Updated April 9th, 2024
The Valwix makes a lot of fun inflatables such as paddleboards and swimming pools. They also make some great accessories including an electric pump for your paddleboard. The Valwix electric pump can inflate boards to 20 psi. It has active cooling letting it inflate 3 or more boards in a row. Keep reading to get all the details of the Valwix electric paddle board pump.
What we liked:
- Fast inflation times
- Can inflate boards to 20 psi
- Has an active cooling fan allowing 3 or more boards to be inflated in a row
- Easy to use buttons and easy to read display
- Includes 7 adapter valves
- Includes a carrying bag
- Display can be read in bright sunlight or after dark
What we didn’t like:
- Pump 2nd stage is a little loud
- Pump is on the large and heavy side
- 7 valve adapters is a lot of clutter on the end of the air hose
- Our test pump from Amazon was previously used
- The display doesn’t show both target and current pressure during inflation
Features of the Valwix Electric Air Pump
We picked up a Valwix pump to try out. It has been growing in popularity on Amazon. It appears to be a unique design for Valwix. I haven’t found another seller with the same design yet while searching around. We purchased this pump on our own to try it out and see how it compares with current electric paddle board pumps.
We got our review pump from Amazon. Our copy appears to have been used previously. The clear protective sticker over the display was wrinkled and half attached. There are some scuff marks on the front of the pump. The instruction sheet was all crumpled up. It was shipped in a clear plastic bag inside the shipping box. I’m not sure if this is the original packaging method or not.
We bought this to try out for you guys so we’ll try it anyways to see how it works. As a regular customer, I would have returned it and requested a replacement that wasn’t already used.
Price
The Valwix pump retails for $119.99 on Amazon. This puts it around the price point of the Outdoor Master Shark 2 and is more expensive than the Outdoor Master Cachalot, iRocker Pump, and SereneLife SLPUMP30.
Warranty
Valwix offers a 1 year warranty on their pump which is the same as every other electric paddle board pump we have come across so far.
Size and weight
The Valwix pump is 12.6 x 7.7 x 3.9 inches. It weighs in at 5 lbs. It is a bit larger than the Shark 2, iRocker, and SereneLife pumps. It’s about the same size and weight as the Outdoor Master Cachalot which is also a bit on the large and heavy side.
12 volt power
This pump runs off of 12 volt power. It has a 10 foot cord that gives plenty of length to reach the ground from an outlet in your car. The cord has a replaceable 12 volt plug and they include an extra. This is the first pump I’ve seen with this feature. I’m not sure it’s really needed as I haven’t had a 12 volt plug burn out on a device before.
Stand up paddle board compatibility and other inflatables
The air hose comes with 7 adapters. They are Boston, Round, C7, H3/HR, Short Pinch, 805, and long pinch. This is a few more than the 4 that normally come with this style air hose. It will work with virtually anything out there. It does create a lot of bulk on the end of the hose. If you are like me and never use anything but the H3 valve, you can cut the plastic cord that holds the other adapters and store them in the carrying bag.
Max pressure
This pump can inflate up to 20 psi. You can adjust the air pressure in 0.5 psi or bar increments.
Inflate and deflate
The pump has inflate and deflate modes. You change by connecting the air hose up to the appropriate outlet. The writing on the ports is easy to read so you don’t have to guess which is which.
Active cooling – Inflate up to 3 boards at a time
The Valwix electric SUP pump has active cooling. It has a separate motor that blows a fan inside the pump keeping everything cool. You can hear it when you finish inflating something and the pump shuts off. The cooling fan will still be buzzing along for several more minutes. They claim this pump will inflate 3 boards in a row which we have been able to do with no issues.
The manual claims “The duration of a single operation should not exceed 20 minutes. If the screen shows “HO7” or “E2″, please let the pump cool down for 10 – 20 min before next operation.” I’m assuming they mean 20 minutes per board and not total operating time. There are very few boards that you can inflate 3 of in 20 minutes.
Digital Display and Controls
This pump has a simple display. It shows current pressure and that’s it. It does show pressure down to the 100th of a PSI after going past 10 psi. A lot of pumps only have a 3 digit display so above 10 psi you only see tenths. You can change it from PSI to bar.
You can select target pressure up to 20 psi in 0.5 psi increments. The target pressure is only shown for a few seconds after hitting the + or – button. We really prefer that target and actual pressure are both shown all the time. This is especially true on 20 psi pumps since 20 psi is enough to damage some cheaper boards.
There are 4 buttons to operate the pump. A + and – button for adjusting pressure. A psi/bar button for switching. A power button for starting and stopping the pump.
Carry bag
They are nice enough to give you a draw string carry bag with this pump. This is a really nice feature. I wish all pumps would include a bag. It comes in handy for keeping the cords, air hose, and extra valves organized and not lost.
Using the pump
How well does the Valwix pump work? Let’s inflate some paddleboards and find out.
Inflation time
We do 2 inflation tests on every paddleboard pump we try. The first is inflating a generic 10’6″ x 32″ All Around board to 14 psi. Next, we inflate a 12’6″ x 30″ touring board to 15 psi and 20 psi. This gives a good sample of how long each pump takes to inflate larger or smaller paddleboards.
It took the Valwix pump 7 minutes and 10 seconds to inflate the 10’6 board to 14 psi. This makes it just 5 seconds slower than the iRocker pump which is the fastest pump we have ever tested.
Inflating boards to 20 psi
The Valwix inflated our 12’6″ touring board to 20 psi without skipping a beat. It took 8 minutes and 48 seconds to get to 15 psi. It took 12 minutes and 16 seconds to get to 20 psi. These are just slightly slower times than the iRocker pump.
Overall the Valwix electric pump is a very fast paddleboard pump. It is just a few seconds slower than the fastest electric pump we have used for both boards.
Electric Pump | 10’6 x 32.5″ x 6″ All Around Board | 12’6″ x 30″ x 6″ Touring Board | 12’6″ x 30″ x 6″ Touring Board |
14 psi | 15 psi | 20 psi | |
Outdoor Master Shark 3 | 4 min 56 sec | 5 min 34 sec | 7 min 24 sec |
Outdoor Master Shark 2s | 8 min 37 sec | 9 min 47 sec | 13 min 2 sec |
Outdoor Master Shark 2 | 8 min 40 sec | 9 min 35 sec | 13 min 1 sec |
Outdoor Master Whale | 9 min 22 sec | 9 min 58 sec | |
Outdoor Master Cachalot | 7 min 51 sec | 9 min 23 sec | 13 min 49 sec |
Outdoor Master Dolphin 2 | 9 min 27 sec | 11 min 23 sec | 14 min 36 sec |
Outdoor Master Cachalot 2 | 7 min 13 sec | 8 min 53 sec | 12 min 20 sec |
Outdoor Master Cachalot 2S | 7 min 5 sec | 8 min 40 sec | 12 min 13 sec |
iRocker Electric Pump | 7 min 5 sec | 8 min 32 sec | 11 min 50 sec |
NIXY Ventus | 8 min 28 sec | 11 min 15 sec | 14 min 34 sec |
Bluefin E-Swift | 7 min 18 sec | 9 min 6 sec | 12 min 25 sec |
Serenelife SLPUMP50 | 7 min 37 sec | 9 min 7 sec | |
Serenlife SLPUMP30 | 8 min 12 sec | 9 min 27 sec | 14 min 20 sec |
Serenlife SLPUMP10 | 11 min 32 sec | 13 min 49 sec | |
Airbank Puffer Pro | 7 min 27 sec | 9 min 8 sec | 12 min 48 sec |
Airbank Whale Shark Pro | 7 min 49 sec | 9 min 41 sec | 13 min 13 sec |
Valwix Electric Pump | 7 min 10 sec | 8 min 48 sec | 12 min 16 sec |
How many boards can it pump in a row?
We went outside in the heat and inflated our 12’6″ touring board to 15 psi 3 times in a row. The pump never stopped and we never got an overheat warning. This pump does what Valwix says it will do. We will continue using it throughout the summer and fall and update this if we ever have a problem with overheat. We have never had an overheat issue with the Shark 2 and NIXY Ventus which have similar active cooling fans.
Noise
This pump is noisy once it goes into its second stage air compressor mode. Every electric paddle board pump we have tried is noisy during this time. I have not tried one yet I would say is better or worse from 1.5 psi to completion while operating in air compressor mode.
Tips for using the Serenelife Electric Pump with your inflatable SUP
1 – use the correct gasket on the valve
The pump comes with a few different rubber gaskets you can pump on the H3 valve. It came with the thicker gasket installed. This works for most boards but there are exceptions. Some H3 valves need a thin gasket. Some need the thicker one. Check the gasket thickness that was on the supplied hand pump to see what size to use.
2 – Pre-twist the air hose before inserting it into the board.
To keep the H3 valve from coming out of the board while inflating it, it helps to have some tension in the air hose. Twist the valve in your hand counterclockwise to the next engagement point before inserting it in the board. The tension in the air hose will help hold the air valve in place during inflation.
3 – check for air leaks
After the pump goes into its high pressure stage, you should see a steady climb in pressure. If the pressure stops climbing at 2-3psi, there is a good chance you have an air leak somewhere in the air hose or pump fittings. Feel around for air coming out at either end of the hose. Tighten the fittings.
4 – You can deflate boards with the H3 valve in the closed position
If you want to roll up your board tight you need to suck all the air out. The best way to do this is open the valve and let all the air that naturally comes out escape. Close the valve and hook the pump up to the deflate port. Turn it on and let it go. It will suck all the air out. Take the hose off the board and the valve is already closed so no air goes back into the board.
5 – Roll the board from the tail/fin boxes to the nose.
The most compact way to roll up your paddleboard is to suck all the air out with a pump, then roll it from the fin boxes to the nose. This will result in the fin boxes folded flat against each other with the board rolled around them. This makes a much more compact and neat folded bag then rolling from the nose. You must get all the air out first if it’s a board with the air valve at the tail above the fins.
The Verdict
The Valwix electric paddle board pump has proven itself capable and reliable. It can inflate boards up to 20 psi. It can inflate several boards in a row thanks to it’s active cooling fan. It is one of the fastest electric pumps we have tried. If you are looking for an electric pump for your inflatable SUP, check it out.
Ryan Craig
Co-Founder & Chief Editor
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days, I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible. Visit our About Us page and learn more.
ryan@lowbudgetadventurer.com