Muc-Off It Blows! Precision Air Blaster

The Muc-Off It Blows! Precision Air Blaster is a compact rechargeable blower designed to force water from the awkward parts of your bike that a towel can’t reach. It works surprisingly well, making post-wash drying easier and more thorough, although its £120 price makes it a difficult investment to justify.

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Design and features

At first glance, the It Blows! Precision Air Blaster feels like the sort of product nobody really needs. Cyclists have managed perfectly well with old towels or paper towels for decades.

The concept is simple: a compact rechargeable blower designed to force water out of places a cloth can’t reach, such as chain links, derailleur pulleys and cassettes.

The aluminium body feels suitably premium and at 295g it’s light enough to live in a toolbox or workshop drawer without taking up much space.

Four power settings are available, ranging from 40,000rpm on Low to a claimed 100,000rpm in Turbo mode, while the supplied silicone nozzle helps direct airflow into tighter spaces.

Switching between the four power modes is straightforward, although I spent most of my time using Turbo, where the blower is obviously at its most effective.

Battery life varies considerably depending on the mode. Muc-Off claims up to 90 minutes on Low, around 45 minutes on Medium, 15 minutes on High and 10 minutes on Turbo. Charging is via USB-C and takes around three hours from empty.

Performance

In use, it works exactly as advertised. It won’t leave a bike completely dry, but it shifts a surprising amount of water from awkward areas.

Around the drivetrain in particular, I found it far more effective than a towel alone. It’s useful for clearing water from between chain links, around jockey wheels and from the various crevices where moisture tends to linger after washing. It’s also handy before re-lubing a chain, helping remove trapped water that would otherwise dilute fresh lubricant.

For me, the biggest benefit comes from where I store my bikes. If your bike lives in a warm house, drying is largely about avoiding drips on the floor. However, my bikes spend most of their time in a garage, and during winter, even with the best intentions, that often means putting away a damp bike after a filthy ride and occasionally not touching it again for several days. In those conditions, removing as much water as possible feels worthwhile.

I can also see the appeal for mountain bikers. After washing down at a trail centre or before loading bikes onto a rack for the journey home, a quick blast around the drivetrain removes much of the trapped water that would otherwise sit there for hours.

The main limitation is run-time. Turbo mode is where the blower is most effective, but the quoted 10-minute battery life means you’ll want to use it fairly selectively.

Value

At around £120, the It Blows! is unquestionably a luxury purchase.

The reality is that generic rechargeable blowers can be found online for £30-40, although many won’t be as powerful. Alternatively, a basic compressor can often be bought for similar money if portability isn’t important.

We’ve only reviewed one similar product, the Dynamic AirForce Max blower which is priced at £119.99. Steve reckoned it shifted 95% of the water from chains and mechs.

It’s difficult to ignore the price. If I were spending my own money, I’d struggle to justify the cost, even though I ended up using it more than I expected during testing.

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Conclusion

The Muc-Off It Blows! Precision Air Blaster won’t replace a towel or a workshop compressor, but it does make drying a bike quicker and more thorough.

Riders who regularly wash expensive bikes, store them in garages or sheds, or travel frequently with bikes will get the most from it. It’s a useful tool, but one that’s difficult to recommend wholeheartedly at £120.