At a glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- Overall great cleaning quality
- Lightweight, drains water quickly
- Docks at waterline for easy retrieval
Cons
- Slightly less effective than Polaris’ corded model VRX iQ+
- Remote control is somewhat difficult to use
- Very expensive
Our Verdict
Polaris’ premiere battery-powered pool robot wins on flexibility, even if it makes minor compromises in cleaning prowess.
Price When Reviewed
$1,699.00
Best Prices Today: Polaris Freedom Plus
Retailer Price
$1,699 View Deal Polaris $1699 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket
While Polaris is known for both its water-powered and (electrical) corded pool robots, it also produces several battery-powered systems. The Freedom Plus reviewed here is at the top of that line; its name an evocation of the fun you’ll have because you’re not tethered to a long cable of any kind.
The Freedom Plus offers a sizeable internal battery with a capacity of 9600Ah; it charges in about 5 hours which gives it a little over 2.5 hours of running time when dropped into the pool on its most thorough cleaning setting. The unit can be set to clean the floor only, walls only, or both. An additional “smart mode” is calculated during the robot’s first run, which claims to optimize the running time based on the size of the pool. In practical terms, simply using the “floor + wall” mode is just as effective as using the smart mode.
The Polaris Freedom Plus pool-cleaning robot provided excellent coverage and showcased solid cleaning prowess during my testing.
Christopher Null/Foundry
Like the wired Polaris VRX iQ+, the Freedom Plus includes a large, wheeled caddy which must be assembled (tool-free) before use. While a wireless charging system clips into the caddy—the robot charges like a Qi device without needing to be plugged in—there’s not a lot of reason for the wheels and handle, as the 20-pound robot is easily light enough to maneuver without needing to roll it around. And since the charging station must plug into wall power anyway, there’s not very far you can roll it to begin with. In fact, moving the caddy with the charging system attached isn’t easy, as the charger isn’t all that securely attached to the caddy’s chassis. The less-expensive Freedom (non-Plus) model has a smaller charging station, forgoing the wheels and handle, which you might prefer.
Design and specifications
The Polaris Freedom Plus runs on two treads, with a wide, cylindrical scrubbing brush in between them. The robot moves with deliberate intention, not particularly quickly, as it traverses the pool and climbs up to the waterline. Debris is efficiently swept into a sizeable container that’s easy to access under a hatch that pops up with a quick pull. The container is just one piece, which makes it as easy to clean as possible—and with no extra components to misplace.
Christopher Null/Foundry
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners.
Polaris’ robot provided excellent coverage and showcased solid cleaning prowess during my testing, with both organic debris and artificial leaves. It struggled a bit with a small area around the corner of a 90-degree dogleg in my pool, regularly missing a small patch here. A few leaves would also typically be left behind in the shallow end of the pool, particularly on the steps. Apart from that, the Freedom Plus’ cleaning prowess was excellent, and I regularly achieved an average of 95 percent coverage after several weeks of tests.
The Freedom Plus can be turned on with a switch on the base of the unit or activated with a mobile app. The physical switch is the easier option, as the mobile app is primarily useful only if you want to change operational modes. Once the robot is in the pool, the unit’s Wi-Fi connection (2.4GHz only) was invariably lost due to interference, making the app useless for tracking the robot’s status in the water.
Christopher Null/Foundry
One of the primary additions you get with the Freedom Plus over the cheaper Freedom is a remote control. The sizeable remote lets you manually position the robot to clean problem areas—turn right, turn left, move backward, move forward—or to instruct the robot to lift itself out of the pool by cruising forward and climbing the nearest wall. (The robot also automatically parks itself at the waterline when a cleaning cycle is finished.) This makes retrieval as easy as just lifting it out of the water—water drains quickly—though a pole-attachable hook is also included if you run out of battery power. (Both the remote and hook attachment clip conveniently to the caddy, which gives the caddy a small bit of additional utility.)
The remote isn’t the all that convenient—the buttons are stiff, and its tip must be physically placed in the water in order to work, since it works on pulsed visible light—but it’s definitely better than having no remote control at all.
Should you buy the Polaris Freedom Plus?
At a selling price of $1,699, The Polaris Freedom Plus isn’t inexpensive; in fact, it’s $50 pricier than the corded Polaris VRX iQ+. The upcharge is worth it for not having to wrestle with a cable, but the VRX iQ+ did a better job of cleaning the pool during my testing, if only by a small margin. As a cordless cleaner, it remains a top-shelf option that excels on every front, though multiple, less-expensive options are just about as good—albeit with fewer features.
