Why You Can Trust CNET This hoverboard is only $99. Here's why you should buy it
Go ahead and make your fire jokes -- this is a great deal on a self-balancing scooter. Plus: free cookies and a super-cheap OBD2 car scanner!
Let's put the unfortunate battery-fire business behind us, shall we? Newer hoverboards are UL-certified.
You remember hoverboards, right? They cost hundreds of dollars. They don't actually hover. They had a serious fire issue. And they've been totally supplanted by Lime-style scooters.
It's true that hoverboards don't actually hover; they're two-wheeled self-balancing scooters, but that doesn't roll off the tongue nearly as well. It's also true that, at the height of their popularity a few years ago, amid recalls and regulatory warnings, most retailers stopped selling them. The entire product category kind of died.
Except, not really. Hoverboards are still around, and if you see them sold at a major retailer, they're likely to be UL-certified. And they definitely don't cost $400 and up anymore, as evidenced by today's deal.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Walmart has the Fluxx Watt LED Hoverboard for $99 shipped (plus tax). Available in your choice of black, blue or pink, it normally runs $140.
A hoverboard certainly isn't as practical for around-town transportation as a Lime scooter (or one of its ilk) -- but there's no question it's a lot of fun. I've owned one for a couple years, and have found that kids of all ages really love it. They just tool up and down the driveway, along the sidewalks and so on.
And this one is particularly kid-friendly, in that it has a training mode that limits the speed. That's important, because the most likely accident is that a kid gets going too fast, turns a little too sharply and flies off the thing. (Training mode or not: Helmets, please. And maybe even gloves to protect their hands?)
There are no reviews for this model, but, you know, it's Walmart: If you don't like it, take it back.
I wouldn't pay $400, $300 or even $200 for one of these, but $99? For a kid who wants nothing more than wheeled feet? Absolutely. Great gift.
Bonus deal: Speaking of gifts, how about something for the car owner? For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Kobra Wireless OBD2 Scanner is just $15 with promo code 5ZE3CSHJ. It's sold by E-Tech Distributors; if you see a different seller listed, the code won't work.
This little gizmo plugs into a car's diagnostic port, then feeds all kinds of data to your phone or tablet (via Wi-Fi). Here's the thing: There's no specific app included, but you can choose from a variety of free and paid OBD2 scanning apps available in the various app stores.
I think that's why some of the reviews are mixed; people plug it in and nothing happens, so they think it doesn't work. RTFM, folks! Anyway, this is arguably something that every car owner should have, as it provides all kinds of useful car data and can even turn off the check-engine light (assuming it's on for a noncritical reason, which happens sometimes).
Bonus deal No. 2: Free cookies! But today only. But free cookies!
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