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With holiday travels on the horizon, there’s no better time to upgrade your roadside emergency kit — and I’ve found a universal option that’s a new necessity in my own.
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It’s Statik’s Tire Hero air compressor. The Tire Hero offers portable air no matter where you are, and while it seems just as straightforward as that, it does plenty more.
The Tire Hero is a multi-use gadget, which means that even though it will cost you $70, you get more value for that cost than just a single air compressor.
Tire Hero reaches up to 150 PSI — just enough to get you somewhere safely if you have a tire incident. It’s also perfect for inflating balls, bike tires, inflatables, air mattresses, and more. I used it a ton this summer for pool floats, and I’m sure it will be just as helpful for snow tubes once the season’s first snowfall graces the East coast.
Beyond the obvious (free air), the Tire Hero also doubles as a flashlight and a portable charger, and features an emergency light. Of course, I still encourage keeping another flashlight and portable charger in your car, but it’s nice to know I have a backup ready in this gadget, too.
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This air compressor is also lightweight and extremely easy to use. To activate the display, set your desired PSI, and sit back while it works; it’s pretty foolproof.
The unit has an air hose with a Schrader valve, a Presta valve adapter, a needle adapter, and a general pump adapter. There’s also a storage pouch and charger cable to keep everything tidy and compact, though it’s a snug fit with everything packed up. Statik says the Tire Hero inflates the average low-pressure tire in 3-5 minutes and a flat (or nearly flat) tire in 4-8 minutes.
When I used the Tire Hero to inflate my front passenger side tire, which had a slow leak, it took about 5 minutes to raise it to the manufacturer’s suggested PSI range. Statik says it can run for up to 20 minutes of continuous use after charging fully for 2-3 hours. My best advice is to charge it after you use it so it’s always ready to go.
There’s probably nothing worse than thinking you’re prepared in an emergency by having the correct items and realizing you’ve fallen victim to a silly mistake like forgetting to charge something. (Trust me, this is coming from a MagSafe battery tester who has found herself without a single charged battery pack during a power outage — twice.)
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That said, I do wish the hose was a smidge longer, especially for auto use. I also want to emphasize that this is a great once-in-a-while emergency option to have on hand for car tires, but I personally find it useful more frequently for smaller inflatable items like pool floats and balls. That said, it’s definitely staying in my emergency kit.
But if you’re planning to use it to routinely fill your car tires, for one thing, maybe look at new tires, and for another, a cigarette lighter air compressor may be a better option for more frequent fills that are faster and more efficient.
Why I recommend this product
I think the Tire Hero is a great holiday gift option and an excellent choice for any driver on the road. I appreciate the added features, like the flashlight and portable charger, and am pretty satisfied with its performance. I don’t think this is necessarily the answer to all PSI problems, but it’s an efficient tool in any roadside emergency kit.
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