Hero Qubo Smart Tyre Inflator Pro: Product Review

The Qubo Smart Tyre Inflator Pro is a 12V accessory socket-powered smart tyre inflator. It connects to any 12V power outlet and can inflate anything from swimming pool toys to the more demanding pressures of a road cycle. So from just a few PSI to up to 150PSI of pressure. We tested the Qubo for a whole month, using it to top up the many car and bike tyres that come through our office and here is how it performed. 

Packaging

The Qubo Smart Tyre Inflator Pro comes with all the essentials. A set of valve adaptors that cover everything you would want to plug the tyre inflator into, a carrying pouch and a long power cable. There’s also a fairly large LED array on the rear to provide illumination if you're working in the dark. Another plus point is that the filler pipe is detachable and so if it does get damaged with rough usage or over time, you should be able to replace it. One point to note is that the filler has a lever type fastener as compared to the screw-on type. And we have found that the screw-on type offers a more secure connection with automobile tyre valves. 

Technology

The ‘smart’ in the Smart Tyre Inflator Pro comes from the preset profiles that are accessible via the digital dash on the main body. This has profiles for bikes, cars, cycles, ball and custom. And you can also change the pressure display units. The pump also allows you to preset the value that you wish to set the tyres to. And these pressures get set to the profile you have changed.

Performance

In terms of performance the Smart Tyre Inflator Pro does what it sets out to do. It can fill up a KTM Duke 390 tyre from flat to 28PSI in just 1 min 27 seconds, which is quite impressive. A car tyre takes a bit longer. 8 min and 20 seconds to take a 17-inch car tyre from fully flat to 33 PSI. This is still reasonably quick for a small portable pump. 

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There are some observations though. All portable pumps tend to vibrate a lot because of their small size and the tiny air compressor inside, and the Smart Tyre Inflator Pro is no different. However we noticed that there are no rubber feet on the back of the pump. This means that the LED lights and the back of the pump will get scratched easily by the road surface. So keeping it on a piece of cloth or a cardboard sheet when using it is advisable. Speaking of the LED light, it's a large light but it’s not quite as bright as its size makes it out to be. 

Pricing

In terms of value it’s only really a sensible buy at the Rs 2990 ‘sale’ price. At MRP (Rs 5490) we would have to say it’s a bit overpriced. That said, it currently is on sale on the company website for the ‘sale’ price. 

Overall Impressions

The overall impression of the Qubo Smart Tyre Inflator Pro is that it does what it sets out to do. Pumps up your tyres quickly, allows you to set the tyre pressure beforehand and offers some other frills as well. The build feels solid and we had no issues with the quality of any of the components. It does, however, need you to be careful with it when using the pump as it will get scratched easily. We would also have preferred to have a screw-on type connection to the tyre valve for a more secure connection. Not that we had any problems, but from experience over time these tend to start to have more issues than the screw on type. And finally, the pump is available only with a 12V power socket so using it on a motorcycle will require you to fit a 12V accessory power outlet to your motorcycle or you will have to have a car pull up next to you to help you fill up your two-wheeler.