Having a deflated tyre can be a real drag, literally and metaphorically. A poorly inflated tyre can increase your fuel consumption and reduce the amount of grip your car has on the road. There is the inconvenience of an unforeseen flat tyre too.
The best way to avoid these annoyances and dangers is to regularly check your tyres with a pressure gauge and top them up with a tyre inflator. These handy air-pumping gadgets are also great for keeping spares full and ready for with they are needed.
It's not unusual for some cars to come with tyre inflators provided by manufacturers. These are okay, but a more durable and better-performing tyre inflator is always worth picking up. Luckily, you don’t have to spend that much to get you back on the road again.
Always check your car’s user manual for the correct pressure you should be running in your tyres, certainly if you’re towing.
The best budget tyre inflators
Editor's pick
A tyre inflator isn’t an overly emotive item to invest in, and therefore you can strictly adhere to three factors: quality, usability, and efficiency. Ring Automotive’s RAC635 achieves all of these for well under £50.
The RAC635 is light and reasonably compact – it’ll fit in a generous glovebox. While it’s a corded 12V model, and cordless would be more practical, it means the RAC635 has a generous amount of punch. It’ll inflate a 13-inch tyre from flat to 35psi in three minutes.
The digital screen is easier to read than an analogue one, especially in low light. There are additional useful features too. The best of these are the auto shut-off function and LED light.
Pros:
• Auto shut-off
• Reasonably powerful
• Backlit digital screen
• Simple and functional
Cons:
• You may want cordless
Specs:
Weight: 1.17kg
Voltage: 12V
Cable length: 3.5 metres
Adaptors included: 3
Best value
A high quality, reliable tyre inflator under £50 is one thing but under £20 is quite another. This little analogue AA tyre inflator is perfect for the price-conscious driver.
Like the Ring Automotive RAC635, this is a corded 12V unit. For a budget tyre inflator, that’s a good thing because it makes it more powerful and reliable.
In terms of performance, it’s great for topping up but takes a while for a full inflation from flat (13 minutes for a 15-inch tyre to 35psi). Being a basic tyre inflator this model doesn’t have an auto shuto-off feature. So you just need to keep an eye on the gauge.
Pros:
• Very affordable
• Light and compact
• LED light
• Ideal in most scenarios
Cons:
• No auto shut-off
• Ring RAC635 is more powerful
Specs:
Weight: 0.335kg
Voltage: 12V
Cable length: 3 metres
Adaptors included: 2
Best budget cordless tyre inflator
Getting rid of a power cable is a desirable attribute in almost any device. More than that, the RTC2000 combines two devices into one: a power bank and light-duty tyre inflator.
As a tyre inflator, the RTC2000 is mix of the AA and RAC635 models above. It’s lightweight and useful for top ups, like the AA unit, but also possesses extra features like a digital screen and auto shut-off seen on the RAC635.
As a power bank, the 5200mAh capacity is useful for at least one phone charge. Once the inflator itself is flat, it simply recharges via USB. This is a very handy, well-made, and versatile tyre inflator.
Pros:
• Cordless
• Also a power bank
• Auto shut-off
• Very compact
• Great for bikes too
Cons:
• Suitable for car tyre top ups only
Specs:
Weight: 0.485kg
Voltage: 3.7V
Cable length: N/A
Adaptors included: 2
Best budget manual pump
Reliance on power supply can occasionally be restrictive and thus human power is a good substitute. Draper’s double-barrel foot pump can be used for the same purposes as the above inflators (tyres, balls, airbeds, etc.) it just takes a bit longer.
The all-metal build, including a thick 4mm steel base, means this pump is very long lasting. The 60cm air hose is also a lot longer than those on the above electric pumps and can be very useful.
Its analogue gauge is easy to read during daylight hours but not so much after dark.
Pros:
• Very durable
• Cable and electricity-free
• Long air hose
Cons:
• Slower than an electric pump
Specs:
Weight: Circa 1.8kg
Voltage: N/A
Cable length: N/A
Adaptors included: 3
Best for fast inflation
We want to state that Ring Automotive hasn’t paid for a majority share of tyre inflators recommended here. It’s simply that the brand produces very good tyre inflators and also offers the largest range.
The RTC1000 is one of the bigger siblings of the RAC635, having 180W of power compared to the RAC635’s 120W. The result is that the RTC1000 knocks a minute off the 0-35psi inflation time of a 13-inch tyre (down to two minutes).
You’ll notice the different shape too. That’s not just for the sake of it, but because the RTC1000 has a wind-up power cable to keep things tidy.
Pros:
• Powerful
• 70cm air hose
• Backlit digital screen
• Auto shut-off
• Spare valve caps supplied
Cons:
• May be overkill for you
Specs:
Weight: 1.07kg
Voltage: 12V
Cable length: 3.5 metres
Adaptors included: 3
Summary checklist: what to look for in a budget tyre inflator
• Power source: Cordless tyre inflators are the most enticing but on the whole, they can't match the power and performance of a similarly priced corded 12V unit. Manual pumps are the simplest and therefore most reliable, but they are the slowest option.
• Digital vs analogue: There are two main advantages to a digital tyre inflator: a backlit screen seeing in low light, and an auto shut-off function. Typically, you have to pay a few extra pounds for these features on a tyre inflator of equivalent quality to a similar analogue model.
• Budget: We suggest that you have a budget in mind before you start looking for options. Given the range of decent models out there, chances are there is a suitable one for you within budget, if you're realistic. However, also think about what important features you need. Compact? Power? Cordless? Ultimately, you want a tyre inflator that caters to your needs and that might mean adjusting your budget slightly.