The Magicshine Airro has landed at AMB HQ, and in my years of riding and racing bikes I didn’t quite foresee tiny lightweight, high-pressure electric pumps to be something that would enter the mountain biking zeitgeist but it’s 2025 and here we are!
The Magicshine Airro is described as a ‘high pressure electric tyre pump’ that can see you do away with trailside CO2 canisters and regular pumps. Arriving in a small package, the unit itself is around 3x5x7cm in size, meaning those who live for lycra can slide it into their rear pocket. For those less lycra-adjacent riders out there, this will fit in a standard sized saddle bag, any hydration pack or even a SWAT compartment.
The gist is this: the unit itself is a USB-C rechargeable unit to get you out of a pickle, inflating to a maximum of 120PSI (for any roadies out there running 23mm tyres in your merino jersey) and weighing only 166g (actual and ready to roll, including silicone case and presta adaptor).
Super simple to set up, the Airro arrives in a small box, with a silicone sleeve (as the unit can heat up when in use), USB-C Charge cable, flexible schrader valve tube with threaded presta adaptor, ball needle, and both schrader and presta direct adaptors.
To get pumping, simply pop the unit on charge (a quick 45min according to Magicshine, though we found it to go from dead to full charge in less than that), select your direct adapter and turn the unit on.
From here, the +/- buttons allow you to dial up to your desired pressure, then popping the Airro securely onto the valve you tap the power button once to power up. When the desired pressure is hit, the Airro stops inflation and all you have to do is remove the unit and turn it off. Neat!
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First thing’s first, using the Airro is noisy! Considering it’s like having a tiny compressor in your pocket I am not surprised, but it’s enough to ruin the serenity or at least scare away some wildlife. The Airro requires direct purchase on the valve, and as such I have tested both with the flexible tubing with the threaded adapter, and with the direct mount presta valve adapter. It’s definitely more secure and easier in most situations to press the Airro onto the valve directly, however for those with less valve exposed or to get into tricky spaces (for example on tiny 12” wheels and prams), the flexible tubing with threaded adapter is a godsend.
Why choose the Magicshine Airro?
For those using canisters, a regular 16g CO2 canister weighs in at 58g and my ultra minimalist CO2 head is just 14g. For 72g you get one shot at full pressure, but for longer rides it’s always best to take 2x canisters, so you’re looking at 130g. For the ultimate weight weenie this could be a deal breaker, but for most there are other factors to consider.
Firstly, waste. While this may be a moot point due to the fact that the Airro is an electronic device, created in a factory somewhere and has its own CO2 footprint, it’s backed with a 1 year warranty promise, and it’s rechargeable, meaning you’re not throwing metal canisters in the bin.
Secondly, speed. While a CO2 canister is a faster unit, it does require some finesse and training to ensure that air gets into the valve and not the atmosphere and there have been many riders who blow a canister – and their race – while their tyres remain flat. When you account for the process of taking gloves off, activating the canister and adjusting then it’s likely a wash between the two options.
The Airro takes around a minute to inflate, but there’s no fiddling with the thread to turn on/off like many CO2 heads, and it’s significantly speedier than a manual pump.
We pushed the limits of the Airro hitting 25PSI from dead flat on a 29×2.4” tyre two…and a half times with one charge cycle. If you’re running lower pressure, a smaller tyre size or a different type of bike completely it’s likely a different story, with higher pressures requiring more battery use, but also being dependent on tyre volume.
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Overall, I was initially not ready to be impressed with an electric mini pump. I am someone who struggles to keep SRAM AXS (and now Shimano) batteries charged, and have definitely suffered from the “singlespeed ride of shame” due to lack of foresight with charging. Many unrecorded rides simply cease to exist due to Garmin and Wahoo battery death mid-ride. But as I used the Magicshine Airro, I began to love the rechargeability-factor and the lack of CO2 canister waste, in a compact, lightweight package.
If I was going on an epic, offroad, 200km+ flashpack day I would choose caution and pack a manual pump. But for most rides on local trails, and even epic 200km+ road rides, I have no qualms about choosing the Magicshine Airro over my existing CO2 canister set-up – Magicshine, you have won me over.
