the person/company can provide you with a proper warranty and local support for hoverboards as well as any other electric mobility device.




If you have more questions about the UL Certification please click here or leave a comment below.



Tune in next week when I’ll be talking about which store you should consider shopping at.

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