If you’re looking to quickly inflate your tires, our portable models will be your best bet.

When choosing a portable air compressor, here are a few questions to consider before your purchase:

Why do you need to inflate your tires?

• Are you looking to top off your tire on cold days, or inflate your tires when the “tire maintenance” light pops up on your dashboard?
  For those who are just topping off tires, we would suggest any of our Portable models suited for the daily driver (70P-90P). Just make sure you know your tire size (see below) and power source (see below) beforehand, and do not exceed our suggested use.
• Or will this be for airing up and down after off-roading? If you are using your portable for off-road purposes , our Portable models 300P and up would be ideal. We have listed the suggested tire size on our site, and have even given fill times so you know just how quick you’ll be back on the road!

What size are my tires?

• You will need to know what size tires you have. This will help to determine which model would work for your tire size. Example: 245/35/R20
• One helpful tool we use is a tire size calculator.
• VIAIR has already done the work for you by listing which models work with what size tire on Viair’s Compressor Comparison page. Scroll down to the “Portables” section, and look for “Max Tire Size”.

How will I power the compressor?

We have two options for powering your portable air compressor:

• Plug into the vehicle’s power outlet (cigarette lighter). Before choosing a compressor that plugs into the power outlet, make sure the outlet is rated for 15A/180W. If the outlet is under those specs in any way, you will have to go with a model that connects directly to your battery.Our Portable models that plug into the cigarette outlet are: 70P (P/N 00073), 74P (P/N 00074), 77P (P/N 00077), 78P (P/N 00078), 84P (P/N 00084), and 85P (P/N 00085).
• Connect directly to your car battery. You’ll need to connect the compressor directly to your battery if your car outlet is not rated for 15A/180W; otherwise, you may blow your car’s fuse!Our Portable models for tire inflation / topping off that plug into the car battery are: 87P (P/N 00087), 88P (P/N 00088), and 90P (P/N 00093).

Our Portable models for airing up/down after off-roading are: 300P (P/N 30033), 400P (P/N 40043 for 12V and P/N 40050 for 24V) 400P-Automatic (P/N 40045), 440P (P/N 44043), 450P-Automatic (P/N 45043).

For tips on choosing the right RV compressor, visit our blog post here.

For More Questions, Contact Us!

VIAIR is here to help you choose the right system, the first time! We are here to help if you need more assistance. You can reach us by:

• Calling us at 949-585-0011 from 8AM-5PM PST, Monday-Friday
• Chat us with our website’s Live Chat feature from 8AM-5PM PST, Monday-Friday
• Email us at customerservice@viaircorp.com to reach us after-hours, and we will reply to you the following business day.