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Polaris 360 Pressure‑Side Pool Cleaner Review

No booster pump, but inefficient and lackluster cleaning

Justin D. By Justin D. • August 4th, 2024
Polaris 360 Pressure‑Side Pool Cleaner Review

Polaris 360


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Introduction

Hey there, and welcome back to the Pool Nerd. I’m Justin, your resident pool aficionado, and today I’m taking a look at the Polaris Vac-Sweep 360, the pressure line version of the Vac-Sweep 280. This is a cleaner my subscribers have asked me to review and it is here. Just like the Polaris 280 I reviewed, it suffers from poor cleaning ability and coverage, a lack of features, an annoying user experience, and an inflated price. Needless to say, I was disappointed.


Testing the Polaris 360
Testing the Polaris 360 // The Pool Nerd

Cleaning Coverage

Let’s start with cleaning coverage. The Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 is a pressure-side cleaner that runs off of a dedicated pressure line. It is supposed to clean the floor and walls of your pool, but it lacks the features needed to do so and the navigation to get there.

It does not have a brush, but instead sucks everything up and into its filter bag through this hole here. What this means is that it cannot actively scrub away stuck-on debris, and suction is prone to miss loose debris as it rolls over it.


Polaris 360 intake port
Polaris 360 intake port // The Pool Nerd

This is barely a cleaner when compared with robotic pool cleaners, which can actively scrub away debris and have stronger suction power. Coming from the robotic pool cleaner world, I was very disappointed when testing the Polaris.

Debris Coverage

Speaking of debris coverage, the Vac-Sweep 360 only comes with a filter bag, which is fine for larger debris but won’t filter your water. Most robotic pool cleaners come with a standard fine filter basket, which does a much better job filtering water. In fact, some robotic pool cleaners, such as the Dolphin Quantum, include an ultra-fine filter as well to really tackle cloudy water, as most pools need the extra filtration.


Polaris 360 vacuuming my pool
Polaris 360 vacuuming my pool // The Pool Nerd

The Vac-Sweep 360 misses most of those tiny particles that cloud your pool water, so you will be left to do extra cleaning when your water becomes cloudy. The better filtration offered by a robotic pool cleaner is a huge plus, as it ensures you never have to take on any extra cleaning and keeps your pool water healthier.


Polaris 360's Filter Bag
Polaris 360's Filter Bag // The Pool Nerd

The filter bag twists off up top and is easy to clean. However, it was a bit frustrating to clean as the debris would often get stuck. It took me several minutes to clean.


Opening the Polaris 360's filter
Opening the Polaris 360's filter // The Pool Nerd

Not only does the Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 miss debris through its lack of filtration options and poor cleaning feature set, but it also wanders around your pool. The Vac-Sweep 360 does not have a navigation system to help it map its cleaning path, which means it is very likely that it will clean the same spot over and over again, miss others, or get stuck. This wastes a ton of electricity. In fact, pressure-side cleaners can burn over a thousand watts of power. Let that sink in. That’s over 5 times the typical modern electric robotic pool cleaner.


Polaris 360 would hit the wall consistently
Polaris 360 would hit the wall consistently // The Pool Nerd

In order for it to clean all of your pool, you should expect to babysit it or clean up after it. After paying several hundred dollars for a pool cleaner, I expect it to clean for me, not with me. In comparison, almost all robotic pool cleaners include some sort of navigation software, such as Smart Nav 2.0 found on the Dolphin Escape, Cayman, Quantum, etc. This software maps your pool to ensure that no spot is missed, and to do it efficiently.

Benefits and Drawbacks

The one benefit the Vac-Sweep 360 does seem to have, though, is that it does not require a booster pump. This should save you hundreds of dollars and make it easier to use, but operating off of a pressure line brings with it a whole other host of problems. Most pool owners will have to simply plug up existing ports in their pools to direct more pressure through the outlet where the bot will be plugged in. These pressure ports are there for a reason though, as they help keep the water from stagnating. Blocking them up also raises the back pressure on the pump, causing it to wear down more quickly.


Polaris 360 cord tangling
Polaris 360 cord tangling // The Pool Nerd

So while you may not have to buy an extra booster pump, redirecting pressure to this robot will cost you more time and money in maintenance and shorten the life of your pump. In the long run, the savings from not buying a booster pump will cancel each other out. And I haven’t even mentioned the cord cutting, balancing, and assembly necessary to get the Vac-Sweep 360 up and running.


No booster pump required, just plug into a pump outlet
No booster pump required, just plug into a pump outlet // The Pool Nerd

After coming from testing a bunch of robotic pool cleaners, testing the Polaris was a rude awakening. Robotic pool cleaners don’t have any of this mess to deal with, as they are independent of your pool system. All you have to do is plug them in and drop them into the pool, and they are ready to clean. There’s no cords to be cut or ports to be blocked, which saves you a lot of headache at first.


Polaris 360's wheels
Polaris 360's wheels // The Pool Nerd

In the long run, robotic pool cleaners are easier too, as they can be programmed to clean when you want and what you want. With just a few button presses, you can set a robotic pool cleaner’s schedule, and it will run for the rest of the week by itself. This may sound like a premium feature, but it can be found on more budget-friendly options, such as the Dolphin Cayman. With the Vac-Sweep 360 though, you can only stop it by turning off the pump, which is a big hassle. It is hard for me to recommend the Polaris 360 when you can get a robotic pool cleaner that will save you money, have a longer warranty, and provide a superior clean.

Final Verdict

So what’s my final verdict on the Polaris Vac-Sweep 360 pool cleaner?

Pool Nerd Disapproved

It’s Pool Nerd Disapproved.


Polaris 360 was disappointing
Polaris 360 was disappointing // The Pool Nerd

As you can see, there really is no benefit to these pool cleaning antiques, as they cannot clean your pool at the same level as a robotic pool cleaner. Robotic pool cleaners are easier to set up, easier to use, offer more power, can clean more of your pool, and save you money. If you are looking for robotic pool cleaners around the price of the Polaris Vac-Sweep 360, I would recommend looking at the Dolphin Escape or Cayman. Both of these can actively scrub away debris and filter your water, and the Cayman even allows you to schedule cleanings and clean the walls. If you want the best of the best in robotic pool cleaners, look at the Dolphin Premier, Dolphin Sigma, or Dolphin Quantum. I have reviews on each of these and also a top 5 robotic pool cleaner video, so make sure to check those out!

Conclusion

If you want to keep nerding out over your pool, be sure to hit that subscribe button to keep learning how to make pool maintenance way easier. Head on over to thepoolnerd.com to view my comparison page and see all the differences between the many robotic pool cleaners out there. Until then, enjoy that pool and check back soon for more pool maintenance tips and insight.

Justin the Pool Nerd

Your resident pool aficionado.

For over 4+ years, The Pool Nerd has been a leading source in the swimming pool industry. With years of experince owning a swimming pool, our hope here is to guide and help making owning a swimming pool easier.

Your resident pool aficionado.

Here at the Pool Nerd, we set out to create high quality reviews and videos on products in the pool industry. We test the products so you don't have to. If you ever need help finding a robotic pool cleaner or any other pool questions, please feel free to reach out. With dozens of reviews, comparisons, and in-depth pool guides, The Pool Nerd is here to help.

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