Polar Active Ice 3.0 Cold Therapy Ice Machine System with Programmable Timer, Foot and Ankle Therapy Pad, Lightweight 9 Quart Cooler, Quiet Pump, Strong Cryotherapy Pain Relief Treatment

The well-designed unit works flawlessly and with several ways to customize the level of cooling as well as the on/off time periods. It is literally set and forget. Ice bottles last 5-6 hours before a 1 minute change out process. So easy to use it allows for the patient to concentrate on healing. Highly recommend for anyone who has had knee, hip, or shoulder replacement surgery. I’d give it ten stars if I could.

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!

TLDR: After one week of use: The best customer service of any vendor I have encoutered. An essentially perfect product for post-shhoulder replacement surgery.When the equipment arrived it included the smaller shoulder pad. Having used a similar device from another vendor I knew that I needed the larger version (5'11", 175#). I called Polar, and the phone was immediately answered by a real person; no menu, no waiting, no hearing how my call was VERY important to them. Randi, the support rep, asked me if I had used the one they sent me and I told her it was still in the bag, unopened. She said, "That's OK, keep it anyway. You might need it for something else later." That was on Friday, five days before Xmas. Monday the new shoulder pad arrived, Fex Ex Second Day.When I told my orthopedic surgeon I was going to use an ice machine he was enthusiastically supportive. He told me to bring it with me to the hospital and he would put it on me before I woke up. He apologized for not being allow the write a prescription for one.On to the product itself. It is so quiet I can't hear it even in a silent bedroom at night, 3-4 feet from my head. The pain relief is better than the oxycodone that was prescribed following this reverse total shoulder replacement so after the first day I have only taken one a day rather than the once every four hours prescribed.In the week since my surgery I have found that the large pad is best for daytime use and the small one is adequate and more comfortable for sleeping. When I want to get up and walk around, the hose attached to the large pad is long enough that I can simply disconnect it after turning the device off (only a few drops come out) and reconnect on my own. The hose on the smaller pad is too short for me to disconnect/reconnect it myself, so I unplug the power cord at the device and carry it into the bathroom with my good arm.At first I was operating it at the top setting (4) all the time. I found that if I run it at 2 it feels almost as cold and at least some of the six water bottles stay frozen for 8-12 hours. Running at 4, I could feel the shoulder pad temperature rising after 4-6 hours. I get the same pain relief at either setting.The hoses are long enough that I can have the device on either side of my chair and on the side opposite my surgical shoulder in bed. I won't say that sleeping with these cold stiff hoses wrapped around my chest is as comfortable as not having them there, but the constant pain relief more than makes up for it.I have on a couple occasions awakened with pain and found the shoulder pad warm. In both cases I had turned into a position that kinked the hoses. Just shifting in a random direction opened up the flow again. One night I woke up to find that I had somehow pressed against the disconnect button on one of the hoses. It leaked maybe two teaspoons of water before I woke up and unplugged the power cord from the machine.Putting on the smaller pad is pretty easy by yourself. The larger pad is more difficult. While I can do it, I usually enlist my wife's help to get the big strap wrapped around my chest. (When I want to walk around I just turn off the machine and disconnect the hoses.) Since I cannot connect the hose on the smaller pad by myslef once I have it on, I connect it, then slip on the pad.Having 12 water bottles is adequate for me now that I run the machine at the "2" setting. I put on the large pad and put six bottles in the machine after breakfast. I wear it until dinner time. I put the small pad on at bed time, with a fresh set of frozen bottles.The only change I would make to this product is to make the hose on the smaller pad long enough that I can disconect/connect it while wearing it.