A car Tire inflator is used to increase the PSI held in the tire of a car. The air compressor units are more powerful than the standard inflators used for inflatables or bike tires, with the more power making inflation much faster for car tires.

The best car air compressor for tires is the AUDEW Portable Digital Tire Inflator with its premium construction and features from automatic shutoff to led lighting.

Ensuring you have the correct tire pressures before setting off for long journeys should be a standard procedure. The amount of damage caused by having a blow out at high speeds can be catastrophic or potentially fatal.

Best Air Compressor For Car Tires

Each vehicle has different PSI ratings dependent upon its load, width, diameter and other factors. The PSI rating stands for Pounds Per Square Inch and this can be found in the fuel filler caps or door sills.

There are different methods manufacturers use to display the PSI from an inflator, which is usually analogue or digital. The latter is the more desirable way of reading the PSI of a car tire without worrying about misreading the gauge.

The market for air compressors for your tires is fairly saturated without any standing out in particular. Below is a list of the best car tire inflators you can buy that will plug straight into a 12V cigarette socket as a power source.

AUDEW Portable Air Compressor Pump

The Audew Air Compressor for car tires offers great value for money with a range of features found in pumps twice its price. It runs from a 12V power source such as a cigarette lighter, which lights up the LED torch above the Audew logo as well as the digital display for making the process much easier in the dark.

Included with the package is the unit itself as well as other connectors to pump inflatables, bike tires and much more. It is user friendly and virtually anyone can get to grips with this unit fairly simply.

The standout feature from this car Tire Inflator is that it has an auto shutoff functionality. This means that you set the PSI that you wish to pump your tire too, switch the power on and the compressor will run until it has reached the PSI required. This prevents over inflation that is very common when pumping up your tires.

The maximum PSI of the Audew unit is 150PSI whilst running form an operating current of 10 amps. It is one of the quietest tire inflators with a noise level of just 60 DB for ensuring you do not annoy your neighbors. Overall, it is the best car tire inflator for the money and it is full of features that outweigh the competition.

Goodyear i8000 120-Volt Direct Drive Tire Inflator

Goodyear are one of the biggest tire brands in the world and they have developed an air compressor tire inflator for all tires. The design is excellent with feature such as a 24 feet air hose and power cord that allow you to pump all tires without moving power supply.

Tire inflators are known for being noisy, however the Goodyear i8000 12 volt compressor is as quiet as they come so that you can pump your tires in the early mornings. Goodyear claim that you pump a 185 wide 14 inch wheel to 28PSI in 2 and a half minutes with is very quick in terms of inflation.

This tire inflator kit comes with adapters for other air filled products such as rafts, boats, sporting equipment and more. You can also plug the Goodyear i8000 into any mains 120 volt power supply to pump in your house.

Overall, the GoodYear i800 is one of the most popular car tire inflators on the market due to its reputation and build quality. It is the best car tire inflator you can buy but you will need to pay the price for the brand.

Kensun Rapid Performance Portable Air Compressor

If you are looking for a budget air compressor to pump your tires then this one is not for you. However, if you are looking for the most portable tire inflator with all the latest technology, then the Kensun Rapid Performance tire inflator is the one.

This tire air compressor uses high quality plastic and is unique compared to other air compressors on the market. The Kensun can be used from the wall socket as well as the cigarette lighter in the car and in the kit comes with all the attachments you could ever want for a compressor.

With the Kensun tire inflator, you are able to set the tire pressure you want via the digital presets on the LCD display. It also has a powerful LED lamp that points towards the tire as you are pumping it with air.

It is the design of the tire inflator that will urge you to buy it. The grab handle construction is the easiest to carry and makes it the best car tire for portability when doing all four tires.

Budget EPAuto 12V DC Air Compressor

The EPAuto 12V DC is a convenient portable air compressor that plugs directly into the cars cigarette lighter in order to power it up. The unique selling point of this car tire air pump is the low cost compared to the other alternatives.

The EPAuto has a digital gauge that allows you to easily check the tire pressure as well as an LED torch for those dark nights. Like the Kensun, the EPAuto allows you to select the desired tire pressure and it will then auto shut off when complete to prevent over inflation of the tires.

It is the best cheap car air pump and has the features that are often found in the other premium devices. The design is nothing special and it may be a little louder but your wallet will be much happier.

Oasser Handheld Car Tire Air Pump

Thanks to a rechargeable lithium ion battery, this handheld car tire inflator is capable of 150 PSI. It is cordless and makes pumping up your car tires much easier compared to the alternatives.

Charging can be done via the cigarette lighter or a home AC DC adapter. It has a LCD digital gauge where you can preset the PSI to the desired value, which can be decided in 4 different units.

This is a great air pump for emergency use, which can also be kept inside the car in case you run flat and do not have the large air pump in the car. It is the best handheld car tire inflator you can buy.

Car Air Pump Buying Guide

There are hundreds of air pumps for your tires available to buy. Choosing between them is the hardest part of your buying decision and choosing the wrong one can be an expensive mistake.

The old school air compressors that require connection with the cars battery can now be thrown in the bin. The latest air compressors for tires include features you would think would cost a few hundred but they are really not. Below is a buying guide to build your knowledge on some of the features that you should consider.

Auto Shutoff

Over inflation is a common mistake made by car owners when pumping up their car tires. The main reason for this is misjudging the gauge and this can cause uneven tire pressures around the car. This is where the auto shutoff feature comes into action. It works by the user manually inputting the desired PSI and once the pressure in the tire reaches the PSI, it will shutdown the compressor.

Digital Gauges

The analogue gauge is mostly found on the older car air pumps and they work perfectly fine. However, reading from a digital gauge makes the ease of use for the majority of car air pumps much greater. The text is larger and easier to read with many giving a range of unit conversion to choose from with a click of a button.

LED Lighting

The introduction of an LED lamp on some of the best tire inflators is a much needed feature. Pumping up your tires in the dark is fairly miserable and is made worse when you cannot see the dust cap or gauge if its not digital.

What is the Best Tire Inflator with a Digital Gauge?

The car tire air pump is often overlooked until you really need it because your tire is flat. Getting out the spare wheel from the car is much harder than getting the air compressor out to inflate the tires. If you have no budget as such, the Goodyear i8000 is the ultimate package and being the reputable brand Goodyear are, you just know the compressor is built to last.

The Audew tire inflator is the best buy with excellent value for money considering all the features that are included. There are so many benefits to owning a compressor, its silly not to own one.

Flat Tire Symptoms and Drawbacks

A flat tire or puncture can happen when you least expect it and its vital that you have a tire inflator air compressor with you. Drawbacks of a flat tires are:

• Reduced fuel economy. If under-inflated the rolling resistance to the tarmac increases, which requires more engine power to counter the resistance.
• Car Handling Reduced. The car may verge to the left when travelling in a straight line, which means you will need to counter with steering to the opposite side.
• Uneven Tire Wear. If under-inflated the two edges will receive the most tire wear and stress.
• Increase in Blow Outs. An under-inflated tire flexes the fabric and composites further than they were designed and thus overheat, which causes a blow out.

You should look out for obvious symptoms of a flat tire that include the car pulling to one side, vibrations in the car, uneven tire wear and of course looking deflated when looking at your tires.

Over Inflated Symptoms and Drawbacks

Over inflation is usually caused by not knowing the required manufacturers PSI rating or by mistake. Drawback of an over inflated tire include:

• Uneven tire wear. The middle of the tire will wear much faster than the edges of the tire.
• Harder ride. Less movement of the tire wall as its full of air that cannot move as easy in the tire.
• Less contact on the road. Tires will bulge in the middle and reduce the grip of either sides due to the raised bulge.
• Pressure on the tire. Tires are not designed to be over inflated and can cause extra stress on the tire construction.

The only real sign of an over inflated tire is the very harsh ride when driving. You will be able to feel every stone or stick in the road and if this is the case, double check your tire pressures. If you have switched between cars, do not be fooled by sport suspension and other factors.

How to find the Manufacturer PSI Rating

To avoid the pain and stresses of a flat or over inflated car tire, be sure to check the correct tire pressure. They are often found in the fuel filler cap or door sills but failing this, they will be found from within the cars book and other documentation.

The amount of air you put into a cars tire can depend on a range of factors from the temperature, number of passengers or different tires/wheel combination.

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