Best Portable Tire Inflators of 2024, Tested - Car and Driver

Nov 06, 2024

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We put 10 portable inflators and air compressors to the test to determine the best for inflating your car tires.

This article was updated in October 2024 with new products and information.

If you're in the market for tire inflators/air compressors, you'll run into tons of options that claim to be the best at inflating tires. But how on earth do you sift through the noise and truly find the best? We're here to cut through that clutter.

In order to discover the truth, we called in a truckload of renowned brands, top sellers, and under-the-radar recommendations for a head-to-head test in our garage. Which one came out on top? Which tire inflators surprised or disappointed us? Which tire inflator is the best for you? Here, those questions will be answered.

How did we pick our contenders? First, we polled the editorial staffs of Car and Driver, Autoweek, and Road & Track for the inflators our experts recommended. Then, we scoured the internet to find which inflators were the most popular, the best sellers, and the highest rated.

In order to get a fair and impartial sample of portable tire inflators, we selected several brand names we know and trust, as well as a bunch of best-selling off-brand compressors with (usually) lower prices and (often) better ratings. We assembled a wide range of sizes, power, and styles to represent the many types of portable tire inflators on the market.

Once the contenders were assembled and ready to roll, we ran them through a tough Gear Team trial. From that, we were able to see which ones stood out, which ones dominated the competition, and which ones left us wanting more. Here are the results.

(Editor's Note: The above time-lapse GIF is around two minutes of actual time; that Milwaukee inflator is a BEAST.)

Portable tire inflators are generally manufactured with two design types in mind: handheld devices and console units. Here are the differences between the two:

Handheld is the way to go for a tire inflator to keep in your car in case of emergencies. A handheld inflator should be easily stashable and simple to use. Shop for a handheld inflator that features a work light for nighttime situations, a digital gauge for accurate readings and auto-shutoff, a clamp-style valve connector, and a 12-volt plug to reliably power the device with your vehicle when you need it.

Console units are ideal for everyday household and recreational inflation. Consoles should be able to inflate almost anything, from car tires to sports balls to air mattresses for car camping to rafts, toys, and SUPs for fun recreation (inflatable kayak, anyone?). Most feature multiple power options, numerous inflation attachments, and more features you won't find in a handheld. Some are even incorporated into consoles with other tools, such as portable jump starters.

On the downside, consoles didn't perform as well as handheld units in the one test we at the Gear Team were most concerned with: portable tire inflation. They all got the job done, but up and down the line. most console units can hardly be considered "portable." Yes, you can pick them up, carry them around the house, and pack them in your vehicle for vacations. But keeping a console inflator in the car in case of emergencies? Probably not the way to go, for most of us.

Related: The Best Portable Jump Starters

No matter which portable car tire inflator you buy, look for one that features an alternate power source option. Battery-powered handhelds are portable and easy to use, but they should also have a backup 12-volt car plug, just in case. Your vehicle's 12-volt outlet will always be adjacent to your tires and is a trusty power source—unless, of course, in addition to flat tires your car has a dead battery.

Pro Tip: Battery-powered items stashed in cars are often and easily neglected. If you're keeping any battery-powered device in your car, such as an inflator or jump starter, fully charge its battery every few months—say, every time you give your vehicle a detail job that includes vacuuming and interior cleaning.

Wall plugs are great for top-offs at home, but the car will have to be moved close to an electrical outlet, or you'll need a very long extension cord. Or perhaps a portable generator or battery pack to plug into. Direct-to-battery power sources, such as on the Viair unit we tested, provide maximum power but can be unwieldy. More on that later.

When shopping for a tire inflator, look for benefits such as:

-An integrated work light for dark roadside repairs; some flash to function as emergency beacons

-A digital gauge with auto shut-off, rather than analog dials

-Clamp-style valve attachments are easier and more convenient than screw-on connectors

-Plenty of attachments, such as a tapered nozzle for inflating air mattresses, rafts, and pool toys; a needle for sports balls; and a Presta valve chuck for some road-bike tires

-Rubber feet to keep your inflator planted while operational

The pistol-style AVID Power Cordless stands out from the competition by stepping it up a notch without increasing the price much. It provides a secondary power option via your car's 12-volt outlet, plus the package includes two of each kind of valve adapter.

In our test, the Avid Power was more than a full minute faster to both 30 psi and 45 psi than its main rival, the AstroAI pistol-style cordless (below). But instead of an extra battery, it comes with a supplemental 12-volt DC power cord. (Note: We tested this unit using the battery.) We also preferred the feel of the Avid's rubberized handle to the AstroAI's grip. It was slightly quieter too.

If we were shopping for a portable tire inflator to keep in our car, we'd probably pick the Avid Power Cordless. It retails for just under a hundred bucks—but almost always seems to be on sale. Further, we lose tiny parts all the time, so the inclusion of a backup of each type of inflation attachment is appreciated. The alternate on-the-go power option is a clear advantage to carrying a spare battery—let alone keeping the unit fully charged. Add in the faster inflation time, plus the battery's USB port (for charging phones and such), and our choice for Best Overall Tire Inflator turned out to be a pretty easy call.

Some of us own power banks, jump starters, and tire inflators—but why not just combine them into one tool? Enter the Zeus—a handy multitool in the world of tire inflators. Along with its inflator function, the Zeus includes a 15,000-mAh jump starter and two ports—one USB-C and one USB-A. That's handy to be sure, but we're here to test tire inflators.

The Zeus did indeed hold its own when pumping up flat tires. It's the third fastest inflator we've tested, just behind the big Milwaukee and the Viair, and the interface is easy to use thanks to its buttons and easy to read, even in bright sun. Those are all wins in our book. The 24-inch hose is a tad short, particularly for vehicles with larger tires, but livable if you are fortunate enough to be able to get the valve stem rotated around.

If you're looking to consolidate your car emergency kit, this inflator, jump starter, and power bank combo is the way to go.

Milwaukee's 2848-20 M18 Inflator blew away (sorry!) the competition in inflation time. It inflated our test tire to 30 psi in just over a minute and hit 45 psi in only about two and a half minutes, allowing us to make a cool inflation GIF with the tire on a Ford Bronco (at top). Both times were nearly five minutes faster than most other inflators we tested, save the Viair.

But it's not ideal. The 2848-20 is a relatively large and heavy unit that's too big to carry around in your daily driver. The valve attachment is screw-on, which is fine for everyday inflating but a (literal) pain for cold fingers to manipulate in extreme weather. Most egregious, there is no alternative power source; the unit requires Milwaukee's proprietary M18 Li-ion battery—and that's not included.

The 2848-20 offers plenty of power and speed to inflate large tires quickly, so it might be ideal for off-roaders and overlanders to lug into the wild—but only if they already own, or are willing to purchase, an M18 battery and charger.) Now, if you've already bought into Milwaukee's M18 battery system, this 2848-20 inflator would be a fine choice to add to your garage. But if you're looking for a simple solution for occasional tire inflation and top-offs, there are more portable inflators out there.

Many of us don't have room in our cars for some of these larger tire inflators. Enter the AstroAI L4—it weighs in at just over a pound and fits neatly in the palm of your hand. This little inflator is perfect for storing in a car where space is precious, in your glovebox or under your seat.

While compactness is indeed its biggest benefit, the performance takes a hit. The L4 is—by a large margin—the slowest inflator we tested from 10 to 30 psi, and then up to 45. However, it was quiet, and the interface was intuitive. The screen is bright and easy to see, even from far away.

Aside from the inflation time, we do have to gripe about the hose length: It measures just 12 inches. So, unless your wheel's valve stem is close to the ground, you'll have to hold the unit as the tire inflates.

Overall, tire inflators are typically only used in emergencies, and we feel the portability of this device outweighs its quality-of-life drawbacks. If you're short on space, this is the inflator to get.

The Teromas is similar in size, shape, and performance to the VacLife inflator we tested. Both are flat and easily stashable, both will get the job done, and both cost less than fifty bucks. However, we feel the Teromas is more valuable to the typical driver thanks mainly to its inclusion of a 120-volt household-outlet adapter, in addition to the 12-volt outlet plug.

The flat, box-shaped unit is easy to use and inflated our Hyundai's test tire about 30 seconds faster to both 30 psi and 45 psi than the VacLife did. It's quieter, too. It weighs a bit more but its hose is longer, and it includes two tapered stems and a ball needle.

In retrospect, after testing both the VacLife and the Teromas, I wish I'd bought the Teromas to keep in my personal car (see below). It's almost as cheap and just as portable as the VacLife I bought, but the optional power supply and the slightly longer hose put the nearly-identical Teromas a cut above its rival.

Because it offers a lot of options in both everyday applications and power, this Black+Decker model ‎BDINF20C makes a fine inflator for almost anyone—but especially for users who already subscribe to B+D's popular 20V MAX battery system.

Not only does it run cordless via the Li-Ion battery, it will also plug into your car's 12-volt outlet and includes a wall plug for domestic use. This means you don't have to worry about keeping its battery charged, or buying into yet another battery and charger system if you're not already using the 20V MAX in your garage.

Despite the garage-familiar brand name, this Black+Decker is clearly more of a household inflator than an automotive one. While its inflation time to 30 psi was fairly impressive, it took more than nine minutes to fill our test tire to 45 psi. It's got a high-flow hose and multiple attachments for various applications, and it's lighter and easier to carry around than most of the other console-type units we tested here. But when it comes time to fully inflate a typical SUV tire, it spits the renowned Black+Decker bit. Also, the necessary 20V MAX battery and charger are not included.

Already a user of the 20V MAX battery system? This inflator might be ideal for use around your house. But for car tires? There are faster inflators out there—many of them smaller and lighter than this one.

The neo-industrial design of this miniature workhorse is a delight to both hold and look at. Unfortunately, it's not quite as satisfying to work with.

Let's be clear: the Viair 88P is incredibly fast at inflating tires. We were blown away (sorry again!) by the performance of this device. In fact, next to the monster from Milwaukee in our lead image above, no other compressor in our test came close to inflating our test tire as quickly as the Viair. However, its sole power supply—alligator clips that connect directly to the car battery—and old-school dial gauge keep the Viair 88P from being the ideal car tire inflator for the everyday driver. For the time being, anyway.

Viair built its trusted reputation on its high-quality industrial and commercial air compressors and the 88P is, in form and function, a scaled-down version of one of those. But why the seemingly outmoded power hookup? Why the quaint-but-wonky analog gauge? We didn't want to fault a company we know and trust without hearing its side of the story, so we reached out.

Dave Rittenhouse, Viair Corp.'s Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, told us Viair's main concern is providing a quality product that works, and a direct line to the battery was the only way to achieve that with the 88P. "This unit requires about 16–19 amps for its compressor motor to function effectively," he said. Unfortunately, the typical 12-volt accessory power port in any car "tops out at around 15 amps. AC power runs a different type of compressor motor, and Li-Ion batteries wouldn't provide the power required to drive this motor," Rittenhouse said. Basically, if it plugged into a 12-volt cig-type power source it would blow a car's fuse. Thus, the need to draw directly from the car battery. Dave assured us that options are in the works from Viair. But, for now, alligator clips it is.

The integrated analog dial gauge on the Viair looks as quaint and cool as the rest of the unit, but it didn't get as satisfying a justification from a Viair rep as its choice of power supply did. It proved wildly inaccurate during testing, running about 10 psi higher than the actual tire pressure while the unit was powered on. When the needle hit 30 psi and we shut the compressor off, and the needle dropped to around 20 psi. We had to shut the motor off, check the dial, measure the psi with our handheld gauge, then top the pressure off. We did this several times all the way to 45 psi before we got an acceptable reading on our handheld pressure gauge. Basically, the analog dial gauge on the 88P is worthless (unless you know how high the dial gauge runs—and if you owned an 88P, you'd probably figure that out pretty quickly).

From where we're sitting, the 88P outperformed its competition by leaps and bounds, so we'd love to see Viair come up with a more user-friendly compromise between practicality and efficiency. (An integrated work light would be appreciated too.) In the meantime, if you're comfortable working with alligator clips to your battery and repeatedly double-checking your tire pressure, the Viair 88P is affordable, small enough to stash in the car, includes plenty of inflation accessories, and it's all wrapped up in a convenient carrying case—which is great, because this is an awful lot of hose and cord to wind up every time you use it.

One of the top-selling tire inflators at Amazon, in our test this lightweight, portable compressor from AstroAI justified its popularity. It's small enough to stash in your daily driver in case of emergencies and strong enough to get you out of a jam.

Powered by a fast-charging (about an hour) 20-volt 2.0-mAh Li-ion battery, it also offers a power cord that plugs into either the wall or your car's cigarette lighter, with an adapter. The pistol-style AstroAI is simple to use; just set the desired psi, clamp on the connector, and pull the trigger. Its inflation times to 30 psi and 45 psi were faster than most of the other units in our test, handheld or console. (It was also louder than most of the other units here.) And it all comes in a carrying case that should fit in most cargo cubbies and perhaps even your spare tire well.

The old adage says, "you get what you pay for," and it's usually true. However, in our testing, the AstroAI Cordless Inflator busted that stereotype wide open by being efficient, portable, and versatile—all while being supremely affordable.

RoofPax is more known for its cargo carriers, but its tire inflator stands out because it offers all three power options, a rarity among the off-brand units we tested. It deflates too.

However, for a compressor that boasts dual motors, the RoofPax's inflation time to 30 psi took longer than all of the handheld options in our test—overall, it was slower than all but two of the units we tested. So it's not perfect. It improved its 45-psi time enough to end up in the middle of the pack in that regard, and its decibel level was on the lower end of our spectrum too. On the plus side, it was the only inflator we tested that offered a valve chuck attachment specifically for inflating stand-up paddleboards.

Overall, the RoofPax is a decent inflator to use around the home, and its three power options will certainly hold value for some users. If it had inflated a bit faster—and didn't cost over a hundred bucks—it might have been among our favorites. But at this price point, we think car owners looking for a portable tire inflator can do better.Note: RoofPax does offer a five-year extended manufacturer's warranty. If you choose to buy this unit from Amazon, make sure to buy it directly from the RoofPax storefront.

We loved the Milwaukee M18 inflator so much that we decided to try out its little brother, the M12. Its smaller size results in lower performance numbers, but its compact design is a saving grace.

Like the M18, the M12 has an intuitive interface, allowing you to set the pressure and walk away. However, the inflation time from 10 to 30 psi is just respectable, and it's a bit noisy. It also bears noting that the M12 is Milwaukee's least powerful cordless battery system; the Milwaukee cordless power tools in most garages use the stronger, longer-lasting M18 battery.

We understand the higher cost for the M18 we tested above, as it's a league of its own in terms of performance. But frankly, the M12's price tag is far higher than it ought to be. And that price is just for the tool—the M12 battery and its requisite charger are not included in this package. Remember, even if your garage is stocked with cordless Milwaukee power tools, chances are you don't have the M12 battery system needed to power this unit.

The Milwaukee M12 is a good-but-not-great tire inflator but, in our opinion, it's the price tag that's overinflated (sorry!).

To evaluate these tire inflators, we called into service one of Car and Driver's fleet cars, a sleek black 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV plug-in hybrid SUV with a tire size of 235/55R19. For inflators added later, we used a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with a tire size of 235/55R19.

Starting from a 10-psi reading on our handheld tire pressure gauge, we timed each inflator to 30 psi, then to 45 psi, the approximate range of the typical SUV.

We also measured each unit's average decibel reading while operating. We then used a handheld tire gauge to confirm how accurate each unit's integrated pressure gauge was, before and after inflation.

For our final evaluation, we compared all these measurements. We also took into account each inflator's size, weight, air-hose length, connector type, attachments, features, and power source(s).

We unpackaged, tested, evaluated, and reviewed a bunch of portable air compressors in an effort to find the best tire inflator for most drivers.

It wasn't a difficult test per se, but it was a rather taxing and time-consuming process. Here are some things we learned and noted along the way:

This comes down to whichever one is best for your needs. If you're looking for a truly "portable" inflator to keep in your car, opt for one that's small enough to stash in your vehicle and easy to use. For an inflator you'll use around the house, a console inflator might fit your needs better.

It should last for years, as long as you take care of it. Be advised most are plastic-cased, and just one solid drop on a hard garage floor from being rendered useless. Also, it's important to keep any battery-powered inflator charged up. It's a good idea to charge it every few months, just in case. This will help extend the battery's life along with staying prepared in case you need it.

That's subjective. The "best" for you will be the one that's ideally suited to your needs. In our testing, we found that brand-name inflators generally weren't any more effective at tire inflation than the less-expensive imported brands. That said, reliability, durability, and warranty coverage should be a consideration. If you're looking for a battery-powered inflator, we always recommend going with the proprietary battery system you already own and use.

If you also want your inflator to pump up sporting goods, inflatable toys, etc., a multi-purpose air compressor is probably best. However, if you just want to inflate your vehicle's tires occasionally, you won't need all that versatility. That said, most of the inflators we tested came with a variety of attachments for all kinds of inflation needs.

Hearst Autos combines the talent, resources, and expertise of three of the largest, most influential automotive publications in the world. The Gear Team has tested a wide variety of automotive products, parts, accessories, and gear, such as dash cams, jump starters, garage heaters, and gps trackers. We get our hands on each and every product we test. Most are purchased; some are supplied by manufacturers.

Hearst Autos doesn't need to game algorithms for traffic or promote lousy products to earn a buck. Instead, we're more concerned with our legacy, our reputation, and the trust that our readers have in Autoweek, Car and Driver, and Road & Track to deliver honest opinions and expert evaluations.

Visit our Tested & Trusted page to see the very best in automotive gear. Read more about our product testing and evaluation process here.

Jon Langston is an avid motorcyclist and gear collector whose work has appeared in Men’s Journal, Cycle World, The Drive, Rider, Iron & Air, Motorcyclist, and more.

Mason Cordell is the Assistant Testing Editor for Hearst Autos. With a degree in multimedia journalism and a passion for the automotive world, he enjoys driving, wrenching, writing and everything in between. At the age of 22, his garage consisted of a ‘95 Miata, an ‘08 M5, and a 1987 Porsche 944S. Clearly, he has a problem.

Katherine Keeler is Associate Testing Editor at Hearst Autos. By day she evaluates tools for your enjoyment; by night, she Frankensteins her ever-changing fleet of rustbucket oddities back to repair. Her dream is to open a roadside attraction where the public can view, drive, and learn repairs at her emporium of curious cars.

Gannon Burgett loves cameras, cars, and coffee: a perfect combination for his Hearst Autos work. His byline has appeared in USA Today, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Digital Trends, the Detroit Free Press, and more.

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