Resource for Exercise Ball and Exercise Chair Air Pumps

Using the right exercise ball pump to inflate your fitness ball can make your workouts go easier

With the right exercise ball pump, you can quickly and almost effortlessly inflate your fitness ball. We’ve looked at a number of pumps and found several that can do the job right, without making a major impact on your budget.

Exercise Ball Pump Types

Most exercise balls come with an inexpensive foot pump. From our experience, these don’t last long and the pumping air capacity tends to be limited. It’s almost a workout of its own to inflate a stability ball. Exercise ball pumps come in hand, floor and electric models. Each one has their benefits and drawbacks as we’ve listed below.

Floor Air Pumps

Floor pumps provide the maximum amount of air pumping power per stroke. Most have a large air capacity and can quickly pump up an exercise ball or chair. Additionally, the models we’ve reviewed push air out on both up and down strokes. The advantages of using a floor air pump is that with little effort, you’ll have your stability ball pumped up in very little time. Plus there’s no need for an electrical outlet. The primary disadvantage is portability. Due to their size, these pumps will not easily fit in luggage for travel.

Electric Air Pumps

For ease of use and quick inflating, an electric pump delivers. The major advantage: absolutely not effort on your part (other than inserting the nozzle) to pump up your fitness ball or chair. The disadvantage: need access to an electrical outlet. Oh, and be prepared for the noise these guys make.

Hand Air Pumps

Typically less costly than floor or electric air pumps, hand pumps can be a great value. The advantage of a hand pump when it comes to exercise balls is portability. If you travel a lot and like to use your exercise ball at other locations, then a hand pump is the way to go. Most will easily fit in luggage, duffel bags and large purses. The disadvantage is the amount of effort it takes to pump up a ball. On the typical sized ball (65 cm), you could be pumping over 300 strokes. This can cause strain on arms and wrists.