Tymate TM2 RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System, TPMS Set of 4 Sensors

Why it's worth it

The Tymate TM2 shows live pressure and temperature for all four tires on a color screen that tops itself up from the sun. The sensors screw onto your valve stems, so you can have the whole thing running in your driveway in about ten minutes.

The solar panel means you'll never think about the display's battery. That sounds minor until you've owned a monitor that died in a parking garage and stayed dead. The TM2 charges off its own panel on the dash, and if you park indoors for a week you can top it up over USB or from the cigarette lighter. Your 12V socket stays free for a phone charger, which is where most people want it anyway.

Setup doesn't involve a tire shop. Each sensor threads onto a valve stem like a fancy cap, and the display pairs with them out of the box. If you can check your own oil, you can do this. That matters more than it sounds: Tire Rack's service data suggests roughly a third of TPMS-equipped vehicles come in with a sensor problem, and every one of those visits costs you an appointment.

From our review of 6 tire pressure monitoring systems, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +The solar panel means you'll never think about the display's battery
• +Setup doesn't involve a tire shop
• +It watches heat, not just pressure
• +It scales past a four-tire car

What to know

• –You'll be buying coin cells
• –These caps aren't flow-through
• –The 87 PSI ceiling rules out heavy-duty use