Gear Review - Xiaomi Electric Air Compressor 1S Review: A Great Improvement

We at Zigwheels are sticklers to have everything set up correctly so that our takeaways and tests are conducted in the right manner. And a part of our testing equipment has been the Mi Portable Air Compressor. It has been in service for over two years now, with little to fault it till date. However, Xiaomi has updated the device, made it faster, lighter and longer lasting. We got two units for the test and we went about comparing it to the older device to just find out how much better the experience has become.

Specs
Battery capacity: 14.8Wh
Charging port: Type-C
Modes: 5 modes
Range of pressure: 3–150 psi
Weight: 480gms
Price: Rs 2,799

What Are The Claims?

One of the biggest changes made to the portable air inflator is the Type-C charging port. With nearly all electronics using this very same type of charging tech, it felt like the right switch for the new version. Xiaomi claims that a full charge takes a little below three hours, which is the same as before. However, the convenience now offered to carry one less different cable on your rides is a big boost.

The screen is also a bit swankier with the bars replaced with dots on the LCD panel. It is legible nicely in low light conditions but could do with a bit more brightness for readability on bright sunny days.

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Xiaomi has worked on making the job of inflating tyres a quicker process. The company claims 45.40 percent improvement in inflation performance with the air flow being 114 percent better than before. Even the tyre pressure accuracy is ±1 psi, which was ±2 psi earlier.

As usual, the inflator comes with a bicycle valve adapter, a needle valve adapter to inflate sports equipment, a charging cable and a lovely soft storage case.

The Improvements

There is a clear indication that the new 1S inflator is superior to the previous model. The rate at which it inflates a flat tyre is incredible. We took two KTM 390 Dukes that our boys own, deflated the front wheel completely and inflated one bike with the new compressor and the other with the older unit. The older inflator took 3 minutes 32 seconds while the new unit did the same task in 2 minutes 15 seconds – a complete minute and fifteen seconds or so less.

Now Xiaomi claims it will inflate eight car tyres from 29psi to 36psi or two completely deflated car tyres to 36psi on a single charge. While we didn’t have the luxury to test this out by deflating eight car tyres to that pressure or otherwise, the battery life seems to be far better than before. At the end of the inflating test with the Dukes, the older model had its amber/red light flickering, signalling battery charge was towards the end of its cycle. On the other hand, the 1S was flickering between white and orange, which meant it used up less battery.

What Could’ve Been Improved?

If you were keen on buying the 1S, you will have to deal with the same set of issues that we had with the older unit. A better charge indicator system, fixed memory presets in four modes (car, motorcycle, ball and bicycle), and the non-allowance to use the device while charging remain on this iteration as well. If you want to read about them in detail, you can head up here.

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Should You Get One?

Being a motorhead, having a portable air inflator should be one of the must-have items in your travel case. This Xiaomi Portable Electric Air Compressor 1S is definitely not the cheapest nor is it the most exorbitant option that you can find in the market. It is quite convenient in case of emergency situations and for pre-ride routine checks. And if you are venturing off-road, carrying this small unit will not be cumbersome, as reinflating tyre pressures for your trip back home should be done in a jiffy.

And considering that Xiaomi is asking just Rs 500 more, it seems worth picking this over its former self. The two air inflators are now going to be part of our testing kit, so we will be able to continue to deliver accurate test results here on Zigwheels.