Ring Automotive - RTC1000 12V rapid tyre inflator air compressor car pump with preset digital pressure gauge, memory function, 2 min inflation, LED light, carry case, valve adaptor kit

Product Information

There is a button on the front for the light that is located on the right-hand side of the unit, and a small indent for you to put your valve cap for safekeeping while inflating your tyre. The RING RTC1000 is not the first automatic tyre inflator I have ever used, but overall it is the best I have tried to date. It certainly beats the old foot-pump I used in bygone days, and is a lot more convenient (and probably more accurate) than the machines on garage forecourts. And once you’ve bought it, of course, it’s free to use! We're struggling for negatives to be honest and if we're being really critical, when setting a target pressure, it will occasionally fall to just under that pressure after automatically switching off. The app saves all your tyre pressures along with other data that you can manually enter, such as date fitted, light or heavy load, winter or summer tyres. You can even add images of each vehicle and the tyres; the app is limited to five vehicles currently. The LCD screen allows you to preset your tyre pressure and the pump will keep going until it's inflated sufficiently.

This is definitely a top-of-the-range item, but if you’re the sort of person who regularly uses an air compressor then the RTC1000 is well worth a look. Although, if you're looking for something cheaper, the RTC200 is another of Ring's inflators in the new range - but it sits at less of a premium price. I was gifted this automatic tyre inflator from RING Automotive– a company specializing in this type of product – in exchange for publishing an honest review. So here are my thoughts about it. Ring has been industry-leading in portable tyre inflators for over 10 years, winning multiple awards from across Europe, including several from Auto Express. The new range builds on Ring’s credentials, adding extra features to make the new range of inflators stand out in terms of performance, usability and design.The rear display was small, but we were pleased to see a large bag included, because there were lots of pieces to carry. The results weren’t bad and this may be for you if you need a choice of power. You get the option to insert the pressures and info when you first add a vehicle, but the chances are you won’t necessarily be in front of your car while you’re doing this bit. In regard to tyre inflators, Ring Automotive offers what is probably the widest range of models available in the UK. We’ve three quite different models and had three members of our team test them to see how they perform in the real world.

Compact for easy storage under bike seats, in panniers or in the glove compartment, the RTC2000 includes a 2 piece adaptor kit for other inflatables, as well as a storage case.

The unit is small enough to keep in your boot and comes with its own case to keep the dirt out of your car. The 12v connector can be neatly wound away on a spindle, saving the normal tangle you get yourself into. The 3.5m lead isn’t perhaps as long as some on the market but can do the job of reaching the tyre furthest away from the in-car power supply. A previous high flyer, the Sakura was close to the RTC450 and Draper Mini. The inflation times were fair, but the noise level of 81dB with an ambient of 30dB was the highest on test. It came in a soft bag that, at 800g, was ideal for in-car carrying. Although not the end of the world, its reading error of 1.5psi was the joint worst we found. Ring have just come out with an all new rapid digital tyre inflator – the RTC1000, it comes with more accessories than you’d imagine, so we put one to the test.

Other than road rescuers, this would suit camping and caravanning supremely well, where you’ve got a bit of extra space to carry it and perhaps a leisure battery to hook it up to. Ring could extend its usefulness by offering this pump with a couple of different power leads though. If it was easy enough to fit a three-pin plug for example, I’d happily leave this handy unit set up in my garage. Overall, I think the Ring RTC1000 is an excellent digital tyre inflator and does everything we ask of it. We were clutching at straws to find negatives with this really as it does everything well and is well priced for the quality you'd expect from Ring. You’re waiting for a but, and here it is…the app isn’t the best. Now it works perfectly fine, but it’s a little clunky, and most importantly of all, the tyre pressures it automatically comes up with are wrong.I’ve used it to top up car and motorbike pressures and once to seat a stubborn tubeless tyre on a mountain bike. I like the screw-on fittings and long hose but generally think a digital gauge is easier to use than an analogue one. It’s a hefty bit of kit, but super speedy and surprisingly quiet. When attaching the pump to your tyre valve using the screwed air hose the current tyre pressure will be displayed on the screen after a few seconds. Using the small yellow dial on the front you can set your desired pressure and then press it in to confirm your selection. Then at the bottom is a big power button that you can't miss - this gets the inflation process underway.

Before this one we owned the RAC630 which has been a great servant over the years, and I fully expect this one to live up to expectations too. Would I recommend it? Yes. Comes with handy storage case and extra accessories: 1x spare fuse; 4x spare valve caps and 1 x pair of gloves Extra long 70cm air hose with easy access storage compartment specifically designed to reduce kinks Auto Express has reviewed the new RingRTC1000 Premium Rapid Digital Tyre Inflator, awarding it 5*, meaning it “takes Award-winning digital tyre inflator that rapidly inflates a 13 tyre from 0 to 35PSI in two minutes.Despite its angular design, this Halfords had a lot of the RTC1000 about it, not least the large on/off button and clear central display. The underslung, wind-up mechanism for the three-metre cable was the same, as was the way the hose fitted into a slot around the casing. It comes with a range of accessories, including adaptors for bicycle tyres, balls and other inflatables, and even a set of plastic gloves for keeping your hands clean. There are also some spare valve dust caps and a spare fuse. These are all useful, thoughtful additions, though it would be nice if there was a compartment somewhere within the device in which to keep them.