I live in a village where the roads look like they’ve been borrowed from a war film – cracked, pitted, patched, and peppered with potholes that could swallow a front wheel whole. In short, it’s not the kind of place you’d expect to get along with an electric scooter…
And yet, I’ve been stubbornly doing exactly that since 2021 with my trusty Pure Air Pro LR. It’s a great scooter – solid, dependable, with 10in wheels and a chunky frame that shrugs off small imperfections. But when you’re constantly dodging craters left behind by Bucks County Council, the fun wears thin. It’s not just uncomfortable; it feels unsafe.
So when I saw the Air 5 Ultra Suspension at Pure Electric’s booth at IFA 2025, I was curious. Suspension is what my old scooter lacked. Big wheels help, sure, but they don’t magically erase the bone-rattling jolt of dropping into a pothole.
After a week of living with the Air 5 Ultra Suspension, I can say this: Pure has fixed the problem. This is the first mainstream electric scooter I’d genuinely recommend to anyone who has to put up with the kind of battered, patchwork roads we call “normal” in Britain.
First impressions
Unboxing the Air 5 Ultra Suspension felt a bit like meeting a tank in scooter form. At 22.6kg, it’s not lightweight, but the build screams durability. Everything clicks together with a reassuring solidity, from the folding mechanism to the handlebars. The setup is straightforward, with just four bolts and an Allen key needed.
The central LED display is large, bright, and actually legible in sunlight – something that sounds obvious but is often neglected.
Right away, the suspension is the star. Dual rear shock absorbers with adjustable preload and a telescopic fork at the front make it look less like a commuter scooter and more like something you could actually ride off-road (but more on that later).
Folding is quick and satisfying, with a click-lock system that feels properly secure.
At 22.6kg, though, carrying it isn’t fun. It’s one of the heaviest mainstream scooters around. I can haul it into a car boot, and a single flight of stairs at a push. This isn’t a scooter you’ll want to lug around for long periods of time. If portability is your priority, something like Pure’s Advance Flex is a better bet. The Air 5 Ultra Suspension is built for stability and comfort, not featherweight convenience.
Performance
My test route includes a steep hill out of the village, a few uneven side roads, and a chunk of gravel track. The Air Pro LR always managed it, but it wasn’t the ideal tool for the job. The Air 5 Ultra Suspension, on the other hand, feels much more suited to the task.
Its 1201W max motor delivers brisk acceleration and, more importantly for me, serious hill-climbing ability. The three modes – pedestrian (6km/h), normal (20km/h), and max (25km/h / 16mph) – are fairly standard when it comes to e-scooter speeds in the UK. Crucially, it never felt underpowered, even when hill climbing with a backpack full of shopping.
Where this scooter really comes into its own is the suspension, which is where the Air 5 earns its name. On my Pro LR, hitting a bigger bump meant either hopping off, dodging into traffic, or risking a jolt that could knock you off balance. With the Air 5, you feel it, but it’s muted – like driving over a speed bump in a well-sprung car versus an old hatchback. It genuinely transforms the ride. Potholes become manageable (although I’d still avoid them if possible), and for the first time, I felt comfortable riding down a rutted green lane without worrying I’d be launched into a hedge.
The 10in enhanced grip tyres help here too, with puncture protection and excellent traction even on loose ground.
More than that, it felt fun, which is what scooters should be. I stopped worrying about every bump and started enjoying the ride again. That’s the real point here: confidence. On my old scooter, I was constantly scanning the road for hazards. On the Air 5 Ultra Suspension, I can actually look ahead and ride naturally.
Pure claims up to 93.8km (58 miles) on a single charge, and while I didn’t squeeze every last mile out of it, I find Pure’s claim mostly accurate (range varies widely depending on rider weight and test route). On a mixed route with hills and stop-start riding, I still managed well over 44 miles before I started looking for the charger. For most people, that’s several days’ worth of commuting. Recharge time is around six hours, which is pretty standard.
Safety
Pure has gone heavy on safety features, and I’m glad. A 150-lumen headlight lights up country lanes surprisingly well, while the always-on rear light gets five times brighter when braking. Add in front, rear, and side reflectors, plus built-in indicators, and you’ve got more visibility than most scooters.
Active Steering Stabilisation is another standout. It’s subtle, but it works very well: when you hit a dip in the road or ride over uneven tarmac, the steering doesn’t twitch unpredictably. Instead, it damps those sudden movements, giving you a calmer, more stable feel.
Braking is solid, too. A front drum brake combines with a regenerative rear e-brake to deliver plenty of stopping power without the grabby, maintenance-heavy quirks of disc brakes.
Verdict
The Pure Electric Air 5 Ultra Suspension isn’t the lightest scooter, nor the most compact, and it’s not quite as clever in design as the Advance Flex. But if you ride on British backroads, where potholes and patchy repairs are part of daily life, this is the scooter to buy. It’s powerful, comfortable, safe, and built like a tank.
For me, it fixes the one big flaw that’s kept e-scooters from being practical in villages and towns like mine: suspension. And after a week with it, I’m convinced it’s the perfect match for bumpy British roads.
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