VIAIR 88P 00088 12V Portable Air Compressor Kit for Car and Truck Tires

Why it's worth it

The 88P clamps straight to your battery and pushes 120 PSI through a 16-foot hose, so it reaches every wheel on a pickup without moving the compressor. It's the right tool for truck, Jeep and trailer tires, and complete overkill for a Civic.

Alligator clamps beat a cigarette lighter socket. The 88P wires straight to your battery posts, which keeps voltage steady while the motor works hard at high pressure. A 12V accessory socket sags or pops a fuse under that kind of sustained load. You do need the engine running, but that's a fair trade for filling 33-inch tires without drama.

The reach is what sells it on a big vehicle. You get a 16-foot air hose and a 10-foot power cord, so from the battery you can walk to any wheel on a pickup, or down the length of a dual-axle trailer, without moving the compressor. Anyone who's dragged a short-hose inflator around a full-size truck knows why that matters.

From our review of 9 portable tire inflators, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +Alligator clamps beat a cigarette lighter socket
• +The reach is what sells it on a big vehicle
• +It's rated for the tires the small cordless units refuse
• +The connection doesn't leak

What to know

• –There's no preset and no auto shut-off
• –It's a 12V-only tool that needs your car