Polaris 3900 Review

Pros:

• Polaris, which is part of Zodiac Pool Systems, has been a leading pressure pool cleaning brand for over 4 decades. Usually, products are of a high quality and efficient.
• High vacuum power and wall climbing ability
• All wheel drive system
• TailSweep Pro is an added bonus
• Does not get stuck easily

Cons:

• Requires a booster pump
• Expensive. Price crosses the 4 digit mark when cost of booster pump is included

A surprising observation is that this particular model has an overwhelming number of 1-star reviews on Amazon, 45% to be exact. 

This is unusually high for any product of any brand and category, let alone Polaris. Upon closer inspection, it is revealed that some earlier units had flaws.

Polaris went on to fix the design flaw and ensured that the subsequently produced units operated without any hassle. This reflects in the reviews as most of the latest reviews are positive, so it IS improving.

Important: The Polaris 3900 Does Require the separate purchase of a booster pump in order to operate, unless you already have a booster pump. 

The Polaris 360 does NOT require a Booster Pump, I HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you don't want to go this route. 

Check It Out On Amazon, or Read Our Full Review of it here: Polaris Vac Sweep 360 Review.

Things don’t really start so well for the 3900 as it cannot operate without a booster pump. Many people are looking for a plug-n-play solution to clean their swimming pools and just cannot be bothered with booster pumps and multiple external hoses. Still, this little hassle can be overlooked if the performance and quality are up to the mark.

A More Detailed Look At the Polaris 3900

The Polaris 3900 is an in-ground pool cleaner that boasts of a lot of cool features such as Tailsweep Pro and all-wheel drive. Polaris promises that this model delivers outstanding performance and has phenomenal build quality.

Being a 40 year old brand, Polaris (owned by Zodiac) usually makes good on its claims. However, we review a TON of robotic pool cleaners and are aware that impressive specs and features may not always translate into flawless operation. Let us determine if this is the case with the Polaris 3900 or if this bot manages to (pleasantly) surprise us with its cleaning abilities.

Polaris 3900 Features:

• Advanced all-wheel PosiDrive system with a stainless steel drive chain generates 50% more power. In fact, it delivers more torque than any other robotic pool cleaner in this class. This enables the bot to scale steep slopes and walls without breaking too much of a sweat. WideTrax wheels maintain an optimal amount of traction on all pool surfaces and make sure that all the power is actually usable when required. Even the most powerful machine is essentially useless if there are no means to transfer all that power. It will just sit in one place and guzzle electricity while spinning its wheels to no avail. This is precisely why high-quality wheels are a core component of any good pool cleaner. The all-wheel drive helps to maximize contact on any surface and hence, this side pressure bot climbs walls better than most other cleaners.
• The Polaris 3900 possesses the most vacuum power among all Polaris 3-Jet pool cleaners. It also features a 2.5 inch vacuum inlet, which is the largest in its category. This improves filtration by an additional 40 gpm and prevents clogging by trapping large sized debris.
• A large 5 liter dual-chambered, zippered Superbag traps all types of debris. This means that it requires cleaning less frequently. It is also easy to clean, access and remove thanks to a twist release mechanism.
• Often, pool cleaning robots get stuck in corners and other difficult areas of the pool such as the stairs. This is quite frustrating and requires manual intervention. The Polaris 3900 is equipped with auto-reversing technology (in-line backup valve) that allows the bot to free itself from tight spots.
• Polaris recommends using the booster pump PB4-60 (https://amzn.to/2YRJaH9). When used in conjunction with this pump, The 3900 produces a formidable amount of power. This enables it to clean with vigor and get rid of all kinds of stubborn debris.
• Usable in in-ground pools and on all types of surfaces. Comes with 31 feet of hose kit and in-line back-up valve.
• A signature feature of the Polaris 3900 is the Tailsweep Pro – an innovative sweeping hose attachment. It blows debris out of hard to reach areas and prevents water from splashing outside the pool, thus preventing the deck from getting wet and slippery. Puddles of water next to the pool do not make for a particularly pleasant visual.

Final Verdict:

Well, there is absolutely no denying that the Polaris 3900 has a couple of aces up its sleeve and these make it very attractive.

However, there’s also the history of poor customer feedback to contend with. If you’re going to invest more than a 1000 dollars, it is better to err on the right side of caution and just avoid taking risks.

So unless you have some sort of special affinity for this particular model, we recommend that you skip it and consider something else.

(Pssst...the Dolphin Nautilius CC Plus is one the best rated pool cleaner in the USA. It’s also much better priced than the Polaris 3900)

Overall Score: 3.2/5