Astro AI tyre pump review
At less than £20, Astro’s compact tyre pump can be kept in the glovebox until it’s needed, but don’t lose the attachments
- Price: Around £20
- Contact: amazon.co.uk
Keeping on top of your air pressures will pay you back with better handling, improved fuel consumption and longer tyre life.
A cordless pump like this new Astro AI will make this less of a chore, and the price of under £20 means it could soon pay for itself – especially if you pay to use a garage’s compressor every month or so.
The Astro inflator is impressively small too, being about the same size as a couple of packs of playing cards stacked together. It weighs less than a large apple, but has a decent amount of power with a 1,800mAh rechargeable battery.
The makers claim this is enough to inflate up to eight car tyres. We were sceptical, but it added 10psi to a 14-inch wheel a dozen times before we gave up – and the battery was still showing two out of three bars on the level meter.
The digital display also has a pressure gauge with selectable units, and four preset modes for a car, motorcycle, bike or sports equipment. Need to add air after dark? There’s also a small built-in flashlight with three modes.
The unit doesn’t inflate as quickly as larger machines, but it’s not painfully slow, and there is an auto shut-off when it reaches the preset pressure. It was just 0.1psi off when compared with our calibrated gauge, too.
Our only real complaint is that a lack of storage means you’ll need to keep the pump and its attachments in the box to prevent them being mislaid. The connector is also the clamp-on type, which can be awkward on some valves.
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