Hoverboards Are Banned On Airplanes – But How About Riding Your Suitcase?

Many people will remember how rapper Wiz Khalifa was slammed to the ground and arrested at the airport for refusing to get off his hoverboard. Most Airports airlines have banned hoverboards. And some airports to.It is understandable that many people were (and still are) disappointed about hoverboards being banned because getting around an airport can be difficult. Some of them are miles long.For those of us who like to save money on flying this often requires taking a lot of connecting flights to reach our final destination. To get to your connecting flight terminal you often times have to rush from one end of the airport to the other. For example, you might only have 10 min to travel a mile inside the airport! Trust me this has happened to me many times before. Sometimes I have had to run fast all the way to the other side of the airport. This is all very frustrating. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some kind of portable lightweight traveling device we could use to help us get to our terminal faster?Up until now the best option most people have is to wait to catch a ride on the trollies or trains going around the airport. But that still requires a LOT of walking in between to get to your actual spot of departure. And a lot of waiting around to catch the next ride (if it even arrives in time for you to catch your next flight).

Hoverboards Were Quickly Banned From Airlines

When hoverboards first came out some people thought all their airport traveling problems were over. Well they soon found that the portable scoters wouldn’t be allowed on airplanes. In fact many airports and most all airlines have now banned them completely. And even if the airport does allow them they still won’t be allowed on the plane since they are not FAA compliant. So you can’t take it to the airport because you would have to leave it behind anyway.The airport and airline hoverboard bans are mostly due to a large amount of the cheap models exploding and catching fire over the last year. This is because of cheap batteries and/or manufacturing processes. And although there are now safe hoverboards out on the market, which have the UL 2272 fire safety certification, the laws and policies banning hoverboards from airports/airlines are already in effect. Unfortunately they may never be reversed.But we are not here to give you only bad news. In fact we recently came across something really cool which might offer a solution to your airport traveling problems. Meet the Modobag:


This handy motorized carry-on bag is TSA and FAA approved (unlike hoverboards). So not only can you take it to the airport, but you can also fly with it. The batteries in the Modobag comply with what is allowed on airplanes (just like laptop and smartphone batteries). That means you can use this traveling motorized luggage as your carry-on bag.Here are some stats for the bag:

• Max weight limit of 260 lbs (118 kg)
• Can travel up to 6 miles
• Max speed is 8 mph (12.8 kph)
• Bag weight is 19 lbs (8.61 kg)
• Full charge in 1 hour (plug into any outlet)
• USB ports for charging your portable devices such as smart phone and laptop
• GPS tracking with app in case of lost or stolen bag

 

Don’t Be a Modobag Basher

Many people who see the video above, or read about the Modobag, immediately start attacking and making bashing comments about how this is only for lazy people. But if you’ve actually ever been rushing through the airport almost missing your flight then you undoubtedly whished you had a faster way to get to your terminal. I am a runner and jog about 5 to 10 miles per week. I can tell you that I don’t want to be jogging around an airport and getting all sweaty before a long 5 hour flight. I don’t like nearly missing my flights because it takes me too long to travel through the airport. I don’t need a 6 mile long airport to keep me in shape. The airport is there to get me where I need to go.So although hoverboards have been banned from airports and airlines we still might have a great alternative way to get around the airport after all.You can buy the Modobag bag on the Indiiegogo crowd funding website. Go here to buy it now or to learn more.
Hoverboards Are Banned On Airplanes – But How About Riding Your Suitcase? is courtesy of Hoverboards Electric

Airwheel x8 vs Ninebot One – Differences? Which is Better?

Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 are both popular electric battery powered unicycles. We have done extensive long reviews on both of these one wheel scooters. But many buyers still find themselves confused on which is the best for them. So we wanted to write a short quick article to point out some of the main differences we have found in these two popular items as opposed to the separate reviews we did previously.In short they are both high-quality unicycles with some slight differences in their makeup, stats, and aesthetic design. In this article, we will try to go through the features of both to help you identify which one suits you.

Ninebot One Standout Features

Ninebot One is a fashionable and intelligent means of personal transportation with many interactive high tech functions. It has a very futuristic sleek look as opposed to the Airwheel X8 which is more rugged and wider.

Iridescent Atmosphere & Indicator Lights

The Ninebot One has myriads of colors both cool and shiny to add class to your ride. The retro lights illuminate your way while adding a somewhat trippy color and style. These colors can be set via the Ninebot One App and has light effects such as blinking, breathing, flowing and customization. The choices for color customization of the led lights is virtually limitless. No matter what your color choice you are sure to find it. 

Magnesium Alloy Frame & Pedal

The anti-skid, stable, and secure pedals are very sturdy and give the scooter a very solid feel under your feet. The AIO pedals are constructed of top high-pressure magnesium alloy cast. The smooth design not only adds beauty and elegance to the device but also acts as a security measure for first-timers by tilting backwards when unsafe speeds are reached.Non-Visual Lifting Handles Design
The hidden lifting handle is light and portable. It is also made of magnesium alloy and elastic polyurethane. The hidden handy handle can pop when needed.

Compatibility With Other Popular Accessories

Ninebot One comes with two accessories options: assistant wheelset and accessory holder. The accessory holder (which can be purchased separately as an accessory add-on) is compatible with most of the popular bike accessories like GoPro Camera, width laser lamp, car voice box, and headlights among others. 

Easy to Disassemble and Assemble

You can easily disassemble the unicycle’s components and replace them. It doesn’t require many technicalities as such, and anytime you need to replace a part you can do that within a short time.

Intelligent Safety Alarm System

It has a triple safety alarm that includes light, sound, and vibration to ensure a safe driving experience. The alarm goes on if you are over leaning, speeding, the battery is low, and in cases of internal overheating and malfunctioning. The alerts are connected to the App.

Ninedroid 2.0 App

The Ninebot One has its app which can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Android Market for your smart phone. The app allows you to customize the light effects settings, has an instrumental dashboard, update the remote firmware, list and community ranking, speed data, distance data, and remote control.

Ultrafast Charging Battery

It has a lithium-ion battery that charges fast. It fully charges within 1-2 hours using a standard charger. You have an option of choosing from 83Wh and 240Wh battery. It comes with a 250W high-performance fanless AC adapter which can charge the battery fully within 30-60 minutes.These are the common features of Ninebot- One unicycle models.Pros • Powerful unicycle that allows both playing and commuting • Stylish-Outer skins that are replaceable • Good battery lifeSpecs Weight-13.8 Kgs Max speed-18Km/h-20Km/h Battery set-55.5V/240Wh/8C Mileage-22-30 Km

Airwheel x8 Standout Features

To sum it up in scientific nerd speak the Airwheel X8 is a unicycle that adopts an aerospace attitude control theory, has a fuzzy software algorithm and gyroscope system to help in maintaining balance.Basically that means it has a lot of tech in it for balancing and sensitive control, much like the Ninebot One. Both scooters have aspects of artificial intelligence software, coupled with advanced balancing technologies. We will touch on this a little bit below but read the longer reviews we have on these two scooters for more details. They are linked at the very top of this article.

Carbon-fiber Pattern

This is our favorite features of the Airwheel X8. It gives the unicycle a distinctive really cool glass-like look. 

Intelligent Balancing Chip

The X8 has an inbuilt balancing chip that allows it to stand upright with no human intervention. This is an amazing feat of tehnilogial advancment. The Ninebot One also has this same tech.

Original Japan-made Lithium-Ion Battery

The battery features 3.8 times life expectancy with a recharge of 1,800 times and 2.9 times the duration of ordinary lithium batteries. This guarantees you a longer battery life.

16-inch Magnified Slim Wheel Hub

Airwheel X8 has a larger 16’ expanded wheel hub (as does Ninebot One) which helps in minimizing the roll angle and optimizing the grip effect. This gives you more safety and stability as well as adds a dynamic look.

Safety Features of the Airwheel X8

When you compare the safety features of Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 they have virtually identical safety features. For example:

Tilting

When the unicycle tilts over 45 degrees sideways, the system automatically activates a tilting protection that prevents injuries. Ninebot One also has the same tilting protection.

Speed control

The X8 can prevent accidents resulting from speeding by setting a maximum speed of 12Km/h. When the speed exceeds this limit, the pedal’s front end will rise gradually, and when it exceeds 16Km/h, the pedal poses at a 10 degrees angle to the leveling surface hence stopping the rider from further inclining to accelerate. Both Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 have very similar speed limit safety control systems.

Low Battery Protection

When battery power is less than 15%, all the lights blink and the buzzer beeps. The pedal’s front end sinks forcing you to decelerate and stop eventually. When it gets to this do not ride again less you risk the loss of power and automatic shutoff.Both Ninebot One and Airwheel X8 have BMS or battery managment systems to prevent automatic shutoff and injury. Ninebot One BMS is superior in preventing this type of accident. This is because instead of making you slow down like the Airwheel it will basically stop working until you charge it back up. This is what you want because you don't want to unit to suddenly shut off when you are riding it. This would result in the rider being thrown from the scooter. We go into more detail about his in our more extensive reviews on these two products.Airwheel Specs Max speed-18Km/h Range-18-23Km Battery- 130Wh/170Wh/lithium Weight limit-120Kgs Charge time-90-120Min Pros Easy to control Easily portable Battery is replaceable

The Final Verdict on Airwheel X8 Verses Ninebot One

We feel like both scooters are excellent high quality products. But in our opinion the Ninebot One takes the cake. It's faster and can go farther. It has a more sleek compact look. It costs more but also has more features. For example Airwheel X8 has no smartphone app and Ninebot One does.One MAJOR difference in Airwheel X8 vs Ninebot One is the difference in customer service support between the two companies. While Ninebot One has stellar responsive customer service (that you can call on the phone), Airwheel customer service is virtually non-existent. We have an entire section about this found here. So with everything taken together we think Ninebot One is the better deal and better product. But Ninebot One is more expensive and costs more.So if you are on a budget and don't mind bad customer service we think Airwheel X8 is an excellent scooter that you can have fun on and is a safe product. Otherwise we recommend the Ninebot One as the top choice for electric unicycle scooters.

Airwheel x8 vs Ninebot One – Differences? Which is Better? Read more on: hoverboardselectric.com/articles

Safe UL 2272 Certified Hoverboards Hitting The Market

 We are thrilled with so many new hoverboards hitting stores that are finally UL 2272 safety certified. Such as the Ninebot Mini Pro N3M320 model. This is great news for the industry and for consumers alike. Many more are set to hit the market soon. Such as the Razor Hovertrax  that has the UL 2272 certificate, but is not yet back on the market.UL 2272 standards is amazing news for hoverboard lovers because it will transform the industry into a market with safer better products for everyone. The new UL 2272 safety standards will allow the sale of quality standing scooters to finally move forward. We no longer have to worry about which ones are safe or unsafe. We no longer have to worry about fake Samsung battery labels, or fake UL battery certification labeling on counterfeit scooters.The new standard is simple and easy for everyone. All you have to know now is if it's not tested for and passed UL 2272 classification don't buy it. The equation is as simple as that.As we previously reported for February 2016 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has



declared that hoverboards are not safe unless they have the proper UL 2272 fire safety certifications. And although we are a hoverboard review site we don't believe this was an unfair declaration at all. In fact we agree with it 100%. We don't endorse any hoverboard scooters that are not tested and safety certified.Unfortunately many people then and now still continue to ignore that warning. They keep buying cheap garbage unsafe ticking time bombs that often times explode in their homes. As a result a hoverboard recall for over 500,000 scooters has been issued recently as a precaution.As most people are already well aware, many hoverboards have indeed been experiencing safety issues since they were launched into the market. These issues understandably have caused a lot of fear and uncertainty for people in general. In fact, several major airlines in the United States, as well as the US Postal Service, have declined to ship the items because they have deemed them unsafe for transport.

Growing Popularity Of Hoverboards Contributed To Safety Problems

One major part of the problem has been the growing popularity. In fact people want and love them so much they just keep buying them no matter what warnings are issued. In case you don’t know, hoverboards (and other similar battery powered devices) came out as the hottest form of trendy transportation. They are not like skateboards or any other type of wheeled traveling device that has existed up to this time.These 2 wheel scooter gadgets are much different because of the intuitive unique controls that make the board feel like an extension of your own body. It is the closest feeling to being able to control something with your own mind. Also the way they might appear to glide from a distance makes them unlike anything else people were used to seeing. They can sometimes look like they are hovering above the ground from far off. But it's not all just for fun. People are using them to get around town, to go to work and back, or for any type of short-destination traveling.We can see a lot of different reasons contributing to why people like them so much. Some of the main reasons might be due to their convenience, a feeling of unique freedom, and new exciting experiences. Regardless of the reasons one thing we know for sure is that the popularity of them has literally exploded overnight. In less than a year it has become one of the fastest growing trends ever in the history of the world. This is not an understatement or exaggeration. The industry has sold over a billion dollars worth of hoverboards in less than one year. And that is from an industry that didn't even exist the year before!If people want something bad enough no amount of danger or safety warnings are going to deter them. So the only solution is to remove the bad apples and start making safer scooters available to the population.Well that is exactly what is currently happening with UL 2272.

UL 2272 certified hoverboards Released

In May 2016, the first UL 2722 certified hoverboards were released after many months of testing. But they didn't hit markets right away. Then in June the first UL 2272 hoverboard (the Ninebot Mini N3M320) went on sale as a  pre-order item in late June 2016. The first ones sold on Amazon were then shipped out on July 1st.Now the great news for July is more and more UL certified models are hitting stores, including Amazon, which banned them for the second time back in late February. The Ninebot Mini Pro N3M320 model was the first UL 2272 certified hoverboard that went on sale but not the last. 

What Exactly is a UL Certified Hoverboard?

UL stands for Underwriters Laboratory.  UL is a global science safety institution that inspects, tests, and issues safety certifications for different products. They are a globally trusted scientific safety organization which means that you can take their certification pretty seriously. So long as a manufacturer, retailer, or supplier complies by this certification you can trust that any hoverboard displaying the holographic UL 2272 seal will not present any safety issues due to defects or design malfunctions, such as bursting into flames.**It is very important to note that the UL 2272 safety certification doesn’t deal with safety issues caused by having accidents with the board while riding. Hoverboard riders have to take precautions for safe riding and balance. If you are on a road and ride into oncoming traffic for example no certification will protect you. If you don't have good balance you need to get that right before you can safely ride a self balancing board.Again we would like to stress that you can identify UL 2272 certification by the holographic image seal and Enhanced Mark on the product itself. 

How Has UL 2272 This Effected Sales So Far?

As we have already mentioned, hoverboards were exploding onto the transport (and fun) scene as soon as they were released. They quickly became a fan favorite. But as they began to gradually catch fire the bad press started to follow and finally take hold of the industry. First it was a trickle. Then it was a flood of bad press from every major news outlet. With the way news is syndicated today on the internet and social media it didn't take long for the bad press to overshadow any good quality hoverboards that were not exploding. So although the well made hoverboards were pretty safe and well made the bad apples spoiled it for the whole bunch. Soon all of the brands were seen as a fire hazard and were banned altogether from certain public places and campuses.So those safety fears had a very negative affect on sales for the past several months - almost bringing them to a halt. Most major stores ended up removed them. After that it was hard to find reputable places to buy them. Also people found it hard to trust the ones for sale would not burst into flames.However with laboratory UL 2272 safety tested hoverboards hitting the market now we are seeing the trends starting to reverse. We are seeing upward trends in the amount of people searching for places to buy them. And we are seeing some major big box retail stores starting to sell UL 2272 models. 

The Industry Is Evolving For The Better With UL 2272 Leading The Way

The truth is - when the trendy little scooters were first introduced to the market they were in general far less safe than they are now. So now, you can finally sleep tight at night knowing your hoverboard won't explode because your dream hoverboard shouldn't be a nightmare!
Safe UL 2272 Certified Hoverboards Hitting The Market was first seen on Hoverboards Electric

500,000 Unsafe Hoverboards Recalled

10 major hoverboards companies have now recalled 500,000 hoverboards sold over the last few months. This was due to the possibility that certain models might not be safe because they don't have UL 2272 fire safety certification.If you bought a hoverboard in the past from anyone of these companies you should return them for a full refund, exchange, or repair. Go here for a list of all the recalled hoverboards.If you are looking to buy a hoverboard that is safe against fire - checkout our best hoverboards to buy for 2016 page. Those are reviews on the best and safest hoverboards to buy so far this year. It is a small list for now because we have not found many hoverboads which we consider safe enough to recommend.We will be adding several more hoverboards to this list over the next month or so. Keep checking back for more of our safe hoverboard recommendations in the near future! We will only ever recommend hoverboards to buy that are UL 2272 safety tested and certified against fires and explosions.Once again here at Hoverboards Electric we were ahead of the curve in the correct advice we gave in our articles about buying certain electric scooter hoverboards. In contrast most all other hoverboard review sites were (and still are) promoting and encouraging people to buy unsafe time bombs from small e-commerce stores on the internet.Our advice then was the same as it is now: “When it comes to 2 wheeled self-balancing hoverboards DO NOT BUY ANY HOVERBOARD THAT IS NOT UL 2272 CERTIFIED! PERIOD!”Many people ignored this warning and continue to look for the best cheap hoverboard deals. They insist on buying based on the lowest prices - instead of the safest scooters. Unfortunately for them they had to reap the consequences of those actions when many of those same cheap hoverboards exploded and caught fire. This has resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of property damage in the United States alone.You will notice in the list of recalled hoverboards that some major name brands have issued recalls. We would not go so far as to call those cheap.Those products were recalled not because they were catching fire, but as a precaution from reputable companies who would rather lose money than be responsible for a potential safety hazard. Most are companies who have now been issued UL 2272 certifications for the new models of hoverboards. To preserve their own reputation and trust with the public they have issued voluntary recalls for older none certified scooters. We think this is great news.This includes Razor Hovertrax and Powerboard. We have reviews for both those hoverboards on this site. For the Powerboard Review we issued a warning not to buy it until the UL 2272 certified models were released. This was after the CSPC banned all non-certified hoverboards.For the Razor Hovertrax review we did not mention this but they were removed from all stores (so no one could buy one anyway). We knew that Razor would be coming out with a new certified hoverboard model and so left the review page up. Unfortunately it took a lot longer for them to get certified than the time frame the company gave us. We were originally thinking the process would only take several weeks. But it ended up taking several months. But the old saying is true "Good things come to those who wait".The good news is both Razor and Powerboard hoverboard scooters are now UL 2272 certified. We personally went and checked on UL's website and found Razor and Powerboard listed there and having 2272 certification.A couple of months back we were aware that both Powerboard and Razor hoverboards had applied for the UL certification. And although they have now been issued the certification they are still in the process of producing the new certified models. Once those are released we will notify you via those review pages or through our email list you can sign up for from the box in the sidebar of this page.You can be sure we will always give you recommendations for the safest products on the market. Hoverboards Electric is quickly becoming the #1 trusted name on the internet for the most truthful and accurate hoverboard and electric powered transportation device reviews found anywhere. We painstakingly research each and every product to make sure it is safe against fires and explosions before giving it a thumbs up. We do all the hard research work for you so you can have the information you need to make the best informed buying decisions.
500,000 Unsafe Hoverboards Recalled was first published to Hoverboards Electric