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With holiday trips approaching, there’s no better time to upgrade your roadside emergency kit — and I’ve found a universal option that’s a new necessity for me.
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This is from Static tire hero air compressorTire Hero provides portable air no matter where you are, and while it sounds as straightforward as that, it does much more.
The Tire Hero is a multi-use gadget, which means that even though it will cost you $70, you’ll get more value for that cost than just an air compressor.
Tire Hero reaches up to 150 PSI – enough to get you somewhere safely if you have a tire incident. It is also great for inflating balls, bike tires, inflatables, air mattresses, etc. I used it a lot this summer for pool floats, and I’m sure it will be equally helpful for snow tubes when we get the first snowfall of the season on the East Coast.
Beyond the obvious (free air), the Tire Hero also serves as a flashlight and portable charger, and it also 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 very easy to use. To activate the display, set your desired PSI, and sit back while it does the work; This is quite accurate.
The unit consists of an air hose with a Schrader valve, a Presta valve adapter, a needle adapter, and a normal pump adapter. There’s also a storage pouch and charger cable to keep everything organized and compact, even though it fits with everything you pack. Static says Tire Hero inflates an average low-pressure tire in 3-5 minutes and a flat (or nearly flat) tire in 4-8 minutes.
When I used Tire Hero to inflate my front passenger side tire that was experiencing a slow leak, it took about 5 minutes to get it up to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI range. Static says that after fully charging for 2-3 hours, it can be used continuously for 20 minutes. My best advice is to charge it after using it so it’s always ready to go.
There’s probably nothing worse than thinking you’re prepared in an emergency with the right items and realizing you’ve been the victim of a silly mistake like forgetting to charge something. (Trust me, this is coming from a MagSafe battery tester who has twice found himself without a single charged battery pack during a power outage.)
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That said, I wish the hose was a little longer, especially for auto use. I also want to emphasize that this is a great emergency option for occasional use for car tires, but I personally find it more useful for small inflatable items like pool floats and balls. That said, it will definitely be in my emergency kit.
But if you’re planning to use it to regularly fill your car’s tires, for one thing, maybe pay attention to new tires, and for another, a cigarette lighter air compressor might be a better option for more frequent fills that is faster and more efficient.
Why do I recommend this product?
I think tire hero This makes a great holiday gift option and is an excellent choice for any driver on the road. I appreciate the extra features like the flashlight and portable charger, and am quite satisfied with its performance. I don’t think it’s necessarily the answer to all PSI problems, but it is an efficient tool to have in any roadside emergency kit.
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