The Air Lift 3P has been one of the most popular air management systems for the past couple of years but the FeelAir BP4 is out at a lower price point and a similar feature set. Does the Air Lift 3P still reign supreme or is the FeelAir BP4 on it's way to becoming the best pressure based air ride management system? Let's check them out!
Overall Controller Build Quality of the FeelAir BP4 vs Air Lift 3P
Your air ride controller is the part of your air suspension system that you're going to see and touch the most. Going with a controller that you like the look and feel of is a pretty important decision. Between the two controllers, the Air Lift 3P definitely has a bit more of a premium feel with it's all metal enclosure and recessed plug, making for some inherently reliable hardware. The recessed plug makes it so that the connection itself is protected and won't get damaged if you make the silly mistake of sitting on your controller. The FeelAir BP4 on the other hand looks great but it's lighter and is made completely of plastic. The FeelAir BP4's plug is located on the bottom of the controller and doesn't feature any reinforcement. So if you accidentally sit on your controller, chances are you'll mess up the bottom port and it could lead to a failed controller. The FeelAir BP4 isn't a cheap crappy feeling controller by any means, but the Air Lift 3P takes the win when it comes to overall build quality.
Button Layout Between the FeelAir BP4 and Air lift 3P
The button layout between the Air Lift 3P and the FeelAir BP4 is another pretty big differentiating factor between the two controllers. As you can tell from the photos, Air Lift went with a clean design that doesn't included any numbers or arrows. Although the Air Lift controller looks nice, it's a bit less intuitive to use, especially at night due to its limited backlighting. The FeelAir BP4 on the other hand has a button layout that makes sense. Each button has LED illumination and the buttons feature labeled arrows and numbers. It's very obvious what is going to happen when you hit a button on the FeelAir BP4 controller. If you were to hand both of these controllers to someone that doesn't have any air ride knowledge, they'll be able to better understand how to operate the FeelAir BP4 controller over the Air Lift 3P. In terms of the button layout and backlighting, the FeelAir BP4 definitely takes the win.
Setting Presets - Is the FeelAir BP4 or the Air Lift 3P Easier?
Setting presets is an important step in the overall setup of your air ride system. A preset allows you to go to a certain height, or have your suspension make a certain action, with the press of a single button. Presets are important for on the fly adjustment, like quickly getting over a speed bump or into a steep driveway. Presets for both of these air ride controllers is pretty self explanatory. You first adjust each corner of the vehicle manually to get to your desired height, and then long press the button you're trying to preset. Just like setting a radio station on your head unit... Do you guys still listen to the radio? Am I dating myself? The Air Lift 3P features 5 different presets located in the middle of the controller which are defined by being shaped differently from one another. These are all user defined and can be set up however you want but if you wanted a dedicated air out button, you'll have to use up one of those 5 preset buttons for that functionality. The FeelAir BP4 on the other hand has a total of 3 presets with a dedicated air out button. FeelAir's presets are listed at 1, 2, and 3. Typically 1 will be your low roller height, 2 will be your ride height, and 3 will be your "get over obstacles" height. Overall setting the presets between the two controllers is a tie... Personally I like the simplicity of FeelAir's layout with three numbered presets and an air out button, but if you ask the guy sitting next to me, he likes having more presets so Air Lift takes the win for him. Basically this one comes down to personal preference, so we're chalking it up to a tie.
Achieving Preset Heights - Accuracy of the FeelAir BP4 vs the Air Lift 3P
The moment you've been waiting for.. which system is more accurate? Well, this one kind of depends. They both have a margin of error when achieving a preset height (which is a totally normal thing). The difference here is that the FeelAir BP4 is much faster at getting to a desired preset than the Air Lift 3P but the 3P seems more methodical when getting to the preset, adding and removing air from the bags to best dial in your desired height. In our tests we found that the FeelAir BP4 typically undershoots the preset a little bit while the Air Lift 3P overshoots the preset. This doesn't really matter, since you'll just adapt to whatever system you own. This one is pretty much a tie since some will want a quicker preset hit and others will want a preset that shoots a bit higher to ensure they have the clearance they need.
Final Thoughts - Should You Buy the FeelAir BP4 or the Air Lift 3P?
Both the Air Lift 3P and the FeelAir BP4 are great pressure based systems. They both have their pros and cons so it really comes down to what you value, how you want to use your controller, and which one you like the look of more. At Bag Riders, we run both of these systems on our cars. They're pretty comparable in the overall operation of your air suspension setup and we're split on which one we like more. If a solid more iPhone feeling controller is what you're after, choose the Air Lift 3P. If a more intuitive controller with better back lighting is your cup of tea, choose the FeelAir BP4. If it's budget you're more worried about, choose the FeelAir BP4... and if it's future upgradeability to a height based management in the future, choose the Air Lift 3P. Clearly the choice is yours but both of these options are the best pressure based air ride control systems you can find on the market today.
Is reading boring? Check out our video below explaining the two management systems!
If you have any questions about any of the digital control systems we offer, let us know! Hit the chat button on the site to chat with us directly, shoot us an email at sales@bagriders.com, or give us a call at (844)-404-7344.
