The Best Soccer Ball Pumps in 2023 [Complete Buying Guide]

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Soccer balls are known to lose their air pressure over time, and that has a number of negative implications for the world’s most popular sport.

Now, I won’t list all the downsides but I will mention that soccer balls without enough air pressure don’t bounce as well or move as fast in the air and along the ground as those that do.

This is why soccer ball pumps were created.

Utilising them allows players optimal use of their own soccer balls, which subsequently makes competitive games, training sessions and casual kickabouts much more enjoyable spectacles.

So, in today’s product roundup article I’ll be looking at the best soccer ball pumps and judging them against a specific set of criteria that I shall outline later on.

But before I take the deep dive, I always start with a quick highlight of the top recommendations which covers the best overall option, the best value option, the best budget one along with one or two additional picks.

Here’s the list:

Image

Product

Features

 Rating


Our #1 Rated

Franklin Sports Ball Pump

  • Dynamic pressure gauge

  • Internal needle storage

84%

Best Value

SPORTBIT Ball Pump

  • Push-pull air delivery system

  • Ergonomic design

77%

Best Budget 

Uhlsport Ball Pump

  • Detachable tube hose

  • Good valve construction

74%

Mitre Double Action Ball Pump

  • Dual flow air delivery

  • Standard Euro needle

73%

Nike Essential Ball Pump

  • Attached extension hose

  • Air compression

71%

The No products found. wins here, as it comes with a pressure gauge, an extension hose that’s fully flexible along with internal needle storage, unlike some of the other options I’ve reviewed. What’s more is that it is an insanely popular pump with tens of thousands of happy customers attesting to its quality.


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With that broad overview complete, let’s dissect things a little further.

 

1. Franklin Sports Ball Pump

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Most soccer fans reading this are unlikely to be aware of the Franklin Sports brand, particularly those located outside of the United States.

And that’s why I love writing up these articles because I’m able to enlighten my readership through sharing immense amounts of knowledge with different demographics of people.

For starters, the company that makes this soccer ball pump was founded not too far back in the year 1946.

It began as a regional brand of sporting goods before venturing into affiliations with numerous world class athletes such as Barry Bonds and Sugar Ray Leonard.

In the present-day Franklin Sports is widely regarded as a manufacturing powerhouse within America; collaborating with some major sporting competitions like:

  • Major League Soccer (MLS)
  • The National Football League (NFL)
  • The PGA Tour
  • The National Hockey League (NHL)

Anyway, that’s enough said about the brand.

I’ll now move on to the product itself.

To begin with, the No products found. comes in a striking red colourway that looks very easy on the eye.

You also get the sense that the construction is sturdy and robust enough for the job of manually pumping up soccer balls.

Let’s discuss the headline features…

 

Flexible extension hose

Average quality pumps tend to leave little margin for error as they don’t usually include an extension hose.

You see, this piece of pipe affords the user more room to manoeuvre the needle whilst they try and inflate the ball.

Without one, the needle is capable of bending, snapping or getting caught inside the soccer ball valve opening as there is close to zero room for movement when the pumping process commences.

Having this extension hose connected to the needle and then inserted into the ball places less strain on the needle itself and it can be easily removed without damage after the inflation is complete.

 

Internal needle storage

One of the most impressive design features of this soccer ball pump is the compartment for needle storage that’s been incorporated.

Most companies won’t take this extra step and will simply include a small plastic carrier bag within the packaging for users to store the needles.

So, I’m pretty pleased to see that they’ve created a circular opening on the underside of the pump handle for storing the 3 metal needles that come with the gear.

Top marks here for Franklin Sports!

 

Dynamic pressure gauge

Next up we have the heavy-duty pressure gauge.

It looks similar to a tape measure but it gives the user all the information they need to know about just how much air pressure is within each soccer ball that’s pumped.

All you have to do is attach the needle with the gauge, insert the former into the soccer ball and wait for the pounds per square inch (PSI) reading to match the ball’s recommended air pressure level.

 

Other specifications

  • Weight – 136 grams
  • Dimensions – 0.07 cm x 0.21 cm x 0.07 cm

 

Benefits
  • Packaging includes a convenient carry case to take the pump with you wherever you go
  • Quality of material construction is very good
  • Pump operation is simple and feels similar to injecting a syringe
Drawbacks
  • Slightly high price for the budget constrained

 

2. SPORTBIT Ball Pump

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The second product we have is the No products found..

I would say that the company brand isn’t as established as Franklin Sports.

You can tell that they’re one of the smaller players in this market sector as this product was initially made available on Amazon in December 2016.

But nonetheless, there’s still a lot to like about this pump and I’ll now explain why.

 

Ergonomic design

For starters, SPORTBIT have catered for customer comfort through ergonomic design.

The pump’s handling area is fitted with some sort of soft mould and tiny gripping spots that cushion the user’s hand whilst he or she holds it.

You can’t overlook something like this because if you’re met with an emergency situation where you’re needed to pump up a large volume of soccer balls in quick succession, you’ll need to protect your hands and arms from sprains and pains.

 

Push-pull air delivery

Secondly, has been made to function through a push and pull air delivery sequence.

What this means is that when a user pushes down on the pump, it inflates the ball and even when the user recoils backwards via a pulling motion, the ball still receives a little extra air pressure in the process.

Ultimately, that soccer ball is getting pumped up to its recommended level regardless of whether you push the pump or pull it.

 

Soft needle plug system

I talked about this in the previous product review up above and it’s such an important factor that you can see SPORTBIT have also decided to do something about it.

As needles are capable of bending during the pumping process, the company has put together a soft needle plug system to prevent damage to the needles used and thereby prolong the useful life of the pump itself.

 

Other specifications

  • Weight – 140 grams
  • Extra components – 5 metal needles
  • Material – plastic and rubber

 

Benefits
  • 3-year customer satisfaction guarantee
  • Dual pump action works exactly as described, thereby speeding up the soccer ball inflation process
  • Seller frequently communicates with buyers after the sale to get feedback
  • Includes an assortment of 5 needles
Drawbacks
  • Doesn’t come with a pressure gauge or an accompanying storage bag

 

3. Uhlsport Ball Pump

Product image unavailable. Refer to comparison table at top for product listing appearance.

Uhlsport has been around for quite a number of years.

Founded in 1948 by Karl Uhl, the company’s history is said to have begun in the Southwest of Germany within a small town called Balingen.

Fast forward to the present day and they are widely recognised for specialising in goalkeeper apparel and other sorts of soccer accessories.

Now I’ll move onto what they bring to the table.

 

Main features

The pump itself comes in a sleek-looking black colour, with the company logo neatly painted on the body of the structure in a clean white font.

Its minimalistic design means that users don’t need to mount separate parts – like an extension hose – on it as it also designed to work with just the insertion needle.

Additionally, the high-quality valve construction ensures that pretty much all of the air that’s inserted via manual pumping makes its way into the soccer ball without leakage.

The most annoying thing to experience with a soccer ball pump is buying one takes an inordinate amount of time to get the ball fully pressurised.

 

Other specifications

  • Material composition – plastic
  • Weight – 90+ grams depending on the size ordered (i.e. small or large)

 

Benefits
  • Cheap price point puts it top of the budget category
  • Easy assembly
  • Quick inflation that can take as little as 30 seconds
  • Package comes with an instruction booklet
  • Includes flexible braided extension hose
Drawbacks
  • The needle that comes with the pump is quite thick, which can be a slightly discomforting challenge when inserting it into the ball’s valve opening

 

4. Mitre Double Action Entry Ball Pump

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Here we have another giant soccer gear manufacturer in Mitre!

They are well known for their quality product range and they have played a part in the exponential growth that the soccer industry has had over the last couple of decades.

It’s certainly not out of the realms of possibility that they’d succeed at manufacturing a good soccer ball pump, and they’ve done exactly that here.

The No products found. definitely holds up fairly well in terms of performance when I compare it against some of the earlier reviewed options.

Read on to find out more about what it has to offer!

 

Headline features

To begin right off the bat, I’d like to say that the colour choice that Mitre have gone for here is spectacular.

An electric cyan blue shade makes it look quite appealing and it would most likely be an eye grabber if you came across it within a physical retail store.

It comes equipped with a standard Euro needle that makes it ideal for inflating any sort of sports ball.

This extra versatility is great especially for users who don’t just have soccer balls stored at home.

More so, the plastic carry case that accompanies it allows for easy transportation.

There will be times when your soccer games are scheduled to take place a couple of miles away, and being able to safely take the pump with you is a great plus point.

Lastly, the icing on the cake is the dual-pumping functionality which inflates the ball in both push and pull instances.

That’s extra efficiency when stacked up against a standard pump as no air or human effort goes to waste.

 

Other specifications

  • Weight – 30 grams
  • Package dimensions – 26 cm x 8 cm x 3 cm

 

Benefits
  • Very low price
  • Pumps up very fast
  • Light and compact, thereby making it easy to travel with
Drawbacks
  • Not very durable
  • Doesn’t have a pressure gauge for tracking air pressure levels

 

You might also be interested in checking out No products found. as it’s a decent looking alternative.

 

5. Nike Essential Ball Pump

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Finally, we have the No products found..

With Nike being one of the biggest sports brands in the world, you are likely to think that all their products are of the highest possible quality.

This is largely true but I’ve found that in some cases you are actually better off going for the more unknown brands, particularly when it comes to accessories such as these.

 

Main features

At a glance, you’re met with three distinct colourways on the Amazon product page:

  • Black and white
  • Red and blue
  • Volt and black

The red and blue type may actually appeal to Barcelona fans as the colours match that of the club crest quite a bit.

More so, the swoosh logo is boldly centred which is a nice trademark touch.

What’s also interesting about this pump is that the extension hose already comes attached to it, so a user doesn’t have to fiddle about trying to connect the two different components together.

On matters of air delivery, this pump is said to compress air for faster soccer ball filling, which makes the inflation process more effective by cutting the time and energy needed for full pressurisation.

Lastly, the compact design makes it a snug fit in a backpack, and that ensures it can be taken anywhere on the go.

 

Other specifications

  • Material composition – 83% acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymer, 8% rubber, 5% thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), 3% zinc alloy, 1% nylon
  • Weight – 130 grams

 

Benefits
  • Packaging includes needle attachment
  • Easy to store away
  • Reasonable price
  • Very responsive as it pumps up fast
Drawbacks
  • No pressure gauge for monitoring air levels

 

Other honourable mentions

This product roundup would not be complete if I never mentioned two other soccer ball pumps.

What I’ve covered so far are pumps that work by manually forcing the air into the ball via pushing and pulling motions.

Now there are also electric soccer ball pumps that require less human input.

The first one I’d like to reveal is the No products found. which comes with an intelligent pressure detection mechanism, a visual LED screen and USB charging capability.

And if you wanted to go all out on a mains-powered soccer ball pump, then the No products found. is a perfect fit.

 

Things to look for in a good soccer ball pump

Now before I wrap things up, I’d like to take a little bit more of your screen time by sharing with you the factors to consider when shopping for a soccer ball pump.

 

Portability

A soccer ball pump needs to be compact enough to carry around, especially due to the fact that players usually travel to different locations for training sessions and matches.

There would be no use purchasing a pump that is too heavy and large to fit in a backpack, for example.

 

Dual-action air delivery

best soccer ball pumps - dual action air delivery

I’d ay efficiency plays a big role in separating the best soccer ball pumps from the rest.

You see in the world that we live in today, people are always looking to save time or money with the products that they buy.

Having a pump that delivers on the former is a very good start, as being built with push and pull air flow mechanisms means that soccer balls get inflated faster.

This in itself translates into having fully pumped soccer balls available for use in a shorter setup time, which even allows players to take to the field and play for longer periods.

 

Accurate pressure gauge

best soccer ball pumps - accurate pressure gauge

Soccer balls usually come with manufacturer-recommended air pressure levels.

And being able to rely on pressure gauge technology as opposed to one’s own intuition on how the object feels allows players to inflate soccer balls with the correct amount of air.

A good pump will come fitted with either a digital or analogue air pressure reader.

 

Extension hose add-on

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that the pump you choose has an accompanying hose add-on.

Needles are very prone to bending or snapping and the extension simply allows the needle to have a greater range of flexible movement within the valve opening as air is delivered.

 

What’s the best soccer ball pump?

It’s my opinion that the No products found. is the best out of all the options reviewed. It excels air delivery, comes with a good pressure gauge, a flexible hose extension, storage space for the needles as well as having thousands of positive feedback comments from satisfied customers.

Finally, before you go, you should check out our eBook on Soccer Ball Care.

Within this monster of a resource, we tackle all there is to know about looking after a soccer ball and maximising its useful life right from when you purchase this type of product.

This eBook covers a plethora of different topics, such as:

  • soccer ball construction;
  • inflation and pressure management;
  • cleaning and maintenance;
  • soccer ball storage; and
  • how to extend the useful life of your ball

In just a couple of hours, you’ll have more knowledge on what is good and bad for your soccer ball than you could ever fathom!

You’ll learn how to inflate your soccer ball to the correct level of air pressure based on the size of ball you have, as well as know how to clean and store your soccer ball properly after games.

But I don’t think there’s anything better than being able to effectively troubleshoot problems with your soccer ball and fix them yourself!

So, you can finally take care of your soccer ball for many months to come, which without a doubt will save you time and money as won’t be searching for and buying a replacement any time soon.

With just one click…

Grab yourself a copy right now for only $29!

Samuel Waihenya
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