Pure Air Go electric scooter review: An unbeatable ride at an affordable price – now even better value

When it comes to Pure, they’ve always managed to gain a spot on our best electric scooter roundup.

The Pure Air Go is one of four electric scooters launched by Pure Electric this year and it’s the first of two new models – the other one being the new Pure Air Pro LR. The Pure Air and Pure Air Pro were mere updates, although the former did enough to retain our Best Buy crown.

The Pure Air Go sits at the bottom of these scooters in price and is the company’s cheapest e-scooter offering. It makes some compromises as a result, the main one being limited range, but otherwise, it delivers plenty of bang for your buck, and is well worth considering for those who only make short journeys.

Pure Air Go electric scooter review: What you need to know

The Pure Air Go has a powerful 350W motor, 10in pneumatic tyres for a smooth ride, plus an IP65 dust-and-water resistance rating. Throw in an app that allows you to lock your scooter remotely and check how much battery life you have left as a percentage and an outstanding price, and the Pure Air Go is already on another level to other budget e-scooters.

The main thing to be aware of is that to hit such a low price, the Pure Air Go has cut the size of the battery and, thus, has a shorter range than most other e-scooters on the market.

It is important to make it clear at this point, that electric scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) and illegal to use in the UK unless on private land or as part of an authorised rental scheme.

READ NEXT: Are e-scooters legal in the UK?

Due to this status, e-scooters are currently not subject to UK taxes or registration, unlike some other vehicles in this category. Although there are no specific laws in place, we recommend riders wear a helmet and always follow the manufacturer’s safety guidelines.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter review: Price and competition

Retailing at £349, the Pure Air Go’s closest competitor in terms of price and features is Xiaomi’s entry-level model, the Xiaomi 1S, which costs £399. The cheaper Pure Air Go has a more powerful motor than the Xiaomi (350W vs 250W) and larger 10in pneumatic tyres (vs 8.5in) but it has a lower range (12.5 miles vs 18.6 miles).

The Carrera impel is-1 is also worth considering. Halford’s e-scooter will set you back £399 and gives you the same 350W motor power as the Pure Air Go and, once again, superior 18.6-mile range. The Pure Air Go hits back, however, with its lower price and a smartphone companion app that lets you connect to the scooter via Bluetooth.

If you can stretch your budget a tad further, the Pure Air – at £449 – is our choice as the best scooter under £500. With a 500W motor, it delivers better acceleration, is excellent on hills, and its superior 18.6-mile range should get you from A to B and onto C, comfortably.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter review: Set-up and design

In terms of design, the Pure Air Go is identical to its cousins, the Pure Air and the Pure Air Pro. The only way to tell them apart is by the name on the rear wheel mudguard.

The scooter comes in two colours: light grey and matte black. I received the black version for this review, which I prefer because all the colours of the components seamlessly blend seamlessly in with the chassis.

As with most e-scooters, the Pure Air Go is very easy to set up. After unfolding it, you simply turn and tighten the clamp at the base of the stem to secure it in place then slide the handlebar into place onto the main stem and fasten with the screws and Allen key provided. The whole process takes less than ten minutes.

Once assembled, it’s a good-looking unit with all the features you’d expect in a modern e-scooter. It has a round LED display, located in the middle of the handlebar, which shows your speed, which mode you’re in and you gives a rough indication of battery life. The accelerator throttle is within easy reach to the right of this, and the brake lever and a bell are on the left.

A large, retro-style headlight, which you can move around, is found on the front of the handlebar and a brake light is fitted into the top of the rear mudguard. The lights are activated from the control panel or through the smartphone app.

One of the big attractions of the Pure Air range is water resistance and the Go has an IP65 rating. That means it’s built for the unpredictable UK weather with electronics that are fully sealed inside the footplate, preventing water from getting in underneath.

It’s also great for heavy riders, with a maximum payload of 120kg. That’s 20kg more than other budget models, including the Xiaomi 1S and the Carrera impel is-1.

The flipside of this is that the scooter isn’t particularly light at 16kg, though, so if you’re going to carry it around for long distances, you may want to consider a model such as the Xiaomi 1S, which weighs a more manageable 12.5kg.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter review: Mobile app

If you install the Pure app on your Android phone or iPhone, you can unlock a range of extra features. Before your first ride, the app takes you through a quick guide to safety and provides some advice on riding, which are both nice touches.

These include the option to remotely lock the scooter’s motor, an indicator to see how much CO2 you’ve saved compared to if you were to travel the same distance by car, and the option to see remaining battery life as a percentage.

One feature the app lacks, however, is the option to activate cruise control (you can’t even activate it via the main control panel on the scooter itself), something you’ll find on all the current Xiaomi e-scooters. While it’s not a deal-breaker, it’s nice to release your finger from the accelerator throttle when riding from time to time.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter review: Comfort and performance

The Pure Air Go has three different modes: Pedestrian (4mph), Medium (12mph) and Fast (15.5mph) and, in each, the scooter feels robust and delivers a smooth, comfortable ride.

The 10in pneumatic tyres mean you rarely feel small bumps in the road. I was able to ride from road to footpath to grass, without ever really noticing much of a difference in terrain.

While there are scooters with more powerful motors, the Pure Air Go’s 350W motor feels powerful enough with good acceleration and it never seemed to struggle on slight inclines.

The scooter is set to “Pedestrian” riding mode by default, although the maximum 4mph will feel too slow for most riders. I spent most of my rides in Medium (represented by a blue S on the display) or Fast (a red S). A top speed of 15.5mph is fast enough for any ride, and the sturdiness of the frame and design of the scooter always leaving you feeling in total control.

In fact, everything about the Pure Air Go seems designed to inspire confidence, including the brakes, which are among the best I have tried. The front-wheel drum brake and rear electromagnetic rear brake slowed me down within a few metres (in dry conditions), even when riding at top speed.

As I’ve highlighted above, the scooter’s major limitation is its short battery life. After a mere four miles on my first ride, mainly in Medium mode, there was slightly more than 50% battery life remaining. And this meant that, unlike other e-scooters I’ve tested, it felt like I had to charge the Pure Air Go before taking it out on each ride.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter review: Verdict

The Pure Air Go is a fantastic e-scooter. Yes, you can buy more powerful scooters and many that will deliver better range. However, the Pure Air Go ticks pretty much every other box and does so at a very tempting price.

It looks good, feels safe and secure and is built for the British weather, too, giving you everything you need for a day-to-day ride. Throw in an excellent app and you have the complete package.

If you are looking for a great ride at a price that won’t break the bank, then go for Go; no other budget e-scooter comes close.

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Pure Air Go electric scooter: Specifications