iKer Portable Air Compressor review

Sep 13, 2023

With a bag, extension air hose and a tool kit, the iKer Portable Air Compressor is about as well equipped as a tire inflator gets these days, but it is heavy, lacks a light and is restricted to using the car’s 12-volt power.

Extra air hose

Bag with reflective triangle

Toolkit with tire repair gear

Car battery clips

Fast inflation

Heavy

Lacks a light

No battery or AC power

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Size: 9.0 x 7.8 x 3.1Weight: 5.0 poundsPeak pressure: 150 psiTime to fill a tire: 1:39Length of cord: 22 feetBattery: No USB, AC power ports: NoLight: No

By putting together the best assortment of automotive roadside gear, the iKer Portable Air Compressor goes beyond filling a tire with air and borders on being a true roadside emergency kit.

At $60, this inflator is a bargain because it includes everything: From a powerful pump and 22-feet of air hose to tools and a tire repair kit. It’s all housed in a handy bag that fits under a car seat and has a reflective triangle for safer night time tire fill-ups.

The iKer Portable Air Compressor is so much more than a tire inflator, yet sells for a modest $60, undercutting the similar $66 Amazon Basics Portable Air Compressor. In addition to two other compressors, the company also sells an add-on tire pressure monitoring system for trailers.

To all outward appearances, the iKer Portable Air Compressor looks a lot like the slightly more expensive Amazon Basics Portable Air Compressor. The cylinders are exposed, and it is a mass of chrome, black and gold components. Capable of pumping 150 Pounds per Square Inch (PSI), its dimensions are 9.0 x 7.8 x 3.1 inches.

That's smaller and lighter than the Craftsman V20 Cordless Inflator and on a par with the Amazon Basics pump. It has a fold-down handle to easily grab it in the event of an emergency.

While the iKer Portable Air Compressor does without a battery or AC power option, it does have a power twist. In addition to the expected 12-volt accessory adapter, the inflator comes with an adapter and clips for running it directly off the car’s battery; they’re red and black for polarity. The company recommends using a direct battery connection for anything over 35 PSI.

The pump and air hose combine for more than 11-feet of reach, which is plenty for both cars and light trucks. There’s a bonus coiled air hose extension, as is the case with the Amazon Basics Portable Air Compressor. Here, it adds up to more than 22 feet of hose making it suitable for larger trucks.

Unlike the small digital screen on the Amazon Basics pump, the iKer inflator has an old-school analog gauge. Calibrated in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI), KiloPascals (KPA), Kilograms per square centimeter (KG/CM2) and Bars. It lacks the auto-shut-off circuit afforded by digital controls.

There’s a single On/Off switch and the iKer Portable Air Compressor does without creature comforts that others provide, like the USB power of the Fanttik device, the light of the Carsun Portable Air Pump and the choice of power source that the B +D Inflator has to offer. It does, however, adds a toolkit with its own bag that includes the basics: pliers, screwdrivers and knife.

The surprise is the inclusion of the tools to repair a tubeless tire, like the aftermath of picking up a nail. It also has two fuses, a sports ball needle and a pair of toy inflators.

Heavy and with lots of accouterments, the iKer Portable Air Compressor kit could be your best friend in a breakdown. Its gray and orange bag is a big help, with a handle and a yellow reflective triangle that can warn oncoming motorists at night.

While there’s an adapter that allows the iKer pump to be powered directly from the car’s battery, it worked fine using my car’s cigarette lighter connection. The company warns that if it’s used for 10 minutes, it will need a 10 minute cooldown period to avoid overheating.

To get started with the iKer Portable Air Compressor, I flipped the On/Off switch. The pump started up immediately and began pumping air into my car’s flat tire.

It took 1 minute and 39 seconds to fill it to 30 PSI, about half the time of the Craftsman V20 Cordless Tire Inflator and second only to the Amazon Basics pump. While it’s doing its thing, the pump emitted a low rumble and vibrated a lot. It took 9.0 seconds to inflate the soccer ball.

Unlike others in its class, the iKer Portable Air Compressor lacks an auto shut-off feature so I needed to keep an eye on the pressure gauge. Fortunately the gauge was accurate and steady.

A one-trick pony that can only be powered by a car’s power, the iKer Portable Air Compressor is fast to fill a tire but lacks some of the luxuries that others provide, like battery and AC power, a USB outlet or a light.

It has a long reach and can use the car’s accessory outlet or the battery terminals but the iKer Portable Air Compressor is on the heavy side. The added benefit is is comes with a bag, tools and a unique tire repair kit for roadside flats, making it a great value buy at $60.

Brian Nadel is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in technology reporting and reviewing. He works out of the suburban New York City area and has covered topics from nuclear power plants and Wi-Fi routers to cars and tablets. The former editor-in-chief of Mobile Computing and Communications, Nadel is the recipient of the TransPacific Writing Award.

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