Fidget spinners exploding? Of course they are
The toy that skyrocketed in popularity over the past few months is suddenly facing a new and potentially dangerous problem.
Have you heard of fidget spinners? I'm kidding; of course you have.
It's what all the kids have been asking for lately and what teachers across the country are confiscating in record numbers. But with reports of them exploding, are we reaching the end of their life cycle like last year's hoverboard craze?
Two reports -- one out of Fenton, Michigan, and the other from Gardendale, Alabama -- are warning of Bluetooth-enabled spinners that caught fire while charging for only a short amount of time. In both instances, the spinners reportedly had LED lights along with onboard speakers (why is this a thing?) so you could play music from your phone and watch your spinner light up as you spin.
Though they were officially on the market decades ago, fidget spinners have become obscenely popular again and now tons of businesses are getting in on the action. With extreme popularity comes new innovations from manufacturers that want to set themselves apart. Some are trying to make new styles and experimenting with new shapes, but others are adding the latest technologies to these fairly simple toys. The only problem? When a toy has to plug in to be charged up, there's also a chance it can catch fire.
From the reports it's unclear if the spinners were from the same manufacturer. In both instances, the fire was caught before it did serious damage, but it goes to show that if you choose a powered off-brand tech item, you better pay close attention when you plug it in.
