I Tried One of Amazon's Most Popular Portable Tire Inflators, and These Are My Honest Thoughts
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Why It’s a Big Deal
I recently got a new used car, and the leap from a 2014 model to a 2024 model has been quite shocking. Among annoying reminders to keep both hands on the wheel, it actually monitors tire pressure and reminds you to fill up your tires way before I would usually be able to tell with the naked eye. This prompted me to get one of the portable tire inflators that have become popular online, and Amazon happened to have a good deal on a 2-in-1 version.
The Gooloo A3 was what I ended up with. It's currently on sale for $70, which is 36% down from its standard price of $110. It works as both a tire inflator and jump starter, has an emergency light, and you can use it as a mini portable power station in a pinch.
Gooloo A3 2-in-1 Tire Inflator & Jump Starter, $70 (was $110) on Amazon
What Shoppers Should Know
- Dimensions: 4.96"D x 5.87"W x 2.3"H
- Functions: Tire inflator, battery jumper, emergency light, power bank
- Can Inflate: Car tires, bike tires, sports equipment, etc.
- Compatible Battery Types: 12V (up to 9.0L for gas, 6.5L for diesel)
- Includes: Inflator/battery charger, jumper cables, inflator tube, air nozzle adapters, USB charging cord, storage case
- Operating Temperature: From -4 to 140 F
- Best Use Case: This is a perfect device to have on hand for most cars to help keep tires pumped and batteries charged.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you get the Gooloo A3 is how organized it is. You get a surprising amount of stuff that fits into a nice two-compartment bag. There’s a nozzle and attachments that will help you with your car tires, bike tires, and sports balls, just to name a few. You’ll also get specialized alligator clips that attach to it if you ever need a jump, and despite the Gooloo A3 being quite tiny itself, it’ll jump 12V batteries with gas engines up to 9.0L, which is a category your car almost certainly fits into.
Using the Gooloo A3 (see my experiences below) is actually quite easy. The included instruction manual is a small, durable mini-book that guides you through everything you need to know and sticks to the facts, avoiding the instructions' legalese soup you might be used to. I actually found myself using the manual instead of turning directly to YouTube.
The device’s compact area makes it ideal to store in your car. Note that it begs specific storage conditions. It's fine up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, after which the battery might swell, etc. Cars get hot inside, especially here in Florida, so I’ve got a mental note to “check the situation” (i.e., that’s tomorrow-John’s problem) once it hits the 90s here. Depending on where you live, you may be able to leave it in your car year-round.
Related: Cheap Jump Starters Can Catch Fire. Here's How to Buy One That Won't.
My Gooloo A3 Review
Starting from the beginning, charging it was simple. I’ve been working through USB-C charging issues with an older relative recently, so I’ve gotten used to instructions for even USB charging being complex. I just plugged the USB-C cable I usually use to charge my phone into the thing while I worked, and it was ready that evening.
Pumping tires was a piece of cake with the Gooloo A3. It was 11:30 at night, and I was able to get through the procedure easily with a combination of my phone’s flashlight and the quite powerful emergency light built into the Gooloo. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this, as it’s every bit as loud as the tire inflators at the gas station, but I was able to get through it my first time one-handed at night, nonetheless. Getting all four tires pumped up only used one bar’s worth of power (out of four), even though I was simultaneously using the light. The whole process (including learning how to use it) took about 15 minutes.
So, at this point, I haven’t used the jump starter, and hopefully I never will. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t already acquired quite a bit of experience with the device. And thus far, I’d consider it a recommended product. Due to the fact that it’s pretty easy to get air pumping out of it, I personally wouldn’t want a child to have access to it, but a responsible adult with full hand dexterity should be able to use it safely without a hitch.
The Gooloo A3 is currently on sale for $70, but if you need an all-in-one device for quick car repairs, its regular triple-digit price isn’t too hard to swallow.