Pure Air Pro LR review: A premium electric scooter that looks as good as it rides – now massively discounted

A mainstay on our best electric scooter roundup, Pure is a big name in the business. The Pure Air Pro LR is Pure Electric’s fourth electric scooter in just three months. Back in May, the Pure Air and Pure Air Pro were released as upgrades to the two models that the British company launched last year, with the Pure Air Go appearing shortly after as an entirely new scooter for those on a budget.

With an increasingly bloated lineup of electric scooters, the brand-new Pure Air Pro LR distinguishes itself from the others, offering major upgrades when it comes to both motor power and overall battery life. And while both of these features incur a heavy price, for those that prefer long rides without having to worry about hills and terrain, it could be money well spent.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: What you need to know

The Air Pro LR has a more powerful 500W motor which, according to Pure, is more capable at accelerating from a standstill and climbing steep hills, since it also supposedly delivers a peak output of 700W in certain situations. By comparison, the three other Pure Electric scooters use slightly weaker 500W motors that don’t perform as well on both counts, although you’d be hard-pressed to notice the difference if you haven’t ridden them before.

The scooter’s IP65 water resistance rating means that it’s well suited for the unpredictable British weather, and it has large, 10in pneumatic tyres as well. If extra power isn’t enough to pique your interest, then the Pure Air Pro LR also has a boosted maximum range of 37.2 miles per charge. This is currently one of the longest ranges available on the market, although the slight downside to this is that the 36V Li-ion battery takes a whopping 9hrs 30mins to charge from empty.

It’s important to clarify here that electric scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) and are therefore illegal to use in the UK unless you ride on private land, or as part of an authorised rental scheme. Electric scooters are not subject to UK taxes or registration, and we also recommend riders wear a helmet and always follow the manufacturer’s safety guidelines.

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

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Pure Air Pro LR electric scooter review: Price and competition

The Pure Air Pro LR costs a lofty £749. The closest model in terms of price is the Pure Air Pro, which represents a decent saving of £150 (£599). Both of these scooters share the same 10in pneumatic tyres and IP65 water resistance, although the LR offers extra range per charge (37.2 miles vs 31miles).

Alternatively, the regular Pure Air (£449) is a better blend of features and price. Our current top pick when it comes to sub-£500 scooters, the Pure Air has a reduced 18.8-mile range, but otherwise shares many of the same features as the Pure Air range.

The Carrera impel is-1 e-scooter is also worth considering if you’re on a budget. Priced at £399, it has an 18.6-mile range, although with just 350W of motor power it lags behind the rest.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: Set-up and design

While last year’s original Pure Air and Pure Air Pro differed in terms of design, there’s been very little to distinguish between the lineup with the newer versions. The Pure Air Pro LR differs slightly in appearance to the rest of the range, however, with a unique skateboard-like maple and birch wooden standing deck.

It comes in a choice of three metallic colours: mercury grey, cobalt blue and stone gold. The grey model was sent to me for review, which looks quite swish in contrast to the black handlebar, wheels and mudguard.

The Pure Air Pro LR is easy to set up, and it should take less than ten minutes. After unfolding, all you need to do is push the clip up on the stem to lock the bar into place and then simply slide the handlebar onto the stem and fasten the four screws with the Allen key provided.

The scooter has a circular LED screen situated in the middle of the handlebar, which displays speed, driving mode and remaining battery life. The brake and warning bell are located on the left, with the accelerator throttle sitting on the right. A large, retro-style headlight is attached to the front of the handlebar and a brake light is fitted onto the rear mudguard.

A USB-A charging port is located on the right of the handlebar near the accelerator throttle. This can be used to charge your phone on the go and even connect an additional USB light if needed.

With an IP65 rating, the LR is water- and dust-resistant, which means it should be able to stand up against the unpredictable British weather. It can accommodate a maximum rider weight of 120kg, too.

One of the biggest downsides, however, is the LR’s somewhat back-breaking weight. Tipping the scales at a hefty 17.5kg, this isn’t an e-scooter that you’d want to carry up and down too many flights of stairs.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: Features and mobile app

Like its zippy siblings, the Pro LR pairs with the Pure app, which is available on both Android and iOS. The app provides a bunch of different tidbits of information, such as a rough estimate of how much CO2 you’ve saved compared to travelling the same distance by car.

It can also be configured to display your riding speed, although arguably the best feature is the ability to remotely lock the scooter’s motor with a simple tap.

The remaining battery life is displayed as a percentage in the app, too, which is especially useful since the scooter’s onboard LED screen only displays this information as a set of bars. The only major downside is the lack of a cruise control setting, which I find to be a particularly handy feature on the current crop of Xiaomi e-scooters.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: Comfort and performance

Regular e-scooter riders will appreciate how frustrating it can be when navigating steep hills. Depending on the scooter and motor, you might have to dismount and push, or perhaps travel at a snail’s pace.

Thankfully, the Pure Air Pro LR helps mitigate this problem. With a peak power output of 700W, I never had any issues navigating up inclines, and was kept at a fairly constant speed throughout. The 10in tyres did a good job of eliminating bumps and jolts when driving over potholes and rough terrain, too.

The Pure Air Pro LR has three different riding modes. The scooter is set to Pedestrian (4mph) by default, with Medium (12mph) and Fast (15.5mph) indicated by a blue “S” and red “S” on the scooter’s LED display.

While you wouldn’t want to ride for too long in the slower Pedestrian mode, the scooter feels robust in each and delivers an extremely comfortable ride. Even at top speeds, the brakes should bring you to a smooth, safe stop within two seconds.

While the Pure Air Go’s main limitation was its short battery life, the LR’s biggest strength is its lengthy stamina. A five-mile ride with a number of long steep hills and riding in Fast mode used up just one bar of battery out of five, which is seriously impressive, and among the best we’ve seen compared to all the other electric scooters we’ve reviewed.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: Verdict

When it comes to power, range and style, the Pure Air Pro LR is the complete package. Steep hills are a breeze, and you can ride for miles without having to even think about recharging. That being said, it’s not an entirely faultless experience.

It’s heavy to carry around and lacks cruise control, which would be a great addition given its range. As a result, the Pure Air Pro LR isn’t quite worth paying the premium for, even if it does outshine the rest of the Pure Air fleet. Unless e-scooter range is your utmost priority, you would be much better served with the standard Pure Air instead.

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Pure Air Pro LR review: Specifications