Having a good portable air compressor that can quickly air up car tires can come in very handy in many scenarios.
From airing up a flat spare tire, to helping someone that is broken down, portable air compressors are nice to have.
There are many good units available with our favorite option below.
As always, be sure to read reviews on Amazon, here, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a right pick for you.
Our Picks for Best Portable Air Compressor for Car Tires
- GSPSCN Dual Cylinder 12 Volt
- EPAuto AT-010-1Z
- Helteko
This small portable unit from GSPSCN is a dual-cylinder 12-volt air compressor that works very well airing up car tires.
It can plug into a cigarette lighter or directly into the battery for power.
While the cigarette lighter works well for power, I personally only plug any unit into the battery since the small cigarette lighter fuses have a tendency to blow on some cars.
I have used this unit to air up many car and truck tires as well as small items such as footballs.
It works very well and is one of my go-to units.
EPAuto makes this popular 12 DC unit that will have no problems inflating a car tire.
It comes with multiple fittings and has an emergency flashlight built-in.
It also has an automatic shut-off to prevent over-inflating a tire, along with a nice display.
A 9 ft power cable goes to the cigarette lighter for it to operate.
The EPAuto 12V DC portable air pump is a good low-cost unit that works well.
Helteko makes this nice unit that can pump up to 150 PSI.
Most car tires need roughly 35 PSI to be fully charged so 150 PSI is much more than will be needed.
It also has a built-in display, auto shut off, and is very compact.
The Helteko air compressor is a good unit that will have no problems airing up a vehicles tire.
Summary
Having a good portable air compressor available is good to have, not only in an emergency but any time air is needed.
There are many good units in all shapes and sizes to fit almost any scenario.
One thing to keep in mind when buying any 12-volt car electrical unit is how many amps it uses and the car’s electrical system.
All cars are different in how many amps the cigarette lighter can put out.
If a pump draws too much power, it may blow a fuse, which will need to be replaced.
While this is rare, and most air pumps are built with a car’s electrical in mind, it is best to check and make sure.
Of course, portable units with built-in batteries can also be used, which do not need the power from a car.