DEWALT 20V MAX Air Inflator, Tool Only (DCC020IB) | Automatic Shut Off, LED Light

Why it's worth it

A cordless inflator that also runs off your car's 12V outlet or a wall socket, so a dead battery never strands you. Set your target pressure, hit go, and it shuts off on its own while you do something else.

The three power modes are the whole argument. Most cordless inflators give you one option, and when the battery's flat you're out of luck. This one takes a 20V MAX battery, a 12V DC cord from your car outlet, or 110V AC from the wall. That means it lives in the garage on wall power, rides in the trunk on battery, and still works in a parking lot at midnight when the battery died two weeks ago and you forgot.

Set the pressure you want, squeeze the trigger, and walk away. The digital readout works in single-PSI steps and the high-pressure mode cuts off at your number instead of blowing past it. Owners who came from cheap glovebox pumps consistently say the same thing — the set-and-forget part is what they actually notice, more than the speed. You're not standing there squinting at a needle gauge.

From our review of 8 garage tire inflators, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +The three power modes are the whole argument
• +Set the pressure you want, squeeze the trigger, and walk away
• +Small details add up here
• +It's not just for tires

What to know

• –It's sold tool-only, so the price on the listing isn't what you'll actually spend unless you already own DEWALT 20V MAX batteries
• –It's slower than you'd hope on a genuinely flat tire