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Genuine Innovations Air Chuck Plus CO2 Inflator

6
£29.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Great-fitting inflator on a range of valves but doesn't really solve the issue of cold hands for the extra money
Weight: 
109g

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Genuine Innovations has tweaked its longstanding AirChuck model to create this AirChuck+ to address those freezing hand issues as the CO2 canister is discharged. The extra fiver over the original, or another tenner above the Ultraflate model, is hard to justify, though.

  • Pros: Quick inflation, 20g canister great for larger tyres
  • Cons: Pricey, head still doesn't keep your hands completely away from the canister

Last month Paul reviewed the standard AirChuck and his only real criticism was that there was no protection from the canister in use. If you haven't used an inflator before you might not be aware of how cold they get when the compressed CO2 gas is released; it's cold enough to burn your skin and even stick. It's not nice.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Unless it is a fully enclosed design like the Ultraflate, most brands supply a little foam sleeve to slip over the gas canister.

What Genuine Innovations has done here instead is to create a new head design, giving your fingers a bit of purchase while pressing it against the valve. It works pretty well, offering a decent amount of area for your fingers to grip.

Even though the spring-loaded head offers an excellent fit around Presta or Schrader valves with little pressure, I still like to use the palm of my hand to keep everything straight and secure. If you aren't wearing mitts, which is most rides for me, your hand still comes into contact with the canister.

This aside, the AirChuck+ works well at getting your tyres inflated, with no gas escaping and a solid feel on the valve.

By altering the amount of force you use to push the head onto the valve you can kind of control the flow, but you need to be quick and dexterous as you can expel the gas fully in a matter of seconds.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best pumps and CO2 inflators

The AirChuck+ comes with a single 20g canister which is good for the larger tyres we are seeing on most new bikes these days. One canister will inflate a 28mm 700C tyre to 106psi or a 35mm up to 70psi for instance, and if you are riding 23mm tyres you can inflate both front and rear to 78psi.

There are a lot of inflators on the market at a real range of prices, with the AirChuck+ sitting at the upper end at £29.99. I think it's one of the better ones when it comes to location on the valve, and the overall quality looks to be very good indeed.

Is it worth the extra five quid over the standard AirChuck? I don't know really, when for me it still doesn't solve the freezing hand problem completely. Compared with the Ultraflate at £19.99, the AirChuck+ is lighter and less bulky when in your rear jersey pocket. It isn't by much, though: at 155g including a 20g canister, the Ultraflate is a mere 46g heavier.

Verdict

Great-fitting inflator on a range of valves but doesn't really solve the issue of cold hands for the extra money

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Genuine Innovations Air Chuck Plus CO2 Inflator

Size tested: 47.63x41.28mm

Tell us what the product is for

Genuine Innovations says, "Everything you have come to know and love with the original AirChuck, and then some! The new AirChuck+ features the same lightweight, push-to-inflate technology as its predecessor, in a more ergonomic design that keeps your hand off the cartridge. Available in Silver or Blue with a Black Comfort Grip shroud, get back on the trail quickly and look good while doing it!"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Genuine Innovations:

Comfort Grip shroud

Easy to use and fully controllable

Push-to-Inflate technology

Works with both Presta and Schrader valves

Lifetime Warranty on inflator

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
6/10

If you are wearing mitts you won't freeze your hands, which is a step up from the standard model.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

As far as inflation goes it's one of the better ones.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Rapid, leak-free inflation.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The palm of your hand can still touch the canister.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A decent attempt at an uprgade over the standard AirChuck but it doesn't quite deliver any real benefit for the extra money. That aside, in operation the AirChuck+ is leak-free and a secure CO2 inflator.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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2 comments

Avatar
arckuk | 5 years ago
0 likes

I always use an old ~5 cm length of inner tube as a sleeve around CO2 cartridges. Provides suffficient insulation, and stops them from rattling against other items. This can be reused easily enough at home when swapping a new cartridge into the saddlebag / tool pouch.

Avatar
Bristol Bullet | 5 years ago
0 likes

To protect your fingers when inflating with a CO2, wrap the old tube a couple of times around the gas cannister. Even if you've gone tubeless you should still have an emergency tube on you.

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