Blackburn Air Tower 2 Review

The Blackburn Air Tower 2 is a reliable, durable pump that does its job without eliciting strong feelings one way or the other (and for some, a floor pump shouldn't). It has some of the most comfortable handles we've used, on par with the Topeak Joe Blow Sport 2, and built into those handles are actually little hidden compartments to stash your accessory inflators. It has a stable base and a pretty long hose, making it convenient for inflation. The Air Tower is definitely durable, but with that, is also one of the heavier pumps we tested. It wasn't our favorite for portability, but also wasn't totally disappointing in that category, as the hose fastens securely over the handles and its strong construction really holds up in transit.

Unfortunately, we found it one of the hardest pumps with which to get a good quality seal on the valves. The Air Tower is better in this aspect than the Park Tool Home Mechanic, but scored lower here than all the other pumps tested. Also, the gauge display is oddly small for the size of the pump, making it one of the harder ones to read.