The best bike pumps
Soft tyres make every ride harder work. A floor pump with a gauge at home and a mini pump on the bike cover almost everything.
Every bike pump owes its job to John Boyd Dunlop, a Scottish vet in Belfast who made the first practical air-filled tyre for his son's tricycle and patented it in 1888. Tyres lose a little air all the time, even without a puncture, so a bike that's stood for a few weeks nearly always needs pumping before a ride.
Check your valves first. Road bikes and most better mountain bikes have thin Presta valves; children's and cheaper bikes often have the fatter Schrader, the same as a car's. Every pump here fits both, so one pump can look after the whole family's bikes.
What matters
- A gauge, so you pump to the pressure on the tyre's sidewall.
- A head that fits Presta and Schrader valves without swapping parts.
- A floor pump for home; a mini pump for the ride.
- A steady base and a long hose.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Topeak JoeBlow Sport III Floor Pump
£46.99 RRP
A sturdy floor pump with a steel barrel and a hardened steel base, and its big 3-inch gauge sits part-way up the barrel, so you can read it without crouching. The TwinHead fits Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves with nothing to swap over.
What owners say: Owners say it pumps tyres up quickly and with little effort, like the easy-to-read gauge and find it very well made.
A closer look: The extra-long hose swivels where it meets the pump, so it doesn't tangle and reaches a bike in a work stand. Push the head onto the valve, flip the lever to lock it, and pump to the pressure printed on the tyre's sidewall. It suits a shed with road and mountain bikes side by side.
- 160 psi / 11 bar
- 3-inch gauge, mid-mounted
- Steel barrel, hardened steel base
- TwinHead DX: Presta, Schrader, Dunlop
- Ball and bladder needles
Best for: Keen cyclists
- Type
- Floor pump
- Max pressure
- 160 psi
- Gauge
- 3in dial, mid-mounted
- Valves
- Presta, Schrader, Dunlop
- Weight
- 1.68kg
- In the box
- Ball and bladder needles
#2 of 5
Runner-up
Vandorm Legend VII Alloy Track Pump
£29.99 RRP
An oversized 35mm aluminium barrel moves plenty of air with each stroke, and the 50mm gauge is clear and easy to read. The dual head takes Presta and Schrader valves without an adaptor.
What owners say: Owners find it great quality for the money, far easier than a hand pump, and quick to bring tyres up to pressure.
A closer look: It stands on a steel base with a grippy plastic platform, so it stays put while you pump, and the soft Kraton handle is kind to the hands. At 61cm tall it tucks into a hall cupboard, and the little tool pod keeps the ball and airbed adaptors together.
- 160 psi / 11 bar
- 35mm aluminium barrel
- 50mm gauge
- Presta and Schrader head
- Tool pod with ball and airbed adaptors
Best for: Home pumping on a budget
- Type
- Floor pump
- Max pressure
- 160 psi
- Gauge
- 50mm dial
- Valves
- Presta, Schrader
- Weight
- 1.2kg
- In the box
- Tool pod: ball and airbed adaptors
#3 of 5
Best mini pump
West Biking Mini Bike Pump with Frame Bracket
Under £10 Price range
Small and light enough to live on the bike, on its own frame bracket, so a flat halfway round a ride isn't the end of it. A hose hides inside the barrel and pulls out when you need it, which makes pumping easier.
What owners say: Owners say it works well on Presta and Schrader valves, is small enough to stay out of the way on the frame, and is good value to carry for emergencies.
Heads up: A mini pump takes plenty of strokes to reach road-bike pressures, so use it to get home and top up properly with a floor pump.
A closer look: Lift the lever on the head to lock it onto the valve before you pump, and press it down to let go. The ball needle means it doubles as the football pump in a kit bag, and it's small enough for a child's bike too.
- Up to 100 psi
- 22.5cm long, 139g
- Hidden pull-out hose
- Presta and Schrader, no adaptor
- Frame bracket included
Best for: Carrying on every ride
- Type
- Mini pump, frame-mounted
- Max pressure
- 100 psi
- Gauge
- None
- Valves
- Presta, Schrader
- Weight
- 139g
- In the box
- Frame bracket, ball and balloon needles
#4 of 5
Best for family bikes
GOBKO Floor Pump with Gauge (160 psi)
£10–£20 Price range
A steel floor pump with a dial gauge and a wide, non-slip steel base, plus extras for the rest of the garage: four needles for footballs, two nozzles for swim rings and other inflatables, and a multi-adapter. One head fits Presta and Schrader, so every bike in the family is covered.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use on road and mountain bikes alike, and like having so many adaptors in the box.
A closer look: The handle and the base both come off, so it packs away small in a cupboard or the car boot. If the pressure stops climbing, reseat the head on the valve and lock the lever again before carrying on.
- 160 psi / 11 bar
- Dial gauge
- Steel barrel, wide steel base
- Presta and Schrader head
- 4 needles, 2 nozzles, multi-adapter
Best for: Family bikes, balls and inflatables
- Type
- Floor pump
- Max pressure
- 160 psi
- Gauge
- Dial
- Valves
- Presta, Schrader
- Weight
- 848g
- In the box
- 4 needles, 2 nozzles, multi-adapter
#5 of 5
Best budget
NUWAB Mini Floor Pump with Carry Bag
Under £10 Price range
At 35cm long, with a base that folds away and a zipped canvas bag to keep it in, this one lives in the car boot, the caravan or a pannier. It goes up to 120 psi and fits Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves without swapping parts.
What owners say: Owners say it pumps up bike tyres and footballs well, find it good value, and like the zipped bag that keeps the adaptors together.
Heads up: There's no gauge, so pump until the tyre feels firm and check the pressure at home with a gauge or a floor pump that has one.
A closer look: Stand on the folding base to hold it steady, lock the lever on the head, and use long, full strokes. The handle comes off, and each end of it stores a nozzle, so the bits for balls stay with the pump.
- Up to 120 psi
- 35cm long, about 300g
- Folding base
- Presta, Schrader and Dunlop
- Zip bag, 4 needles, 4 nozzles
Best for: The car boot or caravan
- Type
- Mini floor pump
- Max pressure
- 120 psi
- Gauge
- None
- Valves
- Presta, Schrader, Dunlop
- Weight
- 300g
- In the box
- Zip bag, 4 needles, 4 nozzles
How they compare
| Feature | #1Topeak JoeBlow Sport III | #2Vandorm Legend VII | #3West Biking mini | #4GOBKO floor pump | #5NUWAB mini floor pump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best mini pump | Best for family bikes | Best budget | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | £46.99 RRP | £29.99 RRP | Under £10 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | Under £10 Price range |
| Type | Floor pump | Floor pump | Mini pump, frame-mounted | Floor pump | Mini floor pump |
| Max pressure | 160 psi | 160 psi | 100 psi | 160 psi | 120 psi |
| Gauge | 3in dial, mid-mounted | 50mm dial | None | Dial | None |
| Valves | Presta, Schrader, Dunlop | Presta, Schrader | Presta, Schrader | Presta, Schrader | Presta, Schrader, Dunlop |
| Weight | 1.68kg | 1.2kg | 139g | 848g | 300g |
| In the box | Ball and bladder needles | Tool pod: ball and airbed adaptors | Frame bracket, ball and balloon needles | 4 needles, 2 nozzles, multi-adapter | Zip bag, 4 needles, 4 nozzles |
| Best for | Keen cyclists | Home pumping on a budget | Carrying on every ride | Family bikes, balls and inflatables | The car boot or caravan |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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