Electric bike pumps are quickly becoming one of the most popular bike accessories of the year with brands like Trek, Silica and even unexpected companies like Muc-Off creating their own versions. That’s why it shouldn’t be a surprise that Magicshine, a company known for their lights and electronics, has joined the market with their new Airro bike tire inflator. The Magicshine Airro retails for $89.99 and has a 120 PSI maximum with Schrader, Presta and ball needle adapters included. Magicshine has incorporated a large LED screen that shows the battery status and pressure display. The pump is compact and portable while still having a competitively sized 500 mAh battery that provides up to 3-4 inflations from empty to 80 psi for 700×25 tire.
The Magicshine Airro is a competitive bike tire inflator with a unique transparent window that lets you see the motor spin.
| Retail Price | $89.99 |
| Rating | 9.1 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 147 (w/ Presta adapter), 13 (extension) |
| Likes | + Competitive pricing + Large battery for multiple inflations on one charge + Unique transparent window to motor |
| Dislikes | – Small buttons can be difficult to use with thick gloves – Separate Presta adapter for extension hose which can be lost easily – Plus and minus button positions are reversed compared to other pumps |
| Where to Buy (US) | Magicshine 15% OFF coupon code: “TheSweetCyclists” |
UNBOXING
The Magicshine Airro inflator comes in a small black and orange box with a glossy graphic of the pump on the exterior. Branding and specs are printed directly on the box along with an overview of the feature. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Airro inflator
- USB-C charging cable
- Presta + Schrader + ball needle adapters
- Extension hose
- Presta converter for extension hose
- Silicone cover
- Waterproof bag
Unlike companies like Trek which have moved to plastic-free packaging, Magicshine still uses various bags to organize all the accessories. Otherwise, the Airro has your standard adapters and accessories for use with different valves. The one unusual feature is that the extension hose uses a separate Presta adapter which seems like an odd choice to us and is another small piece that is easy to lose.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Magicshine Airro has the classic compact rectangular design with a plastic outer body. As far as dimensions, the Airro is approximately 3 x 1.9 x 1.25 inches or 77 x 47 x 31 mm which makes it easy to bring on a ride or carry in a saddle bag. One of the most unique visual features of the Airro is the transparent window on the back side that lets you see the top of the brushless motor. With the pump on you can see the motor spin as you inflate which helps give the Airro a unique look. We would have said this is the first time we’ve seen this design, but the recently released COOSPO X1 also has a similar transparent window. The transparent window doesn’t add any value but it does help visually differentiate the pump from the competition.
The pump otherwise has a gunmetal metal rear body with textured plastic surfaces along the front. It’s a sleek overall design with angled grooves on the plastic that provide grip and give the pump a modern appearance. Magicshine has placed a large LED screen on the back side of the pump with three buttons placed underneath it. There is a Magicshine logo below that and Airro branding on the right side. To charge the pump there is an open USB-C port on the bottom of the pump which also acts as an air vent for the pump. There is a 500mAh internal battery which lets you inflate a 700×28 tire from empty to 80psi two to three times or a 700×45 tire to 50psi two times. Magicshine also includes a silicone case to help reduce vibrations and provide insulation which adds a few mm of thickness. There are cutouts in the case for the button and even side cutouts to the transparent windows so you can see the motor spin.
As far as nozzles, the Airro is compatible with Schrader, Presta and inflatable balls using the included adapters. The pump uses a threaded slot on the front face of the pump which can be used directly with the Presta, Schrader or ball adapter. Although the Presta and Schrader adapters are the same black color, Magicshine has actually printed the label on the face which makes it easy to differentiate them. There is also an extension hose included with the pump that makes it easier to use the pump in tight areas or with TPU tubes that are sensitive to heat. The extension hose by itself is designed for Schrader valves but you can thread on the same ball adapter or a different Presta converter onto the end of the hose. We would have preferred to see a reversible design like the Fanttik X9 Ace instead of a separate Presta adapter to minimize the number of parts.
USER INTERFACE
To operate the pump you have a large LED screen with three physical buttons below it. There is a plus, power and a minus button which makes it easy to power the pump on and adjust the pressure. You hold the power button to turn it on or off, and do a short press to start or stop inflating while the pump is on. Holding the plus or minus button quickly changes the target pressure while a short press changes it one at a time. Pressing both plus and minus buttons at the same time toggles between PSI and BAR unit display. The display screen black and white with the three bar battery status on the bottom left, the target or current pressure on the right and the units below it. There is no flashlight like the Trek Air Rush or COOSPO AP-B1 or additional features with this pump which keeps the user interface simple. The buttons themselves are a bit small and very close together so it would be difficult to operate with gloves on. Compared to other pumps, the plus / minus button placement seems to be reversed which may cause some initial confusion.
IMPRESSIONS
Despite being Magicshine’s first electric tire inflator, the Airro is competitively sized and priced against the competition. It’s small enough to easily tuck away into a pocket or saddle bag and has a nice large LED screen to display the pressure and battery status. While the Airro is just as loud as most inflators we’ve used, everyone in the house will hear you inflating your tire, the tone is the most unique. To use, it sounds a lot like a duck with a distinct tone we haven’t heard from other pumps. It’s more pleasant to use as it’s less high pitched then some pumps but still a lot louder than a floor pump or CO2.
The pump itself is easy to use with a slide-on Presta adapter and large LED screen. The buttons below the screen are a bit small to use with gloves on but the user interface is intuitive to use. While there is no dual target pressure and current pressure display, the pump automatically stops when it hits the target pressure. In our testing, the pump was able to do 3.8 inflations of a 700×28 tire from empty to 0-65 PSI which is pretty impressive. Even with the battery indicator on one bar, it was able to almost fill two additional (i.e. competitive with fast pumps like the CYCPLUS AS2) tires. The inflation speed is competitive with a 53 second inflation time for 700×28 tires to 65 psi, but increases if used repeatedly and if you don’t have a perfect seal. Even without the silicone case, the pump only gets warm to the touch and is easy to handle.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Magicshine Airro electric tire inflator to be well designed and competitive. Even though this is Magicshine’s first pump, the Airro has a compact form factor and large enough battery to allow you to inflate multiple tires on one charge. We liked the large screen display and simple to use interface. Magicshine has even added labels to the Presta and Shrader adapters to make it easier to differentiate them which is a nice touch. The transparent side window and gold motor exterior is also a unique feature that helps differentiate the Airro. As far as negatives, we would have liked to see a more integrated adapter and hose design instead of a separate extension-specific adapter as well as larger buttons. That said, the Magicshine Airro is a well priced and executed electric tire inflator that can replace CO2 pumps or mini hand pumps.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Magicshine. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.