One thing that all cars have in common, regardless of the type of engine or number of wheels, is that they all use tyres. Tyres can lose their inflation over time; a deflated tyre creates more drag, meaning the engine has to work harder to counter the increased resistance. So, keeping your tyres properly inflated should improve your car’s fuel economy, or miles per kWh for electric vehicles.
Our previous car came with a portable car air pump, that also doubled up as a puncture repair kit. However, our new car doesn’t, and so I needed to buy a new pump to keep the tyres correctly inflated. Coincidentally, I started seeing social media adverts for cordless car air pumps, although ultimately I ended up buying this Higoom cordless car air pump from Amazon (sponsored link). At time of writing, it’s ‘Amazon’s choice’ and costs £25.
Unlike my previous car air pump, this can be used without being plugged into your car’s 12V supply – although you can still plug it in if you want and a 12V car adaptor with a barrel plug is provided. Instead, there’s a hefty battery inside, which makes it a lot easier to use. It’s also a digital model, so you can set the target air pressure first and pump the tyres to this level, and then it’ll automatically stop. The standard tube also has a lever-top fixing, so you don’t need to screw it on to your tyre valves. It also comes with a variety of adaptors, for inflating other things like bike tyres and paddling pools.
The car air pump also doubles up as a power bank – there’s a USB-A output socket on top – and as a torch, with an LED light. The battery inside charges using a USB-C socket.
Whilst the size of the battery makes it quite hefty – almost a kilogram in weight – it’s still small enough to store in your car’s glove compartment. It also comes with a storage bag, which is big enough for the pump and all its accessories.
I’ve seen similar devices sell for double the price of this Higoom model, so at £25 it’s worth considering.
