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

My recent surgeries were total joint replacement (knee & hip) so this ice machine was used every day for the past 5 months with no problems. I use 4 frozen 12oz soda bottles (filled with water) at a time that need a swap out every 10 hours or so. I have a total of 12 bottles in the freezer to rotate through. The cooling is always icy cold and perfect with a thin cloth barrier on the skin area or just on the skin if I reduce the flow to 3 especially when it has fresh ice bottles. The timer prevents too much icing and I used it 30 on 30 off for a few hours. I was told never use heat, just ice and this ice machine provides an ease of use when compared to using gel pads and ice bags. Less trips to the freezer. I bought an additional large back pad but I only used the smaller universal pad that comes with it. No leaks and always covers the leg area just right. It is worth the cost when you consider how effective it is reducing pain and inflammation and how easy to use versus managing a bunch of gel pads in the freezer.

I bought this prior to getting a knee replacement to help keep swelling down. I chose this one over the many other options for 3 major reasons: it uses frozen water bottles, it has a timer, it has a flow rate (temperature) control. All of these features proved absolutely key. I've heard nightmares of families storing and lugging ice to keep their circulator cold. I can't even imagine that drudgery. We kept 12 bottles in the freezer at peak usage, with 6 in the ice chest. Super easy to pull 6 out, swap in 6. Timer was huge as well, especially for the first week when you're napping a lot. Set the timer, go to sleep, don't worry. The flow rate was also a nice feature. I kept it on high (4) initially, but reduced it to 3 at night after week 2. This was one of my best pre-op purchases (the other being a super cozy but lightweight robe). Highly highly recommended.

I purchased this for help with healing from a knee replacement surgery. It is so simple to set up and use! The cord is extra long as well, so you can move it without needing extensions. I was expecting the motor to be loud, but you literally cannot hear it. Life saver for anyone recovering from surgery!

I recently broke my heel after falling from a ladder. Two surgeries and a week in the hospital later and I am home and in pain. I already had a Donjoy ice therapy machine (Clear 3) from a friend and it broke after a week of heavy use. I almost bought the same machine, but decided to do some research and found this Polar cold therapy machine. I liked the cooler design and it was one of the only machines I found with a timer attached, which is nice because I can sleep with it on and not worry about it being on too long. It is also VERY quiet, unlike the Donjoy I had previously. If you watch the video, you can hear how quiet it is. You can hear the water over the pump. Because of the cooler design, it absolutely keeps the water cold all day long, which my wife appreciates because it's less times she has to change the ice. I did experience an issue with the timer after a couple weeks. I called the 800 number on the machine. Just like all the other reviews say, I was immediately greeted by a real person (Randi) who simply asked for my Amazon order # and verified my info. She sent me some troubleshooting tips in an email. Those helped me identify that it was the timer. My machine still worked without it, so I was able to use my machine again, and Randi is shipping me a new timer. Super easy. And way less hassle than returning the whole thing to Amazon and waiting for a whole new machine. 5 star customer service. If cold therapy is a critical part of your pain management and recovery, like it is for me, don't cheat yourself. Spend the money. Get this machine! You won't regret it.

My wife underwent a knee replacement, so constant ice packs were important to control pain & swelling. We tried using the smaller ice packs provided by the hospital, but they didn't last very long and were never really cold enough. I took a chance and bought this product (the smaller 6 bottle size) and couldn't be more pleased! Six bottles of frozen water will provide about 4-5 hours of cooling before needing to be replaced. Very easy to set up and use the first time. SOME SUGGESTIONS: - I'm sure the larger size would be even better (longer lasting) but I was concerned about the weight since I would have to carry it up and down a flight of stairs. - I purchased the one with the large pad, and it was a good choice. It enabled the knee to be completely surrounded with ice. - The controller works well and is intuitive. - Freeze enough bottles of water so you can easily exchange them as they get warm. I initially froze 24 bottles while waiting for the shipment, and this worked well. It allows the replacing of warm bottles without impacting the level of cooling. (Figure 6 in the container, 12 to be readily available, and 6 being frozen). And at the end, you can still drink the water because it's in a clean environment. Overall, an excellent purchase that I'm very happy with!

This thing works great. Good value - quality - reliable. Have had zero issues. Controls are easy to use and deliver exactly what is needed. After knee replacement use this in the living room while using a Nice machine in the bedroom. Once compression was no longer needed used this both places and preferred sleeping while using this.

This Ice machine is awesome. It's a huge help if you are recovering from surgery or have muscle/tendon pain. I use frozen water bottles and water and it stays cold for at lease 8 hours or more. I would recommend it to my friends and family.

My wife has needed ZERO opioids since her Total Knee Replacement 6 weeks ago simply by using this Polar 3.0 for pain relief. Amazing invention!