Winds of change: The rise of electric inflators

Cyclist
Winds of change: The rise of electric inflators

Until recently, you had two options to reinflate your tyre when you punctured on a ride: a mini-pump or a CO2 canister. Now you have a third solution in the shape of electric bike pumps, with several big brands having released similar products recently.

‘The category is really starting to boom,’ says Josh Poertner, CEO of Silca, which is the latest company to enter the market with its range of two inflators.

So what are electric bike pumps? Who better to explain than Dr Byron Walmsley, the director of Fumpa, the brand that launched the first USB-rechargeable inflator with a digital gauge in 2015. 

‘They are miniature air compressors attached to a lithium rechargeable battery that powers a highly efficient, brushless motor running the compressor’s piston,’ he says. Other components manage battery power, device temperature and air pressure levels to provide user information and control functions. For example, Muc-Off product manager Andrew Syme says, ‘With devices like our AirMach Pro, users can set a target PSI and the pump will automatically stop once that level is reached.’ 

Unlike true air compressors, which have cylinders of pressurised gas that can be blasted into a tubeless tyre to help seat it in the wheel rim, Walmsley says electric bike pumps push air more steadily into tyres through the valves. Nonetheless, Poertner claims Silca’s electric inflators are adept at seating the majority of tubeless tyres.

Main image (clockwise from top right): Fumpa NanoFumpa £89, fumpapumps.co.uk; Muc-Off AirMach Mini £90, muc-off.com; Silca Elettrico Ultimate £149, saddleback.co.uk; Topeak E-Booster Digital £99.99, extrauk.co.uk; Fumpa OG £149, fumpapumps.co.uk; Silca Elettrico Micro £119, saddleback.co.uk

Charge up to pump up

The main advantages of electric pumps over traditional methods are convenience and ease of use. They require much less effort than an arm-operated mini-pump and can inflate tyres more quickly and to higher pressures at the press of a button. The airflow of an electric bike pump is also easier to control than a CO2 canister, plus they can be taken on planes and can inflate multiple tyres on one charge. The Fumpa Nano, Muc-Off AirMach and Silca Elettrico Micro all weigh about 100g and can be carried in a jersey pocket or saddle bag. 

Despite these strengths, Walmsley says Fumpa initially struggled to convince people of their advantages over manual pumps. ‘Thankfully,’ he says, ‘technological progress in cycling, such as with disc brakes and tubeless tyres, has helped soften resistance to products such as Fumpa.’

Muc-Off’s Syme says the demand for convenience among some cyclists and simultaneous improvement in electric bike pump performance – particularly when it comes to their size and weight – explains their growing popularity. ‘It’s the way the world is going,’ Poertner adds. ‘Almost everything we own is plugged in.’ 

Electric bike pumps don’t come without their downsides though. Their complexity requires high build quality, making them more expensive to produce than hand pumps, and some are not waterproof. The lightest electric inflators tend not to have gauges, unlike most larger models. And while electric bike pumps are touted as being more environmentally friendly than single-use gas canisters, the lithium battery will degrade and eventually need replacing. 

Electric inflators can also generate a lot of noise and heat, so care needs to be taken with TPU inner tubes. And with tubeless setups there’s a risk of sealant tracking up into the pump. Yet Syme predicts they will become quieter, more portable and more powerful. 

‘Future models may inflate tyres as quickly as CO2 inflators,’ he says. 

Poertner says design constraints will force compromises: ‘If you can make it bigger, you can make it a lot quieter. As the batteries get better and better, do we keep the battery capacity the same but make it much quieter?’ 

In light of the trend for wider tyres and lower pressures, Walmsley says, ‘More focus is shifting to accurate and fast inflation over top-end pressures.’ 

Will electric bike pumps eventually displace manual pumps and CO2 canisters for good? Not so fast, according to Syme: ‘Each type of pump plays a crucial role in our portfolio.’ 

‘I’d love to see us get rid of CO2,’ says Poertner, ‘but I think mini-pumps are here to stay. We’re not going to be using one or the other; it’ll be a blend that will offer the best of both worlds.’

Crunching the numbers

Broadly speaking, electric inflators come in two types: standard and mini. Standard-sized inflators are bigger, heavier, take longer to charge and are more expensive. However they also have pressure gauges and the ability to preset inflation pressures, plus can inflate significantly more tyres per charge. They are inherently less portable than their mini siblings so generally better suited for home/workshop use, perhaps as a space-saving alternative to a track pump. 

The mini versions are smaller, lighter, quicker to charge and less expensive, making them well suited as alternatives to CO2 canisters because they can be packed in a saddlebag or jersey pocket. They might seem a better option than the standard size inflators, however they don’t have gauges so can’t achieve preset pressures, plus can they inflate fewer tyres per charge. 

Here’s how the latest crop of electric inflators compares, according to each company’s own figures.

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