I've always used a little manual foot pump. It's smaller, lighter, less expensive and plenty good for that 1/4 - 1/2 lb by hand. The gauge is irrelevant since I double-check with my regular tire gauge. The plastic chuck is pretty cheap, but I eventually replace it with a better hose & metal chuck. You can find them anywhere - Harbor Freight, Walmart, etc. & cheap enough to have a spare!
As small as it is, I have been warned a couple of times over the years about keeping it secured in a box to keep it from being a "projectile" in case of an accident.
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