What is it?
The Ring UltraInflate 20 is one of the new generation of tyre inflators from Ring, the well known car accessories brand. We've tested plenty of Ring products in the past including many of its tyre inflators, but the UltraInflate 20 is part of a new range of inflators. The UltraInflate 10 is an analogue version while the top of the range UltraInflate 30 gets more features including a deflate function.
It features a digital pressure gauge along with a progress bar when inflating, so you can see how far along you are. It can switch between PSI, BAR and kPa plus features a memory function. There's a 3 metre wind-up power cable and a 60cm inflation hose which stores neatly in the unit and even a place to keep your dust cap while you're inflating the tyre. Ring says it can inflate a 13-inch tyre in 3min30s
It runs off a standard 12V socket and has a bright LED light on the top while the air hose has a screw adaptor rather than quick release. It comes with three valve adaptors for bikes, footballs and inflatables. Handy on a day to the beach when the kids decide to buy a new lilo. These sit in the side of the unit. You can get the UltraInflate 20 from Amazon or directly from the Ring website with free delivery and 10% off if you sign up to the Ring newsletter.
What's it like?
Ring has left behind the usual boxy look of tyre inflators with its new UltraInflate range and the design certainly has benefits. For starters it's more stable on the ground and doesn't move around when switched on, but more usefully the display is far easier to see, especially handy if you're trying to inflate a tyre in the dark or in a tight spot.
Then there's the clever cable storage. The 12V cable winds away at the back while the air hose loops around inside one end. This is also where the spare adaptors live. It means the UltraInflate is a neat and tidy thing when not being used and you don't have to mess around untangling wires everytime you use it. The only thing that's missing is a little carry case.
We tested the UltraInflate 20 on an Audi e-tron fitted with 21-inch wheels. There's no quick release for the adaptor but it screws on and off quickly so you aren't losing any air. Like most digital inflators, you simple set the required pressure and switch it on. It's far from quiet when the motor kicks in but no louder than any other tyre inflator we've tested.
What is impressive is the speed. It took just 3 minutes and 55 seconds to inflate our tyre from 18PSI to 35PSI - that's almost a minute quicker than the heavy duty TowerTop inflator. There's a little progress bar you can keep an eye if you really want to but as it auto stops at the right pressure, there's no need. We topped up several tyres to check accuracy against other tyre inflators and the UltraInflate 20 was on the money everytime.
It's a pretty robust unit too, we test dropped it a few times from car seat height onto a driveway and despite a few scratches, there was no lasting damage. The screen does scratch easily though, hence why it's a good idea to get a small case or bag if you're storing it in the boot.
Should you buy one?
The UltraInflate 20 is very simply one of the best tyre inflators we have tested. It's easy to use, impressively fast and has proved extremely accurate and reliable. The wind-up 12V cable is a simple yet extremely useful feature which makes it easy to tidy away when you've finished. No more messing with loose wires.
The only thing we'd like is a carry case for it, but we can't mark it down for that. We test plenty of tyre inflators but the UltraInflate 20 is one we will keeping in the boot from now. It's well worthy of a full five star rating.
