REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Secure universal attachment
Comfortable to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks stability
Gauge is crowded
Bontrager Charger Review
A comfortable pump with an auto selecting nozzle and an affordable price tag
Credit: Jon oleson
RELATED: 10 Best Bike Pumps of 2024
Our Verdict
The Bontrager Charger is one of the least expensive options we tested, but provides one of our favorite innovations, an auto-selecting nozzle that works with either a Schrader or Presta valve. No adjustments required. The rest of the pump's construction is less flashy but just as function-forward. It's one of the lightest pumps that we tested, and it's stable when using two hands and two feet. Though not very large, the Charger is efficient, particularly with high-pressure road bike tires. Its gauge is simple, but it's quite accurate, and the large numbers are easy to see against the bright white background. We have a minor gripe in that we don't like when gauges are notched every two PSI because we want to hit 35 PSI, not 34 PSI. But that's just splitting hairs, and at the end of the day, this pump is a steal. Get the scoop on how it stands up to the competition in our review of the best bike pumps.
Editor's Note: Our Bontrager Charger review was updated on May 30, 2024, with a new round of testing against the best pumps on the current market.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Bontrager Charger | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $45 List $45.00 at REI | $46 List $24.99 at Amazon | $50 List $45.99 at Amazon | Check Price at Backcountry | $30 List $29.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | An efficient pump that won’t drain your single track trip fund | A pump highly-suited for high-volume MTB and hybrid tires | An electric mini pump that easily attaches and inflates your tire while you sit and supervise | This stable, built-to-last model is accurate at high and low pressures but tends to be leaky | This wobbly pump shines with its accurate pressure readings and budget-friendly price point |
| Rating Categories | Bontrager Charger | Schwinn Air Center... | CYCPLUS Electric | Topeak JoeBlow Spor... | VIBRELLI Bike Floor... |
| Ease of Use (35%) | |||||
| Inflation (25%) | |||||
| Stability (20%) | |||||
| Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Bontrager Charger | Schwinn Air Center... | CYCPLUS Electric | Topeak JoeBlow Spor... | VIBRELLI Bike Floor... |
| Type | Floor | Floor | Electric | Floor | Floor |
| Max PSI | 160 | 120 | 150 | 160 | 160 |
| High Volume or High Pressure | HP | Both | Both | HP | HP |
| Measured Weight | 1389 g | 1299 g | 386 g | 1753 g | 1106 g |
| Measured Height | 67.5 cm | 63 cm | 17.5 cm (length) | 68 cm | 61 cm |
| Measured Hose Length | 97 cm | 74 cm | 14.5 cm | 77 cm | 93 cm |
| Tubeless Recommended | N | N | N | N | N |
| Accessory Inflators Included | N | Y | N | Y | Y |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Bontrager Charger offers a universal nozzle on a comfortable and easy-to-use pump, all for an unbeatable price. The nozzle can be finicky, particularly with Schrader valves, and the budget price tag means you don't get any extras like adapters, but for the basics done very well, this is a fantastic choice.
Performance Comparison
The Bontrager Charger pump represent the best value in our opinion, providing comfortable and efficient pumping at an affordable price.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Ease of Use
The universal nozzle on the Charger makes this pump incredibly simple in some ways, but it can be tricky to get a good seal. Whatever your valve type, just press the nozzle down in line with the stem, make sure it connects fully, and flip the lock up and away from the nozzle. The lock's action is relatively smooth, and the big, flat locking arm is easy to maneuver, although we tended to prefer a shorter locking arm to give our big fingers more room in the spokes. When heavily pressure-loaded, it can smash your fingers, so be mindful.
When we did get a good seal, the smooth action of this pump and grip-taped pedals made putting in the strokes a pleasure. We're outside, the birds are chirping, and we saved a bunch of money by investing in an affordable and efficient pump. Does life get much better?
The universal nozzle on the Bontrager Charger produced a hassle free and secure connection most of the time.
Credit: Jon Oleson
The hose is 97cm long, giving it good versatility. Although it's a stretch, you could use this pump with a bike stand. While it seems like a reasonable quality hose, it's already trained to bend up and over the pump's handle. That ingrained curve limits its pliability, and it can be tweaked on the tire valve stem, thus affecting the seal. You could try shifting where you clip the hose in so it doesn't get stuck in one position, but we're not optimistic.
The hose length on the Bontrager Charger was long enough for any situation that we encountered, including use with a bike stand.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Inflation
The Charger earned high marks in our inflation testing, requiring fewer strokes than all but one to inflate our high-pressure road bike tires to 100 PSi. It also did well when tackling our high-volume mountain bike tires, requiring fewer strokes than most other pumps to reach 35 PSI.
We also really like this pump's feel. The action is smooth, the handle is comfortable, and the sturdy base keeps you grounded as you flap your wings to push air into the tire. In our official test, it took 19 strokes to get our 700x25c road bike tire to 100 PSI, 28 strokes to bring a 2.1" x 26" mountain bike tire to 35 PSI, and an easy 52 strokes to bring our 2.3" x 29" mountain bike tire to the same pressure.
The Bontrager Charger performed well in the inflation tests, consistently proving to be one of the most efficient pumps.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Stability
This pump stays firmly planted when you've got both feet on the pedals and a firm grip on the handle. We put in a lot of strokes with this pump, and it consistently felt stable whether pumping at low or high pressure.
We did notice a bit of an issue when it came time to test the one-handed operation. With one foot holding the pump base, one hand on the handle, and the other gripping the bike seat to keep it standing, the design of the base made it a bit wobbly. Because the front foot is shorter and more squat, the pump wants to rock diagonally forward a bit. This caused its score to suffer slightly in this metric.
The base on the Bontrager Charger noticeably wobbled when we tried to use it one-handed.
Credit: Jon Oleson
The gauge lies flush against the base, which isn't the best for those who have trouble seeing detail at a distance, but it does help keep the center of gravity low. This helps keep the pump more stable when it's bumped or knocked. We did appreciate the grip tape on each of the foot pedals, which aided it in this category.
The grip tape on the Bontrager Charger's base did improve the stability, even if the base isn't the most stable design.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Accuracy
The Charger did well in our accuracy tests. In fact, it was one of the most accurate pumps when hooked up to our specially designed pressure accuracy chamber.
We tested the pump gauge's reading against our highly sensitive digital gauge, which provided the control for this test. At 20, 50, and 100 PSI, the pump's reading was low, although it was within one PSI of the digital gauge. For a busy analog gauge at the base of a cheap floor pump, we consider this to be spot on. This helped earn it one of the top scores in this metric.
The Bontrager Charger has a lot going for it, including a super accurate gauge.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Should You Buy the Bontrager Charger?
While this pump is affordable, it's still not dirt cheap. Although, given that the cheaper pump performed poorly in every category but accuracy, we consider the little extra that you'll pay for this pump a great investment. This pump is comfortable and easy to use, with a huge and impressively accurate analog gauge, and durable enough to last a while. Bontrager will also replace the “internals” if they fail. Beyond the finicky auto-selecting nozzle, this pump performed superbly for the price.
If you're ready to take hold of your bike inflation needs, but don't want to break the bank, check out the Bontrager Charger.
Credit: Jon Oleson
What Other Bike Pumps Should You Consider?
If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Bontrager TLR Flash Charger is the luxury version of this pump, and has the added ability of seating tubeless tires. If you want another affordable option more specifically suited for high-volume MTB tires, consider the Schwinn Air Center Plus.
—
Jon Oleson
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