REVIEW – If you have a family with kids, then on a regular basis you have to inflate something. And if you are like me, over the years you have collected a bunch of different types of air pumps. Those old school air pumps where you put your feet on the bottom, grab the handle with 2 hands, and pump it up and down a hundred times to inflate that bike tire! Remember those? Those little hand pumps that seem so convenient because they are small, but require even more pumps and worn out arms to put air into anything. We have swimming pool floaties that need air, usually from my lungs. We have portable air mattresses that need air. We have footballs, and soccer balls, and volleyballs, and beachballs. And we have endless bike tires and vehicle tires. They all need air. How many times have I searched for one of those little needles needed to blow up that soccer ball? Sigh. I am getting exhausted thinking about it. And none of these pumps seems to last very long, so I have to go buy yet another one. So AstroAI portable air pumps, which are pitched using words like “revolutionary” and “inflation freedom”, seemed like a potential solution to my problems. I tried 2 different pumps, so let’s find out what happened!
What is it?
The AstroAI T6 Offroad Air Compressor and the AstroAI T2 Heavy Duty Tire Inflator Pump are portable air pumps that come with various accessories and a carrying bag. You use them to inflate various things like pool accessories, vehicle and bike tires, air mattresses, and more.
What’s included/Specs?
AstroAI T6 Offroad Air Compressor:
- The AstroAI 12-volt compressor unit, 150psi
- Weight: 22 lbs
- Size: 15 x 12 x 10 inches
- 26 foot air hose with 1/4 inch T quick connectors
- Airflow controller with 1/4 inch T quick connector and digital readout
- 6 1/2 foot power cord with positive/negative clamps to connect to vehicle battery
- 2 air nozzle cones, and 1 needle valve adapter
- storage bag
- user manual
AstroAI T2 Heavy Duty Tire Inflator Pump:
- The AstroAI 12-volt compressor unit, 160psi
- Weight: 7.3 lbs
- Size: 12 x 6 x 13 inches
- 16 foot coiled air hose
- 11 1/2 foot power cord with 12 volt cigarette lighter plug
- 12 volt adaptor with clamps for connection to vehicle battery
- 2 sizes of air nozzles, 1 needle valve adaptor, 1 Presta to Schrader adapter, and 1 replacement fuse
- Storage bag
- user manual
Design and features
What you notice about both of these pumps is the bright yellow color, and the industrial-looking design. There’s lots of chrome and black features all over these things, so they look kinda cool. Because I reviewed 2 different units, I will detail each of them separately below.
T6 Offroad Air Compressor
So when you look at the design of this air compressor and the marketing imagery and commentary, you can see why this is named ‘Offroad’. It looks tough and durable, and AstroAI says that it can inflate tires up to 38 inches in size, which would cover most offroad vehicle tires. And at a weight of 22 lbs, it certainly feels hefty and tough. And the first time you pick it up, you’ll see why it probably won’t be a tool that you’ll be carrying long distances. Thankfully, it comes with a canvas carrying bag that holds everything, which is nice. So you can easily store it in the back of the SUV or on the shelf in the garage, and it will keep all the accessories together.
There isn’t much in the way of screens or buttons on the pump itself. On the top is the prominently large silver handle that is nice and big, and on one end, you’ll find the T Quick connector where you connect the air hose. On the back of the compressor unit you’ll see the power button. (see pic below)
That’s about it for buttons and displays. In fact, there is no display on the T6 unit. Instead, the real strength of the T6 is the heavy duty Airflow controller, which has the digital display that you use to control the functions of the T6. Basically, to use the T6 you connect the 26 ft air hose to the T Quick connector on the end of the handle, then you connect the other end of the hose to the Airflow Controller. (see pic below)
Then you connect the Airflow Controller to the object you are inflating. On the end of the little hose that is attached to the Airflow Controller you’ll find the connector that attaches directly to the air nozzle on a vehicle tire, and that connector rotates so that you can easily screw the connector to the tire air nozzle for a secure fit. And to make it even more handy, the unit comes with a couple of sizes of cones and a needle adaptor that actually screws into the end. Here is a picture:
I was able to inflate one of my SUV tires from 34 psi to 40 psi in less than 1 min, which is great. The power of the T6 provides quite a punch! I was able to add some air to all 4 tires on my SUV in about 10 min, and most of that time was moving around from tire to tire. AstroAI says that the T6 should be able to run continuously for 45 min, using their AstroAI TurboRise Technology, but I never had a need to run the unit that long. But I did run it a few times for around 15 min and it never broke a sweat or overheated in the least.
And I wanted to say a few things about the Airflow Controller. On the bottom of the Airflow Controller is a round air flow valve that moves up and down, turning off the flow of air quickly when you move it up. And then when you lower it, the air begins to flow again. That is really convenient when you just want to pause the air to see what your psi is. And if the pressure is too high because you put too much air in, then you press the little gold button below the digital display to let some air out. It’s just really, really convenient and it allows you to be very precise on the air pressure result that you get. I compared the digital reading on the Airflow Controller screen to what my vehicle was reporting as the tire pressure, and it was spot on accurate. And using the Airflow Controller buttons you decide what pressure you want and when you start it, the T6 will inflate to your desired level and then automatically shut off. The only downside of the T6 is that you have to connect the unit to your vehicle battery to work because there is no internal battery.
T2 Heavy Duty Air Pump
The T2 is light and easy to carry, and it is much lighter at 7 lbs compared to the T6. It comes a 16 ft air hose and a 11 1/2 ft power cord, so you can easily reach all 4 tires of the vehicle regardless if you connect the power cord to either the cigarette lighter or the vehicle battery. And therein is one of the big benefits of the T2, which is that dual power choice. It also has a neat little area on the back of the unit where your various accessories reside, like the valves and needle adaptor. Unlike the T6, there is a small digital screen on the unit itself where you pick the pressure you want and start the air pump. There is also a button for a small light that is on the end of the unit.
The T2 isn’t quite as powerful as the T6, so it takes a little longer to inflate tires and so forth. AstroAI says that the T6 should inflate an SUV tire from 35 psi to 40 psi in about 1.5 min, and that is about what I experienced. The T6, as I already mentioned, would accomplish that faster at about less than a min. So the T6 packs more power, but the T2 is no slouch.
What I like about the AstroAI T6 Offroad Air Compressor
- It is powerful!
- Great price for what you get
- Incredibly easy to inflate/deflate using the Airflow Controller, and it’s very accurate
- Carrying case holds everything together
What needs to be improved?
- There is no internal battery so you have to use the vehicle battery for power, which means a dead battery is a dead compressor
What I like about the AstroAI T2 Heavy Duty Air Pump
- Fantastic price for what you get!
- Use the cigarette lighter plug or connect it to your vehicle battery, so it’s versatile
- Light and easy to carry
- Incredibly easy to inflate/deflate anything
- Carrying case holds everything together
What needs to be improved?
- There is also no internal battery, so you have to use the vehicle battery for power, which means a dead battery is a dead compressor
Final thoughts
Both of these units from AstroAI are quality products that provided accurate readings on air pressure and are easy to use. The T6 Offroad is noticeably heavy, so that might make the decision for some folks because 22 lbs is heavy. The 7 lb T2 Heavy Duty air pump is much easier to carry and easier to store. Both of them provide accessories to easily pump up a soccer ball or inflate a beach toy or air up your vehicle tires, and a carrying case to keep everything together. And of course, the main ruler that I am judging these units by is how efficient they are at inflating tires, which is what most folks would use these units for. And at that task, both of these units are great, with the T6 providing a little more punch. The main downside for both of them is that there is no internal battery, so they aren’t truly ‘portable’ in that sense. You have to plug them up to a power source, and indeed, you can’t really achieve the pumping power that these units provide unless there is a strong power source. A rechargeable battery just wouldn’t be able to provide the prolonged performance. The more expensive T6 Offroad requires the use of the car battery, so if the vehicle battery is dead, well then your air compressor won’t work. Now, the cheaper T2 Heavy Duty air pump does provide the ability to use either the cigarette lighter or the vehicle battery, but again, if your vehicle is dead, you are out of luck. So if that isn’t a deal breaker to you, then either these units you will be happy with, and it might come down to cost. But at these prices, I think they are both a great addition to your garage or your vehicle!
Price: $139.99 for the T6 Offroad Air Compressor, and $69.99 for the T2 Heavy Duty Air Pump
Where to buy: T6 Offroad – on Amazon or AstroAI. T2 Heavy Duty – on Amazon or AstroAI
Source: The samples of these products were provided for free by AstroAI. AstroAI did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
