An air compressor is a handy tool to have. They are more efficient at pumping up tyres than huffing and puffing over a foot pump, and they can be used for a whole load of other use cases as well. However, more traditional compressors tend to be quite large and are anything but portable.
That’s where the AstroAI CZK-3631 comes in. It’s a portable air compressor that plugs into a 12V socket and is rated up to a maximum working pressure of 100 psi. We’ve been trying out the CZK-3631 and in this review we are going to let you know whether or not we think it is a good buy if you need a more portable air compressor.
Another thing to note is that we purchased this product and were not sent it by AstroAI, so this is our 100% unbiased opinion of the product.
Table of Contents
How Much Does the AstroAI CZK-3631 Cost?
The normal price for the CZK-3631 portable air compressor is US$44.99 and it often goes on sale for much less (currently US$33.49 at the time of writing). This puts the AstroAi in the low to average price bracket for portable air compressors, with some options being a bit cheaper and quite a few more expensive options that offer more features and have a higher maximum working pressure. You can purchase the CZK-3631 on Amazon here.
AstroAI CZK-3631 Specifications & Features
| Working Voltage | DC12V |
| Maximum Amps | 10 Amps |
| Power | 120w |
| Cylinder Diameter | 22mm |
| Maximum Working Pressure | 100 psi |
| Display Units | KPa, psi, bar, kg/cm² |
| Continuous Operating Time | 15 Minutes Maximum |
| Power Cable Length | 3m (10ft) |
First Impressions and What’s in the Box
First impressions were better than we expected given the price. The CZK-3631 came fairly well packaged and the compressor itself feels quite solid in the hand. The exterior is made from a hard plastic and in the box you get the following:
- CZK-3631 compressor
- 12V cigarette lighter plug
- Valve connector
- Easy-connect Schrader valve connector/adapter
- Replacement fuse
- 2x air nozzle cones
- A needle valve adapter
- Presta to Schrader adapter
- Manual
The 12V cable is just over 3m long (10ft) and AstroAI claim that the hose with the valve connector is around 79 cm (31.1 inches) long. However, when we measured it, we found that the hose was actually closer to 55 cm (22 inches) on the unit we received. Adding the extra Schrader valve adapter added just under 15 cm (5.9 inches), but this still leaves about 10 cm (3.9 inches) unaccounted for. While this didn’t cause a problem for us and we don’t think it will be an issue for most people, it is a bit disappointing to see (if you have one of these we would be interested to hear what the hose on your one measures in at).
Using the AstroAI CZK-3631 Compressor
Operating the CZK-3631 is pretty self-explanatory. Simply plug in the power and then connect the air hose to whatever you want to pump up. When you turn on your vehicle the CZK-3631 will start up and display the current pressure of whatever it is connected to (It will start up immediately when you plug it in if the car is already on).
Under the digital gauge you will notice three buttons. The first button labelled “M” lets you change the units of the digital display. Out of the box the display reads in psi, but it can also be changed to show KPa, bar, and kg/cm².
The second two buttons are used to control the target pressure settings. For example, if you press the “+” button the target pressure will go up and obviously the “-“ button will do the opposite. Once you set the target pressure, you then flick the power switch on the compressor and it will burst into life.
The inflating process of the CZK-3631 is definitely not as quick as bigger, more powerful compressors, but we found it to be quick for its size on the cars we tested it on (Honda Jazz, VW Touareg, Volvo V70, Suzuki Swift Sport, and others). AstroAI claims that the compressor can inflate a 195/55/R15 tyre from 0 to 35 psi in around 5 minutes and from our testing we can confirm that this is probably about right. Obviously, bigger tyres with more air volume are going to take a bit longer to inflate, but we don’t think this is going to be a problem for 99.9% of people and it is much better than the majority of manual pumps.
Once the CZK-3631 hits the target pressure, the compressor switches off and you can move onto the next tyre. We can confirm that the gauge is surprisingly accurate (on the unit we bought and tested) and it was within 1-2% of the other gauges we tested it against, which is good enough for us. However, we noticed that there were a couple of reviews on Amazon that stated their units were off by a bigger percentage, so keep that in mind.
The cable length was long enough to reach all tyres on all of the cars we tested the CZK-3631 on. However, if you are running around in a stretched limousine you might have a bit of trouble. Additionally, the cable length isn’t long enough to run around the whole vehicle, so you will need to run it out of one door and then run it out of the opposite side door when doing the other side tyres.
Another great feature of the CZK-3631 is its size. It seems to be small enough to fit in most gloveboxes and we could even fit it into the centre storage compartment on the Jazz/Fit we tested it on. This means that you can not only keep your vehicle’s cabin tidy, but you can also keep the compressor out of sight (an important fact if you live in an area with a high number of break ins).
One small issue we found is that the compressor moves across the ground when it is running. It doesn’t go far, especially if it is only run for a short time, but it is something to keep in mind.
The CZK-3631 can also be used for a wide variety of other use cases. For instance, it is quite good for inflating bike tyres (with the right adapter), but just don’t try using it for something a bit more demanding such as seating a tubeless bike tyre. We tried to do this on a Maxxis Double Down tyre and had no luck (we didn’t expect it to work, but it is always worth trying).
How’s the Light?
The 10lm LED light fitted to the front of the CZK-3631 is nothing to write home about, but we suppose it may come in handy in an emergency (what its really for . It also comes in handy if you want to inflate your tyres at night, so it is nice that they included it.
What About Reliability
During testing we had no issues at all and the CZK-3631 seems to be reliable as can be. Obviously this may change with more extended use, but there is nothing to suggest that will happen (most Amazon reviews are very favourable). If we do have any problems we will update this review.
The AstroAi CZK-3631 vs Heavy Duty Compressors
The CZK-3631 is nowhere near as capable as a more industrial, heavy-duty compressor. However, that’s not really the point of it. The CZK-3631 is designed to be portable and compact so that it can easily fit in your car.
It is perfectly adequate for inflating car or motorcycle tyres, bike tyres, inflatable beds and much more. If you need something for cleaning, powering pneumatic tools, etc. this is not the product for you!
Conclusion – Is the AstroAi CZK-3631 Worth a Buy?
After using the AstroAi CZK-3631 for a while I can honestly say it is worth a buy and I will continue to use it and take it on long distance trips. It is a really handy tool and while you could say it is a bit of a luxury over a manual pump, its low price negates this.
We were really impressed at how accurate the CZK-3631 is and it is surprisingly quick at inflating tyres on most standard road-going vehicles. We were a bit disappointed to find that the air hose is a bit shorter than stated, but in practice this was never an issue. Additionally, the front LED light isn’t that strong, however, it is still good enough for most use cases.
As mentioned, we didn’t have any reliability problems, but we will update this review if we do as the CZK-3631 is a good product that we will continue to use.
If you are interested in purchasing the CZK-3631 compressor you can find it here on Amazon.
Where can I buy a a/c d/c adapter for this unit?