UL 2272
This is the comprehensive UL certification for hoverboards or two wheel self-balancing electric scooters.
It has already got a page of its own on the UL website, and you can check it out here - https://ul.com/hoverboards/
The fire hazard associated with cheap hoverboards has been in the news for some time now, and many homes in the US have had fires due to hoverboards. In a few cases children barely managed to escape the fire caused by overcharging hoverboards. It is estimated that property worth millions of dollars have been destroyed due to these hoverboard related fires.
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For anyone to know for sure that their hoverboard is safe is virtually impossible, as they would have to test the chemical composition of the batteries. The batteries and the chargers are the main culprits behind the fires. This however will no longer be a problem when UL 2272 certified hoverboards start coming into the market.
The independent testing body Underwriters Laboratories has developed a comprehensive safety certification for hoverboards, and designated it the UL 2272.
Hoverboard Safety Certified
If you are looking for hoverboards that are safety certified, then your search has become very easy now. All you need to do is one of two things - 1. Buy from Amazon, 2. Ensure that the hoverboard you are buying is genuinely UL 2272 certified.
In the first option, as soon as you buy from Amazon.com, you can be sure that it is a safety certified hoverboard simply because Amazon has a very strict policy to only list UL 2272 certified hoverboards.
In the second instance you have to ensure that the right UL 2272 certification is there of the brand of hoverboard you are buying. You need to check for the UL hologram sticker on the device and also check for the UL certification for the company and model number on UL.com. To check the UL status of a hoverboard, read the article on how to check for UL 2272 certification here.
US Consumer Products Safety Commission, the CPSC, issue a landmark letter regarding hoverboard safety
The CPSC communication states the following:
I am writing this letter to urge you to make certain that self-balancing scooters that you import, manufacture, distribute, or sell in the United States comply with currently applicable voluntary safety standards, including all referenced standards and requirements contained in UL 2272 – https://www.comm-2000.com/. Additionally, all lithium ion battery products must comply with test requirements under UN/DOT 38.3 Transport of Dangerous Goods for Lithium Metal and Lithium Ion Batteries.
Here is the entire letter from CPSC –
UL Certification for hoverboards - UL 2272 details
Underwriters’ Laboratories has already stated that their UL2272 will extensively test hoverboards, including aspects such as extensive testing for the battery’s safety regarding overcharging and heating up, drop tests to test for safety in case of an impact, short-circuit, over-discharge, vibration, shock, imbalanced charging, dieleltric voltage, crush, mold stress relief tests, dynamometer tests (to measure the force of the devices), CT scans of hoverboard batteries and other aspects.
The testing has been done at the Fluid Lab of UL, and includes several torture tests for the hoverboards. In one of the tests the wheels of the hoverboard are jammed for 7 hours, and all this while the hoverboard tries to free itself, which causes heating and may cause the hoverboard to catch fire. This is one of the tests that the hoverboard has to pass to get the UL 2272 certification.
Another test involves dropping the hoverboard from around 3 and a half feet (about 1 meter). During the UL 2272 certifictaion tests, the hoverboard batteries are also punched with nails. IN another test indirect heat was applied to the battery from a distance to see if it would catch fire. The CPSC has recently stated that all hoverboards have to be UL certified or they will be impounded an legal action will be taken against the manufacturers and sellers. Hoverboard manufacturers can submit their hoverboards for UL certification here - https://contact.ul.com/contact-ul-energy
UL Tests that the SwagTron has passed to get UL 2272 Certification
Overcharge Test
Short Circuit Test
Over Discharge Test
Temperature Test
Imbalanced Charging Test
Dielectric Voltage Test
Isolation Resistance Test
Vibration Test
Shock Test
Crash Test
Drop Test
Mold Stress Test
Water Exposer Test
Thermal Cycling Test
Label Performance Test
Strain Relief Tests
Motor Overload Test
Motor Locked Rotor
20mm End Product Flame
UL has released a video where they show the testing that a hoverboard has to go through and pass for it to be UL 2272 certified.
Here is the video:
US Government declares hoverboards unsafe
The CPSC communication stating that hoverboards have to be certified, and those that aren’t are potentially dangerous, is equivalent to the US Government declaring the hoverboards unsafe. IN such a scenario there has been an indication if hoverboard manufacturers do not get their hoverboards UL 2272 certified, then they will be liable to face criminal legal action.
This is a welcome move on the part of the US Government, as finally the totally chaotic hoverboard market is being brought under control. Chinese manufacturers cutting costs by using cheap and dangerous components have put the entire hoverboard market under a cloud, from which it can only emerge with a step like this.
Now only those hoverboard brands that comply with UL 2272 will be allowed to enter the US market and sold within the US.
We came across a great video of how UL is testing hoverboards made by a CNET correspondent. Here it is:
A safe place to buy a hoverboard
Swagway is working towards creating the safety standards for the industry and also developing hoverboards that are absolutely safe to use. Have a look at the Swagway hoverboards on sale from the safest place on the internet to buy hoverboards right now, the Swagway website.
This is what Swagway states on their website –
Swagway has been actively working with the CPSC on the investigation of the “self-balancing scooters.” The CPSC recently adapted two new standards, a required standard (UN38.3) and a voluntary standard (UL2272, introduced by UL on January 29, 2016). The original Swagway from the very beginning already meets the newly required standard and we are currently evaluating if our product complies with the new voluntary standard as recommended by the CPSC. We stand by our products and are confident that Swagway still remains the safest on the market.
Here is the link to the FAQ section where it states this - https://swagway.com/faq/
UL Webinar on Hoverboards and UL 2272 Certification – Register free for the 7th March 2016 webinar
UL has organized a webinar on ‘What the New UL 2272 Means for Hoverboards & Related Light EV Operated Products’.
This is open to everyone and is going to require you to register to participate. The webinar is going to happen from 12:30 AM - 1:30 AM IST on Tue, Mar 8, 2016.
You can register for the UL Webinar on hoverboard certification here!
UL Webinar Details
The webinar will be hosted by Laurie Florence, principal engineer with UL and lead on development of UL 2272. She will take you through the development process of UL 2272 and provide an overview of the critical requirements in the standard. She will also discuss about the future plans for the UL 2272 standard development. Participants in the webinar will be able to ask questions.
The UL Webinar on UL 2272 for Hoverboards will cover the following topics:
Background for UL 2272 development & incidents reported by CPSC
Critical safety considerations for lithium ion battery systems in self-balancing scooters
An overview of construction requirements and test requirements
Certification information for products evaluated to UL 2272
Summary of test samples needed to complete evaluation
Review of CPSC’s February 18th, 2016 announcement regarding compliance to UL 2272
Summary of the work to date and future plans
Best Hoverboard Brands
What we think
We at Best Hoverboard Brands strongly feel that all of these developments will help the hoverboard market in the United States to evolve and grow stronger. It will pave the way for a new safer and better hoverboard to emerge, so that every American can enjoy this very exciting personal transportation device without any safety or quality concerns.