Modern tyres are for the most part excellent, but that doesn't mean they don't lose pressure and go flat over time, often at a pace imperceptible to the human eye.
Properly inflated tyres are also safer and will return better fuel economy so it's always worth keeping an eye on those black orbs of rubber.
Most modern cars will come with some built-in tyre pressure sensor gauge but there are still plenty of cars on the road with no feature to check the tyres. This is why we've found the best aftermarket smart tyre pressure monitors that are guaranteed to fit your car.
The best smart tyre safety monitors
Editor's choice
A rather simple monitoring system from TireMoni, this kit includes a small display for live readings of both tyre temperature and pressure. It also includes four tyre valves that provide the readings. You can even link the data to your smartphone with an app.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Reads pressure and temperature | • Doesn't work with longer valves or aluminium valves |
| • Easy to understand screen | |
Most stylish monitoring
Certainly the most stylish way of keeping an eye on tyre pressure and temperature, Nonda provides real-time monitoring sent directly to your phone (when the app works). Taking just 10 minutes to install, there are some clear quality issues which is a pity because it does look good.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Clever and stylish | • Rather unreliable currently |
Perfect for bikes
Motorbikes need their tyres checking too, and this smart solution from Garmin is the best way to keep your bike tyres in top health. The kit includes two sensors (obviously) and will only feed tyre information to a Garmin Zumo sat nav.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Excellent quality | • Requires a Garmin Zumo 390 to get a reading |
Best budget tyre monitor
Requiring an Android navigation system to work, this tyre pressure monitoring system offers incredibly reliable monitoring of tyre temperature and pressure. It can even notify you if something drastic happens to your tyres while you're driving.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Very reliable | • You need an Android DVD navigation system |
Low-tech solution
A more old-fashioned (and budget-friendly) option, this digital tyre pressure gauge may require you to stop your car and manually check all tyres individually, but it'll give you clear results and won't give you the same electrical gremlin related headaches.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Simple to use | • Old fashioned |
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What you need to know about smart tyre safety monitors:
How do they work?
It's fairly simple, the sensors screw into your tyre (where the standard valve cap once was) and this allows them to check temperature and pressure. The sensor has a wireless transmitter that sends this data to the receiver. The receiver can either be a satnav, smartphone or separate screen that will show this data and inform you of any problems.
Do they need charging?
While none of these monitors needs to be hardwired to your car (like a dashcam), they do require power to work, usually from batteries. The sensors will more than likely use button cell batteries (the type found in some wristwatches) because of their size, but they should last for ages. If your key comes with a special monitor then that will need some form of power, often a USB/12V port. If you're using one that connects to another screen (like a satnav or smartphone) then that device will obviously need some charge to work.
Are they suitable for all cars?
Most modern cars do come with in-built tyre pressure monitoring so there is no need for an aftermarket system. If your car is missing this feature then these aftermarket tyre safety monitors should fit. All they do is take the place of your car's standard tyre valve cap meaning they're pretty universal. Be careful, however, some of these monitors are incompatible with certain valves, with aluminium valves being notably suspectable to damage.