For instance, the generous 5m power lead means the inflator can always be positioned right by the wheel, making its 2m coiled air hose a little excessive. Sakura hasn’t skimped on the extras here, with the SS5332 featuring a digital display, a built-in auto-stop function and a deflate button.

Wolf Glovebox Genie 3 in 1 Digital Tyre Inflator - PressReader Wolf Glovebox Genie 3 in 1 Digital Tyre Inflator - PressReader

The Sakura is barely any bigger than the dinky Michelin Top-Up yet, impressively, it has enough power to inflate most tyres from totally flat. The button layout made it intuitive to operate, while the gauge was clear enough to read and the long hose and power lead completed the rounded package. Auto-stop, where you select the pressure you want and the inflator stops when it gets there, is the ultimate in ease of use, and deflate buttons are also worthwhile.The draper inflator is cordless, which is really convenient, but there’s also a 12-volt cable provided so that you can plug it in and carry on pumping if it runs out of battery before you’ve finished inflating the tyre. The 3m power lead, 85cm air hose, screw-on valve coupling and auto-stop at the desired pressure make it a doddle to use. If, for instance, the tyre's valve is even a few inches above the ground, that short hose means you'll have to hold the unit for the duration. The dinky size does compromise the performance, though, and it’s simply too slow to pump up most tyres from flat without exceeding the recommended 8-minute maximum run time. The downsides, though, are that this inflator was one of the noisiest we tested at 55 dB, and it is rather bulky to carry around.

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The crucial metric by which they were judged was the time taken by each to inflate a 15-inch tyre from 20 psi to 30 psi.It’s not difficult to spot that this unit and the Sakura share the same casing, but the similarities end there. However, while the cordless use, auto-stop feature and compact size make this a very convenient unit, the slow inflation speed and short, 15cm air hose make longer pumping jobs tedious as you have to hold it for the duration of the inflation if the tyre valve is more than a few inches above the ground.

Wolf Glovebox Genie 3in1 Tyre Inflator Digital Pump 12v Air Compressor Wolf Glovebox Genie 3in1 Tyre Inflator Digital Pump 12v Air

It probably took longer to type in that mouthful of a name than for the unit to inflate our test tyre from flat. We factored in how easy each unit was to use and, particularly, whether the wire was long enough to be convenient, and how the air hose was suitable for our needs. During the inflation process, we evaluated how easy each unit was to fit to our tyre and, in particular, whether the power cable and air hose were long enough for our needs.Here's a great concept: an inflator that’s cordless for maximum convenience but can also be connected to a 12-volt supply so it can continue pumping if the battery drains down.