review – Tires and other inflatables lose air over time. This is an unfortunate fact that we all have to face. Car tires can react to weather changes, balls can lose their elasticity, and pool floats can become soft. You probably have a bicycle floor pump or pedal pump in the garage, they can be very reliable, but they’re not fun to use. Enter Fantikk’s X8 inflator. It’s basically a gadget’s air pump and is easily something Gadgeteers should know.
what is it?
Fanttik’s X8 is a battery-operated inflator that’s portable and easy to use, handling pool inflation to car tires and everything in between with the push of a button.
What’s in the box?
- Fanttik X8 Inflator
- American valve trachea
- 3 Adapters – Presta Valve Adapter, Inflator, Ball Needle,
- USB charging cable
- storage bag
- User Manual
Hardware Specifications
enter: USB-C 7.4V
maximum output: 10A/85W
greatest pressure: 150 psi
Battery: 2600mAh (advertised as 5200mAh – maybe the product label has not been updated)
oxygen tube: 350mm long with US valve connector
aspect: 52 x 87 x 140 mm | 2 x 3.4 x 5.5 inches and 525 grams | 1.15 lbs (weight with inflation tube)
Design and Features
The Fanttik X8 inflator is about the size of the palm of your hand, just above the 1 pound mark, but has smooth rounded corners for easy portability. The large digital screen is easy to read as long as you’re out of direct sunlight, and the control pad makes navigating the modes a breeze.
At the bottom is the USB-C charging port along with all the product and certification information.
At the top is the threaded air output connection for the included air tube. It is surrounded by a flat, ribbed area that is oddly white.
That’s because it doubles as an LED flashlight! You can also see the brightness and clarity of the screen under the right conditions here.
set up
You know what to do. Connect the charging cable to a USB power adapter (5v/2A not included) and fully charge the device before use.
Get familiar with the controls shown here.
power button: long press to power on, short press to power on | long press to power off
Mode button: Short press to switch modes (bicycle, car, motorcycle, ball, manual) | long press to switch pressure units (PSI, BAR, KPA)
+/- buttons: Press the corresponding icon to increase or decrease the preset pressure
light button: Press to switch the light mode cyclically (on, SOS, strobe)
Mode+ (-): Press and hold both to reset the system
Other than that, you just need to know what you’re inflating, what pressure you want to inflate to, and adjust the mode and pressure settings on the Fanttik X8 inflator to match. When you first connect the air tube to the tire, the X8 screen will flash the current tire pressure reading, then switch back to showing your settings. Then you can hit the power button to start, and it will automatically stop when the pressure is reached. How cool is that?
Performance
I can’t count the number of bike tires I’ve inflated over the years. As an avid mountain biker and recovering bike mechanic, the body movements of using a floor pump are part of my muscle memory. The least fun part is always hunching over while pumping. It’s much better than a hand pump, easier to use than an air compressor, but still no fun.
A few years ago, I bought a Ryobi inflator that uses the same battery as my other power tools. It’s a huge improvement, but not too easy to fit in my MTB travel bag. The Fanttik X8 changes all that. It weighs just over a pound and has a USB-C rechargeable battery that makes tire inflation super easy. The included inflation tube that connects directly to the x8 has a threaded Schrader on the end, which makes it very easy to connect and inflate compatible tires (cars, motorcycles, etc.). Here, they are compared side by side.
Our Volkswagen SUV has been sitting for a few weeks now with all tires 3-5 PSI low. I was able to hook up the Fanttik X8 inflator and inflate all 4 tires within 2-4 minutes per tire, the unit automatically shuts off when the desired pressure is reached. Handy compared to trying to get the job done at the gas station. I checked the pressure again with an analog gauge and everything checked. Another thing you can see in the photo below is that the display is hard to read in sunlight. The refresh rate shown in the photo is so different from my iPhone’s camera that parts of the display seem to be missing, which is more complicated in the photo. This is not a problem in actual use, just capturing on camera.
For high-performance bikes, the situation is slightly different. Most high-end bikes use Presta valves on the wheels.
It’s a smaller diameter stem, which means a smaller hole in the rim, a big advantage for narrow road bike wheels. This is also standard on mountain bikes, mainly because there is a removable core in the valve stem that allows you to add liquid tire sealant, which is necessary for a good air seal. One thing I’m trying to figure out is that the X8 needs a threaded adapter (included) to connect to and inflate the Presta valve. For those of us who use Presta valves, it’s normal to have the adapter in our kit, or even directly on the bike’s valve. With the Fanttik X8 inflator (and most inflators) you need to remove the valve cap or threaded adapter, open the threaded air valve, thread the adapter, thread the inflation tube, inflate and reverse the process. It’s a pain, but something we’re used to. That said, it’s really easy for the Fanttik to include a dual valve head like almost all floor pumps, or a second air tube with a Presta specific head.
I started looking for a Presta compatible tube on Amazon but couldn’t find it. I did find a Presta collet that worked a bit, but then stumbled across these valve converters.
These work by removing the Presta spool first and then installing a compatible spool with US end. This is a perfect solution, as long as you make sure you don’t loosen the pump when it’s released. So far, so good. If I run into any long-term issues, I’ll let you guys know. They absolutely simplified the process of using the X8 on my bike.
One issue specific to the way the Fanttik X8 inflator is set up is bike mode. It is limited to an adjustable pressure range of 30-145 PSI. This may work for road, commuter and recreational bikes, but mountain bikes typically use much lower pressures. Depending on your tires, preferences and riding style, tire pressures are usually in the 20-25 PSI range or even lower. If you switch to manual mode with a range of 3-150 PSI, the X8 will still work. Another nitpick is that having a single favorite setting per mode isn’t enough, as you’ll probably want the front tires to have different cornering pressures than the rear tires’ traction pressure. It would be great to switch between favorites instead of going up and down each time.
I also took the opportunity to inflate a floating lounger for the pool. Attaching the small cone nozzle to the X8 is as simple as threading it through one of the two inflation valves on the chair and pressing the button. As you know, these types of products are fully vacuum packed right out of the box.
As a result, for the first nearly 5 minutes you wonder if it works. This is because the X8 is designed for high pressure and not high volume, so it will take a while. Case and gist, I actually moved on to the tried-and-true, giddy method of using my own lungs to mostly inflate the chair and then switching back to the X8. This actually saves a lot of time as I was able to get the volume up in about 2 minutes and then finish inflating it with the X8 in another 5 minutes.
One of the reasons not to sit back and let the X8 do all the work is that it’s very loud. It measured about 88 decibels, enough to sound a hearing health warning on my Apple Watch. Generally speaking, all compressors are loud, but just mention it so your expectations aren’t set to run silently. Here’s a video where you can hear for yourself and see the auto-stop feature when our car hits a set pressure of 35 PSI.
I haven’t needed to use it yet, but the flashlight feature can be very handy if you need to inflate your tires at night.This is a nice feature whether you plan to have the Fanttik X8 inflator as part of your car gear or your bike travel bag.
what do I like
- size and function.Great for bikes
- Healthy battery life for bicycles and small cars
- short and long enough air tube
what would i change
- Display is barely readable in sunlight
- Loud ~88dB
- Would love to see a dedicated Presta valve solution
- Want to see low pressure/large air volume switch
final thoughts
The Fanttik X8 inflator is a fantastic product. The automatic stop function when the set pressure is reached adds to the portability and high pressure cake. Granted, I have a few things to change, but all I can say is that if they roll out any of those, I’ll upgrade. I have a dedicated pocket on my MTB gear bag.
price: $79.97
where to buy (this: Amazon
resource: This product sample is provided by Fantik
