Best Tire Pressure Gauge: We’ve Tried Them All, The Most Accurate is…

In order to get the best gas mileage, your car needs to have the right tires, inflated to the right pressure. The right tires don’t change all that much, once you have done your research and gotten a good set on your car you are good for a while. Keeping them inflated needs a little more attention. Luckily the only tool that you need to have on hand is the right gauge. We are here to help you choose the best tire pressure gauge possible. Why does it matter?

Making sure you properly inflate your tires is one of the most important things you can do for them. And a good tire pressure gauge will make sure you do this accurately and remove any guess work. Inflated tires are great for fuel economy and your vehicle’s overall health. But how do you pick the right gauge?

Well, even the most accurate tire pressure gauge isn’t overly expensive, it isn’t difficult to use and can get you an answer very quickly. In this article, we’ll not only highlight six of the best tire gauges on the market today, but then we’ll dig deep into the subject. The buyer’s guide part will cover the important points to keep on your mind while you are looking for the one that is just right for you and your needs.

Best Tire Pressure Gauge – Our Top Picks Compared

Tire Pressure Gauge Reviews – Which one is the Best?

Since you are here looking for the best tire gauge, we at GarageChief.com have done the legwork for you. We have managed to round up six of the top models currently on the market for you to consider. In doing so we have highlighted the price, type and pressure range to give you a quick comparison in our tire pressure gauge review below.

Before you continue, try to consider what is most important for you in a tire gauge. This means your preferred price range, functionality, and more. Then as you are reading through this buyer’s guide you can compare it to your individual needs.

After our top choices, we have a more detailed write up of each to give you a feel for each particular option. We have also flagged the stand out in our opinion for the best product and the best value of the group.

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Best Tire Gauge – Find Out More

The Basics

It is hard to pick out the best of anything if you don’t have a good amount of foundational information about the product. It is no different when you are looking for the best tire pressure gauge. With that in mind, we will give you a rundown of all the information you need to select the gauge that is just right for your needs and situation.

How a Tire Air Pressure Gauge Works

First, let’s go over how a tire air pressure gauge works. As you know, your car’s tires are filled with air. This allows for a smooth ride. Each tire will have both a maximum air pressure and a recommended pressure level printed on the outside of the tire. Going over the maximum with over-inflated tires could cause the tire to split or burst. Going too low can cause the tire to wear unevenly and decrease fuel economy. With that in mind, you can see how it is important to keep your tire right around the optimum pressure.

To read the pressure of the air inside your tire, you’ll first remove the cover from the valve stem. This is where you will attach the tire pressure gauge. As you put the gauge on the valve stem you will hear air leaving the tire. If you don’t press the gauge on completely, the tire will continue to lose air and you’ll cause it to go flat. Once the gauge is completely in place it will display the pressure in the tire. The specifics will vary based on each particular style.

What happens is that as the air leaves the tire into the gauge, the amount is measured. The gauge is able to take that measurement and display it to the user. It is important that you be able to trust the pressure that the gauge displays as the truth, and this is where a high quality tire gauge comes into play.

Verifying New Tire Gauge

When you start using a new gauge you will want to verify how well it reads. This can be done very simply. First, you will need a “truth source”. This can either be a tire that you know the correct pressure of or an older trusted gauge. You will want to take a measurement with the new gauge and compare it to your “truth source”. This will let you know how accurate your new gauge is. Multiple readings will give you a feel for the consistency of this new purchase. Once you are confident in its readings, you can have peace of mind that you will be able to inflate your tires to the correct pressure every time.

Where to Keep Tire Pressure Gauge

You will also need to give some thought to where to keep your tire gauge. There is a great deal to be said for the convenience of keeping it in your car, either in the glove box or the trunk. The problem with this plan is that extreme heat and cold can cause changes in your gauge’s performance. For the best and longest lasting life of your tire gauge, it is recommended that you leave the gauge somewhere that will stay at room temperature.

Tire Pressure vs. Temperature

Just as the temperature on the extreme ends can cause an issue with your gauge, it can also affect your tire’s air pressure. Pressure is affected by both the temperature and the volume of the container the gas is in. In the case of our tire, ethe volume of the container does not change. That is the tire itself. This means that the pressure inside a tire will change based on its temperature.

As the temperature drops so will the pressure. This can start having noticeable differences when the temperatures approach freezing. Often times, as temperatures drop overnight the tires will read a low pressure in the morning. During the day, as the temperature rises, the pressure will return to normal. The problem is that while the pressure is lower the tire isn’t sealed as well as normal. This means that some air will escape. Several colder nights in a row can lead to a tire losing a noticeable amount of air. Therefore, it is quite important to monitor your tires’ pressure during the colder days.

Types of Tire Gauges

Now that you have an idea about some basics of tire gauges, it is important to tackle some of the different styles of gauge that are on the market. Each of these types of gauge has its own pluses and minuses which we’ll go over here.

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What to Consider Buying Tire Pressure Gauge?

When you first go buy a tire gauge you might just want to walk into the store and grab the one on the shelf. And yes, it will work fine, but after some time will it continue to work as well?

This is the difference between buying a tire gauge because it was there and finding the best tire gauge. Before we go too much further we should take a look at what factors you should consider in your quest for the one that you will end up using for years to come.

Accuracy and Consistency

The first point is accuracy, which should always be considered with consistency. Accuracy is how close to the truth something reads. In the case of our tire gauge, if you have a tire that is filled to 32 psi and test it with two different gauges, finding one gives a reading of 35 psi and one gives a reading of 23 psi, it is easy to tell that the one reading 35 psi is the more accurate of the two. It is important to note that a gauge can be accurate without being dead on. It is important to test for accuracy right when you get a new gauge, so you can go forward with peace of mind that the readings you are getting are correct.

That accuracy needs to be paired with consistency though. In our example, if the tire pressure were read 10 times with each gauge and the first swung between reading 25 psi and 37 psi while the second read 23 psi each time, you could see that the second is much more consistent. Also, in this example, you can see that having a less accurate more consistent gauge can be more helpful than an accurate gauge that is inconsistent. Of course, the top gauges will offer both.

PSI Range

The next point of consideration is that PSI range. This is an area that more is not always better. To find the best range for you, first, consider the optimum range for your tire. You will clearly want from zero up to that optimal range covered. It is also a good idea to have some more range above the optimal, so you can easily see not only if you are overinflated but also by how much. The question is how high does it need to go? Generally, if you have a tire that should be inflated to anything with three digits, you are probably going to need a specialized gauge.

Readability

With the question of range, you also get into readability. When you are looking at the gauge is it easy to tell the difference between 35 and 30? How about between 20 and 30? As you start looking at gauges you might see those that offer ranges from 0 to 200 psi, but on the dial how easily will it be to know if you are at 30 psi and should add a bit more once you’ve hit 32 psi and should stop?

Analog or Digital – Which One Should You Go?

Is the best digital tire pressure gauge the most accurate tire pressure gauge? Do you get a better reading with an analog gauge? The first thing is to make sure you are aware of the difference. The major differences is shown in how they display their results. Digital gauges will normally have an LCD display, while analog models have a range of displays, from dials to the pencil stick variety.

In the case of which is the best, you should consider both accuracy and consistency. Accuracy is a measure of how close to the truth you get. Consistency is a means of how much that accuracy changes. For example, if you have a gauge that reads 30 pounds when the truth is 32 pounds it is rather consistent. Generally, if you can only choose one, consistency is more important than accuracy. Though a highly inaccurate gauge won’t do a whole lot of good either.

The truth of the matter is that a quality analog or digital can give you both an accurate and consistent tire gauge. You’ll have to base your decision on some other factors. One is the method reading the pressure level. In the digital model, you get a clear view of the pressure, in analog options you can have a wide range of choices.

Another thing to consider is the fact that a digital option will need a battery to work (usually AAA size). If you leave the gauge in the car, cold nights could drain the battery and without that battery, you won’t be able to read your tire pressure. Analog models are good in the fact that they are ready to go, no matter what.

Therefore, between analog or digital it really comes down to personal preference. However, there is a wide range of quality options for both types, and it is really more important that, no matter which style you choose, you get one that is accurate and consistent. No matter your choice, you can find a great option.

How Often Do You Check Your Tire Pressure?

Many people don’t think about checking their tire pressure. They believe that if they look at the tire and it looks flat than that is their indicator. The problem with this thinking is that a tire can be lower than it should be and still not look “low”. Most tires for standard cars stay to inflate them to around 32 psi. But even as low as 20 psi a tire might not look like it needs more air added. Running tires that are under-inflated – as well as over-inflated – can start to damage your tires and cause uneven wear on them.

So, the question stands, how often should you be checking your tire pressure? The answer, as with so many things in the garage is that it depends. First, you will need to verify if your car a build in tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). These electronic devices will routinely check your tire pressure. Some systems will only alert you if a tire is low, while others can display the pressure of each tire on an interior screen. If you have this style system you don’t need to check as often. Though it would not be bad to do a manual check every few months to verify that the system is working properly.

Without one of these systems, you will be relying solely on manual checks. In this case, you will want to do at least a monthly check. It is also a good idea to do a check prior to starting any long trips.

Lastly, you’ll need to be extra vigilant with your checks as the weather turns cold. On colder nights the air in your tire can contract, so if you were to check when you first got up, the pressure would be down. Also, while the pressure is low, the seals aren’t as tight, so some air may escape. Even if the tire pressure comes back up during the day it might not make it all the way back to the pressure it was the day before.

How To Use a Tire Pressure Gauge?

Using a tire pressure gauge is not hard. You simply unscrew the valve stem cover and place the tire pressure gauge on the valve stem. You will hear some air escape, but once the gauge is fully seated that sound should stop. The gauge will then display a number. The exact method will depend on the particular style of tire pressure gauge that you have selected. So be sure to check out the owner’s manual for precise instruction on how to use the gauge that you have selected.

Often times this number will be in pounds per square inch PSI (Sometimes you can also find it in bars, but no worry, it’s easy to convert). The problem arises that this number is just a number until you know what it is telling you and what range the number should be. The number gives you an idea of how many pounds of force the air inside the tire is pressing on any given square inch of the tire.

Next, you’ll need to know what the number you should be getting from your tire pressure gauge. This can be found both on the outside of the tire and inside the driver side door (as always it’s also a good idea to read your car manual). The numbers on the tire can be right there while you are checking your pressure but can be harder to read. Luckily there should be a sticker on the driver side door that gives you both the maximum pressure and the optimum pressure.

An important thing to note is that sometimes the front and rear tires can have different maximum and optimal pressures. You will want to be sure of each for the best result. Also, the maximum pressure is the top that the tire can handle. It is not a wise idea to fill the tire to that pressure. The tire will last much longer if it is kept at the optimal level.

Now, if your tire reads at a level higher than the optimal amount you will need to remove air from the tire. The easiest way to do this is to unseat the gauge slightly until you hear the air rushing out of the tire. It is best to do this in small bursts so that you don’t let out too much air.

On the other hand, if your tire pressure is lower than optimal you’ll need to add some more. This is normally accomplished by use of an air compressor. There are some home based models that are solely for refilling tires. You can also use an air compressor that is attached to a tank that is designed for use with air tools, so long as you have the correct adapter.

If you don’t have either of these at home, many gas stations will have a tire fill station. Some are free to use at any time, some you merely have to get the head from the attendant and others you will have to pay a fee to use it. Many of these will have a pressure gauge on them so you can quickly check that you aren’t overfilling your tire. Some of the most modern options can actually let you set the desired pressure and the compressor will fill the tire until it hits that level.

How Much is A Tire Pressure Gauge?

As with any tool, one consideration needs to be the price involved. Luckily, when it comes to tire pressure gauges you don’t need to spend a whole lot in order to get a quality gauge. On the lower end of the spectrum, you can get a tool in the neighborhood of $5. Then again, if you are looking to go for something with all the bells and whistles, options can be had for $60 and up.

While you can easily get a tire pressure gauge at any number of stores from places like Target to auto parts stores, these locations will only have one or two options to select from. It is never a good idea to select a tool just because that is the only one that was on the shelf. In order to get a good selection, you will most likely have to look to a large online dealer.

Places like Amazon offer a very wide selection and even give good deals since they can deal with large numbers.

Tire pressure is not something that you want to mess around with. Having your tires inflated to the optimal pressure can not only keep your tires in top shape longer but will also be a better option for your car. A properly inflated tire is a safer option.
Visual inspection of your tires isn’t enough to let you know if you have your tire inflated correctly, you can’t even always trust that you have it in the ball park. Instead, you need to get a tire pressure gauge that you can trust. Once you find your perfect one, that is the one that you should keep working with so that even if your gauge isn’t spot on you’ll get a consistent reading across all your readings.

Best Tire Pressure Gauge -Bottom Line

At this point, you should have a solid foundation of what you need to know in the quest to track down the best tire pressure gauge. Our buyer’s guide has broken down the key features that need to on your mind while you think about your particular needs and situation. While in many of these situations,there is no one size fits all solution, so you will get to make a selection that will work best for you.

Some people don’t want to track down a great option and with that in mind, we have combed through the options in our review section given you six stand out options. In our opinion, the TEKTON 5941 Digital Tire Gauge is the top contender. With its ease of read out, it is sure to be a great addition to any garage, and it is very affordable as well.

Finally, we’d love to hear from you. Do you have some experience with our picks? If so would you let us know what you think about them in the comments section below?

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API