"Exploding hoverboards" have been popping up all over the news lately as the holiday season is upon us and people are buying gifts for their friends and family. Many gadget lovers are all over these hoverboards, and I'm sure they're topping many Christmas lists, but people should think twice before they purchase them.

There have been several reported cases of house fires that have been blamed on these hoverboards all over the world, from the United States to London. In Lafitte, La. Jessie Horne told WHDH that her son had plugged his hoverboard in to charge just before it exploded, destroying his bedroom right before Thanksgiving. "Both wheels, it was like fireworks," said Horne. "It was like a firework. I could see sparks just flying." Horne's son had the hoverboard for only a day before it exploded.

According to wired.co.u, similar situations have been reported in London recently. In two weeks, two charging hoverboards exploded, causing house fires. "Today we are warning owners of this year's must-have device to not leave them charging unattended, after being called to two fires in two weeks involving personal transporters that were on charge." In this situation, the cause of these explosions are most likely thought to be from faulty plugs that were not made for use in Britain, as some were found without fuses inside which puts them at risk of overheating and exploding.

Arguably the scariest hoverboard malfunction of all is the case of an Alabama man whose hoverboard exploded right under his feet, while he was riding it. "I came outside, turned it on, came down the sidewalk not even a 100 feet, and it exploded," said Timothy Cade, who was not injured.

One women in High Wycombe was not so lucky and ended up in the hospital after a hoverboard exploded in her home, according to The UK Times. This time, the hoverboard was not charging when it exploded. "Mrs Ensell said she was sitting on her bed when it blew up without warning, leaving her needing hospital treatment and is now urging people to think twice before buying them."

This "Back to the Future"-esque electronic may look really cool, and it may seem like we're taking one more step toward the future, but in reality, they have some work to do before they perfect them.

When it comes to this gadget, don't try to save money by going with the cheapest option, because in this case, it may end up costing you more in the end. Sharper Image seems to be a reputable company, and if anything does go wrong, you can easily contact them.