As we featured in last season's "Outdoor Gearzine Best 100 Gear," we've noticed that in the past few years, a number of interesting electric pumps for ultra-compact air mattresses that can be used while backpacking have been appearing.
This year has seen the surge in intensity, with some groundbreaking new products emerging recently that are impossible to ignore, and I thought I'd take a closer look at this hot market.
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FLEXTAIL
The first notable brand is FLEXTAIL. The founders, who were students at the time, started developing full-scale outdoor equipment after going on a backpacking trip in 2012. They have now grown into a leader in the field of small electric pumps for air mattresses.
TINY PUMP 2X
The flagship model is the TINY PUMP 2X, which was selected as one of Outdoor Gearzine's Top 100 last year. It measures just 46 x 45 x 59 mm and weighs just 96 grams (pump only). It delivers 180 L/min of air flow at 4 kPa (0.58 PSI). The USB-C rechargeable battery lasts for approximately 40 uses on a single-size air mattress, and it can also be used as a lantern. Of course, it's compatible with major brands of air mattress valves.
ZERO PUMP
FLEXTAIL's new model, released earlier this year, is even lighter than the TINY PUMP 2X, weighing in at an astonishing 33 grams (50.8 grams including the battery). Its slimmer dimensions of 26 x 26 x 75mm make it significantly more portable.
As for performance, it has a maximum pressure of 2.5kPa (0.36 PSI) and an air flow rate of 180L/min, and the replaceable USB-C rechargeable battery can fill a single-size mattress 17 to 25 times. While it doesn't have the power or versatility of the 2X, it's still practical enough for just inflating a mattress.
Aerogogo
One of the top brands fiercely competing with FLEXTAIL is Aerogogo, founded in 2017. Armed with deep research and development capabilities gained from 15 years of academic research into aerodynamics, the company continues to push the limits of inflatable technology in a wide range of outdoor fields.
GIGA PUMP Air
The most noteworthy feature is the latest ultra-compact air pump, which was released this summer. It weighs just 28 grams. Because the battery can be replaced with a regular mobile battery, the unit is small enough to be pinched between your fingers, and it can be recharged as many times as you like as long as there is a battery.
What's interesting is that it can be connected not only to a mobile battery, but to any device that supports a 5V/3A output, such as a smartphone, outdoor lantern, or Bluetooth speaker, so as long as it can supply the necessary power, it can operate the pump.
In terms of performance, it boasts a high maximum air pressure of 3.5kPa, an air flow rate of 180L/min, and a very fast filling speed! That's amazing considering how light it is.
There are six types of valve adapters available for your peace of mind.
I bought it on Kickstarter the other day, and I'd like to give you a report on how I use it once it arrives.
Alpenglow Gear
Next up is Alpenglow Gear, a small, emerging brand that stands out from the rest. The brand has likely only been around for a few years. Its founder, who was previously involved in the design of electric cars at Tesla, discovered his love for DIY during the COVID-19 pandemic. He then took a leave of absence from work to walk the PCT Long Trail, where he came up with the idea. After walking approximately 2,000 miles, he left Tesla Motors to start the business.
The most surprising thing about this latest piece of gear is that it weighs just the weight of two nickels (8.5 grams). It also uses a standard mobile battery, so it's palm-sized at 50 x 35 x 15mm. And, although unconfirmed, it claims to be virtually silent.
The only thing I'm currently dissatisfied with about this type of item is the high-pitched noise it makes when it's in operation. It sounds almost like a vacuum cleaner. It's so loud that I'd hesitate to use it in a crowded tent area. If that were to disappear, it would be a big plus.
However, the fact that the air pressure isn't disclosed is a bit suspicious. While specifications like maximum air pressure and air flow rate per hour aren't disclosed, the filling time for the main mattress is published, which takes quite a long time. It's likely that the power is weaker than other models, so you should be prepared for it to take a while to inflate the pad.
I also decided to buy this the other day and plan to write a review soon.
Pad-Pal V5.2
This pad inflator, developed by the mysterious garage brand Rex-Creations, weighs just 9 grams. It has three output settings, and according to a user on Reddit, it filled a wide-size NeoAir XLITE NXT in about 40 seconds on the highest setting. It's also quieter on the low setting. However, since it's a small, 3D-printed plastic part, I doubt it's particularly durable. In any case, it's probably not worth the trouble of importing it from Japan just yet, but I'll keep an eye on it.
There are plenty of other products that interest you.
The three brands mentioned above are worth keeping an eye on, but there are also a few other products that are worth checking out.
Thermarest NeoAir Micro Pump
Thermarest, a global brand of sleeping pads, has been releasing its own electric pump for some time now. This pump is specifically for the Neo Air series mattress, so there may not be any compelling reason to choose it at this point.
Naturehike
Naturehike, a Chinese brand that has been steadily gaining users, mainly on Amazon, thanks to its price competitiveness, also released a product as expected. And as expected, the specs aren't particularly impressive, but the price has been kept down. However, it's not particularly cheap, so it may not be that appealing in this category.
Other unidentified Amazon items
If you dig around on Amazon, you'll find a lot of other questionable products. I think it's all a matter of luck.
Of these, I'm a little interested in this model, which is not known for its weight, but is powerful with an air pressure of 4.5 kPa (0.65 PSI) and a wind speed of 13 CFM (360 L/min). I hope the size in this photo is real.
At the moment, it looks like I'll be able to try out products other than Alpenglow Gear and Pad-Pal V5.2. To be honest, I'm hesitant to buy Alpenglow Gear because it's expensive. Anyway, I think this little war will be settled by the end of the year, so I'll write a comprehensive article about it then.
And surprisingly, it's a mattress and pump all-in-one.
Incredibly lightweight self-inflating sleeping pad "Tiny Sleeping Pad R09 AVS"
Finally, a sleeping pad with an automatic pump built into the air mattress has finally been released this season. Until recently, a project was running on Makuake .
What's amazing is that it weighs just 498g and packs down compactly, yet it has an automatic inflation function (it fills up in 60 seconds), and it has five layers of aluminum insulation film inside, giving it an R-value of 9.4, which is incredible. If I have a chance to try it out in the future, I'd like to share my experience with you.