I have never been able to use an actual name brand Hover Ball, however, the one I made works exactly like I would expect a purchased one to. And after seeing a review I think it certainly stacks up! Very exciting.
I'm from Argentina, in here we born with a soccer ball already attached to our feets and I know how you sould not kick a ball (both for aiming and to prevent injuries and falls), and this Hover Ball only allows you to kick it the way you shouldn't with a real ball.
I thought that's how they worked (with some kind of motorized fan) before I watched a review of the product. The name 'Hover Ball' is misleading. They are much more simple than the name suggests.
The ball itself is not really a ball, it's like half a ball, a hemisphere. The flat surface is what allows the Hover Ball to move across the floor with ease.