Vistore 4 in 1 air compressor

November 2011

Price: £42
Contact: 0191 209 4161, www.vistore.co.uk/car

Can you rely on the Vistore 4 in 1 air compressor and battery charger to keep you moving this winter? The compressor will help you inflate flat tyres no matter where you are, so we charged it up to put it to the test.

It takes 24 hours to fully charge, but the pump packs a punch – it inflated our 15-inch tyre from 20 to 30psi in under a minute, albeit noisily. It’s just a shame the air cable is so short – you have to ensure the valve is at the bottom of the tyre, or it won’t reach. Also, it’s difficult to see the exact pressure as the dial isn’t clearly marked – we’d expect a digital read-out for the Vistore’s £42.

The built-in torch is ideal when it gets dark, and helped us find our valve cap easily. Plus, it can be flipped up to adjust the light beam. However, it won’t work while the pump is running.

Our biggest bugbear was the battery charger. We measured our flat battery before starting, plugged the fully charged Vistore into our car’s 12-volt socket and left it for 35 minutes as per the instructions. But on our return, the battery wouldn’t start the car – so we’re not too confident this would rescue us in an emergency.