Will the FLUXBAG fit my inflatable item?
Please note: The air pressure you can generate depends on a pump sack’s cross-sectional area and your pressing down. So the FLUXBAG can produce air-pressure of up to about 0.1 bar / 1.5 PSI – unless you bring around a metric ton to bear. Physics giveth and physics taketh away.
We think we made it: Our new 2021 nozzle set is very likely the best of all air pumps in the market. If the valve on your item looks anything like this, the FLUXBAG is right for you and shall reliably connect:
Honestly, when we started out with our first Kickstarter campaign back in 2016, we had no idea how difficult it would be to connect our product with all these different valves. There are various kinds, several sizes – and no two manufacturers make them in the exact same dimensions. Valves on leisure inflatables are just not precisely standardised.
In 2021 we worked long and hard through countless iterations and tests in order to create nozzle geometries that will fit regardless. Nozzles, that will not pop off under pressure and will allow for optimum air flow (i.e. speed) when you flux your item. We eventually got there.
The degree of standardisation here is slightly higher. Currently, the FLUXBAG comes with two flat valve adapters that cover about 80% of the sleeping pads in the market. Most (but not all) manufacturers use only one size of flat valves on their pads, so we started compiling a list of brands that are fully compatible with the current FLUXBAG adapters (A-Z):
If your brand is not on the list, it doesn’t mean the FLUXBAG will not work. There are countless other manufacturers and we just have not tested compatibility with all of them. You may just measure the inner diameter of your sleeping pad’s valve. If the result is either about 20 mm or 23 mm, the FLUXBAG adapters shall fit it.
Note: We would be very grateful if you drop as an email in case you find a new compatibility that we can add to the list. Thank you!
Two brands have decided to go solo with their own flat valve dimensions and designs:
The FLUXBAG does NOT connect with these valves - YET. Since our mission is to make the world’s best pump bag, we will have adapters for these soon even if making the molds will cost a few thousand dollars. If you have a Big Agnes or a newer Klymit pad, you may want to sign up for our newsletter to be informed when these adapters come out next summer 2022.
Many “self-inflating” (but others too) sleeping pads come with a screw-top / twist valve like the 18 mm ones Therm-a-rest introduced almost 30 years ago. Meanwhile, you can find these twist valves in diameters of up to 30 mm. For many of these pads you would probably not need a pump sack since they are truly self-inflating. A few, however, are a few inches thick and it takes considerable time for them to pre-fill themselves, plus you have to top them up with your lungs quite extensively after that.
In 2020 Therm-a-rest made another big move in the space when they introduced their new Winglock valves which are really great. They are now attached to ALL of their newer sleeping pads, not only the self-inflating ones. Not so great about them, however, is the fact that you would have to shell out another US$ 40 .. 50 for a simple 20 liters pump bag to inflate your new pad - a pump bag that will be completely useless for any other valves. But don’t worry, the FLUXBAG has you covered here as well. Our second largest tube fits Winglock valves.
In a nutshell: Our unique combination of a conical nozzle and adapter tubes allows to inflate all of these valves, no matter what size. This can be a little tricky at first but the parts get the job done.
The FLUXBAG is currently NOT compatible with Bravo valves as they are exclusively used on high-pressure inflatables such as SUP boards or large, expedition-style rafts. You would need a double-action pump or a compressor to fully inflate these items since the FLUXBAG cannot create air pressure higher than 1.5 PSI.
Yet, we are currently experimenting a bit: Since the FLUXBAG is so much faster and more effortless to use than a double-action pump, would it make sense to LOOSELY pre-inflate items like these with a FLUXBAG first, and only then top up with another manual pump? If you’re as curious about the results of these experiments as we are, click to sign up for the newsletter.
