VARO Compact Air Compressor

TL;DR at 20€, a must-have on my list

Last year my friend Gérald told me about that VARO air compressor he found for cheap, so I asked him to grab one for me too. This is a review after one year of regular use.

The unit is powered by an internal 2 000 mAh lithium-ion battery, and is charged through its USB-C connector. A cable is provided in the kit. It's fully digital : you set the target pressure and hit the ⏯️ "play/pause" button, it will inflate until the desired pressure is reached. It can also act as a LED flashlight, I can see how it must be useful at night.

Accessories include adapters for typical bicycle valves, sports balls and inflatable toys.

As they specify 8 Volts and it's also sold with a 2 500 mAh battery capacity, we can deduct it's based on a parallel/series setup of 8 "18650" cells. Basically your usual power bank, with a twist.

It's a good combination of lightness and effectiveness : on a day with "regular" outside temperatures, I was able to top-up the Caterham (adding probably 0.2 bar to each wheel), and after that re-inflate the 4 wheels of the Mini Cooper from 0.4 to a full 2 bars. All in one go.

On the other hand, we had to let it cool down after 3 wheels when upping the tyres of the Skoda Octavia Combi from 2.2 to 3.2 bars before going on holiday. It was really hot outside and I'm pretty sure the user manual says it cannot be used for more than 10 minutes without cool-down anyway. The limitation comes from the heat before the battery becomes a concern (heat comes from the compression of air, and a hot summer day limits the cooling capacity of the small fan at the end of the motor axle).

It's obviously very capable with the tasks it was designed for, like keeping the bicycles to spec, including when repairing a puncture. Same same for re-inflating a basketball ball. I haven't tried any low-pressure/high-volume toys, it's probably not where it will shine.

You cannot believe a label that says "air pump  -  10.3 bars (150 psi)".  It's a compressor, it won't inflate a 2 persons air mattress or inflatable boat.  I've seen it giving all it could to reach 3.2 bars on the family car and cannot imagine it going near 10 bars either.

As it's quite a hassle to screw and unscrew the hose to each valve when checking the 4 wheels, I got a quick-lock air chuck that remains on the compressor hose. I chose one with a valve that can let air out to lower the pressure. The compressor is not able to let air out by itself (the add-on is the bronze thingi with a clamp and a button on the side, shown on the pictures).

It's lighter than your usual 12V mini compressor too : it says 400 grams on the tin and the interwebs, which it correct.  The unit iself weighs 385 grams, and around 420 grams with the pouch and all the accessories. My quick-release chuck adds another 33g.  All that compared to 500 grams for the "usual" cigar-plug 12V mini compressor that we keep in the Skoda all the time. It's 3 to 4 times more compact too.
I couldn't resist checking the weight of my 24 000 mAh power bank, it's 405 g without any cable.

As my car is equipped with a spare wheel and jack, the compressor remains stored a home most of the time. I use it each time I check the Caterham, or any of the cars really. And we always bring it with us when we go a bit far or on holidays.

Wandering if it could be used as a power bank to charge my phone, I gave that a go. And no, it won't charge my phone... actually quite the opposite happened.