The best 100 L air compressors, compared.
Top pick: Sealey SAC10030VA 100L Best value: TIGREN V100DD 100L – Lowest shelf price at £347.99, with splash lubrication, 8 bar and 230 V stated. Airflow is 13 CFM unlabelled, and noise is 97 dB. Updated 20 October 2026.
A 100 litre air compressor in the UK is a 230 V piston machine with a receiver of about 100 litres, usually on a BS 1363 13 A plug, for a home garage or a small workshop. The figure that sizes a tool is free air delivery at a stated pressure, not an unlabelled cell and not the litre badge. You then judge stated noise, oil-free or oil-lubricated, and a vertical or horizontal receiver. Smaller compressors, a cordless inflator and a bare tank from the wider search are not ranked. Free air delivery, the plug and the footprint are in the [100 L air compressor buying guide](/hub/compressors/100l-air-compressor/sub/100l-air-compressor-buying-guide). Belt-drive and rotary screw compressors are not here. The tank stores air so a nailer or a tyre inflator can take short bursts. A spray gun held open needs the pump to keep up. A margin of about 25 to 30 per cent over the tool’s is a rule of thumb, not a standard.
A 100 litre air compressor in the UK is a 230 V piston machine with a receiver of about 100 litres, usually on a BS 1363 13 A plug, for a home garage or a small workshop.
14 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +18,400 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 4
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you need the lowest stated noise in this set?
The Sealey SAC10030VA is listed at £351.23 as a 100 litre V-twin direct-drive compressor, with 3 hp, 13.7 cfm and 116 psi in the title. That 13.7 cfm is not labelled as free air delivery. Sealey’s own sheet states 7 cfm free air delivery and 97 dB, and it gives 1040 × 350 × 720 mm and 48 kg nett, against 62.5 kg on Amazon, so the Amazon size of 10 × 10 × 10 mm is not a footprint you can use. The listing score is 3.7 from three ratings. The only review text says the compressor arrived broken, was very noisy, and was refunded. Amazon does not state oil type, voltage, or a decibel figure, and a bullet that says quiet operation has no number beside it. You are close to the bottom of this price band, and the Amazon page alone does not show oil, noise, or a real size.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will read Sealey’s sheet for 7 cfm free air delivery, 97 dB and the real dimensions, and you accept a three-rating sample that includes a refund.
Less suitable: You need the Amazon page alone to show oil, volts, noise, or a usable size.
Specifications
Common questions
What pressure does the listing give?
The title says 116 psi. The technical table only says maximum pressure 1, with no unit, so that table value is not usable.
Does the listing say whether it needs oil?
No. It does not say oil-free and it does not state an oil capacity. The bullets describe an aluminium cylinder head with a cast-iron cylinder.
What do the reviews say?
The listing score is 3.7 from 3 ratings. The only review text says the compressor arrived broken, was very noisy, and was refunded.
The TIGREN V100DD, Amazon model number SIP-04388, is the lowest shelf price in this set at £347.99. The pump is oil-lubricated by splash, the tank is a horizontal 100 litre receiver, and the listing states 97 dB, 8 bar and 230 V. Airflow is given as 13 CFM and is not labelled as free air delivery. SIP’s page for this model states 8 CFM free air delivery. The amazon.co.uk score is 2.5 from three ratings and none of that text is in the capture, so the sentiment is unknown. Listed current is 9.73 A, while this class of machine is generally built for a 13 A supply, so do not plan the circuit from the 9.73 A cell alone. At 59.1 kg and 135 × 35 × 85 cm it needs a long footprint, and the warranty line is one year. You spend the least here, and you take on oil checks plus a 97 dB pump.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest price, you will check the oil, and the compressor can live with a stated 97 dB.
Less suitable: You share a wall with a neighbour, or you will not check a sump.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this compressor need oil?
Yes. The title says oil-lubricated and the lubrication method is splash lubrication. An oil capacity is not stated.
What noise level is listed?
The listing states 97 decibels.
Is free air delivery stated?
No. Air flow capacity is listed as 13 CFM and is not labelled as free air delivery.
The SIP Airmate 05481 is the horizontal oil-free 100 litre listing at £395.96, with 71 dB, 8 bar, 230 V and 13 A stated on amazon.co.uk. The airflow cell says 15 CFM and does not call that free air delivery. SIP’s own page for 05481 states 9 CFM free air delivery, and it also lists 90 dB(A) LwA beside 71 dB(A) LpA, so the Amazon 15 CFM line is the wrong figure for sizing a tool. The listing score is 1.0 from a single rating and there is no review text, which is too thin to treat as a pattern. The footprint is 47.5 × 97.5 × 79 cm at 56.5 kg, and wheels and warranty are not stated. You get an oil-free pump below the vertical model’s price, and you still take airflow from the maker’s 9 CFM figure.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an oil-free horizontal tank and you will use SIP’s 9 CFM free air delivery rather than the 15 CFM cell.
Less suitable: You need a review sample, or you will treat 15 CFM as the air the tool receives.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this compressor need oil?
No. The title, bullets, and special features say the pump is oil-free.
Is free air delivery stated on the listing?
No. Air flow capacity is given as 15 CFM and is not labelled as free air delivery.
What noise level is listed?
The listing states 71 decibels.
The SIP Airmate 05484 is the only machine in this set whose amazon.co.uk bullets state 9 CFM free air delivery at 8 bar, next to 13.6 CFM displacement. The same listing states 67 dB, an oil-free pump, a vertical 100 litre tank about 115 cm tall, and a 1.3 m cable with a 230 V 13 A plug. At £479.98 it is the highest shelf price of the four, and this capture has no amazon.co.uk reviews, so the judgement rests on the labelled specification. Net weight is 53.5 kg, with two solid wheels and a front foot listed, and the warranty line is two years. The title and the maker describe 3 hp (2.2 kW), while the model-name field says 2 hp, so use the 2.2 kW figure. You pay for a stated airflow and the lowest decibel number here, and you buy without an owner sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest stated noise in this set and free air delivery written on the amazon.co.uk listing, and £479.98 is acceptable.
Less suitable: You want owner reviews before you buy, or you need the lowest price in the set.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this compressor need oil?
No. The listing describes an oil-free pump and oil-free lubrication.
What airflow does the listing state?
The bullets state 13.6 CFM piston displacement and 9 CFM free air delivery at 116 psi (8 bar). The airflow field also says 13.6 CFM.
What plug does it include?
The included components list a 1.3 m mains cable with a 230 V 13 A plug.
For this comparison we read four 100 litre air compressor listings on amazon.co.uk and checked free air delivery, noise, lubrication and supply against the maker pages and public UK sources named below. Editorial scores use those listing figures. Every listing here has fewer than four ratings, so stars stay a small part of the score. We did not run a lab test.
Listing clarity
35%Labelled free air delivery, pressure, lubrication, supply, noise, and a usable size. Unlabelled CFM and a conflicting field lose points.
UK garage fit
25%Stated noise class, a 13 A pattern, and whether oil is clear on the page you buy from.
Review evidence
20%Stars count only with the sample size. Every listing here has fewer than four ratings, so this block stays low. A defect in the only review text is a deduction.
Price position
20%Shelf price inside this set. The prices are £479.98, £395.96, £351.23 and £347.99.
Choose free air delivery before the litre badge, then noise, oil and whether a 13 A socket is actually what the sheet asks for. The four shelf prices sit between £347.99 and £479.98. A workplace receiver is a different decision from a private garage.
A 100 litre air compressor in this set is a direct-drive piston machine on a receiver of about 100 litres. All four listings are that type. Belt-drive and rotary screw compressors are not here. The tank stores air so a nailer or a tyre inflator can take short bursts. A spray gun held open needs the pump to keep up. That is free air delivery, not the litre figure. A margin of about 25 to 30 per cent over the tool’s CFM is a rule of thumb, not a standard.
The tank stores air for short bursts. A spray gun held open needs the pump’s free air delivery. A 100 litre badge is not a performance class, and two machines with the same tank can feed a tool very differently.
Amazon’s 15 CFM, 13.7 cfm and 13 CFM lines in this set are not labelled as free air delivery. The maker figures are 9 CFM, 7 cfm and 8 CFM. Sizing from the larger cell overstates what the tool receives.
Sealey’s instructions say not to use an extension lead. Oil-free does not mean dry air, so you still drain condensate. Do not tip a lubricated pump and then start it. Call a competent person if the shell is dented, the safety valve lifts, or staff use the receiver with no written scheme.
Free air delivery is the air the pump can supply at a stated pressure. Displacement, and an unlabelled CFM cell, are larger numbers that do not describe what the tool receives. In this set only the vertical SIP puts 9 CFM free air delivery at 8 bar on the amazon.co.uk listing, next to 13.6 CFM displacement. For the other three, the labelled free-air figure sits on the maker page, not in the Amazon airflow cell: 9 CFM for SIP 05481, 7 cfm on Sealey’s sheet, and 8 CFM on SIP’s TIGREN page.
Noise, oil and the plug decide whether the machine can live in a UK garage. The vertical SIP states 67 dB and is oil-free, on a listed 1.3 m cable with a 230 V 13 A plug. The horizontal SIP states 71 dB and is also oil-free, at £395.96, with wheels and warranty not on the listing. SIP’s page for that model also lists 90 dB(A) sound power beside 71 dB(A) sound pressure, so the Amazon decibel is not the only noise line.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You run nailers, tyres and short spray sessions from a 13 A socket, and you would rather not annoy the neighbour. The vertical SIP states 67 dB and labels 9 CFM free air delivery. There are no owner reviews in this capture, and it is the highest price here.
You will check the oil, and the true free air delivery has to cover the tool. The TIGREN is the lowest shelf price, with splash lubrication stated, and SIP’s page gives 8 CFM free air delivery. The listing states 97 dB, so a shared wall is a poor fit.
A workplace 100 litre receiver at 8 bar sits above the 250 bar litre example, so expect a written scheme from a competent person before use. A stated 97 dB pump also needs a noise check. The vertical SIP is the lowest stated noise in this set, and it is still not a lab result.
On these amazon.co.uk listings the SIP Airmate 100L vertical is the top pick: it is the only one that labels 9 CFM free air delivery at 8 bar, and it states 67 dB, with no owner reviews in this capture. The TIGREN V100DD is the best value at £347.99, with splash lubrication, 8 bar and 230 V stated, and a stated 97 dB you have to accept. The horizontal SIP is oil-free at £395.96 if you use the maker’s 9 CFM figure rather than Amazon’s 15 CFM cell. The Sealey page alone does not show oil, noise or a usable size.
TIGREN V100DD 100L
Lowest shelf price at £347.99, with splash lubrication, 8 bar and 230 V stated. Airflow is 13 CFM unlabelled, and noise is 97 dB.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and manufacturer pages below. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 20 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and star ratings are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
