If there was any one gadget out there that you probably didn’t think you needed, it would probably be this one here. The Tropo Pump is a portable air pump that can be used to blow up pool inflatables, beach balls, air mattresses, and more, but can also be used to deflate items such as vacuum storage bags.
What makes the Tropo Pump different from most air pumps is its compact size. This thing is smaller than a soda can and is operated by 4xAAA batteries. That makes the Tropo Pump extremely portable and can easily be carried in a bag. That makes the Tropo Pump a perfect companion for the beach or the pool where you’ll most likely have some kind of inflatable you’ll want to blow up. This saves you the time and energy of blowing it up with your mouth as well as makes things a bit more sanitary as you won’t have to put your mouth on something that might have germs on it.
Does it work? Yes. I tested the Tropo Pump out on several inflatable pool toys and it seems to work well. It can blow them up with minimal effort. The main plus here is that I didn’t have to exert any energy into blowing anything up. Usually when I have to do it manually, I run out of breath quite quickly and have to take small breaks after several puffs. Not only that, I get real tired after and have to rest up before doing anything else. With the Tropo Pump, I don’t have to do that anymore. I just attach it to the inflatable and let it do its thing. It seems to pump fairly quickly, although maybe I just didn’t notice how long it took because I wasn’t the one having to manually blow anything up.
On a side note, I did not test this out on an air mattress as I don’t have one.
Design wise, the Tropo Pump isn’t that bad looking. It’s basically a colorful little rectangle of a box with two air holes and and on/off switch. One air pulls air in while the other blows air out. You would switch attachment positions based on if you need to inflate or deflate. I’ll also note here that the fan inside is very powerful and also very loud. I’d say just about as loud as a hair dryer.
Now is it necessary to have a Tropo Pump? I would say that’s entirely up to you. For me, I do find it quite convenient not having to blow up inflatables manually anymore and I’ve found a few other uses for it. It also works great as a portable fan on hot days. With that said, the Tropo Pump might not be a necessity, but it sure makes blowing up inflatables a less tiring task. Its small size and portability makes it very convenient over conventional outlet powered pumps and being able to use this outdoors gives it a big advantage.
You can grab your own Tropo Pump right now over at their Indigogo page here.
