Fidget Spinner Explosions Threaten Consumer Safety, Bluetooth Based Models Might Be A Hazard

Fidget spinners have become massively popular in recent months — the toy has been marketed as a remedy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety and autism. But these toys come with a hidden risk – they might be a fire hazard.

A family in Gardendale, Alabama, told WRBC on Tuesday their Bluetooth enabled fidget spinner burst into flames while charging. Kimberly Allums heard her son screaming and found his fidget spinner had caught fire.

Read: What Happens When Your Child Plays With The Fidget Spinner, Are They Safe?

“He noticed that it burst into flames and he just started screaming. I was downstairs and all I heard was ‘fire..fire and the fidget spinner had literally, it was smoking, it was in flames,” Allums told the publication.

“I just really want people to be aware of this because a lot of people have been inboxing me reaching out to me leaving messages saying my child has this same fidget spinner. Anytime, you have anything that needs to be charged, we really need to be paying attention to the manufactures of these, doing our research,” she said.

Allums said the fire was put out by pouring water over the exploding device, but not before it scorched a section of the carpet. Thankfully, the explosion was brought under control in time; otherwise, the damage could be much bigger. The incident has exposed how fidget spinners, considered a toy for children, might actually be a fire hazard. There have also been warning of fidget spinners being choking hazards.

The name of the model isn’t available and the box just mentioned “made in China,” which is in line with most fidget spinners available in the market. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been notified of the incident and is investigating it.

While there are non-Bluetooth fidget spinners available, there are even ones available in the market with built-in speakers and LED lights. Non-Bluetooth ones basically use bearings to spin around, while a Bluetooth one comes with a built-in modem and even a battery that could overheat, explode, and cause a major incident.

It is advisable to buy anything, especially a toy for kids, with a battery from a standard manufacturer. If you can’t find one, buying a mechanical toy would be a far better choice than the ones currently available in the market.

Read: Fidget Spinner: Tricks, Where To Buy, Who Made It And What We Know About The Latest Toy Trend

The usability of fidget spinners in boosting concentration is also questionable. "The only thing my students seem to focus on... is the spinner, itself, and not their work. It’s like a friggin siren song," a teacher wrote on the Working Mother blog in April.

Furthermore, their impact on concentration could turn out to be a misnomer, since no credible research has been able to assess it till date.