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The best smart tyre safety monitor

  • Tyres should be kept at the correct pressure to remain safe
  • Keep an eye on your tyres with these monitors
  • These devices are non-obtrusive

Written by Ryan Gilmore Updated: 28 October 2024

The most attentive drivers will regularly test the pressure of their car tyres manually, but thanks to smart tyre safety monitors, it’s now possible to check your tyres whenever you want. Nobody likes a flat tyre, and a slow puncture can be a real irritant, especially if you don’t notice it until it’s too late.

Sure, it’s always a good idea to carry around a tyre pump for such an emergency, but surely prevention is the best course of action, and a smart tyre safety monitor can help prevent a lot of grief.

Regularly checking your tyres is a great way to not only stay safe but also save you money at the pump. Problem is, it can be a time-consuming affair. Thankfully, technology has a solution that will give up-to-date readings without you even having to get out of your car.

The best smart tyre safety monitor at a glance:

Editor’s choice: Tymate Tire Pressure Monitoring System – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best budget tyre monitor: WholeFire Car Tire Pressure Monitoring System – Buy now from Amazon UK
Best app-based tyre monitor: Nonda Zus AccurateTemp System – Buy now from eBay

Many modern vehicles will come with a factory-fitted Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), but older or lower-spec vehicles can still benefit from an after-market smart tyre safety monitor to give you all the important information you need to make sure your tyres are healthy. We’ve found the best examples on the market so you can drive with total peace of mind.

The best smart tyre safety monitor:

Editor's choice
Price: $79.99
Tymate Tire Pressure Monitoring System M12-3 is quick and easy to install in your vehicle and will give you real-time tyre pressure monitoring. It provides you with five alert alarms: high pressure, low pressure, high temperature, rapid air leakage, and sensor low battery alarm. The receiver is solar-powered but has a USB backup, and the valve caps are fitted with lithium batteries, which should last up to two years.

Pros

  • Easy installation
  • Five different alerts

Cons

  • Connectivity could be improved
Best budget tyre monitor
With this kit, you get a receiver and four tyre monitor valve caps. The receiver is relatively compact, and it is solar-powered, so it will sit happily on top of your dashboard, soaking up the sunlight to charge its internal battery. The valve caps are powered by lithium batteries, which should last up to three years. Matching the valve caps to the receiver is straightforward, and once completed, when you reach a speed of about 10MPH, the receiver will be activated and display the tyre pressures.

Pros

  • Good value for money
  • Automatic on and off

Cons

  • An irritating delay in data
Best app-based tyre monitor
With the Nonda Zus system, you get real-time tyre pressure information sent directly to your smartphone. No need for any wiring or receivers; you just download the app, fit the tyre valve caps, match the caps with the app, and you are ready to go. The system has an algorithm that can detect slow punctures and alert you to them before any more damage is done or you are left with a soft, under-inflated tyre.

Pros

  • Clever and smart system
  • Easy installation

Cons

  • Rather unreliable
Best for a visual display
This is the newest version of the Jansite system, which has been upgraded to include a large 3.5" screen, which is large and bright, easy to read, improved power consumption and higher performance pure copper chips in the valve caps for improved response and corrosion resistance. There is an adjustable monitor mount to give the optimum viewing angle, and it also means you can remove the monitor if required. It's powered from the solar panel or via the USB port and features automatic turn-off when the vehicle has been stationary for more than five minutes.

Pros

  • Easy to read screen
  • Removable monitor

Cons

  • The supplied adhesive strip for installation isn't strong enough
Best simple tyre pressure monitor

Rrp: $15.99

Price: $9.99
Alternative Retailers
Walmart
$9.99
If you're not fully convinced with a smart tyre safety monitor, then you can always buy a simple digital pressure gauge like this one. It's a small gadget you can keep in your glovebox and use to test your car's tyre pressure when required. It's simple but effective, but will take time to do. 

Pros

  • Really easy to use
  • Compact

Cons

  • Not that smart

What you need to know about smart tyre safety monitors:

How do they work?

Smart tyre safety monitors work using sensors that are mounted to your car’s tyre valves. These record pressure and temperature and send this data wirelessly to a receiver.

How this data is presented varies; some offer a small monitor you can place on your dashboard, and others offer smartphone apps which show this information. They will usually emit an alarm if the temperature or pressure changes significantly in your car’s tyres, an indication of a puncture.

Do they need charging?

Yes, they do. The sensors will come with long-lasting batteries, but these will eventually need replacing. In most cases, they are button cells. The receiver and optional screen will need some form of power, usually a USB cable. If you have a monitor that offers an app, you’ll obviously need some phone charge for it to work.

What vehicles are they suitable for?

Most smart tyre safety monitors come with either two or four sensors, making them perfect for motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles. They simply screw onto your tyre valve and that’s it, although it’s important to check that they will not cause any damage to your wheel (aluminium valves, in particular, can be damaged by these sensors).

How we choose
All of these smart tyre safety monitors have been hand-selected by our team of experts, who have spent hours investigating and researching smart tyre safety monitors to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we’d never recommend a product we don’t believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about.

Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he’s not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.

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