These days it seems like every brand has an electric tire inflator, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Topeak has just come out with the new E-Booster Digital. The Topeak E-Booster Digital is a portable electric inflator that combines a digital display with Topeak’s SmartHead design to switch between Presta / Schrader valves with a simple slider. Retail price for the E-Booster is $129.95 which includes multiple adapters as well as an extender. Topeak has integrated a digital screen onto the pump which displays temperature up to 120 psi and a battery gauge. Inside the pump is a 600mAh battery with a USB-C charging port that can inflate a 700x25C tire to 80 psi in a swift 50 seconds.
The Topeak E-Booster digital electric pump that combines fast inflation with Topeak’s SmartHead nozzle selector.
| Retail Price | $129.95 |
| Rating | 8.8 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 157 (without hose / cover) |
| Likes | + Premium build quality with metal body and ergonomic design + SmartHead selector to switch between valve types when using pump directly on valves + Fast inflation speeds with well sized battery that can fill multiple tires |
| Dislikes | – SmartHead selector does nothing with hose which can be confusing |
| Where to Buy (US) | Topeak |
UNBOXING
The Topeak E-Booster Digital bike pump comes in a cardboard box with Topeak’s white and yellow branding printed on it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- E-Booster pump
- Fabric carrying bag
- Silicone case
- Hose extender w/ Presta adapter attached
- USB-C charging cable
- Weather proof bag
- Quickstart guide
Topeak includes quite a few additional accessories like the waterproof bag and the fabric bag that most other brands do not include. The waterproof bag is great for keeping water out of the pump while the fabric bag protects it from scratches.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Topeak E-Booster Digital has the classic electric inflator design with a lightweight construction that is optimized for portability. The pump boasts an average sized 600mAh battery and claims to inflate tires faster than other pumps on the market. Despite its relatively small battery, the pump can fill 700x28C tires to 80 psi three times or a 700x40C tire to 40 psi six times. That means you should have more than enough battery for normal roadside flats without worrying about running out of battery. In terms of size, the Topeak E-Booster Digital is about average sized at 59 x 35 x 86 mm which makes it less than 3.3 inches in height. The pump has a rectangular profile with rounded corners and a black metal housing. A round protrusion on the top for the SmartHead is the only unusual visual feature of the pump which adds a little bit of height to it.
Topeak has placed the controls on the front of the pump with the inflator head on the opposite side. There is also an uncovered USB-C port on the side which also works as an air outlet while you are inflating. The instructions state you should not cover the port while inflating which can be easy to do with its placement. One of the unique features of the E-Booster is the SmartHead which has a slider and graphics to let you switch between valve types without having to swap parts out. It’s a unique feature to Topeak pumps like the JoeBlow that makes it easy to use the pump on different bikes seamlessly instead of having to keep track of easy to lose parts or remember which mode the pump is in. With this application, the SmartHead has a slider that lets you switch between an indicated Presta or Schrader valve graphic.
However, if you use the extended hose with the pump, which you should with TPU valves, then the position of the SmartHead indicator is irrelevant. That means you still have to attach a Presta Valve adapter to the end of the extension hose like most pumps. It’s a confusing design detail as you could have a Schrader adapter on the hose and Presta indicated on the switch. We also would have liked to see a single or reversible design like we’ve seen with Fanttik pumps, as the E-Booster uses a separate Presta adapter that has to be attached to the end of Schrader head. That means you can easily lose the Presta adapter if you are not careful about keeping track of it.
USER INTERFACE
To control the pump you have a simple three button interface with a dedicated power button and plus/minus buttons. A bright digital screen shows the current pressure, battery status and the units. Holding the power button will turn the pump on and off while a short press starts or stops inflation. You can do a short press of the plus or minus button to change the target pressure or hold them down to do a faster change. To change the unit display you have to wait until the pump shows 0 pressure and then hold the plus button until the unit indicator flashes. From there you can press the plus button to cycle between PSI / BAR and KG/CM2 displays. After waiting for 3 second the units are updated to the current choice and they stop flashing. The display screen shows tenths of PSI while the BAR and KG/CM2 shows hundredths with two numbers after the decimal. Thankfully, Topeak has avoided adding any additional features like a flashlight which can complicate the user interface without adding any real value.
ON THE ROAD
In terms of design and packaging, the Topeak E-Booster Digital is similar to other electric pumps we’ve reviewed. The addition of the SmartHead adds some additional height to the pump making it larger than the CYCPLUS AS2 Pro, Coospo AP-B1 and non-screen pumps like Flextail. It’s still smaller than less portable pumps like the Fanttik X9 Ace and can easily be carried in a saddlebag or jersey pocket. We’re happy Topeak stuck with a simple user interface and large labeled buttons instead of adding unnecessary features or complications. The large size and rear placement of the screen makes it easy to use the pump with the valve on the ground while the extension hose gives you more access. Compared to other pumps, the E-Booster is also surprisingly fast and filled up our 700×28 tire from empty to 60 PSI in about 40 seconds which is on par with the CYCPLUS.
The small size of the motor means it’s still fairly loud when pumping, but the tone isn’t annoying like some pumps we’ve reviewed. Battery runtime on the pump is good as you can inflate multiple empty tires on a single charge or just use the E-Booster to top off tires before a ride. Having used Topeak floor pumps for a long time, we were happy to see the SmartHead application here with the slider. It works well if you use the pump directly on a valve but unfortunately does nothing with the hose attached. It’s an unfortunate feature as the extension hose is the easiest way to use the pump and is highly recommended if you use TPU tubes.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Topeak E-Booster to be a well made and easy to use electric tire inflator. Topeak has taken the standard compact tire inflator design and added their SmartHead valve switch to the top of the pump. It’s a simple way to switch between Presta and Schrader valves with a single toggle switch and no additional parts. We found the large display screen to be easy to use with an intuitive three button interface to change the target pressure and display units. The E-Booster isn’t the smallest pump on the market but it’s still highly portable and inflates tires quickly. As far as negatives, the E-Booster is a bit more expensive than competitors and the SmartHead does not do anything with the extension hose attached. That means you still have to use a Presta adapter when using the hose which is a small piece that can easily be lost. That said, the Topeak E-Booster Digital is a fast and efficient electric tire inflator with Topeak’s high quality fit and finish.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Topeak. 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.