Monsoon Compression Fitting Six Pack Review

Monsoon Compression Fitting Six Pack Review Review

Manufacturer: Monsoon
UK price (as reviewed): £28.58 inc VAT
US price (as reviewed): $40.75 inc VAT

Compression fittings are one of those advances in technology that you wonder how you ever did without. In fact you might even have killed for them a decade ago when all we had between a dry PC and wet one were barbs and jubliee clips. However as simple, good-looking and effective as they are, compression fittings do have some nagging issues that mean they're not always fun to work worth.

You invariably need a clamp or pliers to screw them and their locking rings in tightly - barbs are easier thanks to the fact they have flat sides, essentially like nuts, that simply require the use of a spanner or monkey wrench to pile on the pressure and prevent leaks. All this grasping and gripping inevitably results in some tarnished surfaces that can be quite unsightly, especially after repeated use.

Just when we were getting used to the compromise for great looks with our water-cooled systems, we may finally have an answer that promises not only to make compression fittings far easier to deal with, but look even better too. Not only that, but Monsoon's new anodised compression fittings are available in a range of colours and sizes, meaning you can tailor them to suit your PC's colour scheme. Sound good? You're damn right, which is why we think Monsoon's new shiny thing's deserve a review of their own.


It's hard to fault the fantastic packaging and while a set of six costs nearly £30, this is actually cheaper per barb than the likes of Bitspower or EK Waterblocks' premium compression fittings. If you need more than six they're also available separately, as well as in the smaller 3/8in ID variety which are a little cheaper too. Each pack comes with two sets of rubber o-rings, each in a different colour - you'll need to install these before securing the barb to your gear.


Securing the barb into place is very easy step thanks to the fact the barb itself sportsingtwo groves on its inner wall into which fits the rear of the wrench, allowing you use it like a screwdriver preventing the need to grab a pair of pliers to save the skin on your fingers and wreck the surface of the barb.


The next step is to place the locking ring into the tubing, stick this onto the barb, and then use the wrench to tighten this onto the barb's thread. The tubing acts like a support, keeping the nibs in place in the groves on the barb and allowing you to apply a fair amount of force to tighten things up. It took a few seconds to get used to this, and the wrench did pop out of the groves once or twice, but it works remarkably well.


As a test to make sure these things are tough enough for the job, this 1/2in ID, 3/4OD tubing buckled without any sign of the barb flexing - unlike certain plastic compression fittings we've used in the past.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Just when we thought compression fittings couldn't get any better, we have something that not only looks better than your average chrome fitting, but is actually easier to use and install too. The neat little package is the icing on the cake and makes them even more desirable than their gorgeous, anodised little selves already are.

They're one of the best examples we've ever seen of a good thing coming in a small package too. The price will likely be the main decider in whether you opt for them or not. They're not cheap; a set of six generic compression fittings costs about £10 less and if you're plumbing in more than one pump and three or four waterblocks, things will quickly get pretty expensive. That said, despite the build quality and all the benefits listed above, they're still cheaper than most of the competition, and they're a damn sight better-looking and easier to work with too.