Howwe tested them

MANUFACTURERS work hard to maximise your car’s fuel economy, but if you drive with under-inflated tyres then you will undermine a lot of their efforts and spend more money on petrol or diesel.

Having the correct pressure is a simple way to optimise economy and reduce emissions, plus the tyres will wear evenly and need replacing less frequently. Your car will also handle and stop better if the tyres are inflated to the maker’s recommendations.

Keeping on top of pressures takes only a few minutes, but ensure the tyres are cold before taking a reading. So which is the gauge to make your car perform as it should? We tested popular digital versions to find out. WE tried the products on two tyres, on both alloy and steel wheels, taking readings at 20, 25 and 30 pounds per square inch (psi). We looked for a clear display, awarding extra points for a backlight and a nose light.

An auto power off function helps prolong battery life, but we were looking for a minimum of 25 seconds to allow all four tyres to be checked without constantly resetting the unit; this was especially useful if the display retains the reading.

Instructions should be clear, ideally referencing the maker’s recommendations and the need to check cold tyres. All our gauges had psi and Bar scales, but some also had kpa and kg/cm2. Disappointingly, none had a protective case. Finally we factored in price from online sources.