Back to the future: criteria for choosing the best hoverboard for a child

Since the levitating board appeared in works of science fiction (remember how dashingly Marty McFly ran away on it from hooligans?), it has become the dream of most children on our planet. And although attempts to invent a real hoverboard have not yet been successful, its prototype, a platform on two electric motors, is now available to any of us. Should you buy a hoverboard for kids and if so, how to choose the best one?

Is a hoverboard dangerous?

Like any vehicle, a hoverboard is not insured from crashes and accidents, but the vast majority of them happen for two reasons:

• failure to comply with safety regulations;
• purchase of low-quality or not designed for the child model.

And if you have to deal with the first question on your own, then we can help with the second. Let's talk about how to make the most successful choice, what to look for and what additional features to prefer.

What to consider when choosing a hoverboard for a child?

Of course, when buying an electric board, you should not save money, because the health of your child will depend on it. However, spending hundreds of dollars on a device with a lot of extra features and characteristics is not practical. It is enough to highlight the main ones.

Maximum load

If you buy a thing for the baby that is not designed for his age, the hoverboard will obey poorly or not at all respond to attempts to move. Therefore, first of all, make sure that the chosen model corresponds to the weight of the future athlete.

Boards for riding children are designed for 50-70 kg. 100 kg is an indicator of a more powerful technique designed for adults.

Maximum Speed

As a rule, hoverboards for children 5 years old have a speed limit of up to 5 km/h, which is quite enough to delight the child, but not endanger his life.

A teenager who is starting to master a new vehicle can be entrusted with a board that develops a speed of 10-12 km / h, and an experienced hoverboard owner – up to 20 km/h.  Everything that can move faster is intended for adults and professionals.

Wheel size

The smaller the wheel diameter is, the worse the passability of the hoverboard is. If you plan to ride on flat tracks, 4.5-6 inches will be enough to give your child a great ride. Wheels with a diameter of 8-10 inches will overcome tiles, imperfectly smooth asphalt and dirt roads.

The material also matters: rubber wheels are for ideal surfaces, pneumatic wheels with a tread are for more difficult conditions.

Motor electric power

The hoverboard has two electric motors, each of which makes its own wheel rotate. An acceptable indicator for a rider 10-12 years old is considered to be a power of 200-300 watts. For a teenager, you can choose a more impressive model from 350 watts.

Keep in mind that when describing the characteristics of a hoverboard, the manufacturer may indicate the power for each wheel or the total for both. Pay attention to this fact when choosing.

Battery capacity

The higher it is, the further your child can go. For young children, a capacity of 2.2 Ah is sufficient, which will provide a walk of 10-12 km (6.2-7.4 miles), for a teenager – 4.4 Ah and above to be able to arrange long walks for 20-30 km (12.4-18.6 miles).

Additional functions

Expensive hoverboards can play music and even cartoons, but buying them is unwise – the child does not need additional sources of distraction on the road. But LED lights and real headlights will be a useful addition.

Certificate

The Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States has only allowed to sell UL-certified hoverboards (Underwriters Laboratories). On the territory of the countries that are members of the European Union, it can be considered an analogue of the Certificate of Conformity. These documents guarantee high quality and safety for the child.

Safety considerations when choosing a hoverboard

A helmet and protective pads on the elbows and knees will reduce the chance of injury from a fall. Knowing the safety rules will save you from dangerous situations. But very often, the hoverboarded kids get caught up by the opportunities before them to be able to think rationally. Many can fly far away on their "levitating board," leaving parents wondering if they're all right.

Three steps will help to solve the problem:

• Download an application on your phone that can track the speed and route of the hoverboard. It is simple, convenient, although a model with such a function will cost a lot and will not say anything about the child's condition.
• Buy a GPS watch. Depending on the complexity of the device, it can not only report the location of the owner of the hoverboard, but also entertain him, monitor compliance with the regime, give a danger signal. The disadvantages of the watch are the high cost, the need to have a separate SIM card for correct operation and low battery power.
• Download the Kidsfinder parental control application, which will always tell you where the child is, provide full information about his movements, report when he goes beyond the boundaries of the safe geofence, give you the opportunity to hear with your own ears what is happening around the teenager, and send a SOS signal if the child feels yourself in danger. In addition, up to 5 devices can be connected to the application for free, which is very important for families with several children.

A hoverboard can be a great way to keep kids entertained, get them into regular walks, and keep them physically active. You just need to choose the model that is optimal for your child and take care of his safety.