At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
- Best performance of any pool cleaning robot we’ve tested to date
- Optimizes run time based on pool size
- Lift system lets you retrieve the robot on demand without a pole
Cons
- Wrangling its power cord requires some extra effort
- A bit of an eyesore even when not in use
Our Verdict
Polaris’ high-end corded robot gains in performance what it loses in portability.
Best Prices Today: Polaris VRX iQ+
Until now, every pool-cleaning robot TechHive has tested—large and small—has had one thing in common: a battery. Polaris got its start with ubiquitous water-powered pool cleaners. Now a Fluidra brand, Polaris is one of the bigger names in corded pool robots. Today we take a dive with the Polaris VRX iQ+.
Instead of relying on a battery, corded pool-cleaning robots are outfitted with a long electrical cable that snakes from the robot to a control box that lives outside the water. Polaris’s control box is mounted on top of a rolling caddy (tool-free assembly required), which serves as rolling storage rack for the robot and the cable when it’s not in use.
The Polaris VRX iQ+ is far from being an inexpensive pool-cleaning robot, but its effectiveness is unmatched in my testing to date.
The control box connects directly to a GFCI power outlet, and users are strictly warned not to use an extension cord with it—so you’ll need to have power available reasonably near your pool if you want to use a corded robot at all.
The power line is very lengthy, 70 feet of insulated cable that floats in the water. To use the robot, you drop it in near the midpoint of the pool and feed enough cable into the water so the robot can reach all the corners. The remaining cable—and I had plenty of it in my testing—remains coiled on the pool deck. When the robot’s finished, you respool the cable and place it back on the caddy for storage.
The corded VRX iQ+ comes with a rolling caddy that stores all its components, but it won’t do much for your yard’s aesthetics whether or not it’s cleaning your pool.
The corded VRX iQ+ comes with a rolling caddy that stores all its components, but it won’t do much for your yard’s aesthetics whether or not it’s cleaning your pool.
Christopher Null/Foundry
The corded VRX iQ+ comes with a rolling caddy that stores all its components, but it won’t do much for your yard’s aesthetics whether or not it’s cleaning your pool.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Christopher Null/Foundry
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best pool-cleaning robots.
It’s a lot of work in comparison to operating a battery-powered robot, but after I ran the VRX iQ+ a few times, I got the hang of the process and things became increasingly easy. It helps that this robot is extremely efficient at its job: With a maximum power draw of 150 watts, the 21-pound robot cruises around the floor, up the walls, and along the waterline on four large wheels which feature two wide, scrubbing cylindrical treads sandwiched in between.
Performance
In the water, it’s one of the speediest robots I’ve tested, and it can complete its heaviest “deep clean” cycle in 2 hours, 45 minutes. Unlike some competing robots—the battery-powered BeatBot Aquasense Pro, for example—this robot does not clean the surface of the water in the pool.
When you first use the Polaris VRX iQ+, it automatically calculates an optimized “smart cycle” duration based on its initial survey of the pool and remembers it for future runs. My pool’s smart cycle time of 2 hours, 19 minutes seems quite expedient, but to my great surprise it’s also effective. In organic testing, the robot cleaned up nearly all the debris on the floor of the pool, and it did a great job scrubbing walls and tile, too, working fast but working thoroughly and methodically.
When I tested the robot on synthetic leaves, it picked up all but a single leaf which had landed on one of the steps. Robots always struggle with steps, and the VRX iQ+ was no exception. Still, a 99-percent success rate at hunting down debris is a big win in my book.
The Polaris app is well laid out and easy to use.
The Polaris app is well laid out and easy to use.
Christopher Null/Foundry
The Polaris app is well laid out and easy to use.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Christopher Null/Foundry
If you don’t have time for a full cleaning, additional operating modes are available, including a 1-hour, 15-minute floor-only mode and a 45-minute waterline-only mode. Regardless of mode, when finished, the “lift system” button on the control box instructs the robot to proceed forward and climb whicever wall is directly ahead of it, then park itself at the tile line for easy retrieval, no pole needed. The large debris canister includes a removable lid and is easier to clean than most.
The VRX iQ+ works with Polaris’s iAquaLink app, which repeats most of the functions you’ll find on the control box. Additional app features include a remote-control mode that lets you direct the robot to debris it might have missed, and/or initiate a “spot clean” operation for any debris directly in front of it. The app also indicates if the debris canister is full and in need of emptying and includes a scheduling system that automates running times if you want to leave the robot in the pool when the pool is not in use. (This isn’t normally recommended.)
The Polaris VRX iQ’s two-part debris container is capacious and reasonably easy to clean out.
The Polaris VRX iQ’s two-part debris container is capacious and reasonably easy to clean out.
Christopher Null/Foundry
The Polaris VRX iQ’s two-part debris container is capacious and reasonably easy to clean out.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Christopher Null/Foundry
Should you buy a Polaris VRX iQ?
At $1,649 (not including a current $100 cash rebate promotion), the Polaris VRX iQ+ is far from inexpensive, but its effectiveness is unmatched in my testing to date. While it isn’t overwhelmingly more difficult to use than a battery-powered robot, the need for a lengthy cord really does change the aesthetics of the pool when the robot is in use and even when it’s idling on the deck, as the caddy system takes up a significant amount of space and isn’t the most beautiful way to accessorize your outdoor space. Even larger battery-powered robots are demure by comparison. While I’m still trying to warm up to the idea of having all the extra equipment to deal with, I do appreciate that the robot never needs to recharge, and it won’t suffer from battery fatigue over time.
If you want to save a little money, the $1,449 Polaris VRX iQ (sans the +) drops a few of the features of the iQ+, including some of the extra cycles and the custom scheduling feature. You’ll have to visit a pool-supply store to purchase one, however, as it’s not sold online. Also, note that if you want the robot in blue instead of white, you’ll find it for sale under the name of Polaris Alpha iQ+; aside from the color, it’s an identical machine.
Best Prices Today: Polaris VRX iQ+
Author: Christopher Null, Freelance Contributor
Christopher Null is a veteran technology and business journalist. He contributes regularly to TechHive, PCWorld, and Wired, and operates the websites Drinkhacker and Film Racket.