Polar Active Ice® 3.0 Cold Therapy Ice Machine System with Programmable Timer, 38"x22" Blanket Pad, 16 Quart Cooler, Quiet Pump, Strong Cryotherapy Pain Relief Treatment

This ice therapy machine is an absolute must have for post surgical healing. After having fully torn two of my rotator cuff tendons, partial bicep, tear, and labor and tear I needed surgery. This ice therapy machine was a game changer for my recovery. I started using it on day two post op, and could tell her right away it was worth its weight in gold! Everybody knows how important ice therapy is to proper healing to keep inflammation down, but having a way to do it automatically is awesome. Love how it can be set for as many minutes on and then as many minutes off as you like, or it can run continuously For over 900 minutes. Learned several tips and tricks along the way. Including using frozen 1 gallon plastic milk containers filled with water to reduce the amount of ice changes during the day. The machine is whisper quiet does not leak is very easy to assemble and get going right away!

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I chose the large rectangular ice pad vs the cut out knee one because I wanted full coverage especially over my knee cap after total knee replacement surgery. Excellent decision!This product controlled swelling (which controls pain) better than any of the medication! Instant, constant relief day and night. The remote can be programmed for whatever you like. I did 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off and that was perfect for me! It’s all automatic and you leave the ice pad on. I filled a dozen 16oz water bottles and froze them. Kept a dozen in freezer also so swapped them in machine once a day. Never used messy, melting ice! Remove melted bottles and return to freezer and place new frozen bottles in cooler of ice machine (take labels off bottles) No mess, easy swap and I did it in the evening to assure relief throughout the night! I cannot imagine this surgery without this machine. Now my husband is having the same surgery x2 and is all set up with the machine! Can be used for sprains and other injuries as well. I never had a swelling problem because of this ice machine and it was wonderful to look forward to the ice relief after physical therapy!BTW This surgery gave me my quality of life back! For me there is no more excruciating pain and limping. Best Wishes to everyone!

The Polar Active Ice 3.0 ice machine/system is by far the best product available to use when recovering from knee replacement surgery. Several years ago I had my left knee replaced. The ice machine provided by the insurance company taught me the importance of ice therapy. However, the machine was noisy (a problem when trying to sleep), it only held enough ice for 4 to 5 hours of use (a nuisance at 3:00 am to swap our fresh ice), and it was heavy/clunky to move around even when it was empty of water and ice (a pain in the butt when you have to hobble around with a walker or a cane).Jump forward to 2025, and my right knee needed replacement. This time around I carefully researched what ice machines were available (since Medicare refused to pay for one). The Polar Active Ice machine - a small cooler on wheels - "checked all of the boxes". It holds 13 frozen water bottles (11 standing up and 2 lying flat on top), which provides 12 plus hours of operating time before an ice swap out is needed. It is completely 100% silent when running. The collapsible handle and wheels (an ingenious idea) makes it easy to move back and forth from a living room recliner to a bedroom, even when full of ice and water, and especially when using a walker. And, the electronic control allows you to automatically pre-set the on / off time length/frequency, and to reduce the water flow if running it at the number 4 "wide open" setting is too cold for comfort.The machine came with a small split cooling pad, which I learned might be appropriate for an orthoscopic knee repair, but for a full knee replacement the optional leg wrap rectangular pad (12.5" x 22.5") does a much better job providing cooling comfort to both the front and backside of the knee, and the pad was easy to change out.I recommend getting a spandex leg sleeve to wear as an insulating layer under the pad, or you could easily end up with an ice burn rash (a lot like sunburn) to add to the already swollen and bruised leg discomfort. I also suggest pre-freezing 26 standard 16.9 oz water bottles, in order to have 13 freshly frozen bottles for use, when the first 13 water bottles need to be refrozen. And I suggest using an insulated grocery bag to move water bottles back and forth from the freezer to the machine (even though you could roll the machine to the freezer for this purpose).I used the machine upwards of 20 hours a day the first week after surgery (while in a recliner and in bed) and it was almost as good as the pain meds for alleviating pain and discomfort. And, I continued using the machine for up to 12 plus hours per day (especially at night and after physical therapy) for several additional weeks (in lieu of constantly taking Tylenol or Advil), until its use was no longer necessary.The machine was totally worth every penny it cost, and it is the only product I would ever recommend. This company has gotten everything about the machine perfected to accomplish what you truly need when recovering from a full knee replacement surgery.

I had complete knee replacement and today is day 2. I was swelling when I got home on day 1, so I laid down, had a pillow under my leg from a little above my knee bend all the way past my foot as per dr instruction not letting my knee bend in resting position plus elevate. This machine is great, helps with soreness, pain and swelling. It's pricey but not to have to take pain pills is worth it to me. My nerve block is still working some but I know this is going to be a big help. It's programmable, I have mine 20 minutes on 20 minutes off so it comes back on after the 20 off for a second cycle, then I power it off by it's wired remote. I don't have to get up. Wish that I had this for my rotor cuff surgery. I highly recommend for pain relief and swelling. Keep your box so you can clean unit and have it packaged and ready for your next unexpected need. You can also buy different pad attachments separately for the machine. I suggest the rectangular one for knee as it goes above and below and behind entire knee not just your knee cap and sides plus it's big enough for other areas such as neck, shoulder, elbow, lower back. Read dimensions of pads to make sure it is the one you need.Update: I'm on week 5 post surgery. This is a life saver. Swelling and pain after therapy or just moving around, this helps instantly. Also I have an upright freezer with some space, I fill big stainless steel bowls with water and freeze. One big chunk will last through the night. Just run water on top and bottom of bowl and it pops right out, very easy and convenient. To me actual melting ice is much colder than the frozen water water bottles but hey they both work.