Best car foot pumps
Which foot pump takes the pressure off inflating your tyres?
The most cost-effective way to maintain your car’s tyre pressures is with a foot pump. For around £20 – and often a fair bit less – you can keep tabs on the pressures and top them up when needed.
Tyre inflators powered by their own batteries or inflators powered by the car’s 12V socket are less effort, but tyres usually only need to be topped up by a few psi, so a foot pump will not put too much strain on the legs. Powered compressors are also more expensive, especially cordless units.
With a foot pump in the boot, you can check and adjust pressures to maximise the car’s braking, cornering, fuel economy and tyre life – and all for the price of a round of coffees. So which is the puff daddy to slip in your boot? We tried eight top sellers.
How we tested
Top of the list has to be pumping power, so we used a certified, calibrated tyre pressure gauge and a 195/55R16 tyre on a rim with two valves to measure how much pressure was added from 25psi after 20 pumps. The test was done three times and an average used. We also assessed the pumps’ gauges at 20, 25 and 30psi. Although none claimed to be to the British Standard and some said readings should be checked separately, you want them to be pretty accurate.
Used - available now
2020 Peugeot
5008
90,000 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £11,295
2016 Mercedes
E-Class Estate
106,300 milesAutomaticDiesel2.1L
Cash £8,695
2023 Porsche
718 Cayman
21,000 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L
Cash £72,999
2022 BMW
X1
18,704 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £21,997The pump’s stability was also assessed, and we looked for valve connectors that could be removed with minimal air loss, long hoses, instructions and adapter storage. Finally, we factored in prices.
Reviews
See where the top eight car tyre foot pumps ranked...
Michelin Digital Double Barrel Footpump
- Rating: 5 stars
- Price: Around £28
- Contact: halfords.com
This Michelin design has been our foot pump of choice for more than 10 years and it’s easy to see why. There’s a solidity to it that rivals lack, giving it great stability. Plus, it has an easy-to-read, accurate digital gauge with adapter and hose storage.
There are external levers to hold it shut when stored, our preferred screw-type valve connector for minimal air loss, and good pumping power. It may be the most expensive pump here, but it’s definitely the one you want.
Clarke Twin Cylinder Foot Pump FP300
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: Around £18
- Contact: machinemart.co.uk
Like the Michelin, this Clarke design has been around for more than a decade, but unlike its rival it’s been up and down in our ratings. The analogue gauge was less than one psi low at our three test levels, despite a warning that the readings are only for ‘reference’.
It has one of the longest hoses, at 66cm, making getting to the top of big rims easier. Our 20 pumps added an average of 4.5psi, plus it comes complete with instructions.
Draper Double Cylinder Foot Pump 25996
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: Around £16
- Contact: drapertools.com
There’s plenty of competition at around the £15 mark, and this Draper unit just gets our vote over the Halfords Essentials pump. The family resemblance is clear and that minimal footplate did require careful placement of our shoe to avoid flexing and ensure a smooth action.
It has a decent gauge with legible scales, and the readings were less than half a psi shy. It gets the nod over the Halfords unit thanks to our 20 pumps adding an average of 4.6psi.
Halfords Essentials Double Barrel Foot Pump
- Rating: 4 stars
- Price: Around £15.50
- Contact: halfords.com
Almost a £5 price increase since our 2023 test has done this Essentials unit no favours, but it is still worth considering. The essentials name is telling because it was the only one on test that did not include valve adapters for sports kit and inflatables. But it did have one of the easier-to-read analogue gauges that was less than half a psi out.
Pumping power was a touch behind the best, but it’s still worth considering if you find it at a discounted price.
Ring Double Foot Pump RFP2
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Price: Around £22
- Contact: ringautomotive.com
Our 2023 runner-up has tumbled down the results largely because its rubber footplate cover wouldn’t stay attached. The gauge was also around two psi adrift, and the bar scale was tough to read, although it did have a target needle.
Pumping was up with the best, adding around 4.5psi after 20 pumps, plus we liked the long 66cm hose with an attached bag to stop the valve adapters disappearing.
Maypole Double Foot Pump MP784
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Price: Around £20
- Contact: screwfix.com
This pump is very similar to the Halfords and Draper units, so its higher price hurts it. It also required careful foot placement to avoid catching the lower frame when in use.
Performance was a touch behind the best but still effective, although it has the alloy-clad valve connector, which catches easily when removed. The gauge was around one psi out, although was clear enough to read.
RAC Double Barrel Foot Pump RAC-HP148
- Rating: 3 stars
- Price: Around £15
- Contact: screwfix.com
The second of our Screwfix pair has a lot going for it. As we saw elsewhere, the larger footplate gave the unit better stability and the slightly bigger all-plastic valve connector lost little air when removed. Plus, there’s that keener price.
But none of this could overcome pumping power that was more than one psi behind the best, and an analogue gauge that read an average of two psi short.
Silverline Foot Pump Heavy Duty Double Barrel 380197
- Rating: 3 stars
- Price: Around £15
- Contact: silverlinetools.com
In a sea of lookalikes this caught the eye because the cylinders are attached to the base, and the full-width pistons move with the upper section and footplate.
The package makes much of its 470cc output per stroke, but it delivered an average of just 2.6psi after our 20 pumps. That’s a shame, because the gauge was accurate and easy to read, plus the valve and stability were good.
Verdict
The family resemblance between all the pumps is clear, so the results were inevitably close. It might be the most expensive here, but the Michelin is our winner yet again. It ticks all our boxes. Clarke takes the runner-up spot while Draper just gets ahead of the closely matched £15 pump from Halfords.
- Michelin Digital Double Barrel Footpump
- Clarke Twin Cylinder Foot Pump FP300
- Draper Double Cylinder Foot Pump 25996
You've chosen the right tyre foot pump, now make sure you know how to best look after and maintain your car tyres...
