Every off-road forum has the same thread. Someone asks "what deflator should I buy?" and forty people chime in with forty different answers, half of them are from 2014, and nobody agrees on anything.
So let's settle it.
We're comparing the three deflators that dominate the market: MORRflate, Staun, and ARB. These are the ones you'll actually see at the trailhead. They're all capable tools. But they're not all equal, and the differences matter more than you'd think.
The MORRflate AirHub is a multi-tire deflation and inflation system. It connects to all four valve stems simultaneously via hoses, then uses a central gauge and control to deflate or inflate all tires at once. It's the newest design philosophy of the three -- built around the idea that airing down one tire at a time is a waste of your trail time.
Price: ~$130-170 depending on configuration
Staun deflators are the old-school standard. They're preset brass valve fittings -- you screw one onto each valve stem, and they automatically bleed air until hitting a preset PSI, then shut off. Set-and-forget, one per tire, no hoses, no gauges needed during deflation.
Price: ~$80-100 for a set of four
The ARB E-Z Deflator is a single-tire analog gauge with a built-in bleed button. You press it onto a valve stem, read the pressure, and hold the bleed button to release air. Simple, mechanical, one tire at a time.
Price: ~$40-50
This is where the conversation gets interesting.
MORRflate: All four tires deflate simultaneously. From 35 PSI to 18 PSI on a set of 33s, you're looking at roughly 3-5 minutes total. That's all four tires, done, matched, ready to roll.
Staun: You screw all four deflators on, then wait. Each tire bleeds independently. Depending on starting pressure and target, it takes 8-15 minutes -- but it's passive. You can be setting up camp or checking the trail while it works.
ARB: One tire at a time. Check pressure, bleed, check again, move to the next tire. Realistically 10-15 minutes for all four, and you're actively working the entire time.
Winner: MORRflate. It's not close on active time. Staun gets partial credit for being hands-free, but it's still slower wall-clock.
MORRflate: There's a slight learning curve the first time you unpack it -- four hoses, a central hub, connections to learn. After your second or third use, it's muscle memory. Connect, open the valve, watch the gauge, close when you hit your number. The MORRflate system is intuitive once you've done it once.
Staun: Dead simple in concept. Screw them on and walk away. But here's the catch -- setting the target PSI requires pre-adjusting each deflator with a tiny set screw and an Allen key. If your target changes (different terrain, different day), you're re-adjusting four individual deflators. And they can drift over time.
ARB: The simplest tool here. Press on valve, read gauge, push button to bleed. Zero learning curve. But you're doing the same thing four times, bending down at each tire, and you need good knees and patience.
Winner: MORRflate. Staun's pre-set adjustment is fiddly, and ARB requires four separate trips around the vehicle. MORRflate hits the sweet spot of "do it once, do it right."
MORRflate: Centralized gauge means you're reading the same instrument for all four tires. Consistency is built in. The gauge is accurate to within about 0.5 PSI, which is more than good enough. All four tires end up within 1 PSI of each other almost every time.
Staun: Accuracy depends on your pre-set calibration. If you set them perfectly at home, they'll hit the target. But temperature changes, valve stem variations, and the inherent imprecision of four independent mechanical shut-offs mean you can see 2-3 PSI variation between tires. You should still verify with a separate gauge.
ARB: As accurate as the gauge and the human using it. The gauge itself is solid. The variable is you -- are you going to carefully match all four tires, or are you going to rush the last two because your buddies are already on the trail?
Winner: MORRflate. Single gauge, all four tires equalized through connected hoses. Consistency is the whole point.
MORRflate: Quality hoses, brass fittings, solid construction. The hoses are the most vulnerable component -- they can get stepped on, run over, or snagged. But MORRflate builds them tough, and replacements are available. The central hub is built to last.
Staun: Brass and steel. These things are basically indestructible. People have run the same set of Stauns for 10+ years. No hoses to damage, no moving parts beyond the bleed valve and set screw. They live in a small pouch and take almost no abuse.
ARB: Solid analog gauge in a rubber boot. It's built for the outback -- literally. Drop it, kick it, throw it in a toolbox. It'll be fine. Single point of failure is the gauge accuracy over time, and those can drift after years of use.
Winner: Staun, narrowly. Pure mechanical simplicity is hard to beat for longevity. But MORRflate is no slouch -- it's just a more complex system by nature.
MORRflate: This is the headline feature. Four tires at once. Deflation AND inflation. The system works with your existing compressor for airing back up, too -- one compressor, four hoses, all tires filling simultaneously. This alone cuts your air-up time dramatically.
Staun: Four individual deflators, so technically yes -- all four tires at once. But they're independent. No equalization between tires, no single gauge, and no inflation capability whatsoever. You still need a separate compressor and gauge for airing back up.
ARB: One tire at a time. That's it.
Winner: MORRflate, and this is the category that separates it from the pack. The ability to deflate and inflate all four tires simultaneously is a genuine workflow improvement, not a gimmick.
Let's be honest about the money.
| Deflator | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| ARB E-Z | ~$40-50 | One gauge/deflator tool |
| Staun | ~$80-100 | Set of four preset deflators |
| MORRflate AirHub | ~$130-170 | Four-tire deflation/inflation system with gauge |
ARB is the cheapest entry point. Staun is mid-range. MORRflate is the most expensive upfront but includes inflation capability that you'd otherwise need to buy separately (a four-way manifold for your compressor runs $50-80 on its own).
Winner: Depends on your budget. ARB wins on pure price. But dollar-for-dollar, MORRflate delivers the most capability per dollar spent.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Speed | MORRflate |
| Ease of Use | MORRflate |
| Accuracy | MORRflate |
| Durability | Staun |
| Multi-Tire | MORRflate |
| Price | ARB |
Overall Winner: MORRflate
Here's the honest take: if all you do is hit the same trail at the same pressure every weekend, Stauns are fine. Set them and forget them. If you're on a tight budget and just getting started, the ARB E-Z will get the job done -- it's just slower.
But if you air down regularly, if you hit different terrain at different pressures, if you value your time at the trailhead, or if you're tired of walking circles around your truck four times -- the MORRflate AirHub is the move.
It's faster. It's more accurate. It handles both deflation AND inflation. And once you've used a system that does all four tires at once, going back to one-at-a-time feels like washing dishes by hand after owning a dishwasher.
Full disclosure: we're MORRflate affiliates, which means airdownforwhat.com gets a small commission if you buy through our links. Doesn't cost you extra. We recommend them because they're the best tool for the job -- the affiliate relationship is a bonus, not the reason.
More gear breakdowns and off-road fundamentals at airdownforwhat.com.