Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner

The Freedom Plus is Polaris's answer to the biggest complaint about cordless robots: once they're in the water, you lose control of them. A hand-held remote using LiFi — light-based signalling that actually propagates underwater — lets you drive the cleaner or call it to the waterline on demand, rather than waiting out a cycle.

What sets the Freedom Plus apart

Most cordless cleaners communicate over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, neither of which travels through water. That's why the majority of them can only be controlled from the app before they submerge. Polaris routes around the problem with LiFi, so the included remote keeps working while the robot is on the floor of the pool. In practice that means you can summon it to the waterline the moment you want to swim, instead of scheduling around a fixed 2.5-hour cycle.

Retrieval and handling

At 40.8 lb the Freedom Plus is not a light machine, and that number is worth taking seriously — it's heavier than most cordless competitors. Polaris offsets it three ways: the remote can drive the unit to the waterline, the cleaner surfaces automatically at end-of-cycle, and a manual retrieval hook ships in the box for use with a standard pole. The outdoor-rated charging caddy means you're not carrying it back indoors between cycles.

Where it fits

This is a premium cordless pick for in-ground pools up to 50 ft where deck clutter matters and you want on-demand control. If you'd rather not manage a battery at all, a corded cleaner in the same price band will generally give you longer effective run time and stronger sustained suction.