If you are a car owner, you can always expect for a flat tire every now and then. Flat tires are common occurrences and cannot be prevented – it comes with the territory of driving a car.
Although you cannot prevent flat tires, you can easily fix it without having to resort to going to car shops – both time-consuming and pricey. It is a good thing that portable tire inflators were made. You can do the fixing on your own – anytime and anywhere.
Our Top Pick’s and Editor’s Recommendation:
| Image | Tire Inflator | Prime | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORTEM Digital Tire Inflator for Car | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| AstroAI Air Compressor Tire Inflator Portable Air Pump for Car Tires 12V DC Auto Tire Pump | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| TEROMAS Tire Inflator Air Compressor | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| EPAuto 12V DC Portable Air Compressor Pump, Digital Tire Inflator | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| TACKLIFE 12V DC Car Tire Inflator Air Compressor Portable Multifunctional Tire Pump | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| TACKLIFE X1 Rechargeable Cordless Tire Inflator - Handheld Air Compressor | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| Avid Power Tire Inflator Air Compressor, 12V DC / 110V AC Dual Power Tire Pump | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| Avid Power Tire Inflator Air Compressor | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| VacLife Air Compressor Tire Inflator, DC 12V Portable Air Compressor for Car Tires | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
| VacLife Air Compressor Tire Inflator, Auto Touchscreen DC 12V Air Pump for Car Tires | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
With those things out of the way, here are five (5) best tire inflators – with their advantages and disadvantages – available in the market now that can be easily considered as the best tire inflator:
Best Tire Inflator Reviews:
1. Slime 40050 12V Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor Auto Pump
You can never say when your car tires get flat. So always bringing a portable and reliable tire inflator like Slime 40050 12-Volt Digital Tire Inflator with you is beneficial.
The inflator is made with a technology that allows automatic shut down when target pressure is achieved. The Slime 40050 has digital LED display convenient for night use and it inflates a mid-sized tire in 6 minutes with a max pressure of 35 PSI.
The inflator can be plugged into a car cigarette lighter that needs 15 Amp fuse. The power is 12 V, wattage is 280 watts, LPM is 16 and CFM is .565. Finally, the cord reach is 12 feet.
Pros
- Provides accurate pressure range
- Screw-on valve attachment that is easy to connect & disconnect
- Digital display with LED backlight ideal for day & night use
- Compact, powerful & portable operating at 12 V & 35 PSI
Cons
2. P.I. Auto Store Premium Digital Tire Inflator
When you are planning to go on a road trip or go on a bumpy ride, ensuring that your tires are fully inflated is important. Bring a handy and portable tire inflator with you like P.I. Auto Store Premium Digital Tire Inflator.
The machine is powered by 12 V DC and can pump up to 150 Psi. It also automatically shuts down after targeted pressure value has been achieved and can inflate a mid-sized car tire in 4 minutes at 30 Psi.
The inflator is good for night time use with its LED backlit displays that also features different settings.
The hose length is 12 feet and it is compatible with other vehicle tires. To add, the inflator only weighs 2 lbs. with 7 in x 3 in x 6. in as its dimensions
Pros
Cons
3. Avid Power Tire Inflator Air Compressor
Done with a tire inflator that does not inflate at all? Trust the Avid Power Tire Inflator Air Compressor to do the work. The inflator has a 24 feet reach – for the length of the power cord and air hose combined. It is compatible with a 120 V plug outlet and almost all types of tires.
The machine can work at P185/R1 from 0 Psi to 28 Psi in just 2 ½ minutes with a max tire pressure of 150 Psi. It weighs 8 lbs. and has dimensions of 10.4 in x 7.9 in x 7.4 in.
Pros
Cons
Visiting the car shop every time you have a flat tire can be a little pricey and time-consuming. Be practical and get your own tire inflator like JACO SmartPro Digital Tire Inflator Pump that is built with Smart Pressure technology.
It has a power adapter that plugs into a 12 V DC outlet, inflates 5 t 10 Psi, and measures 0 to 100 Psi at 1 Psi accuracy with its built-in precise air gauge.
The machine can reach up to 24 in with its heavy duty air hose. It only weighs 2 lbs. with 7.5 in x 2.5 in x 6 in product dimensions.
Pros
Cons
5. EPAuto 12V DC Portable Air Compressor Pump, Digital Tire Inflator
You want to get ready for any possible vehicle mishaps when you are on a road trip. One way to do that is to have a tire inflator stored inside your trunk – something in the likes of EPAuto 12V DC Portable Air Compressor Pump.
The power source of the machine is a 12 V (120 to 180) W outlet plug with LMP at 40. It comes with a ten (10) ft. cigarette lighter power cord and three (3) additional accessory nozzles for universal access.
It has a noiseless and non-vibration operation that can deliver four (3.5) liters of air in just one (1) minute. The machine is light weight in one (1) pound. and dimensions are 13.5 in x 8.1 in x 5.6 in.
Pros
Cons
Buying Guide: Things To Consider When Select Best Tire Inflator
Before you start with the fixing, you have to get yourself a portable tire inflator first. Look for the best tire inflator that will suit you and your needs. Most probably you would opt to buy the fastest tire inflator you can have. Or you wish to purchase a tire inflator that gives the greatest output capacity.
Whichever it may be, the best tire inflator for you is the one that complies with all your the points in the checklist. After all, no foot fits all shoes as there is no tire inflator that inflates all tires. Be sure to check out cordless tire inflation as well.
Here is what you can consider in your search:
Check the inflation speed
Some air pumps boast of being able to fill a standard mid-sized car tire in six (6) minutes. The others claim that they can top the performance by two (2) minutes down – or just less than four (4) minutes. There are a few air pump brands – usually those with powerful motors – that can do the job in two (2) minutes or less.
The rule of thumb though – subject to some few exceptions – is the faster a tire inflator can fill a tire, the more expensive its price due to its powerful motors and modern technology.
Do the legwork
An informed buyer is cannot be easily deceived by exaggerated promotions. It is beneficial, if not very important that you do the legwork or make your personal research before immediately buying a tire inflator. The best tire inflator for you is the tire inflator that suits your needs.
To achieve that, you have to do a research. Read some product reviews by qualified and credible personalities. Search for verified customer feedbacks to know both the negative and positive features of each brand straight from the users themselves. Look for specifications and accessory features that go with each tire inflators.
Do some brand comparisons if you are confused between two (2) or among three (3) products that you are interested in. Do all these to guide you in your decision-making,
How to Use a Tire Inflator
All About the Pressure
- The first step is to know your current tire pressure. Knowing the current air pressure of your flat tire is essential to determine how much air you have to put into your flat tire. The reading of the tire pressure can be facilitated by an air pressure gauge or a tire inflator with a built-in pressure gauge. You simply have to press down the pressure gauge or tire inflator into the flat tire’s air valve and hold the position until a reading has been completed; and
- Second, determine how much air you need to add to the flat tire. Knowing how the air pressure inside the flat tire gives you an idea of how much air should be delivered into the air valve of the flat tire. Extreme results will not be satisfactory for too much air will result in the early wear and tear of your tires while too little air will speed up damage to your tires and wheels as well as cause your driving experience less than smooth sailing – not to exclude the fact of increasing the chances of encountering vehicle mishaps.
Pump It
- First, take off the valve stem’s cap. Look for the valve stem of your car’s tire and take off the stem cap to prepare for the delivery of air. See to it that you position the unscrewed cap within your line of vision since you are going to put it back into the valve stem after the tire is fully inflated;
- Second, search for a tire inflator. There are quite a number of tire inflators available now. There are the manual tire inflators if you are the type to do everything by yourself. If in contrast, you opt to go for convenience, then a digital tire inflator is the perfect choice. Some digital inflators automatically turn off when the target pressure value has been achieved inside the tire. The digital ones make more accurate pressure readings compared to the manuals; and
- Third and last, keep your tires cold. There is an accurate reading of the tire pressure when the tires being read are cold or unused. The hot friction created when the tires are used gives a higher tire pressure – not entirely an accurate reading.
Fill Them Up
- First, attach the tire inflator. Depending on the type of tire inflator you own, press the tip of the air hose or screw it into the air valve then hold it until desired pressure is attained;
- Second, monitor the tire pressure every now and then. Regardless of whether the tire inflator is manual or digital, the device has a pressure gauge to help you monitor the pressure reading;
- Third, recap the valve stems. This step prevents the accidental loss of air from the tire because the valve was resealed; and
- Fourth and last, repeat the steps from the top to work on your other flat tires – starting on the tire that is nearer to the tire inflator.
Manual Tire Inflator vs. Digital Tire Inflator
Tire inflators nowadays are of two (2) major types – manual tire inflators & digital tire inflators. If you want the old school and classic type of person who wants to do everything by himself, the manual tire inflator is your type.
If you want the less hassle and easy way, then you have to choose the digital tire inflator over the other. And between the two (2) classes, the digital tire inflator tops the other when it comes to speed because the manual tire inflator is affected by many variables – most important of which are the users’ arm strength & stamina.
A digital tire inflator, in contrast, has an automatic setting that facilitates the tire inflator to operate by itself – and automatically shuts off – minus your constant intervention.
Take careful note of the tire inflator’s output
Admittedly, it is essential that you can inflate your flat tires the fastest chance that you can, neither the output capacity nor the amount of air pressure should be taken for granted.
In your search for a fast tire inflator, you have to put high consideration on air pressure capacity as well as the optimum air pressure that an air pump can deliver at one cycle. The more air pressure the machine can create, the faster the target pressure can be achieved.
Reference:
- https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/best-portable-tire-inflator-for-your-car-in-2021/
- https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-tire-inflators/