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!

My husband is currently recovering from his second knee replacement. We used this Polar Active Ice machine for his first and loved it so much we reordered it for the second. It is, by far, the best of the best. We loved our first Polar Ice but lent it to a few friends and didn’t realize we had lost track of the cords. Fortunately, or so we thought, he had been given an ice therapy machine for this knee replacement through his insurance. If we had never used the Polar Active Ice, we might have been happy but having done so the “gift” was not even close to the quality and effectiveness that the Polar Ice is. That’s the thing that made the decision to reorder easy for us. Without good icing his swelling is out of control and his leg is very painful. With proper icing, the swelling stays down, the pain is easier to control and most importantly, he can do his rehab effectively. So why this particular product when there are so many others to choose from? It’s easy to use. The Velcro straps are attached to the pad itself which means no fumbling in the night after bathroom trips. Its portable and I can move it around the house to help keep him comfortable. His whole body is recovering because he was limping for so long. He also moves from chair to chair, bedroom to sunroom just trying to find the best spot in the moment and the ice machine can move with him. He’s a big guy, at roughly 6’4” the straps and pad still cover enough surface area on his leg to keep the swelling down. Most importantly though is that this is the most effective way to keep the swelling under control. We fill it with water and cold packs, set the timer and it ices his knee on command throughout the day and night. I’m convinced that this constant flow of cold therapy made all of the difference in the recovery process from the first knee replacement. His physical therapist were impressed, his surgeon was impressed and his primary care doctor was very pleased to see how quickly he recovered. Most importantly, as his caregiver I’m impressed. It will make this whole process better and has made my life so much easier. I know he’s receiving the very best therapy he can receive and in the least amount of pain possible. That gives me some peace of mind as he gets back on his feet. I HIGHLY recommend this product. It’s worth the extra money to have. Just don’t lend it to your friends;)

This has been a tremendous help during my mother’s recovery after knee replacement surgery. The cold therapy provides consistent cooling and has helped reduce swelling and discomfort, making her rehabilitation much more comfortable. It’s easy to set up, runs quietly, and has been very reliable. I highly recommend it to anyone recovering from knee surgery or other orthopedic procedures. It has definitely been worth the investment.

This is the best ice machine to have after any joint surgery requiring you to ice. It is not the least expensive but it is really well made. It does not leak. I use 6 frozen water bottles and it lasts all day. I bought the one with the knee pad. I have fluffy knees and even with post surgery swelling the coverage is good and the straps long enough to wrap around. The remote control is easy to work and I would recommend getting the one that includes it. The tubing is a bit cumbersome but it needs to be and can easily be deal with. The connectors in the tubing did bother me because of it rubbing against my leg but was easily remedied by wrapping a big of 2” elastic bandage around where the join. Just be careful not to wrap so tight that you depress the clips on the connectors because if you depress the clips it will leak a little. You can tell from the way it arrived and how it’s packed that each ice machine is packed with care. The company is easy to connect with. I ordered one with a wrap around pad which was nice but I have short legs and it didn’t work for me. They would have sent me the pad I needed but it was too close to my surgery so I just ordered the correct one and returned the one that had the too big pad. Overall I’m glad I chose to buy this brand icing machine. It was money well spent.

Works well and easy to use. The only thing I would’ve liked is to have the tubing able to be disconnected from cooler. It is hard to carry to a different location in your home by yourself. I just had a total knee replacement and walk with a walker.

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.

Just had knee surgery and this has been great in keeping the swelling and pain down. I have it on any time I’m not standing and walking. Easy to get pads on and off in the middle of the night. Using frozen water bottles works really well. Use all night with timer 40 minutes on/10 minutes off. I can’t imagine trying to manage the pain and swelling with an ice pack. Worth every penny

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 😱😱