The best vertical air compressors, compared.
Top pick: SIP Airmate 50 L Best value: Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent – Lowest price at 4.3 or above with at least 100 reviews, at about £169.93. Updated October 2026.
A vertical air compressor here is an upright receiver for a UK garage. Eight amazon.co.uk listings stayed in: two at 24 litres, four at 50 litres, one at 100 litres, and a at 12 gallons whose voltage line says 120 V. Separate them by tank, stated noise, stated airflow, and the plug on the card. Stated noise runs from 57 dB on the 24 to 97 dB on the and the /25. UK mains are 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. The 24 litre machines suit tyres, blow-off, stapling, and light nailing. The 50 litre receivers are lined up in the [vertical air compressor 50 L](/hub/compressors/vertical-air-compressor-50l) comparison. It does not by itself feed a sander or a spray gun.
A vertical air compressor here is an upright receiver for a UK garage. Eight amazon.co.uk listings stayed in: two at 24 litres, four at 50 litres, one at 100 litres, and a at 12 gallons whose voltage line says 120 V.
28 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you running?
The SIP Airmate 50 L, model SIP-05483, is a 50 litre oil-free upright at about £263.98, with a stated 62 dB and 8 bar. The bullet separates 4.7 CFM free air delivery from 9.6 CFM piston displacement, and the specification line shows the displacement figure. The included line states a 1.3 m cable with a 230 V/13 A plug, plus solid wheels and two quick-release couplers. amazon.co.uk lists 5.0 from four reviews. Three written texts praise the build and airtight connections, one buyer calls it quieter than a cheaper compressor they returned, and another says it is not quite silent. That buyer also thought the price high before an £85 promotion. Four ratings cannot show a repeated fault, and no defect is named in those three texts. The bullet size of 840 × 390 × 400 mm matches the table’s 40 × 39 × 84 cm only if you read the bullet as height, then width, then depth.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 50 litre garage tank when a printed free-air figure and a stated 13 A plug matter more than a large review count.
Less suitable: A buyer who wants hundreds of UK reviews behind a 5.0 line, or a machine the reviews describe as silent.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the SIP state a UK 13 A plug?
Yes. The included-components line says a 1.3 m mains cable with a 230 V/13 A plug.
Which airflow figure is free air delivery?
The bullet states 4.7 CFM FAD at 116 psi (8 bar). It also states 9.6 CFM piston displacement, which is the table airflow.
What noise level is stated?
The specification table says 62 decibels.
The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent is a 24 litre oil-free upright at about £169.93, stated at 750 W, 8 bar, and 57 dB LpA, and the card does not give an airflow figure. amazon.co.uk lists 4.4 from 481 reviews. Several UK reviewers say it is quiet enough that ear defenders are not needed, and one times about 3 minutes to charge the 24 litre tank from empty. UK use in the file includes an impact wrench, and rubber feet are described as limiting vibration through the floor. The same tank is called too small for a Tornador or long continuous use, and one UK review says it takes longer to fill than a standard compressor. Wheels are not stated, and UK reviews call the 22.2 kg machine heavy to carry. One UK buyer was sent an EU-spec model, and changing the plug was said to void the warranty. The table says 220 V and the title says 240 V.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tyres, blow-off, stapling, and light nailing in a shared garage, if the lead that arrives is a UK plug and the tool does not empty a 24 litre tank.
Less suitable: A spray gun, a sander, or a Tornador that needs a longer blast, and anyone who will not check the plug on day one.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing state an airflow figure?
No. There is no air-flow row. The bullets do not give litres per minute or CFM.
Does the listing include a UK plug?
A UK plug is not stated. One UK review says an EU-spec model was sent.
What noise level is stated?
The table says 57 decibels. A bullet calls that figure 57 dB LpA.
The Craftsman CMXECXA3331241 is a 12 gallon oil-free upright at about £616.60, stated at 150 psi, 72 dB, 1.5 hp, and 5 CFM that is not labelled free air delivery. amazon.co.uk lists 4.4 from 13 reviews. The four written texts are all from the United States. Those reviews call it quieter than other compressors of the same size, easy to move on the stated rubber wheels, and quick to build pressure, with interior car detailing named as one job. One of them shut down on thermal protection during a long run in hot weather. The voltage cell says 120 volts, and a UK 13 A plug is not stated. An adaptor does not turn 120 V into 230 V, so the upright shape does not make this a machine for a UK socket. The listing gives the tank as 12 gallons and does not print litres.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who already has a 120 V supply and wants this stated vertical shape.
Less suitable: Any UK 230 V socket. An adaptor does not change 120 V into 230 V.
Specifications
Common questions
What mains voltage is stated?
The voltage cell says 120 volts. A UK 13 A plug is not stated.
Is the tank oil-free?
Yes. The title and a bullet say oil-free.
What tank size is stated?
The capacity and tank-volume cells both say 12 gallons. The listing does not give litres.
The Einhell TC-AC 240/50/10 OF is a 50 litre oil-free upright at about £212.95, stated at 10 bar, 1,500 W, and 240 litres per minute that is not labelled free air delivery. amazon.co.uk lists 4.3 from 2,487 reviews, the largest file in this set. UK buyers mention nailers, inflators, and some spraying, and some cite 10 bar as more than an older compressor. Very noisy is the repeated UK complaint, against a table figure of 95 dB, and one UK review says it can be heard a long way off. The upright tank is praised for a small garage, and some buyers move it on gravel, though one was missing a wheel nut. The file also includes a burning plastic smell on day one, a motor that failed within a year, a damaged plug the buyer says Einhell would not pay to replace, and missing parts. The model-name cell says TH-AC while the title says TC-AC, the included line is only the air receiver tank, and a UK plug is not stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nailers and inflation on a louder 50 litre tank when you want the largest review file here and you will wear hearing protection.
Less suitable: A shared garage where that noise carries, and anyone who needs a fitted 13 A plug printed on the card.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing state a UK plug?
No. A UK plug is not in the included-components line or the specification table.
Is the motor oil-free?
Yes. The title and the special-features line say oil-free.
What pressure is stated?
The title says 10 bar and 145 psi. A bullet says the maximum operating pressure is 10 bar. There is no pressure row in the table.
The Stanley DST 150/8/50V is a 50 litre upright at about £268.52, with a stated 59 dB and 150 litres per minute that is not labelled free air delivery. amazon.co.uk lists 4.2 from 1,020 reviews. Reviews call it quieter than a normal compressor, some say it can run without waking neighbours, and several put a fill from empty toward 8 bar at about 4 to 5 minutes. The same file says the tank empties quickly on a blow gun or a sander, and several say it stops near 6 bar rather than the stated 8 bar. A phone reading of about 70 dB beside the cylinders is one review, and a phone is not a meter. The voltage cell says 50 volts while a bullet says UK Plug, the specification table does not say oil-free, and the first 50 review blocks are mostly written outside the United Kingdom.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tyres, stapling, and light blowing on a larger low-noise tank, if you confirm the supply is 230 V despite the 50 V cell.
Less suitable: Continuous sanding or spraying, and anyone who would wire the machine for the 50 V figure printed in the voltage cell.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Stanley listing say it has a UK plug?
A bullet says UK Plug. The voltage cell says 50 volts.
Is the pump described as oil-free?
The specification table does not say. Some reviews call the pump oil-free. That is not a table field.
What airflow figure is on the listing?
The table says 150 litres per minute. It is not labelled free air delivery.
The ABAC Ease-AIR 50V is a 50 litre oil-free upright at about £195.99, stated at 10 bar, with 220 litres per minute labelled as aspirated air rather than free air delivery. One review times a fill from 0 bar to 10 bar at about 3 minutes, and buyers mention tyres, blowing, light cleaning, and one painting job. amazon.co.uk lists 3.6 from 205 reviews. Loud running is the repeated complaint, and one buyer says the noise matches the stated 97 dB, which this comparison did not measure. A pneumatic sander empties the tank in about a minute, and some find the motor labouring from about 6 bar. The file also includes a cut-out that never opens, leaks, a bent foot, and one review that says the unit burst in under 30 days. The first 50 review blocks are almost all written outside the United Kingdom, and the included line is a Type G adaptor rather than a fitted 13 A plug.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Short tyre and blow-off jobs if you can work with a stated 97 dB and you will check that the Type G adaptor is what actually arrives.
Less suitable: Continuous sanding, a quiet shared garage, and a buyer who needs a moulded BS 1363 plug stated on the card.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the ABAC come with a fitted UK plug?
The included-components line is a Type G (UK) adaptor and a user manual. A fitted 13 A plug is not stated.
Is the Ease-AIR oil-free?
Yes. The title and the special-features line both say oil-free.
What airflow figure is on the listing?
The bullet calls 220 L/min aspirated air flow. It is not labelled free air delivery.
The SIP V215/25 is the cheapest listing here at about £159.00, a 24 litre oil-free upright stated at 8 bar, 1.1 kW, and 6.4 CFM that is not labelled free air delivery. amazon.co.uk lists 3.0 from one review, dated 29 January 2018. That review says it does what the listing says it should do, and that noise is the only gripe, so the buyer uses ear defenders. The title says low noise and the sound-level cell says 97 decibels. The same review says the packaging was already open and looked like a previous return. A fitted UK plug is not in the included line, which is a user manual, even though the current cell says 13 A. One written review cannot show whether the noise or the open box repeats. At 14.2 kg and 32 × 32 × 64 cm it is the lightest and shortest machine in the set, and wheels are not stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short tyre or stapling job if you treat the low-noise title as contradicted by the 97 dB cell and you inspect the box on arrival.
Less suitable: A neighbour-conscious garage, or a buyer who wants more than one UK account of the machine.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say this compressor is quiet?
The title says low noise. The sound-level cell says 97 decibels.
Is a UK plug included?
Not stated. The included-components line is a user manual.
What tank size is stated?
The capacity and tank-volume cells both say 24 litres. The model name is V215/25.
The SIP Airmate 100 L, model SIP-05484, is the only 100 litre listing in this set, at about £479.98. The bullet separates 9 CFM free air delivery from 13.6 CFM piston displacement, and the table prints the displacement figure, a stated 67 dB, and 8 bar. The size line is 50 × 41 × 115 cm, with 53.5 kg net, solid wheels, and a 1.3 m cable with a 13 A plug. amazon.co.uk has no customer-review line in this capture, so there is no account of a fill time, a leak, or whether 67 dB matches the garage. The title says 3 hp and the model-name cell says 2 hp, while maximum power is printed as 2.2 kW. Until a review appears, the 9 CFM free-air line is only what the card states. At 115 cm and 53.5 kg it is also the tallest and heaviest machine kept here.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tall air reserve when you have the height, you want a printed free-air figure and a stated 13 A plug, and you can accept an empty review file.
Less suitable: A first compressor you want other buyers to have described, or a garage that cannot clear 115 cm.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 100 L SIP state a UK 13 A plug?
Yes. The included-components line says a 1.3 m mains cable with a 230 V/13 A plug.
Which airflow figure is free air delivery?
The bullet states 9 CFM FAD at 116 psi (8 bar). The table airflow is 13.6 CFM piston displacement.
What power is stated?
The title and the horsepower cell say 3 hp, and maximum power is 2.2 kW. The model-name cell says 2 hp.
We compared eight vertical air compressors on amazon.co.uk and scored them from the listing facts in this set. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK lines, checked on 15 October 2026. There was no lab test. The four weights below sum to 100. A star line under 100 reviews carries less of the star block. Listing clarity covers a stated tank, pressure, and voltage, then a plug, an oil-free line, and any airflow figure. Price runs from the dearest shelf in this set to the cheapest. Job fit starts from reviews that describe the machine in use, then stated noise, wheels, and voltage clashes.
Amazon stars
40%The UK star line, scaled out of 40, with a smaller share when the review count is under 100. A missing review line scores 0 on this block.
Listing clarity
20%Tank, maximum pressure, and a voltage start the block. A fitted 13 A plug, an oil-free line, and a stated airflow figure add points. Voltage clashes and a low-noise title against a 97 dB cell take points off.
Price
20%Shelf price in GBP on amazon.co.uk. The cheapest listing in this set scores the full price block. The dearest scores the floor.
Job fit
20%Reviews that describe the machine in use, a stated noise figure under 70 dB with a large sample that calls it quiet, and wheels or a holding bar. Stated noise of 95 dB or 97 dB, cut-out or leak notes, and a 120 V or 50 V cell take points off.
Tank, stated noise, airflow, and the plug are the order used for these eight listings. The 250 bar-litre check, and who should skip a loud tank, sit in the [vertical air compressor buying guide](/hub/compressors/vertical-air-compressor/sub/vertical-air-compressor-buying-guide).
A vertical air compressor is an upright receiver for a UK garage. The tank stores air. It does not by itself feed a sander or a spray gun. This comparison keeps eight amazon.co.uk listings: two at 24 litres, four at 50 litres, one SIP at 100 litres, and a Craftsman at 12 gallons whose voltage line says 120 V. Prices on those shelves, on 15 October 2026, run from about £159 to about £616.60. Start with the job, then the tank.
The SIP 50 litre table shows 9.6 CFM displacement while the bullet states 4.7 CFM free air delivery. The SIP 100 litre table shows 13.6 CFM while the bullet states 9 CFM free air delivery. ABAC’s 220 litres per minute is labelled aspirated air. Use the free-air figure when the card prints one.
The SIP V215/25 title says low noise and the sound line says 97 dB. The one review, from 29 January 2018, says noise is the gripe. A stated decibel figure on these cards was not measured for this page.
The Craftsman is upright and states 120 V. An adaptor does not turn 120 V into 230 V. Stanley’s voltage cell says 50 V while a bullet says UK Plug. ABAC includes a Type G adaptor, which is not a moulded 13 A plug.
Choose the job first, then the tank. The 24 litre machines in this set are the Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent and the SIP V215/25. They suit tyres, blow-off, stapling, and light nailing. Reviews on the larger tanks say a sander or a blow gun empties the receiver. The 50 litre group is ABAC, the Einhell 10 bar, SIP 05483, and Stanley. The SIP 100 litre is the tall reserve, at 53.5 kg and 115 cm. The Craftsman prints 12 gallons and does not print litres.
The stated noise figures are 57 dB LpA, 59 dB, 62 dB, 67 dB, 72 dB, 95 dB, and 97 dB. They are listing claims. The SIP 24 litre title says low noise and the sound cell says 97 dB. One Stanley review cites a phone at about 70 dB beside the cylinders, and a phone is not a meter. One Einhell silent review separates LpA 57 dB from LwA 78 dB. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 set employer action values at 80 dB(A) and 85 dB(A).
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want tyres, blow-off, stapling, or light nailing where someone else can hear the motor. The Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent states 57 dB LpA at about £169.93. Check that the lead which arrives is a UK plug, and skip it if the tool empties a 24 litre tank.
You want a 50 litre tank and a lower stated noise figure, and you can live with the 59 dB claim. The Stanley voltage cell says 50 V while a bullet says UK Plug. Confirm the supply is 230 V. Reviews say a sander empties the tank.
You want nailers and inflation on a louder 50 litre tank, and you will wear hearing protection. The Einhell TC-AC 240/50/10 OF states 10 bar and has 4.3 from 2,487 reviews, at about £212.95. A UK plug is not printed on the card.
Across these eight amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick and the best value are the Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent: about £169.93, 4.4 from 481 reviews, a stated 57 dB LpA, and a score of 77. That is the highest score, and it is also the lowest price among listings at 4.3 or above with at least 100 reviews. The Einhell 50 litre is the other listing on that star-and-count bar, at about £212.95, so it does not take the value award. The 24 litre tank has no stated airflow figure, no wheels, and a UK review that describes an EU-spec plug. A hungry tool, a spray gun, or a Tornador points away from that tank. The Stanley is the larger low-noise listing if you confirm 230 V despite the 50 V cell. The Craftsman states 120 V.
Einhell TE-AC 24 Silent
Lowest price at 4.3 or above with at least 100 reviews, at about £169.93.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and specification lines are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK listing lines. We did not run a lab test.
