There’s one tool that every driver should have in his vehicle at all times: a tire pressure gauge. It allows you to quickly monitor your vehicle’s tire pressure, no skills required. By regularly monitoring your tire pressure, you ensure a safe, comfortable ride while earning money by reducing fuel costs and tire wear.
In this article, we will explore the different types of tire pressure gauges and the key factors to consider when purchasing one that suits your needs.
Check out our selection of Best Tire Pressure Gauges:
Things to consider when buying a tire pressure gauge
- Accuracy: Look for a gauge with reliable and consistent accuracy to ensure precise pressure readings. Some more expensive gauges have accuracy certifications, which is a bonus, of course.
- Ease of Use: Choose a gauge that is user-friendly and comfortable to handle. Features like a large, easy-to-read display and ergonomic design can make a significant difference. Make sure it can be used in the dark too.
- Durability: A durable gauge can withstand the rigors of regular use. Consider the build quality, materials, and overall sturdiness.
- Type of Gauge: Decide which type of gauge best suits your preferences and needs, an analog dial gauge, or a digital gauge. Stay away from old-school mechanical pencil-style tire pressure gauges, they are not reliable and inaccurate.
- Pressure Range: Ensure that the gauge can measure the pressure range required for your specific vehicle. You want to avoid reaching the gauge’s maximum pressure, because that might damage it.
- Additional Features: Some gauges come with extra features such as built-in LED lights, automatic shut-off, and pressure hold functions. Assess if these features align with your preferences.
- Batteries: Check which type of batteries the tire pressure gauge needs, whether they are affordable and readily available, and if they are easy to replace. Analog dial gauges usually don’t need batteries.
- Size: Consider your vehicle’s available storage space to avoid buying a gauge that is too big for comfort and takes too much space in your vehicle.
NOTE: A tire pressure gauge is only used to measure tire pressure. If you want to inflate your tires, you’ll need a portable tire inflator.
How we did our review
Over the years we’ve tried and tested a lot of different tire pressure gauges for our cars and bikes. After winter storage, we also use a tire pressure gauge to deflate our classic cars’ tires and bring them down to normal driving pressure. Because we use them often to quickly check on the tire pressure of our Jeeps, classic cars and high performance car, most cheap ones don’t last long. Most tire gauges weren’t all that great, to be honest. Many are inaccurate, or leak air. A lot of air chucks are difficult to handle and can scratch your wheels if you’re not careful. By now, we’ve come to appreciate a good quality tire pressure gauge, and know what to look for and what to avoid.
For this review we also dove deep in the manufacturer specifications and looked at customer reviews to see what their experience was. We only recommend tire pressure gauges that did an excellent job for us and the vast majority of other car enthusiasts as well. We’ve selected tire pressure gauges for different budgets and preferences, to make it easy for you to choose the right tire pressure gauge for your car, truck, SUV, 4×4, RV or semi.
Check out our favorite car tire pressure gauges:
Best Overall
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Best Overall
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Specs:
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- Type of Reading: Analog
- Measurement Range: 0-75 psi
- Measurement Value: psi
- Accuracy: ANSI B40.1 certified
- Power Source: None
We chose Rhino USA’s tire pressure gauge as our “Best Overall” because it is reliable, affordable and easy to use. It’s ANSI B40.1 certified, which makes it very accurate too. You can use it at night or in low light conditions because its easy-to-read dial glows bright green in the dark. No worries if you drop it, because the dial is protected by an ultra-durable rubber bump cover. The hose can take a beating too, with its premium braided protection. The hose ends and chuck are solid brass and the short chuck swivels 360° to reach the most difficult valve stem locations.
It’s easy as it gets: push the chuck firmly over the valve stem and the pressure reading will stay put and ready to read until you push the pressure release button on the hose end. This gauge is always ready to use, because there’s no batteries that can die either. (Speaking of batteries: there’s a digital variant available also, by the way.)
This awesome glow-in-the-dark analog tire pressure gauge comes with a compact storage bag and a set of cool Rhino USA stickers too.
Customers say it’s very easy to use, even for hard-to-reach spots or when the valve stem sits at a difficult angle. They think it’s great that the pressure reading stays after you release the chuck. This simple feature makes measuring tire pressure so much easier, they say. The general consensus is that this tire pressure gauge combines precision and durability in one compact package.
PROS:
- Very accurate
- Rugged construction
- Easy to use
- No batteries, always ready for use
- Easy-to-read dial with glow-in-the-dark technology
CONS:
- Not the smallest of the bunch
Best Budget
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Best Budget
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Specs:
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- Type of Reading: Digital
- Measurement Range: 0-150 psi
- Measurement Value: psi, bar, kg/cm², kPa
- Accuracy: n/a
- Power Source: 2x AAA Batteries (included)
For as little as a sawbuck, this trusty little tire pressure gauge is always there when you need to check your tire pressure. It has a backlit display and a lighted nozzle for low-light conditions and tells you all you need to know in psi, bar, kg/cm² or kPa with ease. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, which are included and easy to fit. To measure your tire pressure, press the “ON/UNIT/OFF” button to turn on the tool, select the pressure value and firmly push the nozzle against the valve stem. When you’re done, it automatically shuts off after 30-40 seconds to save battery power. With its ergonomic design it sits comfortably in your hand. It’s easy to store too, with only 87 Grams on the scale and measuring just 5.51 x 2.36 x 1.18 inches.
Customers state that despite its low price, it’s surprisingly well-built and very accurate. They say that because it is so inexpensive, you can chuck one in every car and that it’s an ideal gift for friends and family too.
PROS:
- Very affordable
- Accurate readings in psi, bar, kg/cm² or kPa
- Easy to use
- Small and light
- Backlit display and lighted nozzle is ideal for low-light conditions
- Batteries included
CONS:
- Needs batteries
Best for Trucks, RVs and Semis
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Best for Trucks, RVs and Semis
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Specs:
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- Type of Reading: Digital
- Measurement Range: 0-230 psi
- Measurement Value: psi, bar, kg/cm², kPa
- Accuracy: n/a
- Power Source: 2x AAA Batteries (included)
This long-neck tire pressure gauge is designed with hard-to-reach RV, truck, and semi tires in mind. The dual-head chuck allows you to either push or pull on a recessed valve stem to measure tire pressure with ease.
It has a backlit display and a flashlight for low-light conditions and measures in psi, bar, kg/cm² or kPa. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, which are included. To measure your tire pressure, simply press the “ON/UNIT/OFF” button to turn on the tool, select the pressure value and firmly push the nozzle against the valve stem. When you’re done, it automatically shuts off after 30-40 seconds to save battery power. Works like a charm!
The vast majority of customers say that this tool is great value and would recommend it to other RV owners or truckers. No wonder that this tire pressure gauge is such a big seller.
PROS:
- Long neck chuck has long reach
- Easy to use
- Backlit LCD display and flashlight for visibility in low-light conditions
- Dual-head chuck easily forms a seal with the valve stem in both directions
- Measures in psi, bar, kg/cm² or kPa
- Batteries included
CONS:
- Long size takes more storage space
- Needs batteries
Comparison Table of the Best Tire Pressure Gauges
| Brand | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | Rhino USA | Heavy Duty Tire Pressure Gauge |
| Best Budget | AstroAI | Digital Tire Pressure Gauge |
| Best for Trucks, RVs and Semis | AstroAI | Digital Heavy Duty Tire Pressure Gauge |
Final Thoughts
All the tire pressure gauges in our selection work great. The question you have to ask yourself is: What will you use it for and how often will you use it? And also: how much are you willing to spend?
If you want the most bang for your buck and you’re going to use it for passenger cars only, our “Best Budget” is a great choice.
If you plan to use your tire pressure gauge intensively for several cars and other types of vehicles as well, and you can’t be bothered with replacing batteries, our “Best Overall” is your ultimate choice.
For Heavy Duty vehicles, trucks, semis or RVs, you’ll love that long-neck dual-head chuck of our “Best for Trucks, RVs and Semis”. It’s very accurate and convenient to use in the dark too.
If the tire pressure gauge indicates your tires need to be inflated, you might want to take a look at our “Best Portable Tire Inflators” to get some extra air in those tires.
No matter which of these tire pressure gauges you decide to go for, you won’t be disappointed! Remember, the correct tire pressure will keep you and your passengers comfortable and safe. In the meanwhile, you’ll be saving tire and fuel money for other great projects. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Be safe!
Happy cruisin’!
FAQ’s
How to use a tire pressure gauge?
There are basically 3 types of tire pressure gauges that are used differently; with an analog dial, a digital display and pencil-style:
Analog, dial-style tire pressure gauges consist of a dial with a pressure scale and an indicating needle. A hose or metal tube with a chuck at the end is connected to the dial case. The chuck needs to be pushed firmly over the tire valve stem to measure tire pressure. Some chucks need to be locked with a locking lever first. The needle now indicates the tire pressure on the pressure scale. Most analog dial gauges will retain the pressure reading until the bleeder/reset valve is pushed. When this valve is pushed, the needle will return to zero.
Digital tire pressure gauges have a numeric LED display that shows the tire pressure automatically after the chuck is pushed firmly onto the tire valve stem. Some chucks need to be locked, but most will hold the tire pressure value anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes before switching off, depending on the type of gauge. When they awake from sleep mode, they are reset to 0. They can be reset with the manual reset button too.
Pencil-style (also called stick-) gauges need to be pushed firmly over the valve stem with their chuck to measure tire pressure. The internal measuring stick will slide out according to the tire pressure. The highest readable value on the measuring stick indicates the tire pressure. Because this type of gauge relies on internal friction for its measurement, it is unreliable and inaccurate.
How to read a tire pressure gauge?
There are basically 3 types of tire pressure gauges that are read differently: an analog dial, a digital display and pencil-style:
Analog, dial-style tire pressure gauges consist of a dial with a pressure scale and an indicating needle. The needle indicates the tire pressure on the pressure scale.
Digital tire pressure gauges have a numeric LED display that shows the tire pressure.
Pencil-style (also called stick-) gauges’ internal measuring stick will slide out according to the tire pressure. The highest readable value on the measuring stick indicates the tire pressure. Because this type of gauge relies on internal friction for its measurement, it is unreliable and inaccurate.
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