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Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) Review, 2022

Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale)

8.2

Overall Rating:

8.2/10

Pros

  • Built-in cooling mechanism
  • Slim rectangular design makes for easy storage and transport
  • 20 PSI cap
  • Longer than average cord
  • Included extra cigarette lighter cord
  • 7 different nozzle attachmentsIncluded travel bag helps with organization

Cons

  • Would have liked an organizational feature for the cord
  • Not much else (but still need to do a lot more testing)

Although Valwix is not a board manufacturer themselves, they specialize in a range of inflatable products from bounce houses to air mattresses and have decided to add the Valwix SUP Air Pump to their arsenal. Below, we will delve into a detailed review of their electric pump with the goal of helping you make the best purchasing decision possible.

Note: We have not yet tested the Valwix to the same degree as we’ve tested other pumps on our Best Electric Pumps list, such as the Shark II or the iROCKER Electric Pump. Our initial impression is that it’s a functional pump for inflating more than one board and we’ve been happy with it thus far but will update as we continue to use it.

Update (2/15/2022): Unfortunately, the Valwix SUP Air Pump did fail on us after some semi-rigorous use. It seems to be a mechanical issue, but we’ve reached out to Valwix to see if it’s just a defect and if they could possibly send us another one to test. We’ll give another update when we hear back. In the meantime, I’d recommend checking out our heavily tested list of the Best Electric Pumps.

If you’re a frequent visitor to SupBoardGuide.com you know that our top recommended iSUP accessory is an electric SUP pump. This is because we’ve been that person on a hot summer day pouring sweat over a kit-included manual pump desperately trying to hit our boards max PSI. We’ve also been there with our families trying to spend some quality time on the water but needed to sacrifice a decent chunk of their day physically pumping up several boards. The bottom line is that electric pumps make all the difference when it comes to being able to fully enjoy your inflatable iSUP, trust us on this one.

We think the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) would make a great fit for someone needing to inflate multiple boards at a time up to 20 PSI, but also wants a versatile durable pump across activities.

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Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) Review: Overview

Note: We paddle quite a lot and when we do we always grab one or more of our trusty electric SUP pumps. While it would be wrong to purposely test these pumps until failure, we can’t say we have put them in some pretty tough conditions as we went about getting ready. We can provide honest real world feedback on these pieces of equipment so you know what you’re buying will work when it needs to.

Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale): Spec Sheet

  • Main Category: Accessories / Electric iSUP Pump
  • Listed Max PSI: 20 PSI
  • Warranty: 1 Year Manufacturer warranty + 30 day Amazon return window

In-Depth Review of the iRocker 12V Electric SUP Pump

Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) 2022 Review

I want to start off by saying that the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) is not our most used pump currently, and has not been as rigorously tested as other pumps on our site. This is not because there’s anything wrong with it; we just have a couple of pumps (including the iRocker 12V Electric SUP Pump and the Shark II) that happen to always get thrown in the truck and the others tend to go by the wayside. We’re working on a few testing procedures to be more consistent when comparing electric pumps, so stay tuned as we work through that.

I want to start off by saying that the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) is not our most used pump currently, and has not been as rigorously tested as other pumps on our site. This is not because there’s anything wrong with it; we just have a couple of pumps (including the iRocker 12V Electric SUP Pump and the Shark II) that happen to always get thrown in the truck and the others tend to go by the wayside. We’re working on a few testing procedures to be more consistent when comparing electric pumps, so stay tuned as we work through that.

Performance:
This section focuses on how the unit performs, both in regards to the manufacturer’s specifications as well as during our day to day experiences with them.

Speed:

Inflation speed is going to vary depending on your board, meaning a 9’6” all-around will generally inflate faster than a 12’6” touring board. To test this out, we inflated a 10’ iRocker board to 18 PSI using several different electric pumps. The Valwix inflated the iRocker board in 11 minutes and 33 seconds, which is about on par with the rest of the pumps we tested.

The manufacturer states that the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) can fully inflate an iSUP in 8 minutes. This is likely the case if you are inflating a board up to 15 PSI, but for higher pressure needs, it would take those extra few minutes. Realistically, we don’t think an extra 2 or 3 minutes will make or break your day, so the Valwix’s speed is sufficient to inflate a couple boards and get out on the water in a timely fashion; I just would not hold it to that 8 minute manufacturer claim.

It could be argued that you could inflate a board manually in the same amount of time. This goes back to our reasoning that it’s much easier to prep the rest of your paddle gear or crack open a drink while the electric pump does the work for you than to sweat over a manual pump for 10+ minutes.

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Use Time:

Valwix specifies that this pump needs 30 minutes of rest for every 20 minutes of use. Given that it takes about 10 minutes to inflate one board, it should be more than sufficient to inflate 2 boards in a row. Because the manufacturer claims that this pump can inflate 3 boards in a row up to 20 PSI, their suggested max use time is likely a bit on the safe side.

Personally, I have inflated a 10’ iRocker board to 18 PSI 3 times in a row with the Valwix SUP Air Pump and while the hose and pump itself were hot to the touch by the end of the third go-round, it did not die on me. I’m sure it also helped that it’s only about 45 degrees (Fahrenheit) where I tested this pump, so I wasn’t dealing with many external heat factors.

Of course, I always recommend following the guidelines on your pump, as I cannot guarantee that running past the use time does not cause long term damage that does not manifest immediately. My main point is that these numbers are not exactly written in stone, so it’s hard to speak on the quality of a pump just given its recommended max use time.

I also want to note that it’s difficult to test exactly when the pump will quit on you, regarding use time, without intentionally burning out a pump. We have a hard time justifying completely wasting a pump in that way, but we do normally push electric pumps a bit past their limits (whether intentionally or unintentionally) and strive to let you know our real-world experiences with each pump.

At the base of it, we would prefer a max use time closer to 30 minutes and a shorter rest time, but the ability to inflate 2 boards in a row without worrying about overheating is still sufficient for most paddlers.

Max PSI:

We really liked that the Valwix SUP Air Pump can inflate up to 20 PSI. This allows you to inflate a wider range of boards than pumps with a 15-16 PSI cap. As iSUP construction/manufacturing advances, we are seeing more boards needing between 18-20 PSI to perform at their best, so this pump could be a good investment to get at the forefront of that wave.

Construction:
Here we will be discussing the general aspects of how well the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) holds up to use considering its overall construction, as well as its included features.

Features:

The Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) is small, lightweight, and easily carried and stored. The carry handle makes this pump comfortable to pull out of your iSUP bag or out of the trunk of your car, while its slim rectangular design allows it to fit nearly anywhere you want to pack it away. We also liked that this pump came with an included travel bag, which makes it so much easier to store with its hose and 7 included nozzle pieces without having to dig through your board bag for them. On the subject of nozzle attachments, this is the largest variety I have seen included with an electric SUP pump, making this pump a one-stop shop for all your inflation needs.

Another thing we appreciated about this pump is the backlit digital display which makes for easy reading of the pressure monitor, even with a bright sun glare. There are 4 control buttons to power the pump on or off, pick your pressure unit (PSI or BAR), and increase or decrease your selected pressure. We like when manufacturers give you the option to increase or decrease when selecting pressure, instead of having to cycle through all of the options in one direction. This is just us being nit-picky, but it’s just one of those things that can get annoying over time.

Durability:

On the exterior, this pump is the same standard plastic as most electric pumps. Like I’ve said before, it should hold up to being lugged around in iSUP bags or tossed in the trunk of a car but it would likely crack if it was dropped from a decent height or onto concrete. The hose and its inflate and deflate attachment points seem sturdy as well, but only repeated use over time will tell for those aspects. Keep in mind that with electric pumps, you want to make sure you have a stiff, heavy duty hose that will not melt when subjected to some heat. Initially, the stiff hose can seem annoying but a lesser hose would not hold up to high speed airflow, so it’s a trade-off. The 9.8’ cigarette lighter connection cord seemed high quality as well, but Valwix included an extra one as well, in the event that the original one quits on you.

Internally, this pump has a built in cooling system, which should contribute to a longer max use time as well as more durability overall in avoiding overheating. It also has a mesh inlet that will block sand or dirt from getting sucked into the inner mechanics of the pump and causing damage. Lastly, it utilizes a dual stage inflation method, as well as an automatic shut-off eliminating the risk of over-running the Valwix SUP Air Pump.

Update (2/15/2022): After about 2 months of use, the Valwix SUP Air Pump failed on me. It seems like it could just be a mechanical defect, but we’ve reached out to Valwix to see if we could test out a new one and will update when we hear back.

Cost:
At the time I am writing this review, the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) is listed at $139.00, which is a markdown from its original $169.00. This price is about average for electric SUP Pumps, and this is a good deal given the versatility of this pump.

My advice would be to always keep an eye out for sales and markdowns when it comes to any piece of iSUP equipment, as prices are always subject to some fluctuation as the market grows.

Warranty:
The Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) is covered by Amazon’s 30 day return window should you need a replacement or refund for damaged or defective products. On top of that, this pump is also covered by a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

Summary Review of the Valwix SUP Air Pump (The Whale) (2022 model)

Although this is not our most used pump, we were generally happy with its initial performance when subjected to some of our tests. It’s proven to be a sufficient pump for someone looking for a versatile pump, compact pump.

As we get more and more use out of it, we can update this page on its durability, but for now we think it’s a sufficient electric pump at a reasonable price that can inflate multiple boards at a time.

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Update (2/15/2022): Unfortunately, the Valwix SUP Air Pump did fail on us after some semi-rigorous use. It seems to be a mechanical issue, but we’ve reached out to Valwix to see if it’s just a defect and if they could possibly send us another one to test. We’ll give another update when we hear back. In the meantime, I’d recommend checking out our heavily tested list of the Best Electric Pumps.

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SupBoardGuide

Heyo! At SupBoardGuide.com we are a team who love the water, the outdoors, and are more than grateful that our full-time job allows us to review stand up paddle boards. We paddle year round (it helps that we are just about 2 hours outside of Las Vegas), and we bring in a wide range of paddlers with the goal of providing our readers with the best, most in-depth, and accurate stand up paddle board reviews.

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