Vibrelli Performance Floor Pump Review
Cons: Plastic construction, gauge accuracy is a bit off
Manufacturer: Vibrelli
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
![]() This Product
Vibrelli Performance Floor Pump | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $33.58 at Amazon | $49.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $60 List | $49.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $34.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Clear and attractive gauge, best looking inexpensive pump | Metal base, good gauge, accurate, good value | ABS1 flip-thread chuck, steel barrel and base, long hose, durable, stylish appearance | Durable, metal tripod base, large accurate gauge, HV/HP switch | Well-priced, easy-to-use, simple, accurate |
Cons | Plastic construction, gauge accuracy is a bit off | Odd base shape, heavier than most, short hose | Gauge accuracy issues | Clumsy pump head design, plastic gauge case | Less durable, small gauge |
Bottom Line | This is a good pump, but not the best at anything and there are more exciting options | This popular model brings a lot of performance per dollar to the table | This model offers solid all-around performance in a gorgeous package | This is a high value bike floor pump, thoughtfully designed and well crafted | This bike pump offers a combination of good performance, excellent user-friendliness and affordability |
Rating Categories | Performance Floor Pump | Topeak JoeBlow Sport III | Lezyne Steel Floor Drive | Crankbrothers Gem | AerGun X-1000 |
Ease Of Attachment (25%) | |||||
Stability (20%) | |||||
Inflation (20%) | |||||
Accuracy (20%) | |||||
Gauge (15%) | |||||
Specs | Performance Floor... | Topeak JoeBlow... | Lezyne Steel Floor... | Crankbrothers Gem | AerGun X-1000 |
Max PSI | 160 | 160 | 220 | 160 | 160 |
Weight | 2.5 lbs | 3.7 lbs | 3.8 lbs | 4.0 lbs | 2.6 lbs |
Height | 24 in | 27 in | 25.8 in | 25.2 in | 24 in |
Hose Length | 37 in | 30 in | 48 in | 36 in | 34 in |
Tubeless Recommended? | No | No | No | No | No |
Accessory Inflators Included? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Vibrelli Bike Pump, an extremely popular choice on Amazon, is a totally adequate pump. It didn't perform at the top of any of our tests, but it does just fine at everything.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Attachment/Detachment
The pump head on the Vibrelli uses a T-valve head with a dedicated Schrader valve on one side and Presta on the other. It's a handy design, and our testers generally preferred this layout to other pump heads with the two holes right next to each other. The two sides are labeled with an engraved P and S, although they are barely visible in the black plastic, and most testers didn't even notice them.
The head struggles with some air leakage when connecting and disconnecting from valves, especially Presta valves. When pressing the head down on a Presta valve, one must press down firmly, then immediately engage the locking lever to stop the rush of air escaping from the tire. This is not an insurmountable obstacle (and is a fairly common issue with pump heads), but it is certainly not ideal either. On the bright side, the locking lever is quite easy to move.
Stability
With a lightweight all-plastic base, the Vibrelli is not at the top of the stability rankings. It does have one of the wider bases at about 11 inches; however, as with most pumps tested, the tendency is strongest for it to tip over backward — its base has nothing to prevent this from happening. It does resist tipping forward onto the gauge, though, which would be more likely to cause damage. When standing on the base, traction is aided by small rubber nubs on the top. The base has some flex to it when pumping hard, but ultimately it's as stable as it needs to be for most pumping purposes.
Inflation
The inflation speed of the Vibrelli lands right about in the middle of the pack of all our tested pumps. It takes a few extra pushes to reach a given pressure when compared to larger pumps, as expected. The pumping motion stays smooth and easy at low pressures all the way up to well over 100psi.
Accuracy
In addition to its nice design, the gauge on the Vibrelli is quite accurate. It struggles a bit at lower air pressures, where it was consistently off by 4-5psi, a little larger range than the margin of error for the most accurate pumps we tested, but not unexpected for an inexpensive model. At higher pressures, it was perfect, matching its readings exactly with our independent gauge. The overall accuracy does take a hit due to its tendency to lose air when removing the pump head — it was somewhat difficult to gather accurate test samples when judging the accuracy of this pump, since a second or two of air loss corresponds with a big change in pressure. If you can overcome that issue, though, the gauge itself seems to give very accurate readings.
Gauge
The gauge on the Vibrelli is about 2 ½ inches across and features large silver numbering on a black background with an orange needle. It goes nicely with the black-and-white color scheme of the rest of the pump and has an attractive, straightforward design. Due to the large numbering and hash marks every 2psi, it's also quite easy to read. The silver numbers even stand out well in low light conditions.
The construction of this gauge is a little less impressive. It's plastic all over, like most components on this pump, and it feels flimsy as though it isn't solidly mounted to the barrel. The base design should prevent this pump from tipping forward in most cases, but we wouldn't put much confidence in the long-term survivability of the gauge if treated roughly. We did intentionally tip it forward and toss it around a bit during testing, and there was nothing beyond minor cosmetic damage.
Value
A big part of the popularity of this pump is certainly the competitive price. It is a good amount of pump per buck. It looks nice in black, the gauge is attractive, and everything works well enough. There are no major downfalls with this device, and in this price range, that's enough! We do think, however, you would be better off spending a few extra dollars on a more highly rated pump if you want something for the long haul.
Conclusion
Vibrelli makes a perfectly good floor pump — they've been selling a ton of them for years, and they know what they're doing! It has its shortcomings, but none are very serious. We have some other models we prefer, but wouldn't fault anyone for purchasing this.
— Mark Schanzenbach