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A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

When we’re at the beach house during the summer, one thing we often have to worry about is air for our bike tires. But a lot of air pumps out there are clunky and outright cumbersome to deal with. However, the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca is a stylish way of pumping up everything from pool toys, basketballs, and yes — even those bike tires.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

Designed with portability in mind, the Viaggio is great for tossing in your checked luggage if you plan on going on a long trip, or even for setting in the trunk of your car when you take your bike on trips. I received a sample of the product and it’s products like this that you never really think that you’ll need — until you actually need them.

Inside of the tube is the Viaggio itself, a bag to hold additional needles and air pump materials (some you’ll have to purchase on your own), and instructions on how to use. At first glance, it looks like a portable version of the air pumps you’ve possibly seen at your local gas station, only without the coin inserts.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

Coming complete with a fully collapsible stand, the Viaggio’s premise is pretty simple. With (or without) the use of the companion iGauge app, the Silca Viaggio is a pump that only takes one person to use, with its simple method of adding air to whatever needs it from bikes to balls. Using the app, you can get an accurate gauge of pressure up to 1% using the HIRO chuck, but for me, I’d like to think for things like balls and bikes you can eyeball when you’ve applied enough air to it.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

Bikes obviously are a bit more temperamental, and if you’re a cyclist (I am not, but I like to ride on occasion), the Viaggio is a great method of making sure that you have just the right amount of air in your tires that will give you a smooth ride without feeling off-balance. Most pumps on the market don’t come with both a Schrader AND a HIRO Presta chuck so it’s already ahead of the competition in that regard.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

The retractable feet on the Viaggio for me are perfect, giving me the ability to simply set the pump in place, without dropping it on the ground or having it roll around while in use. When pumping up a basketball for example I was able to have the Viaggio set in place while I kept one hand on the ball to monitor the pressure.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca
A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca
A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

While you can use the iGauge app to check the PSI, with my basketball, it did not register, similar to what happened when I attempted to inflate pool toys. The app does support KG/CM2, PSI and BAR according to Silca, which is great if you are a cyclist.

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

If you intend to pack the Viaggio, though, the handle is a bit cumbersome. I found myself just leaving the handle on at all times, regardless of it being able to be removed, for the sake of not breaking it. This could merely be me being brutally impatient, but if you intend on tossing in your luggage for travel, I would take the extra couple of minutes to get acclimated removing the handle for easier storage. I haven’t had any problems traveling with the pump the two times that I’ve checked my bag, and TSA hasn’t questioned me. But to be safer than sorry, detach the needles from the valve and place them in the bag if you want to be extra cautious. Luckily there’s a nifty canvas bag that can easily store in your bag, or honestly just be it’s own checked luggage if you choose, that will protect your pump even more (if you managed to separate the pump handles of course).

A Review of the Viaggio Travel Pump by Silca

Overall though, I absolutely LOVE the Viaggio, and I no longer have to travel to my local Sporting Goods store to ask them to pump up a ball for me (yes they do that), or to inflate the tires to my bike every summer. My in-laws are heavy cyclists, so being able to effortlessly travel with it when I go to visit them is fantastic as well, although I may have to eventually gift them one. At $275 it’s not the most affordable item to add to your checkout bin, but it’s certainly one that will last a lifetime, regardless if it sits in your trunk, garage, anywhere you can imagine.

The Viaggio Travel Pump sells for $275; it is available directly from the manufacturer

Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit

What I Like: Portable, easy to use pump that works with or without app; Great for balls & Bikes

What Needs Improvement: iGauge app doesn’t frequently receive app updates

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