Best Portable Air Compressor Perfect For an RV & VanLife

Portable air compressors are an incredibly handy tool to have with you on the road, if your tire pressure is a little low, then you can instantly fill it up with the required amount of air instead of having to drive to a place that will take care of it for you. They can also be used to fill up an air mattress when you are camping. 

There are a few things that need to be considered when you are selecting the best portable air compressor for you and your specific needs. If it is the speed that you are after then you will need it to be a pretty powerful air compressor to achieve those goals.

Table of Contents

• Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor
• AstroAl Air Compressor
• Viair 00088 88p Portable Air Compressor
• TEROMAS Tire Inflator Air Compressor
• SEYVUM Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor
• Buyers Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions

If you are unsure on what specific factors you are looking for then you are in luck.

We’ve gathered all of the relevant information that you will need to know to feel incredibly informed about the best air compressor that you can purchase. Obviously you want the best air compressor on the market and with the information that is avoided you can rest assured that you will be able to do that.

Nobody wants to buy something when they don’t know everything they should know about the quality of the product that they are getting, especially when you could have perhaps found a better one for your specific needs.

So with that being said let us not waste anymore of your time and get started on the best portable air compressors for you.

Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor

This particular air compressor will be able to provide you with a very fast inflation and also an accurate measurement. Fast inflation is obviously a great feature as you won’t have to be standing around all for a long period of time for the item you are inflating to reach the required level.

Accurate readings are also helpful as it will mean that you don’t put in more air than required.

It also has an LED screen which makes the amount of air that you are applying incredibly easy to read. If you weren’t able to read it then you wouldn’t know what amount of air that you had put in the item you are blowing up which could actually be very dangerous if it were a tire as it can burst.

It can be powered by being plugged into your car cigarette lighter, this will come incredibly handy in a time of need as you simply will just need to plug it in and ensure that the car is turned on. You can also programme an exact measurement so you won’t even have to judge it yourself.

Pros

• This device has an LED screen that will be incredibly easy for you to read the correct measurement
• The device will also provide you with fast inflation to ensure that you are not standing around for a long time
• It is also powered by a cigarette lighter

Cons

• Doesn’t have an accessory holder for the different nozzles that it has

AstroAl Air Compressor

This again is another great portable air compressor, it has an LED light to give you an accurate measurement of the air that you are inflating something with which makes it incredibly easy for you to read. It is also very lightweight which is important in regards to how portable something is. 

It also has a wide range of uses in the sense that you will be supplied with lots of different nozzles so that the air compressor can work with lots of different things. Though it will not work with things such as an inflatable canoe or to blow up an inflatable pool as it will require too much air.

It is also 8.4 x 6.8 x 3.9 inches making it very small. This helps with the portable nature of the product and will make it very easy to store as it will not take up a lot of room., you can also programme the amount of air that you need to use to blow up the required item making it very easy to use.

This will mean that you are not judging it by eye and get started on other things like setting up a tent if you are using it when you are camping. 

Pros

• This has an LED light to provide you very accurate readings 
• Has many different nozzles so can be used for lots of different items. 
• This is very small and lightweight which help with the portability factors of the air compressor

Cons

• Not powerful enough for things like inflatable pools and air compressors.

You can also find it here

Viair 00088 88p Portable Air Compressor

This is another great portable air compressor, it is 9.8 x 3.2 x 5.6 so it is very small which means that it is also a great space saver that can be stored pretty much anywhere. This is one of the most important things to think about when looking for portable items as the smaller something is the more portable it is.

It also has 3 different nozzles that you can use to apply air to lots of different items that have different requirements. It also has a 10 foot power cord so being able to reach your car tires for example will not be an issue that you have to deal with on a regular basis.

As well as a LED power indicator which will come in very useful to ensure you are not over inflating anything.

The engine must be running during the use to supply it with the ability to put air in your required item. It also only weighs 4.5 pounds meaning that this is incredibly lightweight which also helps with its portability factors massively, as a heavier item wouldn’t be considered as very portable.

Pros

• Very small in size so will not take up lots of space
• 3 different nozzles that can be used for different items that require a different fitting
• The air compressor is also very lightweight

Cons

• The engine will need to be on to supply it with the power to put air in something

You can also find it here

TEROMAS Tire Inflator Air Compressor

This again is a brilliant portable air compressor. It is very multi functional as it has both an AC and DC plug in outlet which can be used in wall outlets, this may be more beneficial for other items such as footballs or basketballs. Though when it is time to fill your tires up with air it also has a cigarette plug in that can be used.

It has a digital display on the front to tell you exactly the amount of air that you have put in your tires which will come in incredibly handy. As stated earlier you definitely do not want to put too much air in things such as tires as it can be quite dangerous.

If too much air is in the tire then it is more prone to bursting. Though the hose has been stated as not very long.

It also has multiple nozzles so it can be used with many different appliances that require a different fitting. It is extremely lightweight and also is only 9.2 x 7.1 x 2.8 inches making it very small. These both benefit the product portable factors massively. It will also mean that it doesn’t need a lot of space to be stored.

Pros

• Has multiple plug ins which will be very helpful
• Has a digital display screen to tell you how much air has been supplied
• Is very lightweight and small in size which adds to how portable the product is

Cons

• Has quite a short hose.

You can also find it here

SEYVUM Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor

The SEYVUM portable air compressor is another brilliant air compressor for you to purchase. It is 4.4 x 5.4 x 1.7 inches so is incredibly small and can fit in pretty much any space possible. It is also a very lightweight product as it only weighs 2.01 pounds, both of these factors make it very portable.

It has three different nozzles that will be the perfect fit for a range of different products such as tiree or basketballs. It also has an LCD digital display screen so that you are able to get a more accurate reading of the air that you have placed into the item that requires it.

This can leave you feeling more at peace with the amount of air that you have supplied your tires for example. Though the battery life has been questioned.

It is also very fast inflating. Inflating a tire for example can be an incredibly boring process especially if it takes a long time. With this particular air compressor that won’t be an issue that you have to deal with. This will save you lots of time and mean that you are back on the road a lot quicker.

Pros

• This is very small and extremely lightweight
• It also has an LCD digital display screen that will come incredibly handy
• It will also provide you with fast inflation

Cons

• Not the best battery life

You can also find it here

Buyers Guide

Lightweight

One of the most important factors when determining if a product is a portable one is the weight of it. The lighter a product is the more portable that it will be.

Obviously you can make the argument that if you are using it just for tires then why does it matter what weight it is as you can store it in your boot and just take it out when you need to use it.

But if you are planning on using a portable air compressor for things like blowing up an air mattress then it will be important to consider that you will not always be able to park directly to where you are setting up your camping equipment.

In that case it will be very important that the appliances you have are very lightly weighted so that you do not get fatigued by just carrying the product to your location.

This really is one of the most important aspects that you will need to consider and luckily all of the above mentioned products can all be considered incredibly lightweight.

Maintenance

The typical use case for your portable air compressor is likely to be ad hoc, at best maybe an infrequent checklist activity whilst maintaining your RV or Van on the road. Having to maintain the tools you’re using to maintain your van feels a little meta! It’s definitely worthwhile making sure your portable air compressor of choice is oilless (meaning there’s oil inside, but you never actually need to top it up – confusing right?!)

If you do opt for an oiled instead of an oilless air compressor – be sure to use the correct type of oil for air compressors! Engine oil isn’t a suitable air compressor oil substitute, but other fluids like ATF (transmission fluid) can be a temporary air compressor oil replacement.

Size

This again is another very important aspect that you will need to consider when determining if a product is a portable one or not, for the same reasons that the weight is important. A smaller product will also be easier to carry as you will not need to use both of your arms to carry it and can just use one.

If a product is quite big and requires you to use both hands to carry it then it cannot be considered very portable, as stated above all of the products that have been mentioned are incredibly small in size.

This will also mean that they require a lot less space to be stored which will provide you with more living space and also take up less room in your car when you are planning things like camping trips where you will need to bring it to blow up things such as air mattresses.

This is a very important aspect that you will need to consider before picking the best portable air compressor for you.

Digital Display

This feature will provide you with an incredibly accurate reading and make it easier for you to actually know how much air you have supplied to the item you are blowing up. This can really come in very helpful, especially in the case of tires where it is very dangerous to put too much air or too little air in them.

This will mean that it is much safer and your mind can rest at ease. Many of the above products have digital display screens that really will make a lot of difference and mean that you never have to worry about the fact that you have put enough air in the item you are filling.

As stated this can really get you out of a sticky situation, especially in the case of tires. Nothing is more important than your safety so this really is an important thing that you are considering when making your decision for the best portable air compressor.

Fast Inflation

This will generally just save you a lot of time when you are filling something up with air. If the portable air compressor does not have fast inflation then you risk standing around for a long time when you are trying to fill something up. This can be very boring and downright infuriating.

Imagine you are in a rush to get to work on time and you start your car and the tire pressure light pops up. This will be something that you need to deal with right away so when this happens to you, you will want something that can inflate your tires quickly so you are not late for work.

This will really impact how much success you have with the air compressor and is a very important aspect.

Multiple Nozzles

This is what makes the air compressor supply air to lots of different items, whether that be a football, basketball, air mattress or a tire that needs filling up. If you do not have the right nozzle then you will struggle to be able to do that.

This makes it a much more multi functional air compressor which is something that cannot be understated as very helpful. This again is something you will need to consider when you are selecting the best air compressor for you. Many of the above products do have multiple nozzles that will fit a range of items.

Plug Ins

This is important as it will mean that the air compressor can work in a range of different scenarios. If you are just using it to supply air for tires then you will be okay with just a cigarette lighter.

However in terms of blowing up air mattresses you may need to use something like a generator where you will need to have an AC plug in. This is an important aspect that you will need to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions