iRocker 12v Electric Pump Review 2024

iRocker 12v Electric Pump: Overview

The iRocker 12v Electric SUP pump is one of the fastest-inflating pumps we’ve tested. The form factor makes it easy to carry and store, which is fantastic as it is included with the new lineup of compact Ultra iSUPs from iRocker.

— iRocker 12v Pump Summary Ratings and Review —

Specifications

Features, Usability, and Portability

The iRocker 12v pump is a great tool for hassle-free inflation of your iSUP. With a maximum pressure of 20 psi and detailed display screen you can use the iRocker 12v pump with just about any iSUP with a standard Halkey-Roberts valve. The cord garage keeps things tidy for storage and the included 12v battery alligator clamp adapter lets you use a 12v battery directly if you do not have an available cigarette lighter style outlet.

While the display has tons of great information (current pressure, set pressure, input voltage, pump stage) the greatest downside of this pump’s usability comes in selecting your pressure. Instead of independent buttons for changing the pressure setting up or down the iRocker 12v pump has only a single button that increases the pressure setting from 0.5-20 psi (selectable in 0.5 psi increments) until it maxes out at 20 psi and restarts at 0.5 psi. So if you are inflating multiple boards with different pressures, it’s best to start with the lower pressure board first so that you don’t have to cycle all the way around just to go from 18 psi to 15 psi for example.

While there is only 1 button to change the pressure settings, the iRocker 12v pump has three different buttons to start the pump itself.

• “Auto” – which will automatically select the low-pressure stage or high-pressure mode based on the current inflation pressure of the board
• “Low” – which only runs the pump in the low-pressure mode (maxing out around 1 psi)
• “High” – which only runs the pump in the high-pressure mode (Maxing out at 20 psi)

Selecting the Auto option is usually the best choice in almost any situation. I can honestly say that I’ve never purposefully selected either of the other two functions when inflating boards, and this is the only electric pump I’ve encountered that actually gives users the ability to do so.

I hope that future versions of this pump will replace the “High” and “Low” option buttons with “Pressure +” and “Pressure -” to greatly increase the overall usability of this pump.

The iRocker 12v pump is not the smallest pump we’ve tested, but the boxy, flat form factor makes it very easy to pack into an iSUP bag. The new lineup of compact Ultra series iSUPs from iRocker actually include the electric pump instead of a manual pump. It comes in a neat little carrying bag that fits the pump and all of its accessories. Unfortunately the stand-alone version of this pump does not include a bag, but is still quite easy to pack with your board.

Inflation Speed and Sound

As I’ve mentioned a few times, the iRocker 12v pump is among the fastest iSUP pumps we’ve tested. While plugged into a constant 12v power source (not a battery) the iRocker 12v pump inflated our medium-sized test board (11’ x 32” x 6”) to 15psi in just over 10 minutes, compared to the 12-15 minute times of our other electric pumps.

When hooked up to a 12v battery pack, the iRocker 12v pump wasn’t quite as fast, but still beat the competition with inflation times between 11:40 and 12:15 depending on the input voltage from the battery. Like with all electric pumps, as the voltage from the battery decreases, the inflation times increase.

The tradeoff to this speed is the noise. The iRocker 12v pump was the loudest we tested, chiming in at 82 dB measured at head-height above the pump. Comparatively, our quietest tested pump was 80 dB and the sound of an iSUP deflating measured 89dB.

Every 1 dB increase is roughly a 7% increase in perceived volume. 60 dB is roughly the volume of normal conversation and 90 dB is typically considered the threshold for harmful volume.

Battery

The iRocker 12v electric pump battery has a small form factor, 12v socket and USB type A ports for powering the pump and other devices, and charges via a standard USB type B “micro USB” cable. The outer case itself is a pretty dull affair with just a simple 4-light status indicator at the top of the battery.

The battery itself is a lithium-ion 4000 mAh power cell. With our standardized testing, the iRocker 12v pump was able to reliably inflate our medium-sized iSUP (11’ x 32” x 6”) to 15psi twice on a single charge with just a bit of energy left over. This number will change, though, based on the size of the boards you are using and the pressures selected.

Because the battery pack charges via a USB cable, the charging time is quite long for a relatively small capacity battery taking about 5 hours to charge from empty.

Warranty and Customer Support

The iRocker electric pump is covered under a 1 year warranty against manufacturing defects and a 90-day return policy. Overall this is a standard warranty and excellent return policy for paddleboard accessories. As with any electric pump, keeping the pump from overheating by using it in shaded areas and letting it cool down between uses is the best way to prolong the life of your pump.

Overall Impressions/Review Summary

The iRocker 12v electric pump is incredibly quick to use, and if you don’t have to constantly change the pressure settings, is one of the best options available. I regularly use the iRocker 12v pump (well a couple of them, actually) and have had nothing but consistent performance. I do wish the pump had an easier method of adjusting the pressure settings and that the iRocker battery pack had a larger capacity battery. Overall It’s still a solid choice for an electric SUP pump and will always have a home in my kit.

iRocker 12v electric Pump FAQ