The Lezyne Digital Check Drive is very simple to use, offers good ergonomics – the spinny head makes the screen easy to see whatever the valve’s angle – and does the job well. Meanwhile the easily portable size and weight mean it’s likely to be with you when you need it. You can check tyre pressures for much less money, however.
This has one button and does one job. Hold the button for a few seconds and it switches on; then give it a short press and it switches between BAR and psi. Hold the button again to switch off, or leave it for three minutes and let it turn itself off. Better still, hold it against a tyre valve and see what it says.
There’s no backlight for the screen, but the large numbers and BAR/psi indicators are very legible, especially as you can always twist the screen to face you. You need that as it gives only a live reading, rather than remembering the highest pressure and displaying it.
Lezyne says it’s accurate to +/-1.5%, which works out to a 5.25psi error at the 350psi maximum, or a more representative 1.5psi at 100psi. Interestingly this consistently read 1psi lower than both the mechanical gauges I compared it with at 30psi, but obviously I’ve no way of determining which (if any) are objectively correct. Realistically even an error of 1psi doesn’t really matter for either tyres or suspension, so long as the gauge is consistent, which the Lezyne is.
The on button lives under a water-resistant pimple and the battery compartment seals with an o-ring. Slapped right on the front and undoable with a screwdriver, a coin or your most offensive toenail, the battery cover is extremely accessible… even if CR1220 coin cells aren’t exactly sitting by the till of the local shop. Still, they’re cheap and light if you feel the need to pack spares.
Similarly ostentatious front-facing screws complete the build, and happily the rugged looks are matched by a particularly solid feel. The ‘composite matrix’ body – you might call it plastic, but I couldn’t possibly comment – feels very tough, and its junction with the rotating metal section is rock solid.
Only the little plastic purge button feels cheap, as if pushed far enough it tips and gets trapped under the lip of its hole. It’s easily popped back out with a fingernail and doesn’t happen in normal use under a thumb or finger, but it can get wedged during transit. A very minor irritation then, but it stands out as the only real flaw.
Unscrewing the gold section of the machined alloy head lets you flip it between Presta or Schrader couplings, and pushing it onto a valve gives a very positive fit and an instant reading. This can handle up to 350psi, so it’s good for suspension, plus obviously will do service on any cars or motorcycles you have. That versatility helps, potentially, with its overall value.
Value
The £50 RRP is a lot to pay for a tyre pressure reading, even if you add the ability to do air shocks and forks.
If you’re only interested in tyres (or suspension units under 144psi) the SKS Airchecker Air Pressure Gauge with Dual Head is £28. It also has a swivelling head and a BAR/psi readout, but the screen is backlit. It’s barely changed since we reviewed it way back in 2018, which is a sign they got it right back then, and staggeringly it’s only gone up £1 as well.
The Topeak Smart D2 Digital Gauge also swivels, also fits Presta and Schrader valves, and also does BAR or psi. It further adds a kg/cm2 option and, with its 250psi maximum, covers most suspension. It’s £32.99. It’s also changed little either in design or price in the years since we reviewed it; it was £3 less in 2020.
Budget tyre-only units with less rugged or weatherproof builds, such as the BBB Digital Pressure Gauge, can be had for way under half the Lezyne’s cost. The BBB is £18.95.
Overall
This is a strong and very well made gauge that’s very easy to use, and only the wobbly purge button lets it down. However, the price is high even against other digital gauges, and as it offers little that they don’t, that really does hold it back.
Verdict
Very easy to use and very well made – but uncompetitive on price
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Lezyne Digital Check Drive
Size tested: One Size
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Lezyne says: “A super-accurate (+/- 1.5%) digital pressure gauge perfect for checking tyre pressure on the go, the Digital Check Drive utilises a tough Composite Matrix construction to survive even the roughest rides in your pack or saddlebag. It’s designed around our low-profile Digital Strip Gauge, and its machined aluminium head features a flip-style chuck offering both Presta and Schrader valve compatibility while providing accurate readings up to 350 PSI.”
It works well, seems tough and gives consistent pressure readings. What more do you want?
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Weight: 60.9g
Dimensions: 150mm, 49mm, 22.8mm
Maximum PSI: 350psi | 24.1bar
Chuck: Flip Chuck | Presta/Schrader
Gauge: Digital
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Tough build, neat design and easy operation.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The price is high.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It’s expensive even compared to other digital gauges, let alone analogue ones.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Not at that price, no
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Bar a wobbly purge button you can push too far – and, perhaps, the slightly unusual coin cell size – there’s nothing to dislike about the design and build. This is a lovely device. You can’t ignore the price, however. At £30-35 this would be an 8, but £50 is an issue when you’re getting little to nothing extra over the cheaper competition. That really makes it much harder to recommend.
About the tester
Age: 48 Height: 183cm Weight: 78kg
I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,
4 thoughts on “Lezyne Digital Check Drive”
Pathetic
Pathetic
Unspecific
Unspecific
So it doesn’t work with clic
So it doesn’t work with clic valves….
Presta gauges will read 5-6
Presta gauges will read 5-6 psi lower due to the spring-loaded internals of the Clik Valve. Presta chucks will work with Clik valves to get air into the tyre.
Hope that helps.