Polar Active Ice 3.0 Cold Therapy Ice Machine System with Programmable Timer, Full Circumference and Coverage Knee Compression Pad, 9 Quart Cooler, Quiet Pump, Strong Cryotherapy Pain Relief Treatment

Used this product after a TKR surgery. It worked well and as advertised. Easy set up and use. We used frozen water bottles and rotated them as needed. Depending on the water flow/temperature setting it kept cold for 6-10 hours. We found it best to keep cooler even with or above the pad on a stool. We did not have any issues with use or quality. It would be difficult for patient to set up and strap on in the first several days after surgery but after 3-4 days, when you start recovery you should be able to manage moving it around and replacing frozen bottles. We loved it and it definitely is a huge improvement over frozen ice packs. Obviously costs a lot more, but well worth it.

I’m not sure if it works. I’ve only tried it once during my chemo session,but it stays colder much longer than the caps you freeze.

Buckle up! There's a lot to say. I'm comparing the Polar Care Active Ice machine to four other units I've used. I've had knee problems for over 20 years. My first knee surgery was in 2003 and they provided me with my first cryo cuff machine. Back at that time it was not electric, it was gravity driven, so it had to be elevated much higher than your knee. It provided ice cold water, And I thought the machin was a fantastic bonus! Fast forward to about 2012. I purchased a Breg Kodiak polar Care unit. I was confident that they're really good units and so I put it aside until I needed it. When I needed it, it worked ONE time, and then the pump died. It was terribly disappointing. I spent all that money, was out of the return window, and had a dead unit I couldn't use. Fast forward again to almost 4 months ago, when I had another knee surgery. My insurance would pay for a cryo machine, so I was psyched. The equipment company my doctor's office uses provided me with some crappy noisy unit that provided cool water, but not cold enough water. The indicator light on that machine died after the first week. I requested another machine and they brought me an Ossur Unit this time. The Ossur does the job, But again, the water isn't very cold. The other issue I have with the Ossur unit, is that the knee pad was too small. It basically laid on top of my knee and went down the sides a little bit. Ossur does not have a wraparound or a larger version of the knee pad than what I had. And NOW, to the pièce de résistance: The Polar Care Active Ice! Y'ALL! This machine makes me want to do a happy dance! Here's my take--in no particular order. 1) The 9 qt unit looks like a small cooler you'd take on an outing. It's larger than a personal cooler, to be sure. But it's def not a monster! 2) It's only about 5.5 lbs when it's empty. The tubing is actually fairly weighty, as is the wrap I purchased. And the tubing is fairly long, which is a welcome convenience. 3) Upon purchasing this Polar Care Unit, you can choose from a bunch of different wraps. I chose the large rectangular wraparound for my knee, so that I could get 360° coverage. I HIGHLY recommend doing that. I mean, WTH is the point of a pad that you just put on the front of your knee? The wraparound was the way to go for me! 4) Not only can you use frozen water bottles inside the unit, but the Polar Care folks even have a video showing you how to do it. It is SUPER convenient to be able to reuse the water bottles and not have to worry about ice cubes!! NOW, to the REALLY great stuff! 5) There is a wired remote control! This little gem is of huge significance to me. The remote gives you the ability to set the timer in 10 minute increments up to 990 minutes. The timer cycles the unit both on AND off. The most recent studies show that cryotherapy is most beneficial at increments of 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. So that's how I set my machine. That means I could go to sleep and it just keeps cycling, I don't have to do anything. I don't even have to think about it! You can imagine what a tremendous bonus that is for post-op pain when you're in a drug induced stupor! Additionally, You can adjust the coldness of the water from numbers 1 to 4. I have no idea what the temperatures are, but 4 is the coldest. Just be sure NOT to place the wrap directly on your skin. You need a barrier to protect your skin. I use it with pajama pants or lounge pants. I feel like my jeans are too thick. 6) And speaking of water temps, this machine gets COLD, and I mean COLD!!! FINALLY! A cryo machine that actually provides really cold water. As mentioned, the water temp is adjustable. So YOU don't have to have the freezing cold water, and that's another HUGE bonus! 7) This unit is fairly quiet. The little humming that it does is not annoying to me at all, whereas the others grated my nerves. But I suppose that's different for everybody. Some reviewers have mentioned hearing the water trickle inside the unit. I hear that occasionally but it's really a non-issue for me. This Polar Care Active Ice Machine is, hands down, the all around BEST of the 5 cryo units I've used. If you haven't guessed by now, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Post TKR and pain relief best to worst; 1. Narcotics AND this Polar Active Cold Therapy System 2. Polar Active Cold Therapy System 3. NDAIDs and Polar Active Cold Therapy System 4. Acetaminophen and Polar Active Cold Therapy System One of the strongest pain sensations post-op is burning. This system is perfect for that as well as helping to decrease swelling. It feels great. It’s very simple to set up and use, and it’s quiet. Highly recommend using frozen water bottlers (remove some water first). It can hold 6 half liter bottles or 10-12 8oz bottles. Once you fill the cooler with water and frozen water bottles, the pump will circulate ice cold water for about 5-6 hours. Highly recommend having two sets of frozen water bottles so you can switch out with minimal down time. It will then automatically circulate cold water for the set time and then stop circulation for the set time. The timer will reset every time the unit is unplugged, but it’s super simple to change. Usual directions are 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. I purchased the rectangular full coverage knee pad. The Velcro straps are wide and strong, and very secure. Keep in mind that if it fits well before surgery, it may have a small gap post op from the swelling. Not sure about durability as I’ve only been using it for 3 days. The information included about the company looks like they stand behind their product and that you could get replacement parts if needed. If you begin to hear water trickling you need to check the water level and add some. Very happy with purchase. By using the frozen water bottles, you won't use up all your ice. and it makes it super simple to refill. You don't have to carry the cooler and pad to the ice. Just bring the frozen bottles to the cooler.

My Polar Ice Machine just arrived. It’s fabulous, easy to operate, and provides welcome relief from pain. I have a torn meniscus and this machine is a life saver. The rectangle pad is excellent as it goes completely around the knee icing the back of knee as well as underneath. Beats a bag of frozen peas!! Well worth the money!