Best Electric SUP Pumps in the UK (2023)

One of the most common things I see on SUP forums and Facebook groups is…I’ve just bought a paddleboard, it’s the best thing ever, but I really struggled to pump it up to the recommended 15psi. What is the best electric SUP pump to buy…

Almost everyone who’s got an inflatable paddleboard can relate to this, and almost everyone does find it difficult to pump up their board to the maximum pressure. So don’t worry, you aren’t alone here. It’s tiring, can be sweaty work on a hot day and the last few PSI can be really hard to get. I’m 6’2 and 85kgs, and to get up to 17 or 18 PSI I have to put all my effort into pumping, so I can imagine if you’re small and lightweight, it could be impossible to reach that pressure where the board performs at its best. 

Whilst it might be slightly quicker and less noisy to inflate a paddleboard with a manual pump, especially if it’s a premium double chamber pump, it is not the easiest way to go about getting on the water.

So the first purchase after getting your paddleboard might well be an electric SUP pump. 

Plug the electric paddleboard pump into your 12V lighter socket in your car, attach the hose to the board, turn it on and away you go. Some pumps even have an automatic shut-off function, so you pre-set the PSI you want the paddleboard to inflate to and just let the pump do its thing. Once it hits the PSI you set, it turns off by itself. So no worries about forgetting you turned the pump on whilst you faff around, drink coffee and chat to friends (which I’ve done a few times).

What I love about having an electric paddleboard pump is whilst it’s inflating, you can get yourself ready, assess the conditions and not be knackered before you hit the water.

A word of warning

What I don’t love about electric sup pumps is the noise and it has somewhat split opinions within the paddleboarding community here in the UK. Sure they are easy, but they make a hell of a noise and if you are in a residential area, you can easily piss off the locals. This is especially the case if you want to do a sunrise SUP session at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning!

We’ve had a local paddleboard group shut down recently because residents complained about the noise whilst inflating the boards. 

So if you want to use an electric sup pump, please be respectful of where you are using it. If you find you are trying to inflate the board first thing in a built-up area, maybe think twice and try a double chamber pump. 

How we ran the test

Along with our usual review of ease of use, quality and price, we also ran a head-to-head test to see what pump what the quickest and which one was the quietest. It was for us to see if there is much variation in the performance of these pumps, or are they just all very similar with a different plastic shell?

We used a Bluefin 12’ Cruise as the test board to inflate. The board is a large all-rounder that can withstand high pressures, so perfect to test these pumps with. For the time we simply used the stopwatch on our phone to record how long it took to get the Bluefin to 15PSI.

For the noise, we used an app called ‘Sound meter’ that records decibels using the mobile phone speaker. The test took place in a quiet area, so hopefully gives a good indication of the noise. We tried to simulate real-world conditions, like placing the pump on the pavement. 

It’s by no means a perfect, scientific test, but I think some readers will find the numbers interesting.  

The best electric pumps for inflatable paddleboards

HIKS – 12V 20PSI Electric SUP Pump

Best value SUP pump

If you want a proper electric SUP pump at great value, then the HIKS 12V 20 PSI pump is probably the one for you. Spending just a fraction more on this 20 PSI pump instead of a 15 PSI pump means it’ll inflate any paddleboard you’ll own, will be able to inflate 2 boards in one sitting and do it all much quicker.

Check price on Hiks
Check price on Amazon

Based in Essex, HIKS are a UK brand that sells good value paddleboarding equipment, mostly inflatables that are perfect for beginners. They sell their products directly on their website, cutting the retailer middle man to keep their equipment prices as low as possible. 

Their electric pump is no-frills and easy to use but comes with everything you need to get your paddleboard inflated. Simply plug it into your car, use the buttons to set the PSI you want in your board, turn it on and away it goes. The digital display makes everything really easy, and you can watch the PSI go up on the display as more air is pumped into the board.

The digital display also seems pretty accurate, with no significant difference between the PSI recorded on the HIKS and analogue pressure gauges. 

The pump initially starts off quiet, which is the sealed turbo fan that can do high volume but low pressure. Once the board gets to around 0.7PSI, the compressor kicks in, the noise starts and the board continues to inflate but at a slightly slower rate. 

I’ve read some reviews on Amazon saying how loud it is, but it’s really no different to any other pump on this review. To keep the noise down, I’ve seen some people try to keep their pump in the car and just have the hose sticking out. 

After the pump has reached the PSI you initially set, it automatically turns off which is a great feature. 

I’ve pumped up 2 boards in a row without it overheating, but I’m unsure what the limit could be. This pump does have an overheat cut-off, so it should turn off before things start to melt and go wrong.

When doing your research you might have noticed there are quite a few electric pumps that look like HIKS on the market, so why would you choose their one over any other? Well apart from the carry bag, which is very helpful to keep everything together, you are buying from a UK business. This business has a phone number, email address and customer service so if you have any questions, you can just contact them. This isn’t always the case for sellers only on Amazon.

Accessories

In the box, you’ll get 4 different valve attachments, depending on what you want to inflate. This means the pump can be used for different types of inflatables you might take to the beach. These different valves are very each to change and just screw into the end of the hose. They are all attached together too so no worries about losing them.

All paddleboards I know of have the same valve, so you won’t have to worry whether the HIKS will work for your boards, it just will. 

The hose length is the standard 1.1m in length and the cable to 12V cigarette lighter connector is 3m. 

HIKS also throw in a helpful carry bag to stuff the pump and all accessories.

Test results

The HIKS pump took 8 minutes and 25 seconds to inflate a Bluefin Cruise to 15 PSI. This was the second-fastest on the test, but very close to the Outdoor Master.

Similarly, the HIKS pump recorded 72.1 db, which was one of the loudest on our test, but with around 3 db separating the entire fleet of pumps, there isn’t much in it.

Quick stats

• Power: 12V
• Max PSI: 20
• Display: Digital
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: 30 day return – 1 year warranty
• Noise: 72.1db
• Time to inflatable to 15 PSI: 8mins 25sec

Value

The HIKS 12V 20PSI is the best value pump we tested by a long way, and is well worth the price.

OutdoorMaster – The Shark II

Best for inflating multiple boards

The Shark II from OutdoorMaster is one of the most popular electric SUP pumps available in the UK. If you’re looking for a quality and dependable pump that can inflatable multiple boards without stopping, then you won’t go far wrong with the Shark II.

Check price on Amazon
Check price on Outdoor Master

OutdoorMaster produces a wide range of gear, from paddleboards to beach tents and electric skateboards. On their website, they claim to be the first brand to come up with the idea of an Electric SUP pump and have said to of sold over 100,000 Shark SUP pumps.

With a pressure range of 0.5 – 20 PSI, this pump is capable of inflating almost any board. This shouldn’t be taken for granted; not all pumps are created equal, so make sure you buy a pump that can pump your board up to the required pressure. 

The pump is really simple to use, and as soon as you plug it in the digital display turns on, then set the pressure you want using the + or – buttons, press the power button and away you go. 

The first thing you notice when starting the Shark II is the lack of noise. This is due to what Outdoor Master calls ‘Rapid 2-stage inflation’. At low pressures, the motor can pump a high volume of air into the board with ease – 350L of air per minute. Though this only lasts until it records 1 PSI, then the motor kicks into stage 2, the noise really starts and the pump is in maximum pressure mode. Not all pumps have this and I think it really helps speed up the time to inflate the board.

The Outdoor Master’s built-in cooling system means the pump can keep going non-stop for around 30 minutes without any issues. The first time we used this pump we did 3 paddleboards and a kayak, which was probably around 40 minutes of non-stop inflating, and it worked very well.

In the user manual Outdoor Master says it can run for 30 minutes max, then give the pump 10 minutes to cool down – So the pump will be able to do around 3 boards in one sitting. From a user point of view, this is the main reason why you’d spend more on the OutdoorMaster than the HIKS.

Once the Shark II has reached its intended pressure, the pump automatically turns off. 

Accessories

The Shark II comes with 5 different nozzles, so you can use it for dinghy, kayaks and inflatable pools, which is very handy. 

I’ve seen some reviews say how great the hose and cable length is. Whilst they are a good length and you won’t have any problems, it should be understood every pump seems to have the same length hose and cable.

There is a carry handle built into the pump to help with portability. Although I’m not sure how portable any electric SUP pump has to be as the thing it has to plug into your car, either way, it does make it easy to carry to your car.

Test results

The Shark II took 8 minutes and 10 seconds, which was the fastest in our test.

Standing about 1m away from the pump, in high-pressure mode (the noisy mode) the pump recorded 71 decibels, which is about the same as a washing machine. This wasn’t the quietest on the test, but not the loudest either. The pump has small rubber feet that will try to absorb some shaking and noise, but I’m not sure how effective they are.

The Shark II performed great for our test, but it’s important to remember this was a one-off test. As with most electronics, it’ll be interesting to see how it performs over a long period of time. But with a 2-year warranty as standard, it seems Outdoor Master is confident in their product, which is great to see.

Quick stats

• Power: 12V
• Max PSI: 20
• Display: Digital
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: 90 day return – 2 year warranty
• Noise: 71db
• Time to inflatable to 15 PSI: 8mins 10sec

Value

Outdoor Master always has an offer going on somewhere, so it’s worth shopping around to find a bargain.

Decathlon – 15PSI Electric SUP Pump

The best low-cost option

With a whopping 1,420 reviews on their website and a lot of recommendations on paddleboarding Facebook groups, the Decathlon pump could be the right one for you if you’re on a budget. 

This pump is different to the Outdoor Master, HIKS or Jobe, as it can inflate to a maximum 15PSI, only do one board at a time, and it doesn’t have a deflate option, which might be perfect for some people, but not for others. It does however come with a 2-year warranty, which is equal to the best pumps on the market.

Check price on Decathlon

You’ve probably heard of Decathlon, the huge French sports retailer. Generally, Decathlon manufactures very good products at budget prices. From paddle boarding to kayaking and surfing, their range of watersports equipment is presented as the sub-brand called ITiwit. Along with a good quality product, the advantage of buying from a company like Decathlon is the super customer service and the ability to go into a store if you have any problems or questions. 

With a maximum pressure of 15 PSI, this Decathlon pump will be able to inflate most budget and beginner paddle boards on the market. It is normally only the mid and upper-range boards that need +15 PSI, so if you’ve just bought your first beginner board and need a hand inflating, this is where the Decathlon pump will come in very handy.

The digital display makes this pump very simple to set the pressure you want and once it reaches the intended PSI, it automatically turns off.

This pump from Decathlon doesn’t have a high-pressure mode like the Outdoor Master or HIKS, so it’s a little bit slower to get going. I’ve seen quite a few people start with manually inflating their board, then once it gets too hard to pump by hand, they switch to the electric pump. This is probably the quickest way of getting on the water, because the Decathlon is pretty slow.

In the instruction manual Decathlon says you should never run the pump for more than 20 minutes continuously. It took over 13 minutes to pump up the Bluefin paddleboard to 15PSI in the test, so realistically this is a one-board pump. If you do run it for 20 minutes, Decathlon recommended resting the pump for 30 minutes for it to fully cool down. If you don’t do this, you risk the motor overheating.

Accessories

Coming with 3 different fitting options, this pump will help inflate paddleboards, kayaks and dinghies. As with the other pumps in this review, the hose and cable length is pretty much identical to the rest.

The pump came in a little fishnet-type drawstring bag, which I think is a very helpful addition. It‘ll keep everything tidy in your car and you’re less likely to lose the hose or fittings if they are all neatly together in one bag.

Test results

The Decathlon 15 PSI pump took 13 minutes and 42 seconds to pump up the Bluefin to 15 PSI. This was the slowest time recorded on the test. This pump is small in size, so it’s no surprise it doesn’t have as much inflating power and the bigger, more expensive pumps.

On the positive side, less power also meant less noise. The Decathlon was one of the quietest on our test, standing 1m away from the pump the sound meter recorded 69.2db.

Quick stats

• Power: 12V
• Max PSI: 15
• Display: Digital
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: 2-year warranty
• Noise: 69.2db
• Time to inflatable to 15 PSI: 13mins 42sec

Value

At below £50, you won’t find a cheaper pump to help you inflate your paddleboard. Whilst it doesn’t have the speed or power of other pumps, it’s probably the best low-cost option around.

Jobe – SUP Pump 12V

I think Jobe has the best-looking pump, and with an analogue pressure gauge and PSI dial, it is certainly different to the others, but is it better? 

I had a few problems with the Jobe, which I’ll explain in more detail further down. Whilst it was quick to inflate and feels solidly built, the analogue gauge was jumping around all over the place and inflated the board to 17 PSI instead of the 15 I set on the dial. 

Check price on Jobe

Jobe has been around 1974 and create mid to high-level watersports equipment. I first heard of them years ago for their wakeboarding gear, but have also been in the paddleboard game for a long time too. Their inflatable paddleboarding range is very popular and always gets well reviewed in tests. Jobe sells directly on their website, but also through watersports retailers, so you can check out their stuff in many UK shop before you buy.

The Jobe SUP Pump 12V pumps up to 20 PSI, so know it’s powerful enough to inflate most boards on the market. With a fast two-stage low-to-high pressure inflation, this pump has a similar output to the Outdoor Master and HIKS, but that’s where the similarities end.

Right from the get-go this pump is different to others available in the UK. Instead of a digital display and +/- buttons to set your intended pressure, you have to turn a dial. Once you plug it into your car, press the on button and away it goes. Straight away you’ll see the analogue pressure gauge jumping around like crazy, so it’s hard to know what pressure the board is at. The needle seems to settle a little with more pressure, but it didn’t fill me with the same confidence as the HIKS or Outdoor Master digital display. 

The pump has an auto shut off once it reaches the PSI you set on the dial, but I wasn’t totally sure it would. With the needle jumping from 14 to 17 PSI, how does it know when to turn off?

During the test, I let the pump run until auto shut off, but instead of stopping at the 15 PSI I set, it continued to 17 PSI. 

Jobe advises that the pump should not run for longer than 20 minutes. With that in mind, it still should be able to pump up 2 boards in one sitting, because it’s pretty quick at inflating.

Accessories

The Jobe doesn’t come with extra value fittings to pump up other inflatables, which is a little bit stingy. However, the fitting had a thick rubber washer that I’m sure would fit on almost all inflatable paddleboards and it felt secure once attached. 

In the box there was a cable with car battery alligator clips. Maybe some new cars don’t have a 12V cigarette lighter socket anymore, so I guess these are handy if that’s you.

Test results

The test didn’t really work as it should’ve for the Jobe, because the pump ended up inflating to 17 PSI instead of 15 PSI, so it’s not a like-for-like with the other pumps in this review. The time recorded for this pump was 11 minutes and 16 seconds, however, I think it inflates at a similar speed to the HIKS and Outdoor Master.

In terms of noise, the Jobe was the quietest recording 68db. It could be the robust casing around the pump, or the feet that are more like coiled springs, rather than the rubber feet on the other pumps. I don’t think this should be a buying decision, because the noise difference isn’t significant enough to notice.

Quick stats

• Power: 12V
• Max PSI: 20
• Display: Analogue
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: 2-year warranty
• Noise: 68db
• Time to inflatable to 15 PSI: 11mins 16sec (17 PSI)

Value

With a more accurate digital display, more valve options and a seemingly better cooling system, I’m not sure why you’d pick the Jobe over the Outdoor Master, which is the most similar in terms of cost. 

Generic 16 PSI SUP Pump

I’m calling this one ‘Generic 16 PSI SUP Pump’ because you can find loads of brands selling this version on Amazon. I received this one with a Bluefin paddleboard but HIKS, Bestway, Vachan all sell this pump under their brand. I thought it was worth testing this electric pump, because they do seem quite popular, but costing only slightly less than the 20PSI version, I wondered whether they are worth it.

Check price on Amazon

This pump is very similar to the Decathlon in terms of features and performance. With a max PSI of 16, it will be able to inflate a lot of beginner boards available on the market. If you have a high-performance touring type paddleboard, you’ll probably need a pump that can inflate to 20 PSI, so this one is probably not right for you.

As with many pumps, you have a digital LCD display that makes it easy to preset your PSI and tells you the pressure that’s currently inside the board as it’s inflating. The pump is simple to use and you’ll have no problem figuring out how to turn it on and get it inflating. There is an auto shut-off with this pump too, so no stress about forgetting you left it on whilst getting changed.

The difference between this pump and more expensive ones is there is no 2-stage high inflation mode, so the pump will take much longer to inflate your paddleboard. You’ll also notice this pump only has one nozzle to attach the hose, which means there is no deflation mode.

Similar to the Decathlon, the pump can only run for a maximum of 20 minutes before it starts to overheat. With the amount of time it takes to inflate a board, you’ll only be able to get one board done using this pump.

Accessories

It seems all the 16 PSI versions have a few different valve fittings, so you can use the pump on various inflatables which is very helpful for a day at the beach.

The HIKS version comes with a carry bag but costs a little bit more.

Test results

With less inflation power, this pump was always going to be one of the slower ones to inflate a paddleboard. Taking under 13 minutes means it’s slightly quicker than the Decathlon, but not in the same league as the Outdoor Master or HIKS, which were both 4 minutes quicker. 

As with every other pump, the noise was pretty similar to others on this test with no discernible difference in decibel level.

Quick stats

• Power: 12V
• Max PSI: 16
• Display: Digital
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: Seller dependant
• Noise: 70.1db
• Time to inflatable to 15 PSI: 12mins 38sec

Value

So, I’m not sure why you would buy this pump over others available on the market.

If cost is your main concern, the Decathlon is cheaper and performs just as well as this type of pump. However, if you can afford to spend a fraction more, then it’s worth getting the HIKS 20 PSI pump. Along with the fact the HIKS can inflate to higher pressures, the 20 PSI version is 4 minutes quicker to inflate to 15 PSI and also has a deflation mode.

Scoprega – Bravo GE 20-2

The premium battery-powered option

We couldn’t get our hands on the Scoprega for this test, but seeing them in action we know this is probably the best pump money can buy. They seem quite hard to come by in the UK right now and it seems no paddleboarding/watersports shops are stocking them. However, I’ve seen a few available at sailing chandleries like Force 4.

Scoprega are an Italian brand specialising in creating products that can inflate pretty much anything! Their Bravo GE 20-2 is the Rolls Royce of electric sup pumps. It’s by far the most technologically advanced, is very powerful, battery-powered, quick to inflate and maybe the quietest pump around (although not by much).

Check price on Force 4

There are quite a few differences between the GE 20-2 and other pumps in this review, with the main one being the built-in battery. This is a game changer in terms of portability because you can use this pump anytime and anywhere, without the need for a car to plug it in. 

The battery holds enough charge to pump around 4 boards and there are LED indicators that tell you the battery level.

Along with the battery, this pump can go to a maximum 22 PSI. This means the pump will easily inflate high-performance paddleboards, like touring or race SUPs. So if you’re a keen paddleboarder with a top-spec board, then this pump is probably the one for you.

To use the pump, you simply set the dial which is around the pressure gauge to the PSI you want, press the on button and away it goes. The pump has the auto shut-off feature once it reaches your pre-set PSI. The GE 20-2 also has an overheating auto shut-off, which should help preserve the life of the product.

Accessories

The Scoprega Bravo GE 20-2 comes with a ton of accessories. The battery can be charged and used with your car’s cigarette lighter plug, direct from the battery with alligator clips or plugged into the mains with an AC DC adaptor, which are all included. 

There are fittings for most valve types to pump a range of inflatables.

This pump is much heavier than others because of the built-in battery, but Scopraga has included a very solid carry bag which is far superior to anything else we’ve seen.

Quick stats

• Power: Battery or 12V
• Max PSI: 22
• Display: Analogue
• Auto shut off: Yes
• Warranty: 1 Year

Value

This pump is not for everyone, and if you’ve just spent £350 on a paddleboard, you’re unlikely to spend an extra £250 or so on a pump. However, if you’re looking for the best pump money can buy, this is probably one to go for. 

How to use an electric SUP pump

I hope I’ve made it pretty clear throughout this review that electric SUP pumps are incredibly easy to use. Even so, the 2 main things I’ve learnt from using an electric sup pump are as follows:

Leave the car engine running

Some pumps, like the Outdoor Master, can run for a long time without overheating, so it’s really easy to get carried away and start inflating everyone else’s board. Whilst it’s a very helpful thing to do, you run the risk of draining your car’s battery which isn’t a fun thing to try to sort out at the beach.

Make sure the valve is in the correct position

I’ve done this a silly amount of times. The valve in your paddleboard has 2 positions, up or down. If you’ve opened it to deflate the board, then you need to remember to set it to the closed position again before inflating. Otherwise, the pump will finish inflating, you’ll be excited to get on the water, take the hose off and all the air will rush out the board.

How long does it take to inflate a SUP with an electric pump?

It will take between 7 – 9 minutes to inflate a SUP with a good electric pump. This depends on the size of the board and the recommended pressure needed for the board to perform. This review found the higher quality pumps inflated a 12’ beginner board to 15 PSI in just over 8 minutes.