Review. Tires and other inflatable products lose air over time. This is a sad fact that we all have to face. Car tires can react to weather changes, balls can lose elasticity, and pool floats can become soft. You probably have a floor bike pump or a foot pump in your garage, they can be very reliable but not very fun to use. Enter the Fantikk X8 inflator. Basically, it is a gadget air pump and gadget lovers should know it.
The Fanttik X8 is a portable, easy-to-use, battery-powered pump that can inflate pools, car tires, and everything in between with the push of a button.
Input: USB-C 7.4V Max. Output: 10A/85W Max. Pressure: 150 PSIB Battery: 2600 mAh (advertised as 5200 mAh – product label may not have been updated) Air tube: 350mm length with US valve connector Dimensions: 52 x 87 x 140mm | 2 x 3.4 x 5.5 inches and 525 grams | 1.15 lbs (weight with inflation tube)
The Fanttik X8 Inflator is palm-sized, just over the 1 pound mark, but has smooth, rounded corners for easy portability. The large digital screen is easy to read when out of direct sunlight, and the control panel makes it easy to navigate modes.
At the top is an air outlet threaded connection for the included air tube. It is surrounded by a flat, ribbed area of strange white.
That’s because it doubles as an LED flashlight! You can also see the brightness and clarity of the screen under the right conditions here.
You know what to do. Connect the charging cable to a USB power adapter (5V/2A not included) and fully charge the device before use.
Power button: long press to turn on, short press to start inflation | long press to turn off the mode button: short press to switch modes (bicycle, car, motorcycle, ball, manual) | long press to switch pressure units (PSI, BAR) , KPA) +/- button: press the corresponding icon to increase or decrease the preset value of the pressure indicator. Button: Press to cycle through lighting modes (on, SOS, strobe). Modes + (-): press and hold both buttons to reset the system
Other than that, you just need to know what you’re inflating, what pressure you want to inflate to, and adjust the mode and pressure settings on the Fanttik X8 inflator to match. When you connect the air tube to the tire for the first time, the X8 screen will flash the current tire pressure and then switch back to displaying your settings. Then you can press the power button to start and it will automatically stop when the pressure is reached. How cool is that?
I can’t count the number of bike tires I’ve pumped up over the years. As an avid mountain biker and recovering cycle mechanic, the movements of my body when using a floor pump are part of my muscle memory. The least fun part is always hunching over while pumping. It’s much better than a hand pump, easier to use than an air compressor, but still uninteresting.
A few years ago I bought a Ryobi inflator that uses the same battery as my other power tools. It’s a huge improvement, but it’s not easy to fit into my MTB travel bag. Fanttik X8 changes all that. It weighs just over a pound and features a USB-C rechargeable battery that makes tire inflation a breeze. The included inflation tube, which connects directly to the x8, has a Schrader thread on the end, making it very easy to connect and inflate compatible tires (cars, motorcycles, etc.). Here they are compared side by side.
Our Volkswagen SUV has been sitting at 3-5 psi with all tires for weeks now. I was able to connect the Fanttik X8 pump and inflate all 4 tires for 2-4 minutes per tire, the device automatically turns off when the desired pressure is reached. Handy compared to trying to get the job done at a gas station. I checked the pressure again with an analog pressure gauge and checked everything. Another thing you can see in the photo below is that the display is hard to read in sunlight. The refresh rate shown in the photo is so different from my iPhone’s camera that parts of the display appear to be missing, which is more difficult in the photo. This is not a problem in actual use, just when shooting with the camera.
With performance bikes, the situation is somewhat different. Most expensive bikes on wheels use Presta valves.
This is a smaller diameter stem which means a smaller hole in the rim which is a big advantage on narrow road bike wheels. This is also standard on mountain bikes, mainly because there is a removable core in the valve stem that allows you to add liquid tire sealant, which is necessary for a good air seal. One thing I’m trying to figure out is that the X8 needs a threaded adapter (included) to connect and inflate the Presta valve. For those of us who use Presta valves, it’s okay to have an adapter in our kit or even right on the bike’s valve. With the Fanttik X8 inflator (and most inflators) you need to remove the valve cap or threaded adapter, open the threaded air valve, screw on the adapter, screw on the inflation tube, inflate and reverse the process. It’s a pain, but something we’re used to. However, it is very easy for Fanttik to include a head with two valves, like almost all floor pumps, or a second air tube with a special Presta head.
I started looking for a Presta compatible handset on Amazon but couldn’t find one. I found a Presta collet that worked for a bit, but then I stumbled upon these valve converters.
They work by first removing the Presta coil and then installing a compatible US end coil. This is ideal if you are careful not to loosen the pump when it is released. So far, so good. If I run into any long term issues, I’ll let you guys know. They have absolutely made the process of using the X8 on my bike so easy.
One of the features of setting the Fanttik X8 inflator is the bike mode. It is limited to an adjustable pressure range of 30-145 psi. This may work for road, commuter, and touring bikes, but mountain bikes typically use much lower pressures. Depending on your tyres, preference and driving style, tire pressures are usually in the 20-25 psi range or even lower. If you switch to manual mode with a range of 3-150 psi, the X8 will still work. Another niggle is that it’s not enough to have one favorite setting for each mode, as you’ll probably want the front tires to have a different cornering pressure than the rear tire traction pressure. It would be great to switch between favorites instead of going up and down every time.
I also took the opportunity to inflate a floating pool lounger. Attaching the small cone to the X8 is as easy as threading it through one of the chair’s two inflation valves and pressing a button. As you know, these types of products are packaged in full vacuum packaging right out of the box.
As a result, for the first almost 5 minutes, you wonder if it works. This is because the X8 is designed for high pressure, not high volume, so it will take some time. The thing is, I actually turned to the tried and true, dizzying method of using my own lungs to basically inflate the chair, and then switched back to the X8. It actually saves a lot of time as I was able to turn up the volume in about 2 minutes and then finish inflation with the X8 after another 5 minutes.
One of the reasons you can’t sit back and let the X8 do all the work is because it’s very loud. It measured about 88 decibels, enough to sound a hearing warning on my Apple Watch. Generally speaking, all compressors are loud, but just mention it so your expectations aren’t set for silent operation. Here is a video where you can listen and see for yourself the automatic stop function when our machine reaches the set pressure of 35 psi.
I haven’t needed to use it yet, but the flashlight feature can be very handy if you need to inflate your tires at night. This is a good feature if you plan to use the Fanttik X8 inflator as part of your car gear or bike travel bag.
The Fanttik X8 inflator is a fantastic product. The auto-stop function when the set pressure is reached enhances portability and ensures high pellet pressure. Of course, I need to change a few things, but all I can say is that if they release any of this, I will update. I have a dedicated pocket on my MTB equipment bag.
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