Polar Active Ice 3.0 | 9 QT Cold Therapy Ice Machine | Programmable Timer | Knee & Joint Pad | Cryotherapy Pain Relief System | Ace Bandage Style Compression

Updated 4/20/2020: I wanted to add to my original review. I've used a similar unit in the past. However, the deciding factor in purchasing this particular unit was the auto on/off cycle timer, which no other company offer's. You can set it for how long you want it run and how long you want it to shut off before it runs again. Recently I have been dealing with a lot of knee pain and stiffness while trying to sleep, it's been 3-1/2 months since my surgery. To the point I am back having to use crutch's when I first get out of bed, until I do an ice therapy session. So I decided to experiment and use the machine throughout the whole night while in bed. First couple of nights I tried different cycle times, 20 mins on/20 off. Then 30/20. Finally settled on 40 mins on/10 mins off. Now when I get up in the mornings I feel so much better. I'm not in nearly as much pain nor do I have as much stiffness! Also, I no long need the crutch's when I first wake up. Having the on/off cycle timer is such an added benefit! Due to being a multi sport athlete and years of injury and competition I just had my fourth knee surgery, I borrowed a similar unit on my last surgery that wasn't available to me this time. I thought I would just use ice this time. After two days of intense pain and swelling almost the same, I ordered this unit. I love it! The bladders have the wrap attached to it which makes it very convenient and easy to put on & off. This unit also has auto on/off timer that I love. You can set it to run from 10 minutes to 16-1/2 hours. You can also set it for how long you want it off before it kicks back on again. Which is nice because you can have it on a lot longer than ice and you can sleep with it on. Within 24 hours my swelling was reduced by more than half of what it was and so was the pain. Ice, if left on to long can be counter productive and can be messy. I did have a small issue when I first received it, not a real big deal. However, I called the manufacture, Polar Products and they were really nice and took care of it immediately. While talking to them, found out they were actually local to me (Stow, Ohio) and they invited me out. They are a small family owned company with great people and a great product and worth the extra money I paid. Don't be afraid to spend the extra money for this product, Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. While I was at their facility I was asked if I would be interested in testing reusable Ice packs they are developing to reduce having to keep continuing emptying water and adding ice. I feel they are working very well, maintaining good temperature for 6-8 hours. Take them out, wipe them off and put them back in freezer and grab another set. This unit is something I would suggest having and wearing the moment you get home from surgery. This will help cut days even weeks off of dealing with pain and swelling. Also; I wear mine 30 minutes on/10 minutes off/30 minutes on, then i get up and walk as much as I can with or without crutches, then repeat. After four knee surgery's I have learned how important it is to get it moving as soon and as much as possible. However, getting the swelling down as soon as possible is a huge factor and this unit helps do that. As I am now in therapy, they will typically ice you at the end. I elect not to have them do this and I come home and put my knee bladder on. My opinion it much more effective and more comfortable. I don't understand why therapy does not use them. I know this was long but I hope my experience will help someone or many with a faster recovery, being on crutches and laid up is no fun!

Awesome product, it was of great help to us after the knee surgery. The on/off option worked well for us. It’s pricey but im so glad we got it. It was super easy to setup the machine, just follow the video guide.

We bought this so my wife could ice her knee after knee replacement surgery and it has been perfect. Being able to adjust it so it cycles on and off is great. She settled on 20 minutes on, 10 minutes off. When she first came ho.e after surgery she would do two on sessions, 50 total, then walk and stand for several minutes. She used it a lot during the day, but not at night since her surgeon said a good night's sleep was more important. But the pump is so quiet that you can use it at night. We used the 9 qt version and put six frozen 500-ml water bottles in. We just rotated two sets of six bottles. Initially I changed bottles twice a day, then when she started icing less, once per day. The bottles keep the water very cold. I only changed the water once a month or so and rinsed the container and cleaned the filter. There are good maintenance instructions in the manual. The regular knee and joint pad was plenty big enough for her. Note that if you have wrinkles in the pad that can restrict the flow so that it pulses or stops. Also, the pump uses so little power that she could plug it into the electrical outlet in the console of our '22 Silverado and ice her kneeduring an 800 mile trip a few days ago. She has now had a the other knee replaced and this is still going strong 4 months after we started using it. Note that we are still using the same water bottles. Also Note, take the labels off of the bottles so they dont clog the pump.

I ordered this for an upcoming TKR revision surgery and have not used it yet. This is my second purchase of this ice machine, however, so I feel I can write this review. I bought and used the same product with my first TKR two years ago. I bought it again because of the very positive experience I had with the first one. I love that it has a way to set it for the time you want the machine to be on and off. The pad that goes around the knee area provided perfect coverage to be effective. It is easily kept cold by using frozen bottles of water which, for me, tended to last about a day and a half before needing to be replaced with new frozen bottles of water. I just kept one set of 6 bottles of water in the freezer and one set of 6 in the machine and rotated as needed. The machine was very helpful for managing pain and swelling. The cooler part of the machine is light weight and easy to carry if needed. The hose is somewhat difficult to keep out of the way but you learn how to manage that. This surgery is very difficult and without this machine I feel certain I would have been much more miserable than I was during the lengthy recovery. I am told a revision surgery is even worse than an initial TKR and with a much more difficult recovery so I imagine this machine will be getting a lot of use soon. The machine came quickly and well packaged. I would recommend this product.

I am on my 6th week of using after knee replacement. It cut way down on the use of painkillers. Get the large rectangular pad. I have a couple of suggestions for the manufacturer; 1. The velcro straps are very hard to use, I ditched them out of frustration and am using two snap buckle belts. 2. Where the hose connects to the pad, a swivel is needed.

Don't even think about a cheaper solution! I ordered a less expensive (different brand) ice therapy unit and the liner on it failed the first use. The Polar does not have a liner - it's a little mini cooler with a super quiet motor inside it. (Whatever you order, make sure to do it in advance and try it out ) I originally didn't know what features I REALLY needed/wanted in an ice machine. I am so lucky this Polar unit just happened to have 2 key features. First, it has a timer. Why is this important? You can set it and forget it. For example, I iced 30 min on, 30 min off. The first few weeks after surgery I dozed off a lot - so it was important that it just turned on and off for me and I didn't have to keep waking up. Second most important thing is that it has a quick disconnect - that's a BIG deal. Getting the pad all set up and velcro strapped on to your leg (or wherever) takes time. So when you have to make a bathroom run, it is a major pain to unhook everything and get out of the bed or recliner. With the disconnect feature, you just click the button and keep everything attached and then quick reconnect when you're back in bed. Other unit I tried didn't have this. The Polar is sturdy, compact, reliable and quiet. The company also happens to have a customer service team who answers the phone (!!!) and cares about the reputation of their product. I have had no issues with the unit, but I did call to ask about the cost of a longer hose for the unit if I needed. They were great! Getting a human to speak with is priceless. This unit has been a life saver. Instead of reaching for an ibuprofen, I just used the ice machine. And it's durable. I'm assuming at some point I will need to replace the pad/hose connection because I have abused it (ran over it with the wheelchair, twisted it and pulled on it when I was too tired to get up and see what the problem was, etc) but so far it runs like a top and NO LEAKS ANYWHERE. Once I get back in shape after this knee surgery I am sure I will use this for after sports icing - it works great to prevent/treat inflammation.

We love this item! After knee replacement surgery, icing the knee is important - for comfort and for keeping swelling down. Ordering an important medical device like this from China or something and worrying about returns or problems was not going to work for me. I wanted a USA made company with good reviews - and Polar Products met that criterion. The device is compact, easy to use, with good instructions. I freeze about 18 individual water bottles and about every 8 hours I swap out 6 water bottles and the happy little cooler recirculates the cold water into a pad wrapped around my husband's new knee. He says it provides the cold but also massages the knee lighlly and feels great. Put something (we use a dishtowel) between the leg and the cold pad to protect the skin. The directions were clear and helpful and I felt if I had any problems (which I did not) Polar Products, would respond quickly. We highly recommend this item. You "kneed" this!

This ice therapy machine is amazing! We've been using it every day since it arrived 8 days ago: It's easy to set up, easy to use, stays cold much longer than other machines we tried first when my husband had his knee replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. (First machine we bought was from KINRYOPY and broke after the first 20 minutes--total junk!!). What we love about this machine: 1) The compartment is made of hard plastic like a well-made ice chest. 2) The top is attached and swings open easily to change out ice bottles to keep the water cold. *So* much better than the soft, foldable compartment with a zipper close for the top on the KINRYOPY machine (piece of junk!!), where the zipper would keep getting stuck when trying to close it. 3) We got the smaller machine which holds four 20 fl oz (590 mL) bottles of frozen water. It kept the water very cold for over 6 hours, so we only had to change ice bottles once per day for over 12 hours of icing of the surgery site. It's perfectly large enough to ice down one surgery area (ours was the knee), yet small enough unit to pick up and move even when full with water. 4) The wonderful programmable timer was easy to set up and works perfectly! We love that it will tell you how many more minutes you have before the pump will stop and how long before it'll turn back on. That's great for when it has to be taken off to visit the restroom, or eat, or exercise, etc. 5) The pad goes on easily with the velcro straps and is easy to take off. Ditto with the hose clip, which clips on easily and comes off easily when the two metal clips are pressed in. No leakage, no problems ever! We can't say enough great things about this machine. It was delivered on time, easy to set up, works perfectly with minimal hassle. When the first machine we got broke within the first hour of using it (piece of junk from KINRYOPY, also here on Amazon), a wonderful neighbor let us borrow their older ice therapy machine until this new unit arrived. While the older machine worked perfectly, it didn't have a programmable timer, and it was harder to set up. Believe me, the programmable timer is absolutely a game changer!! This is a great machine, and worth every penny. It's made this difficult time of surgery so much easier.

The idea works and the machine does what it says on the tin. It is cumbersome but there are very little alternatives in the market . The timer was faulty but the machine works without the timer if needed. However … the seller wasn’t great . The machine arrived with an international plug which doesn’t fit in the UK. Not a huge problem but annoying. I’m not sure I’d have chosen it knowing that. I mentioned this to the seller, they took a long time to respond and offered a small refund for me to buy an adapter . Again not a huge problem but a hassle. The refund didn’t arrive and then the timer stopped working . I emailed the seller and very politely they said … too bad .. not our issue … see you later. And that was that . Still no refund …and a faulty timer . Not the end of the world … but not great service.

Coming without knee pad 😱😱