The best oil-free air compressors, compared.
Top pick: Hyundai HY7524X 24 L – Highest score on a 24 litre oil-free tank, 4.6 from 1,072 ratings and a 60 dB claim. The page still prints two airflow figures. Best value: Bimson Power 8 L – Lowest spend that still states an airflow, at about £99.99, with 8 bar, 131 L/min and 4.5 from 72 ratings. No decibel figure. Updated 20 October 2026.
An oil-free air compressor in this UK set is a 230 V electric pump with no oil sump, sold on amazon.co.uk for tyres, nailers, blow guns and light spraying. You tell them apart by tank volume, airflow at a stated pressure, maximum pressure, and whether the noise figure is a sound-pressure claim or a bare decibel. Reviewers describe the slow-running 8 litre and 24 litre receivers listed around 57–60 dB as quiet enough to talk beside. The 95–97 dB direct-drive units are oil-free too, and they are not that machine. Oil-free does not mean dry air, silent air or breathing air. Match the tank and the plug to the job in the [oil-free air compressor buying guide](/hub/compressors/air-compressor-oil-free/sub/air-compressor-oil-free-buying-guide).
An oil-free air compressor in this UK set is a 230 V electric pump with no oil sump, sold on amazon.co.uk for tyres, nailers, blow guns and light spraying.
38 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +18,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How long do you need air for?
The Hyundai HY7524X is a 24 litre oil-free compressor at £149.95, rated 4.6 from 1,072 amazon.co.uk reviews, listed at 750 W, 8 bar and 22 kg. Reviewers use it for hobby spraying, nailers and tyres, and several say they can barely tell it is running next to an older oil-filled machine. Those same reviews put cut-out nearer 7 bar, about 100 psi, than the headline 8 bar, which is awkward for some brad nailers and high-consumption spray guns. The bullets print 5.2 CFM and 150 L/min while the specification table prints 2.65 CFM, so neither figure is a settled free air delivery. Buyers also describe a mains lead of about 1 metre and manufacturing grit in a new tank, and one damaged gauge was replaced or refunded. You get the largest review sample in this set, and the page still carries two airflow numbers.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the largest UK review sample and a quiet oil-free garage compressor for intermittent tools, and you will not treat 5.2 CFM as the air a gun receives.
Less suitable: You need one labelled free-air figure, or you spray continuously with a high-consumption gun.
Specifications
Common questions
Do I need to change the oil?
The listing calls the pump oil-less and says oil checks are not required. It still names a condensation trap, so the tank is not described as dry. The page does not call the air breathing air.
Which airflow figure is on the listing?
The bullets say 5.2 CFM and 150 litres per minute displacement, up to 118 psi. The specification table says 2.65 cubic feet per minute. The page does not say at what pressure the 2.65 CFM figure was measured.
Does it include a hose?
Included components are the HY7524X compressor and a user manual. A hose is not listed.
The Hyundai HY5508X is an 8 litre, 550 W oil-free compressor at £129.99, rated 4.5 from 989 reviews, with a stated 13 A UK plug and Euro quick-release couplings. Reviewers use it indoors with a staple gun and for tyres, balls and a blow-off, and they call it quiet enough to talk beside. The small tank refills for intermittent tools and is not for long continuous air. The bullets say 4 CFM and 120 L/min, while the specification field says 2 cubic centimetres per minute, which is not a usable airflow figure. Castings around threaded holes are described as thin, and one unit arrived with the inlet filter crushed against an electrical cover. You pay for a large review file and a compact tank, and the listing still does not give you one airflow number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a compact oil-free machine for tyres, a staple gun and short blow-offs, and you already accept an 8 litre tank.
Less suitable: You need a continuous spray or a single usable airflow figure on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the tank capacity?
The listing says 8 litres in the title, the capacity field and the tank-volume field.
Does it come with a UK plug?
A bullet says it is supplied with a standard 13 A UK plug and Euro quick-release connections. Maximum current is listed as 13 A.
Which airflow number can I use?
The bullets say 4 CFM and 120 litres per minute. The specification field says 2 cubic centimetres per minute, which is not a usable airflow figure, so that cell is not treated as a measured output.
The Bimson Power 8 litre is £99.99, rated 4.5 from 72 reviews, listed at 750 W, 116 psi and 8 bar, with 131 L/min on the highlight, a UK 13 A claim and a two-year warranty line. Short reviews call it good value and quiet for light DIY, and one owner used it with an air-bag jack. The highlight also calls it lightweight, while the weight field says 16 kg and one review says that is not light. One unit leaked badly out of the box and was refunded, another did not function and was returned, and a detailed complaint says the outlet-valve instructions reverse clockwise and anticlockwise. Noise is not given as a decibel figure, and the included line is a user manual rather than a hose. It is the lower spend in this set against a stated airflow, and the leak reports are the reason to check it on day one.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest spend that still states an airflow, for tyres, a blow gun or short nailer bursts.
Less suitable: You need a labelled noise figure, or you expect a hose and a large receiver in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it come with attachments?
Included components are a user manual. No hose or gun is listed.
What plug does the listing claim?
The highlight says UK 13 Amp. Voltage is 230 V. The listing text does not include a photo of the plug.
Is it oil-free?
The title and the special-features field say oil-free, and a bullet says you avoid oil changes.
The HYCHIKA 24 litre is an oil-free 230 V compressor at £124.84, rated 4.5 from 27 reviews, and reviewers have used it for a small spray gun, tyres and car valeting. The same file says it gets hot under heavy use, and one unit smoked with a burning smell on the first start, after which the buyer bought a different compressor. The title claims 160 L/min air intake and a bullet says 68 dB, while the specification says 60 L/min and 62 dB, and neither line names free air delivery or a measuring distance. Maximum power is 1,100 W in the specification and 880 W in the model name, and weight is 21.8 kg in the table against 16.7 kg in a bullet. Twenty-seven ratings are too small a pile to separate the praise from that smoke report. You are in the mid price band, and the page still prints two airflows.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will use a small gun with rests, and you have read both airflow lines before you buy.
Less suitable: You need a single airflow figure, or you will keep spraying once the pump is hot.
Specifications
Common questions
What noise level does the page state?
The specification says 62 decibels. A bullet says 68 dB. Neither line gives a measuring distance.
What is the airflow?
The title says an air intake of 160 litres per minute. The specification air-flow field says 60 litres per minute. The page does not say which figure is free air delivery at 8 bar.
Can the listing be used for car tyres?
Recommended use on the specification is tyre inflation, and a bullet names inflating tyres. No tyre hose is listed under included components.
The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent is £169.93, rated 4.4 from 481 reviews, a 24 litre, 750 W, 8 bar oil-free machine whose bullet says 57 dB as an LpA value. Reviewers call it very quiet next to a normal compressor and describe the build as proper quality, with enough capacity for air tools in one report. The specification model name is TE-AC 24 Silent, part 4020610, while a bullet calls it the TE-AC 135/24 Silent Plus, and the title says 240 V where the specification says 220 V. One buyer received an EU-spec unit on a UK order after checking with Einhell UK, and transit damage crushed a filter holder that then leaked. Airflow is not stated. You pay the most among the quiet 24 litre machines here for a labelled LpA figure, and the page still does not say how much air you get at 8 bar.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest labelled sound-pressure figure in the quiet 24 litre pair, and you can buy without a CFM on the page.
Less suitable: You need a stated free air delivery, or you cannot check that the unit is the UK specification.
Specifications
Common questions
Which model name is on the listing?
The specification model name is TE-AC 24 Silent, part 4020610. A bullet calls it the TE-AC 135/24 Silent Plus. Both strings are on the same page.
What noise figure is printed?
A bullet says 57 dB as an LpA value. The page does not add a measuring distance.
What voltage is listed?
The title says 240 V. The specification voltage field says 220 V.
The Orazio 241183 is £95.99, rated 4.4 from 334 reviews, titled as a 9 litre, 550 W oil-free compressor at 65 dB, 116 psi and 73 L/min. Reviewers say they can talk beside it, in contrast with a 95 dB machine, and one ran it from a suitcase generator where smaller compressors would not start. The tank-volume field on the same page says 45 litres, so capacity is not a single figure, and the pressure switch is reported nearer 7 bar than a stated 8 bar. The manual tells one buyer to change Teflon piston rings every six months, and that buyer could not get the spares. Leaks, metal lumps inside the cylinder, and an older review that mentions both a 9 litre and a 24 litre mean some complaints may not be this tank. The title mentions a dental clinic, and no medical or breathing-air certificate is printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a lower-priced quiet-claimed pump for light domestic air, and you will confirm the tank size from the photos before you rely on 9 litres.
Less suitable: You need one tank capacity on the listing, or you took the dental wording as a medical-air claim.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the tank capacity?
The title and a bullet say 9 litres. The tank-volume specification says 45 litres. Those two figures are both on the listing, so capacity is not a single clean number.
Does it require oil?
The title says oil-free. A bullet says it requires no daily maintenance and removes the risk of oil stains. No oil bottle is listed.
Is it described as dental or medical air?
The title mentions a dental clinic among suggested places. No medical standard or breathing-air certificate is printed on the listing.
The ABAC Ease-AIR 6 is a 6 litre, 0.75 hp oil-free compressor at £155.99, rated 4.4 from 291 reviews, listed at 8 bar, 49 dBA and 110 L/min aspirated. The box includes a Type G adaptor and a manual, and the listing does not say a moulded BS 1363 plug is already fitted to the lead. The listing has the star line and no review text, so there is no praise or fault to summarise from buyers on this page. The 49 dBA figure has no measuring distance, and 110 L/min is aspirated air, not free air delivery at 8 bar. Weight is 15.3 kg in a 39 × 34 × 30.6 cm body. You are paying a mid-band price for the lowest printed noise figure in the set, and you are buying without a review theme to check.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest printed decibel claim in a 6 litre oil-free body, and you will fit the Type G adaptor correctly.
Less suitable: You need buyer reports of noise or a free-air figure at 8 bar before you spend £155.99.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the tank capacity?
The title, capacity field and tank-volume field all say 6 litres.
How is it connected to a UK socket?
Included components are a Type G (UK) adaptor and a user manual. The listing does not say a moulded BS 1363 plug is fitted to the lead.
What noise figure is printed?
The title says 49 dB and a bullet says 49 dBA. No measuring distance is printed. The listing has the 4.4 star line from 291 reviews and no review text.
The Bimson Power 24 litre is the £114.99 oil-free tank at 750 W, 230 V and 116 psi, weighing 22 kg and rated 4.4 from 51 reviews. Reviewers used it for nail guns, fence spraying and a casting pot at 60 psi, and one could take a phone call while it filled. The listing states no airflow and no decibel figure, so that quiet comment is not a number you can put beside a labelled LpA. One unit would not start after about 12 months and two uses, another leaked at a fitting so the tank would not hold, and screws were missing on arrival. Included components are a user manual. You pay less than the Hyundai 24 litre, and you buy without a CFM or a stated noise level.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest 24 litre tank here for tyres or a nail gun, and you can accept an unstated airflow.
Less suitable: You need a CFM or a decibel figure before you buy a spray gun.
Specifications
Common questions
How much air does it deliver?
The listing does not give a litres-per-minute or CFM figure. It does say 116 psi and a 24 litre tank.
Does it come with attachments?
Included components are a user manual. No hose, gun or coupling is listed.
Is a noise level stated?
The bullets call it a quiet compressor. No decibel number is in the specification.
The Einhell TC-AC 240/50/10 OF is the 50 litre, 1,500 W machine at £212.95, rated 4.3 from 2,487 reviews, with 10 bar in the bullets, 240 L/min on the listing and 95 dB. Reviewers use the upright tank in a small workshop for inflators, nailers and paint sprayers, and they call it louder than expected rather than quiet. A burning plastic smell led to a return after one day, another motor failed within a year, and a damaged plug was not replaced at Einhell’s cost after the buyer cut it off. The specification model name is TH-AC 240/50/10 OF while the title says TC-AC, part 4010393. Fifty litres at 10 bar is 500 bar litres, above the 250 bar-litre line in the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 if you use it as work equipment. It is the largest receiver here, and it is not the quiet garage pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the biggest oil-free receiver in this set for a workshop, and you accept 95 dB plus a work-equipment check at 10 bar.
Less suitable: You want a quiet garage, or you expected 10 bar and 50 litres to be a hobby exemption from a written scheme.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it have a pressure gauge?
A bullet says the working pressure is shown on a pressure gauge and taken off through a quick-release coupling.
Can the listing be used for painting?
The listing is an oil-free 50 litre compressor at 10 bar and 240 litres per minute. It does not state a free-air-delivery figure at spraying pressure, and the sound level is 95 dB.
Is the motor oil-free?
A bullet says the motor does without lubrication, needs very little maintenance, and can be transported in any position. Condensate is drained through the drain cock.
The Draper 02115 is a 6 litre, 1.2 kW oil-free compressor at £102.27, rated 4.3 from 335 reviews, listed at 185 L/min displacement, 4,000 rpm and 97 dB. Reviewers treat it as a light portable beside a larger workshop machine, including farm punctures, and they say it comes up to pressure quickly. Several also sent it back because it is loud, and some who kept it still call it noisy even when it was quieter than they feared. The 6 litre tank runs out quickly for continuous tools, and the box does not include a hose, so extra Euro connectors are needed. The printed dimensions of 13.8 × 12.4 × 13 cm sit oddly beside a 6 litre tank, and a safety valve is not named in the bullets. It is a small starter if you already accept 97 dB, and it is the wrong machine if you wanted the quiet group.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light oil-free portable for punctures and short jobs, and you can tolerate a 97 dB listing.
Less suitable: You want to talk beside the machine, or you need a hose in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it need oil?
The listing describes it as an oil-free compressor and says the motor emits no fumes from oil. No oil fill is listed.
Is a hose included?
Included components are one air compressor. The title lists a Euro coupling outlet. Reviews say there is no hose in the box.
How noisy is the listing figure?
The specification sound level is 97 decibels. The page does not give a distance or an LpA or LwA label.
The Einhell TC-AC 190 OF Set is the £83 suitcase at 3.8 from 454 reviews, listed at 1,100 W, 8 bar, 190 L/min and 97 dB, with a 3 metre hose, a tyre inflator and a three-piece adapter set. The four UK review bodies in the file call it very loud, say there is no built-in tank, and one says the air blast drops to almost nothing after about a second. One of those reviews also says the accessories were missing. The tank-volume field says 190 litres, which matches the model code and conflicts with a 5 kg suitcase measuring 38 × 12.8 × 33.5 cm. Pressure was called accurate for most things in one review, and the housing has places for the hose and cable. It is the cheapest listing in the set, and it behaves like a noisy inflator rather than a receiver you can spray from.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You only need a short tyre top-up or a brief blow-off, and you already know it is loud.
Less suitable: You want a tank for a nailer or a spray gun, or you want to work indoors without ear defenders.
Specifications
Common questions
What accessories come with it?
The bullets list a 3 m hose with quick coupling, a blower adapter with a tyre inflator, and a 3-piece adapter set. One of the four UK reviews says accessories were missing.
Is there a storage tank?
The style field says suitcase compressor and the weight is 5 kg. A review says there is no tank built in. The tank-volume field says 190 litres, which matches the model code TC-AC 190, so tank capacity is unclear.
Can it be used for inflating tyres?
The bullets include a tyre inflator and name vehicle inflation. Recommended uses are blow cleaning and tyre inflation. Sound level is listed as 97 dB.
For this comparison we read eleven oil-free air compressor listings on amazon.co.uk, dated 19 October 2026, and checked tank, airflow, noise and plug points against public UK sources. Editorial scores use those listing figures and review counts. We did not run a lab test, and we do not treat oil-free air as breathing air.
Amazon evidence
35%Star rating scaled, then review count. A large UK-dated sample scores higher than a thin file or a star line with no review text. A repeated defect, such as smoke, a leak, a no-start or missing parts, comes off this block.
Listing clarity
40%Tank litres that agree with the title, airflow labelled or at least not contradicted on the same page, noise labelled LpA or LwA or given as one figure, pressure stated, lubrication stated, voltage or a plug usable in the UK, and movement or weight stated. A second, conflicting figure, or a nonsense unit, costs points.
Value
25%Shelf price in GBP against what that listing actually states. The lowest price can score well here without becoming the top pick when the tank is unclear, the stars are weak, or the noise figure is 97 dB.
Match the airflow at a stated pressure first, then the tank, then the noise claim, then the plug. Oil-free only tells you the pump has no oil sump. It does not tell you the air is dry, quiet or fit to breathe.
An oil-free air compressor is a 230 V electric pump with no oil sump. In this set it is sold on amazon.co.uk for tyres, nailers, blow guns and light spraying. The useful differences are the tank, the airflow at a stated pressure, the maximum pressure, and whether the noise figure is a sound-pressure claim or a bare decibel. Oil-free does not mean dry air, silent air or breathing air, and it does not mean the pump can run all day.
Several pages print suction, displacement or two different litres-per-minute figures. ABAC’s bands are about the air the tool needs at a stated pressure. A 150 L/min displacement line is not the air a gun receives at 7 or 8 bar.
This set prints 49 dBA, 57 dB LpA, 60 dB, 65 dB, 62 or 68 dB, and 95–97 dB. Distance is usually missing, and two Bimson listings print no decibel at all. The lowest printed figure is not a quietest-in-the-UK result.
Six to nine litres suit bursts. Spraying in ABAC’s guide is about 115–170 L/min, and Sealey’s HVLP01 is 14 cfm. Stop if the gun’s cfm is in double figures, and fit a water trap even when the pump is oil-free.
Start with the air the tool needs, not the largest litres-per-minute number in the title. ABAC’s UK guide puts inflation at about 30–60 L/min, nailers at about 60–85 L/min, airbrushing at about 30–85 L/min at 2–4 bar, and spraying at about 115–170 L/min. Sealey’s HVLP01 instructions state 14 cfm, which is a full-size gun rather than a touch-up. Einhell’s related silent sheet, outside this set, shows how suction and output diverge: 270 L/min sucked in, 90 L/min out at 7 bar.
Treat every decibel as a claim until the page says what was measured and at what distance. The quiet group in the reviews is the slow-running 8 litre and 24 litre receivers listed around 57–60 dB. The Einhell silent 24 litre is the one that prints 57 dB as LpA. The ABAC prints 49 dBA with no distance and no review text beside the stars. The Einhell 50 litre, the Draper and the suitcase print 95–97 dB, and reviewers call them loud.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want tyres, a brad nailer and a machine you can talk beside. That is the 8 litre and 24 litre group listed around 57–60 dB. The Hyundai HY7524X is the 24 litre pick here, at about £149.95, with the largest review sample among those quiet receivers. Do not treat 5.2 CFM as the air a gun receives.
You want a water trap and a 24 litre receiver, and you should stop if the gun’s cfm is in double figures. The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent names a pressure reducer, two gauges, a safety valve and a drain valve, and a bullet says 57 dB LpA. Airflow is not stated on that listing.
Someone running air all day, or a 50 litre receiver at 10 bar for work, should look at an oil-lubricated compressor or ask a competent person about a written scheme. The Einhell 50 litre is the largest oil-free receiver in this set, at 95 dB. Fifty litres at 10 bar is 500 bar litres.
On these amazon.co.uk listings the Hyundai HY7524X is the top pick: 4.6 from 1,072 ratings, a 24 litre oil-free tank and a 60 dB claim. The bullets still say 5.2 CFM and 150 L/min while the table says 2.65 CFM. The Bimson Power 8 litre is the best value at about £99.99, with 8 bar and 131 L/min on the highlight and a 4.5 from 72 ratings. It has no decibel figure. A 95–97 dB direct-drive pump is oil-free, and it is not the quiet garage machine.
Hyundai HY7524X 24 L
Highest score on a 24 litre oil-free tank, 4.6 from 1,072 ratings and a 60 dB claim. The page still prints two airflow figures.
Bimson Power 8 L
Lowest spend that still states an airflow, at about £99.99, with 8 bar, 131 L/min and 4.5 from 72 ratings. No decibel figure.
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 19 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.
