Best tyre inflators 2024: the best electric pumps rated

There are many reasons it’s important to check your tyre pressures weekly. It’s vital for safety, to maximise your fuel economy and prolong the life of your tyres – and a good quality tyre inflator makes this job really easy.

They’re also essential pieces of kit should you see a sudden drop in air pressure when you’re out and about, or even when that tell-tale tyre pressure warning light illuminates on your car's dashboard.

You could, of course, head to the nearest fuel station to use a forecourt pump, but the better solution is to top-up the pressure yourself. With the days of using footpumps long gone, pocket-sized rechargeable tyre inflators can get you going again quickly and easily. Just connect them to the tyre, push a button and wait until they bring the pressure up to the right level.

Many add extra levels of functionality, with built-in work lights making them useful at night, or USB sockets which can charge external devices such as smartphone or tablets.

With numerous examples on the market, which is worth spending your money on? 

Best tyre inflator – Ring RTC2000
Best tyre inflator for performance – Sealey CTI120
Best easy to use tyre inflator – Bosch EasyPump 

The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.

Best tyre inflators 2024

1. Ring RTC2000 – Best tyre inflator

What Car? Rating – 5/5

Pros
- Neat, compact package
- Good value
- Built-in powerbank

Cons
- Tricky valve connector
- Loudest on test
- No beacon facility

The Ring unit has a real feel of quality about it. Everything you need with the exception of the charging lead is housed within the unit; the hose and adapters are all integral which make it easy to store and use. 

It's quite a handful – around the size of a large can of energy drink – but it's not heavy. Getting the hose out and fitted to the main unit is simple, but the threaded connector that fits to the tyre valve is a little tricky and difficult to turn. It’s easier if you can rotate the entire unit, although this may not be possible depending on the angle of the valve. 

The large three-digit display shows the tyre pressure and the right-hand button is used to switch between PSI, bar, kPa units or cycle through four presets, making it ideal if you have several vehicles requiring different pressures. There’s no graphic to indicate which is which, but there is a display to show which memory preset you’re using. 

In use, the unit displays the actual pressure all the time, but not the target preset pressure. The LED lamp is activated by pressing the button and has one setting. There is also a single USB outlet rated at 2.4amps. 

Tester’s insight
“The Ring inflator instantly feels good quality and well made, and I like that the hose and the adaptors are retained within the body. It's a noisy little unit, which may mean it's a little anti-social for early morning top-ups, but it's still quieter than manhandling a jack or wheel brace to change the wheel. It performed well and filled three car tyres from flat, which is impressive. Being the cheapest here is an added bonus.”

Buy it if
- You want a compact and easy-to-use unit
- You are value-conscious

Don’t buy it if
- You want ultimate performance
- Your hand dexterity is limited, because you may struggle getting the connector on

The facts

2. Sealey CTI120 – Best for performance

What Car? Rating – 5/5

Pros
- Fastest inflation
- Greatest number of inflations
- Second-quietest on test

Cons
- No storage pouch included
- Only one preset
- Small controls

The Sealey unit uses a comfortable pistol-style design, with the hose coming out directly from the front, meaning it’s easy and comfortable to hold. It has a small display and even smaller buttons, which may be tricky for some to use. The main power-on button switches between PSI, bar, kPa and Kg/cm2, and a single preset value is adjusted with the + and – buttons. The display shows the target pressure, so you simply press a button and the unit will shut off once it’s reached.

It comes with a long charging cable and the high-quality valve connector fits to the valve tightly with no apparent air loss. It has a twin-LED torch which throws out a good beam of light, has two flashing modes and also works independently of the inflator function.

Our sound-meter measurements showed the Sealey to be the second quietest one metre away from the device. It inflated the test tyre from completely empty to 2.1bar four times and on the fifth occasion, managed to get to 1.75bar with the best accuracy here. It was also the fastest to inflate, a full minute quicker than the nearest competitor on the first inflation, which would be useful if you're trying to pump up a tyre in the rain. 

Tester’s insight
“The Sealey is a powerhouse. It was the fastest to inflate tyres from completely flat, and would be capable of inflating all four of our Mini’s tyres from flat, with enough in reserve to top one or two up again. It's a shame that it doesn’t come with any kind of pouch; you could keep it in the box of course but that takes up so much more room than the unit. But for ultimate performance – and accuracy – the Sealey is unbeatable.”

Buy it if
- You want ultimate performance
- You have a pouch you can keep it in

Don't buy it if
- You might struggle with small control buttons
- You want multiple preset pressures

The facts

3. Bosch EasyPump – Best easy to use tyre inflator

What Car? Rating – 4/5

Pros

- Permanently connected hose
- Clear display
- Integral adapters

Cons
- Only one preset
- No powerbank
- Rather large making it tricky to store

The Bosch EasyPump is, as the name suggests, a very easy product to use and has a real feeling of quality to it. The hose is permanently connected – stowing in a cut-out on the back of the inflator – and there is a large red button to power the unit up. There’s only one preset value, so you choose the pressure you need using the + and – buttons, then hit the clearly-marked ‘Start/Stop’ button. The unit inflates the tyre until it reaches the value you have set and then shuts off automatically; whichever value you use remains stored in the memory until you select something else.

The design is the most unusual here but it’s comfortable to use. The ‘unit’ button also activates the LED worklight and illuminates the valve well, although there are no flashing functions. The included adapters – for Presta valves as well as inflating balls and toys, for example – are housed within the hand grip and the long USB-C charging cable makes it easy to reach a socket. 

The brass-threaded valve connector spins well and it fits tightly to the wheel’s valve. In use, it’s fairly noisy – recording the same sound pressure level reading as the Michelin. It also completed the same two full inflations as the French brand, although it was a shade quicker. Its partial third inflation only reached 0.94bar. 

Tester’s insight
“The Bosch initially felt strange but it actually works nicely. A single preset value isn’t really an issue because it’s easy to change using the large buttons. The connector is really easy to fit to the tyre valve and there’s a very solid feel to the inflator as a whole. It genuinely reflects Bosch’s reputation for quality and performance.”

Buy it if
- You want Bosch reliability and quality
- You want a super-easy-to-use inflator

Don't buy it if
- You want different vehicle presets
- You want a built-in powerbank

The facts

4. Michelin Mini Inflator – Best for compactness

What Car? Rating – 3/5

Pros
- Integrated unit
- Very compact
- Easy to use controls

Cons
- Clip-on connector may be tricky for some
- Short charging lead
- No powerbank function

The Michelin Mini Inflator is the most compact unit here, yet still packs a decent punch. The hose is permanently connected to the main body; you rotate it from its park position and the inflator turns on. This brings up the large and clear display which shows the measured pressure in large digits alongside relevant preset information. There are four presets identified by graphics – ball, bicycle, car and motorcycle – as well as a general preset. 

The buttons are also large and easy to use; the right-hand one cycles through the presets and you use the + and – buttons to set the desired pressure. Annoyingly, if you change the pressure on one preset – for example cycle – then navigate away from it, the preset reverts to its default value and you have to change it again. 

Rotating the hose away from the body is the only way to activate the unit, which is also slightly annoying if you just want to use the torch, because you can't power it up from the buttons. However, once activated, the clamp-on connector is easy to use as long as you have the dexterity and strength in your hands. In use, it's fairly loud – equal second-loudest here – but puts in a reasonable performance, inflating the test tyre from completely flat to 2.1bar twice, and to 1.68bar on the third occasion. Its accuracy is also very good, with an actual pressure of 2.08bar against its indicated 2.1bar.

Tester’s insight
“The Michelin is a nicely-designed unit that has much going for it – it’s compact and slim and held its own blowing-up the Mini’s tyres, putting in two full inflations. However, it has a few annoying quirks, such as presets reverting to default values when you move away from them, and the only way to power the unit up is by rotating the hose. That said, it’s a handy device and will get you out of trouble.”

Buy it if
- Storage space is a premium in your vehicle
- You need or like the large, clear display

Don't buy it if
- You might struggle with the clamp-on connector – it can be fiddly
- You want to retain preset pressures different from default

The facts

5. Clarke RI150i – Best for quietness

What Car? Rating – 3/5

Pros
- Excellent display
- Lowest noise
- Built-in powerbank

Cons
- Longest inflation time
- Single inflation only
- Low powerbank output

The Clarke RI150i has a quality feel to it: solid and substantive without feeling heavy or cumbersome. It fits nicely in the hand and has a clear display showing actual pressure and the target pressure. There are four presets – ball, bicycle, car and motorcycle – as well as a user-programmable setting. Unlike the Michelin which has similar operating principles, it doesn’t lose its memory if you switch presets; here whichever values you set remain next time you switch the unit on. 

The hose and adapters are housed loose inside the storage pouch so you need to be careful that you don't lose one of the included adapters if you tip everything out to use. The hose screws into the unit and the threaded valve connector on the other end has a solid feel and spins smoothly on the hose. The LED torch is handy, although whilst it throws out a decent light, the charging lead is a little short, meaning it has to be close to the outlet or socket to charge. 

Performance counts against the Clarke. On paper it should be in the mix, but only managed a single inflation from completely flat, with the second reaching 1.98bar before the battery died. It was also the least accurate, reading 2.17bar of actual pressure in the tyre compared with the 2.1bar set on the unit itself. 

Tester’s insight
“The Clarke is a very nicely made item, and if you only ever need to top-up tyre pressures, it could be a handy addition. Being the quietest here makes it the least anti-social, which is a bonus if you don't want to annoy neighbours. However, its limited performance means that if you have a persistent problem with a tyre, such as a slow leak, you may need a little more staying power.”

Buy it if
- You want an easy-to-read display
- You think you’ll only ever need to top-up pressures

Don't buy it if
- You want ultimate performance
- You're on a budget

The facts

How to choose a tyre inflator

The first thing to look for is the maximum pressure, and check this is well above what you need – although realistically, every tyre inflator here is capable of significantly more than a passenger car’s tyres require, so you’ll have few issues there. 

All of the units here use pre-set target pressures, a feature which makes them all very easy to use. You set the pressure you want, activate the unit to inflate and they will automatically shut off when that pressure is achieved. All here are accurate enough for day-to-day use. 

If you run more than one vehicle, such as a car, a motorcycle and a bicycle, several presets may be useful to you to keep an eye on all your transport without having to constantly select new pressures. 

A USB output can be useful, particularly if you find yourself with a low phone battery and need to make a call. However, none of the units here are capable of delivering a full charge to an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, for example – its battery capacity is 4400mAh, roughly double that of most of the units here.

All the inflators here have a built-in lamp so that you can use them at night to see what you are doing. 

All the examples here also come with several adapters as well as the main tyre-valve unit. Look for Presta-style adapters if you run a bicycle on the road; a ball inflator and an adapter to blow-up inflatable toys or air beds, for example. 

Finally, a storage pouch is useful to keep the units, any adapters and the charging leads together so everything is in one place when you need it. 

How we test tyre inflators

We fully charged every tyre inflator overnight and removed the valve core of the spare wheel for a 2004 Mini One so the pressure would drop to zero. We re-inserted the core and set each inflator to the manufacturer-recommended cold pressure – 2.1bar – and activated each. 

We measured the time it took to inflate the tyre from zero pressure to 2.1bar as shown on the inflator’s built-in measuring scale the first time. We noted the noise level for each inflator during the initial phase of inflation from one metre away. Once the device had reached 2.1bar as on its display, we measured the actual pressure in the tyre using a digital pressure gauge as a control measure. 

We repeated the test for each inflator in turn, allowing them to cool between tests, to see how many times each was able to inflate the tyre. For each device’s final run, we noted the pressure it managed to achieve before the relevant battery expired. 

How we rate tyre inflators

Performance We looked at home many tyres each was able to inflate from a single charge. We also monitored how long it would take, and using a sound level meter, recorded the noise produced one metre away from the unit to see how offensive each would be if used at night or early morning. 

Ease of use We considered how easy each unit was to assemble and to fit the hose to the wheel’s valve. We also looked at how easy it was to switch between preset values and units of pressure and activate the unit itself. 

Accuracy We compared the preset value – 2.1bar for each inflation test – with the actual measured pressure on a digital gauge which set the benchmark control readings. 

Features We looked at the features each offer over and above the ability to inflate a tyre – whether they have a USB power output, come with a comprehensive range of fittings or in a storage pouch, and scored accordingly.

How we test products

The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.

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