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Maintaining proper air pressure in your car’s tires is an important part of its maintenance. Even though most modern vehicles come equipped with advanced pressure monitoring systems and even run-flat tires, all tires still lose air over time. Plus, you can never plan for certain situations when you might need to suddenly add air to a tire.
Imagine youre running late for a meeting or an interview and suddenly get a flat tire. Theres obviously no time to switch it out or get it fixed. You need an emergency plan in such cases to quickly boost your air pressure. That’s exactly why portable compressors are useful. These compressors allow you to maintain a consistent pressure and can also be used as a temporary solution in the event of an air leak or puncture. Lucky for you, weve picked out a few of our favorite portable air compressors of 2022. Plus, weve put together a detailed buyers guide with everything you need to know about choosing the right portable air compressor.
Portable Air Compressor Buying Guide
Maintaining proper tire pressure is a must for responsible car owners. This involves monitoring your tire pressure, making sure they stay within the recommended range, and refilling them promptly if they become low. That might sound like a lot of work, but thankfully a handy portable air compressor can take care of all of those things for you.
Although it is expensive upfront, the portable compressor will pay for itself in the long-term. With it, you never have to drive with overinflated or underinflated tires, which means youll save on petroleum through improved fuel efficiency. Proper tire pressure also plays a role in determining the durability, wear, and driving performance of your tires. If that werent enough to convince you, underinflated tires pose serious safety risks, so you can never go wrong with keeping a portable air compressor in your trunk.
With so many different types and variables to consider, what exactly should you keep in mind when youre in the market for a portable air compressor? This comprehensive buyers guide will provide all the information you need.
How To Choose A Portable Air Compressor
Tire pressure gauge
There are many different features that some portable air compressors have and some dont. If you ask us, a tire pressure gauge is a must-have feature on your inflator. Compressors that are primarily designed for power pneumatic air-powered tools might not have a pressure gauge, which is why theyre unsuitable for inflating tires.
When youre filling up your tire, you need to know that youre not over or under inflating it. You can’t use a gauge without knowing how the tire feels to the touch. Even experts can make mistakes.
Automatic shutoff
Having a pressure monitor tells you exact readings and pressure measurements in real-time so that you know precisely when to stop. But do you know whats even better than that? An automatic shutoff feature!
This feature allows you to set a preset PSI for portable air compressors and then shut off the supply when the tire pressure reaches that level. This feature makes it impossible to exceed maximum pressure, which is why its very safe and beginner-friendly.
This feature is only available in high-end models at a higher price. This feature can be skipped if you are able to operate the pump manually using a pressure gauge.
Source of power
Most portable air compressors are powered by electricity, but you can also find gas-powered ones. If you plan on using your air compressor in an indoor setting like a garage or a workshop, you should only get an electric model since the fumes produced by gas-powered ones wouldnt have any place to vent. Electric options are also much easier to maintain and have a quieter operation.
Corded or battery powered
You can also consider other types of electric compressors, such as corded or battery-powered air compressors. The first can be charged and ready to use at any time, anywhere. The corded versions, however, can be carried around but require a 12-volt socket. This could be your vehicle’s cigarette lighter, or a power outlet in the trunk. Some cars do not have one. While they are more convenient, battery-powered ones can be more expensive.
Overheating and cooling off
Portable air compressors vary in terms of how long you can use them without running into overheating issues. They all require a cooldown phase sooner or later, but the longer they can go without it, the better! Youll find these durations in the product description or user manual. This is a crucial factor to consider to ensure that you don’t have to wait frustratingly long after filling your tires.
Most options require a cooldown duration of 10 minutes after heating up, which can be quite disruptive and impractical if youre in a hurry. The compressor should be able fill all four tires up to the correct pressure before it needs to cool down. Many inflators are capable of filling small hatchbacks and mid-sized sedans. However, large trucks or SUVs will require you to be more specific about the specifications.
Tank size
Every air compressor needs a place to store all the compressed air that will later get pumped into a tire, an air-powered pneumatic tool, or a piece of construction equipment. All of these cases require different tank size capacities for effective results, which is why its one of the key factors to look at.
A tank of between 4 and 27 Liters is required if you intend to power a DIY pneumatic device with your portable compressor. Keep in mind that that might be too small for bigger, more powerful tools.
For tire inflators, youll only need a 5 Liters tank for proper functioning.
Performance rating
The performance rating of a portable air compressor represents how much air it can deliver in a particular unit of time. This metric, much like the tank capacity, determines what specific purpose a certain air compressor is good for.
You must ensure that the nail’s performance rating is checked before you use it with a pneumatic air-powered device like a nail gun. If its 4 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM), you need a portable air compressor that matches that number.
For a tire inflator, a 2 SCFM portable air compressor is good enough for optimal operation.
Hose and cord length
The length of your cord and hose play a vital role in improving your user experience if youre buying an air compressor to inflate your tires.
You need as long a cord and as long a hose as possible to inflate your tires. You might find yourself stuck on one side or the other of the road, with little space for the machine to be placed on the traffic side. This is especially true if the road is narrow and busy. Even if you have a lot of power ports on your car, it would be useless in this situation.
We recommend a model that has a long, coil hose. This will provide you with plenty of length and minimize the chance of getting tangled.
Comparing The Highest-Rated Portable Air Compressors Of 2022
If you dont like waiting around for your car tires to fill up, the Kensun Portable Air Compressor is for you. You can use it with just about any type of vehicle, be it a bicycle, motorcycle, sedan, or SUV.
This portable air compressor features an easy-to-read pressure monitoring gauge that shows readings in three different units KPA, Bar) for maximum clarity. It also features a dual motor design built out of solid metal, offering super easy and fast tire inflation. We voted this portable compressor the best on our list because of its impressive features.
Pros
- Easy to read pressure monitor gauge
- Fits almost all vehicle types
- Fills tires up quickly on AC power
Cons
- Lacks an automatic shutoff feature
You cant go wrong by picking a popular, affordable option. Thats exactly the case for the AstroAI Portable Air Compressor. This compressor is a popular choice across all categories on the internet, and it’s not hard to see why. It checks all the right boxes, including a fairly quick fill-up time. This portable air compressor can bring your tire from 0 to 35 PSI (pounds per square inch) within five minutes, pumping it up at a speed of 7.7 GPM (gallons per minute), which is decent for its affordable price.
You can adjust this portable air compressor to your desired pressure setting using your preferred units, which makes the tool super easy to use for everybody. It also has an automatic shutoff feature, so you wont have to manually turn it off when it reaches your preset pressure.
Pros
- Features an automatic shutoff function
- Includes three nozzles and an extra fuse
- Three-year warranty
Cons
- Overheats with extended use
