Whatever type of vehicle you have, only the tires make contact with the road. Because we tend to overlook the safety aspect of efficiency and safety, we tend to overlook its importance. Tire pressure plays an important role when braking, accelerating, and handling, but other factors also matter.
Keep a tire pressure gauge in your glove box even if your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system. Gas station pumps usually work properly, are precise, and are free, but they may not always be reliable or efficient. When you are halfway through inflating the fourth tire with a quarter, the machine stops after a few minutes. Keep a portable tire inflator in your trunk to prevent all this.
Air is pumped into tires with portable tire inflators. A variety of models are available. Power and compactness vary among machines. Additional variables must be considered. Due to their limitations, we will concentrate on the heavier-duty end of the spectrum rather than the ultra-compact. Today there are inflators that can handle both stranded cars and those that have intentionally ‘aired down’ on the trail. A heavy-duty tire inflator is always of high quality. Our top portable tire inflators are:
- Best Combo Inflator/Jumper: Utrai Jstar Five
- Best For Big Tires: Tirewell 12V Tire Inflator
- Best For Off-Roaders: ViAir Portable Air Compressor
- Best For Fast Inflation: GSPSCN Tire Inflator Heavy Duty Double
- Best Inflator For Storing In The Car: Kensun Portable Air Compressor Pump