How to use your tube

Meet the tube

You might be tempted to open it at the silver line in the middle. It doesn't open there. It opens at the bottom, and only once the air's out.

The controls

They all sit under the rubber cover on top. Pop it off to use them, and put it back on after.

Which pressure?

Not sure? Go 11. It's about what's in a fresh can. Like a softer ball? Try 9 or 10, or even 8. It'll go up to 29 psi, but no ball needs that.

You can only change the pressure on M.

Before the first go

1. 1Check the box. The tube, a USB-C cable, a spare sealing ring and a thank-you card. No wall plug, so use one you've got.
2. 2Check the battery. It arrives with some charge, so you can get going straight away. Press the round knob twice, quickly, to see how much is left.

Keep the spare sealing ring somewhere you'll find it. The quick fixes say when you'd need it.

Filling it

1. 1Pop off the rubber cover and flick the switch to M. The screen shows the pressure inside.
2. 2Not on 0? Give the yellow button a few quick presses, then press and hold until the screen shows 0. Letting it out bit by bit stops it all rushing out at once.
3. 3Unscrew the bottom cap. The bottom, not the silver line.
4. 4Drop in up to three balls. Padel or tennis. Nothing else.
5. 5Screw the bottom cap back on, all the way, before you pump. Hand-tight is enough. If it's loose, it won't hold the air.
6. 6Turn the round knob to the right. Stop at 11 for padel (lower if you like them softer), 14 for tennis.
7. 7Press the round knob to start. It can take a few seconds to kick in. Getting to 14 takes about 10 seconds. Even 29, the max, only takes about a minute. It's loud while it pumps, and it's done when the noise stops and the screen shows your number.
8. 8That's it. Flick to A and it'll keep the pressure topped up, or OFF if you just want it to sit. Leave the balls in whenever you're not playing. Balls that have gone a bit flat? Give them at least 48 hours in there.

Leaving it on automatic

• On A it remembers the last pressure you set. If the pressure drops by more than a fifth, it pumps back up. Set 11 and it tops up below about 9.
• Switch to A any time and it carries on at that setting.
• Want a different number? Switch to M, turn the round knob to the new number and press it, then back to A.
• A small drop in pressure over time is normal.

Heads up: on A it can start pumping by itself at any time. It's loud while it pumps, but only briefly.

Getting the balls out

1. 1Pop off the rubber cover and switch to M.
2. 2Give the yellow button a few quick presses, then press and hold until the screen shows 0.
3. 3Switch to OFF.
4. 4Point the bottom away from your face and unscrew the cap.

Won't turn? There's still air inside. Go back to step 2. Never force it, and never use tools.

Putting them straight back in after the game? Start again at filling it.

Battery and charging

There's a lithium-ion battery inside (7.4 V, 2600 mAh, about 19 Wh). A full charge takes 3 to 4 hours and lasts about 6 to 8 weeks, or 50 to 60 fills.

• Charge it with the USB-C cable from the box and a decent USB wall plug. Don't use a damaged cable.
• Plug the cable into the port in the glossy band at the top.
• Charge it on a hard, dry surface where you'll notice if something's wrong. Not on a bed or couch, and not in a car.
• Charge it at room temperature. Never below 0 °C or above 45 °C.
• Unplug it once it's charged.
• Keep it dry. Don't put it in water or rinse it under the tap. Wipe it with a damp cloth.

Storing it, flying with it

Storing it. Cool, dry, out of the sun. Never in a car: on a summer day it gets far hotter than 45 °C in there. Putting it away for months? Let the air out, charge it, and switch it to OFF.

Flying with it. Let all the air out so it reads 0, and switch it to OFF. It has a lithium battery, so carry-on is best. Check your airline's rules before you go.

Quick fixes

Screen’s blank

Check it isn't on OFF. Still blank? Charge it.

Bottom won’t turn

There's still air in it. Switch to M, then give the yellow button a few quick presses and hold until it shows 0.

Won’t hold pressure

Screw the cap on all the way. Check the rubber sealing ring where the cap screws on: wipe it clean and sit it flat. Worn or cracked? Swap in the spare.

Really loud

Only while it's pumping: usually about 10 seconds, and never more than a minute. That's normal, and covering it won't help.

When it's done for good

Not in your rubbish or recycling bin. The battery can start fires in rubbish trucks. Take it to an e-waste or battery drop-off. Your local council can tell you where, or email us and we'll point you to one.

Meet the tube

Two parts that twist together. There's no dial and nothing to charge.

The sticker on the bottom part does the job instead. As you twist, the clear top part slides down over it, and the lip of the top part points at the pressure. Twist it all the way closed and the lip sits at 14.

Which pressure?

Not sure? Go 11. It's about what's in a fresh can of padel balls. Like a softer ball? Stop at 9 or 10.

Filling it

1. 1Twist the two parts apart.
2. 2Drop in all three balls. Not one, not two: three.
3. 3Put it back together and twist the bottom until the lip of the top part lines up with your number: 11 for padel, 14 for tennis.
4. 4That's it. It holds that pressure until you open it again. Leave the balls in whenever you're not playing.

Getting the balls out

1. 1Point the bottom away from your face.
2. 2Twist the bottom back the other way, slowly. The pressure eases off as you go.
3. 3Keep twisting until the two parts come apart, then tip the balls out.

Putting them straight back in after the game? Start again at filling it.

Quick fixes

Won’t get up to 11 or 14

Check all three balls are in. With one or two, there's too much air to squeeze. With all three, it gets to about 14.

Not sure where 11 is

It's the short line halfway between 10 and 12.