FIX MFG EFLATOR
Effortlessly inflate your tires
Fix Manufacturing makes a lot of cool tools, some of them wearable, including belt buckles that are filled with bicycle tools, and they have some big names in cycling that they sponsor, including downhill world champion Aaron Gwin and world-famous adventure rider Hans Rey.
One of their latest products is the Eflator, which is a rechargeable electric tire inflator. Notable features include the built-in 2000mAh battery that can inflate up to nine mountain bike tires to 30 psi on a single charge. It also rapidly charges via a USB-C port, meaning you can charge it at rates four times faster than a micro-USB, and the cable can be plugged in either way, which is far less maddening than any other version of a USB that must be plugged in in only one orientation.
The big display is especially handy and makes for easy day or night reading. You set the amount of pressure in psi (pounds per square inch), and then attach the hose to your tire’s valve stem. Natively, it’s set up for a Schrader valve, but there’s also a Presta adapter. Both valve heads screw on, and there’s not a locking-lever option, which we think would be an improvement. When unscrewing the hose from either valve type, some air escapes.
The pressure is preselected at 30 psi, but you can use the buttons on the front to go up or down in .5-psi increments or select one of the presets, which is 9, 30, 32 and 36 psi, but you can go all the way to 100 psi for road bike tires. You set the pressure you want, attach the hose, then hit the center button, and the pump automatically inflates your tire, hands-free.
At 3.5 inches wide, 1.9 inches thick and 5.4 inches tall, the Eflator is not very big. However, since it does weigh in at over a pound, it’s unlikely that you’d carry it with you on a ride. It’s not a replacement for your smaller mini pump that you carry on rides; it’s to replace your bigger pump that you leave in the car. Of course, if you’re leading a group ride, you may want to carry this with you. The Eflator comes with a one-year warranty and a nice nylon carrying bag.
Price: $99.95
PROS
Inflates quickly
Very accurate
Charges quickly with the right wall charger
CONS
Heavy
Loud
Screw-in connectors are clunky