Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterHere’s how I decided which pumps to test, and how I evaluated floor pumps and mini pumps during testing:Valve compatibility: For floor pumps, I tested only those compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves. For mini pumps, I did test a few that were Presta-only, reasoning that most people riding far enough away from home to need a pump are probably on a bike equipped with Presta valves.High volume versus high pressure: Bike tires (and pumps) fall into two categories: high volume and high pressure. Mountain bike and fat-bike tires are high volume — that is, they require a lot of air to fill. High-pressure tires, like the skinny tires found on road bikes, hold less air at, yes, a higher pressure. Hybrids, gravel bikes, and cruisers fall somewhere in between. I tested floor pumps from both categories, including some claiming to handle all kinds of tires.Like floor pumps, mini pumps built for high-volume tires tend to be larger in diameter and will push a lot of air — but they require an insane amount of muscle to force air into a skinny, high-pressure tire. You’re better off with a high-pressure pump for road tires — or one that you can toggle between high-pressure and high-volume. I tested several with this option.Pump head design: I tested all kinds of pump heads, assessing which were the most and least likely to frustrate you.Efficiency: The more efficient a pump, the fewer strokes you’ll need to fill a tire. I set up a standardized test that included counting the strokes needed to fill three different-sized tires with each pump.Price: When it comes to bike pumps, you get what you pay for. I tested floor pumps ranging from $40 to $140 and mini pumps from $20 to $100, and the quality dropped off drastically below about $50 for floor pumps and below $30 for mini pumps.Pump materials: I tested pumps with lots of plastic and those with all-metal construction. A plastic pump handle flexes under your hands while pumping, making it harder to use, and a plastic pump head feels flimsy and cheap compared with an all-metal head.Warranty and rebuild kits: Most pumps carry between a two- and five-year warranty, but some pumps I tested have a lifetime warranty. Just as important, though, is whether a pump is rebuildable. Several of the pumps came with a rebuild kit that included some of the more common wear items, like O-rings, gaskets, and seals. Even most mini pumps are now rebuildable.Gauge design and accuracy (floor pumps): The best gauges are oversize, with clear contrasts between their numbers and the background color of the gauge. (I tested only analog gauges; we could see little point in paying extra for digital.)To test accuracy, each time I pumped up a tire, I checked the number on the built-in gauge against a pair of hand-held tire gauges, one designed for high-volume tires and another more general-purpose gauge. You’d be surprised at how often the numbers clashed between the built-in gauge and the handheld gauge.The hoses on our floor-pump picks vary in length by a lot. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterAs does the size of our mini-pump picks. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterThe hoses on our floor-pump picks vary in length by a lot. Marki Williams/NYT WirecutterHose length (floor pumps): Former pro bike mechanic Eric Saletel swears by a long hose, noting that it’s great for airing up tires while a bike is in a repair stand. However, you don’t have to be a pro to appreciate a hose that reaches your tires even when your bike is on your car.Size (mini pumps): All of the mini pumps I tested include hardware to mount them on your bike. Still, I considered only pumps that were 12 inches or less (keeping in mind that the smaller the pump, the less efficient it’s likely to be).Need a bike rack too?
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