Buying Guide: Choosing the Best Electric Paddle Board Pump for Your SUP

Every manufacturer hopes their product and you can easily get confused if you don’t know what to look for. 

So here is everything you need to know. 

Do You Really Need an Electric Pump?
Well, you wouldn’t be reading this guide if you didn’t think you need one, would you? The manual pumps that come with inflatable paddle boards are okay. Some of them are actually pretty good. 

But manually pumping your SUP is still a workout, even with a good hand pump. It is not something you look forward to, especially if you have to inflate multiple boards. 

Electric pumps are fast and all you have to do is connect the pump and set a psi level. You can then relax and wait a few minutes to take your fully inflated paddle board to the water. No stress. 

What to Look for When Buying an Inflatable SUP Electric Pump 
1. SUP Compatibility
For an electric pump to work with your SUP, it has to be compatible with the SUP’s valve. 

Manufacturers usually indicate the SUP brands or valve types that the air pump is compatible with. 

If you have multiple inflatable products, you may want to get a pump that comes with a set of different nozzle attachments. 

2. Inflation Stages and Speed
You can either get a dual-stage or a single-stage pump. 

A dual-stage electric pump has two inflation stages. It has the first stage which is high-speed and the second stage which is low-speed. The second slow and final stage reduces the risk of overinflating your paddle board. 

A single-stage SUP air pump only inflates a SUP in one stage.

A dual-stage pump may, thus, be safer.

Speed is also another important factor. There are slow SUP electric pumps out there. So while you won’t get tired inflating your SUP, the process may take longer than it would have with a hand pump. 

Most of the electric SUP pumps discussed here will fill up your stand up paddle board in 10 minutes or less. 

3. Deflation
Deflating a SUP paddle board isn’t hard but an electric pump will speed up the process. So you may want to consider an air pump with a deflate function.

4. Price
Most electric pumps will do the job so you don’t need to get the most expensive one. 

If you still want a fancy model but don’t have the money, wait for end-of-season or holiday sales. 

Some manufacturers may also offer a discount if you buy the air pump together with your paddle board. I know iRocker does that and it’s a good deal.

5. Power
As you may have noticed from the reviews above, most pumps will rely on your car battery for power. This is not a problem if you always travel to the SUP location in your car. 

If this is not the case for you, a SUP pump with a rechargeable battery may be the better option. 

Alternatively, you can buy a battery for your electric pump separately. The iRocker and Nixy Ventus electric pumps have that option. 

6. Other Features
The length of the inflation hose varies from one pump to another and it is usually indicated along with other specifications. The hose should easily reach your SUP even when using the car cigarette lighter. 

Some electric pumps come with a carrying bag while others don’t. This is another factor you may want to consider if it is important to you.