Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner for In-Ground Pools up to 50 ft, Outdoor Charging Caddy Included, Remote Control Included

After much research, including reading some less than positive reviews, this felt like a huge financial gamble. I got tired of overpriced replacement parts for my older Dolphin corded pool cleaner. The Premier, when it worked, seems to favor the deep end of the pool, and get lazy climbing the walls whenever its basket got halfway full. Changing brand and going for a "smart" cordless cleaner seem like a reasonable way out.Pros:- Cleans every last corner of a large kidney shape pool in one cycle- Climbs wall- Valiantly attempts to clean the steps- Super-easy to take out the filter and clean it- Remote works magically to bring up the wall the cleaner after the cycle is complete- Drains easily to avoid lifting too much weight- Easy to put back on the charger -- not too heavy to carryCons:- Wi-Fi app is useless, supposed to notify of end of cycle, seems always disconnected- Manual says to dry the contacts before placing back on the charger.- Manual warns to keep the charger out of the elements. Lawyer's warning probably (aren't most pools outdoors?).To address the cons:- Use the remote, it works pefectly, even when the cleaner is in the deep end. Uninstall the app...- Use a rag to wipe the contact area before placing on the charger- Take out the handle of the charger and put it in one of those large pool plastic chests sold at HD/Lowes12 cycles in, no regrets. Let's hope it will last 100+...

Initially, the robot seemed amazing, putting it in the water and forgetting about it. It would go on its own and clean around the bottom of the pool, or if I put it on the walls/floor setting, it would climb and scrub the walls and the floor, but in just a short time (not even 4 months), it started to fail. First the remote went after just 1 week. I know, that's minor and yes, that's true. However, then, the robot started to not be able to climb the walls, it would start to go up, then stop and started to retreat back down the wall to the ground (similar to a car with manual shift if you don't hold down on the break while going uphill). Then ultimately it just died on us. One day, after placing on the outdoor docking station to charge it up, it just would not charge. I called the "tech support" line and they tried to assist me in troubleshooting it based on the lights, etc., but to no avail. First tech support offered to just send me a new docking station, but then later called back and said they would actually just send the replacement parts for a local pool supplier to replace/fix. Long story short, after calling them 3 times, they finally shipped the part TO ME, not to the pool supplier location where they were supposed to go and pool place ultimately couldn't fix it. Flurida (the company you get when you call the 800 number), told me after all this that I couldn't get a refund as they are just the manufacturer, I'd have to check with the place where I purchased it (which was on Amazon and only gave 30 days to get a refund), so that was no longer possible. Flurida then said they'd replace it with a NEW model. So, I'm in the process of having that done now (with the pool supplier), as I was not able to do it myself, it had to be done via that means through them. The replacement robot (once I get it and who knows how long that will take) will come with the rest of the remaining time left on the warranty from the time I sent it back, not a new one. Long story, despite thoroughly researching "best pool robots" over and over and coming up with the decision to purchase this one, it doesn't matter. The robot is garbage, overpriced for what ends up happening to it. And I can assure you that I meticulously cleaned it out daily (sometimes twice daily) from all the debris it collected and hosed out the collection basket to ensure operation at the fullest, but despite my best efforts, it still is not a well made item. Very disappointing with a lot of headaches thus far in such a short timeframe. I really regret wasting nearly $1,800 (once you add in tax & shipping) on this item, only to have it taking up so much of my time and energy to get it fixed over and over again. If I could turn back the clock, I would've just purchased the least expensive one and would've been better off.

I just purchased this product for our new pool. I've only used it about six times as it's early in the season, but so far so good. It's extremely simple to operate. It took me a couple of minutes to pair the robot with the app, but that's because the instructions don't make it clear which light should be blinking. It's a discreet light with a mobile wifi icon on the unit. That said, I haven't used the app to operate the robot since. The slide button on the device is all you really need to set the mode (floor only or floor+walls), and to start a cleaning session.A lot of spring debris has made its way into the pool over the past couple of weeks, and the Polaris Freedom makes quick work of it during it's 2.5 hour cleaning routine. It's quiet, and hardly noticeable. I've been putting it in as soon as I open the cover to get everything that's settled.Removing it from the pool is simple - either by hand or using the supplied hook. Simply let the water drain as you pull it up, and it's easy to carry around. I typically let it sit on the treads for a few minutes, and then upright for a few more to let it drip dry before putting it on the charger.The hood is transparent, allowing me to see directly into the filter cavity as it's running, which is nice. Removing the filter couldn't be simpler, and it's easy to clean with a hose. It's a fine filter too, capturing a thin layer of dirt/silt in addition to leaves due to all of the recent landscaping work around the pool.The charging base is super simple and has a little reflective window at the bottom so you can see the battery status light while it's charging.I thought I read something about the robot being able to map out the pool to optimize it's cleaning routine - but I haven't seen any evidence of that. It's pattern seems random to me - something I need to look into.All in all, very happy with this purchase. I'll update this review if I run into any issues.

Easy to run and does a great job of cleaning pool. Easy to retrieve from the pool and place on charger when finished. Battery charged quickly. Great pool cleaner!