Air pump is necessary to use the ball as most of the time they come deflated and here you are in a situation where you need the best basketball air pump and we are here to help you to pick the best one out all thousands of available pump and needle products. A slight decrease in accuracy of your shots and responsiveness of the ball is due to deflation in most cases. During game-play all balls tend to deflate little by little and if you are not using it for a longer periods of time the same effect also kicks in. You shouldn’t change your ball just because it’s deflated as fortunately you can restore the ball to its original and recommended size and usability with a simple ball pump. Before purchasing you should consider different types and ways of use, just a few basic instructions on ball pump use will help to protect yourself and the ball from damage during the process of inflation.
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Why it’s important to use quality pump to inflate your ball
The main reason is that with low quality needle and pump you can damage your ball and it will start to deflate eventually, and such equipment will not last long. Also, you need to know how much air to inflate to each ball and best electric pumps has the ability to show air pressure and you can control it in your ball to reach the best performance.
Best Basketball Hand Pumps
Here is the list of recommended basketball pumps sorted by best consumer rating.
| Picture | Name | Key Features | Rating(1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Franklin Sports Kit With Flexible Hose |
|
4.6 |
 |
Miracol Dual Action Ball Pump |
|
4.6 |
 |
Sportbit Ball Pump |
|
4.6 |
 |
Under Armour Dual Action Pump |
|
4.5 |
 |
Miracol Dual Action Ball Pump |
|
4.0 |
Best Smart Electric Pumps with Rechargeable Lithium Battery
Pumping the ball has never been easier than using a pump with lithium battery. Low battery? Charge with USB port. We decided to create top 3 smart pump list where you can see what’s best out there. Pick one of these high-end smart electric ball pumps and never feel the pain of endless pumping with your hands again.
| Picture | Name | Key Features | Rating(1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
TorrX Smart Pump |
|
4.7 |
 |
Keenstone Electric USB Ball Pump |
|
4.6 |
 |
Cadrim Electric Ball Pump |
|
4.6 |
Best Electric Pumps
If you have more than one ball to inflate and need to do this often, you should check out top choices below.
| Picture | Name | Key Features | Rating(1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Champion Sports Ultra Quiet Air Compressor |
|
4.4 |
 |
Champion Sports Electric Inflating Air Pump |
|
4.2 |
 |
Kensun YS-205 Portable |
|
3.7 |
Basketball Pump Types
- Hand ball pump – it has two variations; the first one is where you have a T shape lever that you can move up and down to fill the ball with air and another one is where you simply squeeze with your hand to transfer air in to your ball.
- Foot pump – it works pretty simple; it inflates the ball as you push the pedal on the ground and it sends the air to ball. Just stepping on a pedal is an easy way to inflate multiple balls.
- Electric pump – this a device used to maintain a park of balls and uses electricity either from battery or from electric outlet.
- Pumps with LCD screens and rechargeable lithium batteries.
How to insert the needle in to the ball
Now this process is very important for one simple reason: if you use a dry needle to inflate your ball it can ruin it because it can catch on the valve flap and by stretching or tearing it can cause damage and damage the ball, this is an unforgiving mistake done by many so keep in mind before you inflate the ball. Damage to air valve will cause air to leak continually and it brings trouble in maintaining the optimal level of air. Before inserting the needle to air valve, you must lubricate it every time you use it. The ideal liquids for this are rubber preservative or plastic protectant, however if you don’t have it you can use Vaseline or spit on your fingers and cover the needle with it to prevent the crucial damage on the valve flap. When you have your needle ready, hold the valve steady during the insertion process.
Pumping the Ball
Before you begin you should find air pressure recommendations for your ball. You can find these numbers by the air valve on the ball. It’s important to follow the recommendations to get the best experience. After you find the information you can begin pumping and how it’s done depends on the type of pump you got. For a T-shaped pump move the lever up and down gently several times to start the flow of air to your ball. If you have a squeeze type pump than just squeeze it several times to see if air starts to flow. For a foot pump, step on the pedal for a few times and the air will flow. The easiest way is to use electric pump as you just switch it on and watch the ball getting its shape. The most important things in this process is to be slow and don’t rush it in anyway.
How to Check Air Pressure
So you are done pumping air your basketball and it feels like it’s enough. The one and most common way to check air pressure is to insert lubricated air gauge into valve flap to get the pressure information and see if it matches the recommended pressure. For the best performance, you should get the numbers as close as possible to the ones recommended by the manufacturer. For those who can’t get the pressure numbers of the ball you just check it by bouncing it on the ground and see how it responds to contact with the surface. In the ideal conditions, you should get a quick response and slick controls, watch out for too big jump back from the ground as this indicates that your ball has too much air. Firm ball shows you that it has a good air pressure balance.
Watch a useful video about basketball inflation:
I hope this guide will help you to maintain your basketball.