It looks like padlock that also happens to be an iPod from the 2000s. You know, if iPods were ever as thick and burly as a padlock. The Xiaomi Mijia Mini Inflator, however, is a multi-function tire pump that you can use to fill your bike tires with air, making it a handy addition to any cyclist’s emergency kit.
A battery-powered tire pump, the device can be used to test your tire pressure and fill it up to the desired levels at the push of a button, allowing you to quickly park your bike on the sidewalk when you feel the tire is getting too soft and get it back in running form in short order. Whether you ride bicycles for fitness training, daily commute, or regular recreation, this thing should prove itself indispensable as part of your gear stash.
The Xiaomi Mijia Mini Inflator consists of a thick enclosure with a U-shape facility on top that can be opened and closed like a traditional padlock, allowing you to easily secure this to your bike frame or a backpack strap similar to a U-lock, all while being small enough to fit conveniently in most backpack and jersey pockets. One end of that U-shape element on top actually serves as the integrated pump head, which you connect to the valve on your tires, while the rest serve as a tube for air to pass through. It comes with a Schrader valve built-in, although the package also comes with a Pesta adapter. The whole tube pulls out to a length of around seven inches.
It has a big screen out front that displays PSI information, so you know the precise pressure level of your tire at any point in time. Hook it up to check when your tire pressure is low and use it to monitor your tire pressure when you’re pumping it with air, allowing you to ensure it stays at your desired inflation levels at all times. A scroll wheel control below the screen allows you to activate whatever function you want to carry out, although it functions more like a regular four-way button, so don’t try to scroll through a list using that control (there is no list to scroll through).
The Xiaomi Mijia Mini Inflator comes with a 150 PSI pressure limit, which, the outfit claims, is enough to fill up eight bike tires, six motorcycle tires, five car tires, or 41 footballs, whichever items you end up needing to pressurize at any point in time. From flat, it can pressurize a bike tire fully in around three minutes, so you will likely be using this no more than a minute at a time. Once depleted, the 2000mAh battery can recharge fully in less than three hours. And yes, you can recharge it with a power bank, allowing you to juice the darn thing with the same accessory you use to charge your phone, smartwatch, and whatever other mobile device you carry around day to day.
The Xiaomi Mijia Mini is available now, priced at $39.