Review: Ring Ultra-inflate30 Rapid Tyre Inflator
If there’s one thing that’ll ruin a cracking day out green laning quicker than a flat tyre, it’s realising your tyre inflator’s either gone walkabout or puffed its last. That’s where the Ring Ultrainflate30 steps in, with a name that sounds like it should be strapped to a rocket, but thankfully isn’t. Still, it’s one of the more useful bits of kit to chuck in your boot, right alongside a flask, your recovery tracks, and that dog-eared OS map you still pretend to use.
What’s in the Box?
For once, quite a bit! Not only do you get the inflator itself (more on that in a mo), but it arrives in a proper carry case that keeps everything neatly tucked away and protected from rogue dogs, flying tools, or whatever other chaos you’ve got rattling around the back.
And here’s a nice surprise, Ring have included a pair of gloves, a spare fuse, and some extra valve caps. It’s like they know us. No more toasty fingers when grabbing the hose after inflating all four tyres, and no more crawling about the drive looking for that one missing dust cap. Cheers, Ring.
Build Quality & Design
The RTI130T feels solid and well made. The wind-up cable storage on the rear is a game-changer too. No more trying to wrestle cables into tight compartments like you’re folding a map in a gale. You just turn the dial and it reels in the 12V cable nice and tidy, like a tiny mechanical fisherman reeling in his tea. Very satisfying.
The air hose also has its own little hidey-hole on the side, and the chunky buttons up top mean it’s usable even with your gloves still on. The digital display is easy to read, even when the rain’s coming in sideways.
Performance on the Ground
Ring reckon the Ultrainflate30 will get a 13" tyre from flat to 35PSI in under two minutes. We’re not in the habit of driving around on space savers, but we gave it a go on our chunky 4x4 tyres and it still managed to inflate from 15 to 32PSI in around four minutes. That’s not bad at all, especially considering it plugs into a regular 12V socket.
It’s not the quietest thing, it buzzes like an angry wasp trapped in a biscuit tin, but it doesn’t bounce off across the car park like some of the cheaper ones. And crucially, it doesn’t overheat halfway through the second tyre.
Handy Extras
The built-in LED light is handy for late-night emergencies or those early-morning campsite faffs when you realise you’ve over-aired-down for the drive home. It also features auto shut-off, so you can set your pressure and let it crack on while you finish packing up the stove or trying to persuade the dog back into the boot.
Not only that, but the memory function adds further convenience by recalling your last-used pressure setting, and in case I haven’t mentioned it yet, it has a 70cm extra-long inflation hose, and a dedicated deflate button.
The Verdict
In short, this is a tidy bit of kit. It's solid, fast enough, and thoughtfully designed. Ring’s added touches, the wind-up cable reel, the decent carry case, gloves, fuse and caps, elevate it from “just another inflator” to something you’ll actually be glad you brought along.
Obviously it won’t outgun a twin-cylinder compressor hooked to your battery terminals, and if you want to re-inflate all four 35” tyres, you will be a while, but for everyday 4x4 use, campervanning, or even topping up the trailer tyres, it’s bang on.
Would We Recommend It?
Too right we would. It’s practical, reliable, and clearly designed by people who’ve used a few dodgy inflators in their time. Stick one in your motor, your tyres (and your knees) will thank you later.
Website: Ring Ultrainflate30
Price: Around £59.99