Hoverboard: What you need to know

They're called hoverboards, or electric scooters. New York City just banned them for safety reasons and they can cost anywhere from $350 to $2,000, so what do you need to know before buying one?

Ever since Marty McFly zipped around on one inBack to the Future Part II, people have looked forward to the day they could own a hoverboard.

Here we are at the end of 2015 (the year in which that 1989 film was set), and though technically not a hoverboard, self-balancing boards are all the rage this holiday season and give the rider some sense of "hovering" above the ground.

If only, it actually worked like this:

The product, available from several manufacturers, is powered by a lithium battery and operated by leaning in and balancing. But with reports of injuries and a price tag that isn’t friendly for all budgets, the major question this holiday season is — to buy or not to buy?

Here’s a guide to help you navigate the pros and cons, the safety risks and why the hoverboard has become the hottest gift of the holiday season.

Pros
Ease on down, ease on down the road: With a little practice and a lot of balance, these hoverboards are fairly easy to use. With a little effort (seriously, lean forward, go forward) you are on your way. As you get more comfortable on your board, it becomes easier to maneuver — it just takes a little practice. (Not to mention this has to be a great core workout!)

You can get one: Though the hoverboard is the hot gift to get, it is also the expensive gift to buy, with most costing $300 to $500, from various manufactuers. So while demand may be high, the price has kept these pretty easy to obtain — either via online retailers or through mall kiosks.

Not smaller than a breadbox, but smaller than a Segway: Self-balancing boards are much more compact than their handle-barred counterpart, the Segway, and they weigh much less. The average weight for these boards is 20 to 25 pounds, and they are small enough to stow away in a locker or a duffle bag for easy transportation.


No bus fare, no problem: Short on bus change? Not going far enough for an Uber? Feeling too lazy to walk? No problem. Grab your hoverboard and go. The self-balancing board can range in speed of up to 10 mph and travel 10 to 15 miles on a charge.

Cons
It's all about the money, money, money: Today's hoverboards do not come cheap. You are looking at spending upwards of $300 and some can cost as much as $2,000.


Ride over a crack ... : If you are not careful, serious injury can occur while riding on your hoverboard. Scroll on down to our safety section for more.

I am smoking! No really, my board is en fuego: Several reviews show some brands of hoverboards have issues with overheating — some even to the point of catching fire. So if you are in warmer climates, you might want to wait until the temps are mild before going out on a long, leisurely ride. An Alabama man recently recorded his board catching fire after riding it a short distance, and in Lafitte, La., a family's home was destroyed after a charging hoverboard caught fire.

You can't ride that here: Many businesses and towns are putting limits on where hoverboards can be used. So though you may think it is cool to zip through the mall, mall security may not agree.


Is there a safe way to ride a hoverboard?

Hoverboards may look like a cool way to glide around the mall or neighborhood, but learning to ride the board isn’t as easy as it looks.

Riding the board successfully requires a person to balance, which requires a lot of core abdominal strength, according to Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

He says the devices are problematic for several reasons.

“If you have a weak core or weak set of abdominal muscles, there is an increased risk of falling forward or backward, which can cause elbow fractures, ankle injuries, wrist fractures and there is a risk for traumatic brain injury or concussion,” Glatter told USA TODAY Network.

So even if things start out smoothly when riding the board, it just takes a moment to end up like this:


California recently passed legislation allowing hoverboards in areas where bicycles are allowed, but other cities, such as New York, have banned the use of the boards on city streets.

The electric boards require riders to steer with their feet and can also cause harm to others if the person isn’t in control of the board.

While celebrities and advertisements for the hoverboards may not show people wearing protection, Glatter said people should protect themselves if they chose to use the boards.

Tips to safely ride a hoverboard:

• Wear protection, and not just a helmet. That means you “have” to wear a helmet, pad around the knees, elbows and wrists. People have broken their tailbones from falling backward off of the hoverboards, so padding the lower back is also a good idea, according to Glatter.

• Hoverboards probably aren’t a good idea for everyone. When it comes to riding a hoverboard, not all ages are equal. “The elderly should be cautious because of the amount of balance and core abdominal strength required to balance on these devices,” Glatter said.

• If you are using a hoverboard, avoid crowds unless you feel completely comfortable with the board.

• When using the board, avoid using cell phones or listening to music. Focus on using the board, so you avoid collisions with cars or people.

• Parents should use caution when buying the boards for children, especially because of the control needed to operate the board.

So how did the hoverboard become so popular?

Google searches for “IO Hawk” and “pleasedin” –– the two biggest players in the hoverboard market –– remained relatively stagnant until earlier this summer when the hoverboard trend started to explode.

Search queries for the two-wheeled machines spiked in May and June, which correlate with a handful of viral social media posts from celebrities and athletes.