The cordless airbrush is a newcomer in the airbrush world. Is it the next best thing, or is it simply a gadget? Here’s the deets.
It’s interesting to see new products in the airbrush world, because it is a tool that has remained largely unchanged through the years. Besides upgrades on the features and parts design, the airbrush world has remained pretty much the same.
One recent innovation is the cordless airbrush, which lifts a lot of the constraints from traditional airbrushes.
Cordless ‘Airbrush’
The term is a little bit of a misnomer, as the main thing that is cordless in this setup is the compressor. In a light tinfoil-hat-wearing fashion, I’m pretty sure the term cordless airbrush sticks around because of marketing.
When you strip it down to brass tacks, when talking about a cordless airbrush, people are referring to a battery powered compressor.
Compared to a Traditional Setup
In a more traditional setup, your compressor is plugged in a wall outlet. Your compressor is connected to your compressor through a hose.
With a cordless airbrush, your compressor is battery powered, and in most cases, the airbrush screws directly in it. Some versions still have a hose connecting them, however.
Pros
There a more than a few pros to the cordless airbrush.
Compact
This requires much less space in your hobby area. Even if traditional compressors are not the most bulky thing, if you have a very small setup, every little bit helps.
Silent
These compressors are very quiet. Since noise is a big factor for those with young kids, or paper-thin apartment walls, going this route is a great option.
Travel Friendly
This is obviously not everyone’s situation, but I’ve come across many painter on the go. Beach house, cabin, cottage… even hotel rooms the night before a tournament.
Cons
Of course, there are some drawbacks to cordless airbrushes.
Battery Life
Where a real compressor might last you close to a life time, the battery in these compressors will wane after a few years. It is not that big a deal, as most people will replace their setup sooner rather than later, but I feel it’s important you know this before getting one.
Limited Options
Because they don’t operate like traditional airbrush setups, the options you have are limited when it comes to the actual airbrush on them.
The most important thing to know is that in the hoseless setups, the airbrush connector is reversed from a traditional airbrush. So no mixing and matching with your trusty workhorse airbrush.
Cost
The cost for a cordless airbrush is not really bad, considering you get a working airbrush & compressor in it. The problem lies in replacement parts, where the airbrush on the kit is on the cheaper end.
Since this is still a relatively new market, the replacement options are not great. And you will more than likely need replacement parts sooner rather than later.
Is a Cordless Airbrush Worth it?
As with most airbrushes, the answer is a yes with an asterix. If you need anything listed in the pros column, which are limited by more traditional setups, than yes.
Is it worth throwing away your current airbrush setup for the sake of novelty? Then no.