EPIC 8642 iQ
Polaris's corded, tracked robot for in-ground pools, with front and rear brushes and control from an app over home Wi-Fi. It has a lift button and a caddy, but no independent test yet.
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The short version
The EPIC 8642 iQ is a corded Polaris robot for in-ground pools, sold in the US. It runs on continuous tracks rather than wheels, and its front and rear brushes turn independently, which Polaris says gives it a tighter turning circle and better grip on walls, steps and the main drain. It cleans the floor, or the floor, walls and waterline, and the app lets you start runs, schedule them, steer it and trigger the lift system from your phone.
The trade-off is evidence. We found no finished, independent test, only the maker's claims and shop star ratings, so how well it covers a pool is unknown. Its canister holds 4 litres, a little less than the 9650iQ Sport's, and there's no light telling you it's full, though the lid is clear.
Our take: Hold off until someone tests it. If you want a corded US robot with an app now, the Hayward AquaVac 650 has two tests behind it, and both testers praised its cleaning. If you don't need an app and want strong waterline scrubbing and a choice of filters, testers rate the Dolphin Premier highly.
Where it sits in Polaris’s range
- P70Small floor-only robot for simple pools
- EPIC 8642 iQThis model
- 9650iQ SportFour-wheel-drive app model with a bigger 5-litre canister
- Polaris 9550 SportFour-wheel drive with a handheld remote instead of an app
What we know so far
Limited evidence No independent, finished hands-on review of this robot yet. What follows comes from the maker's specifications and early coverage, and says where something is untested.
We haven't found a finished, independent test of the EPIC 8642 iQ. What follows is what Polaris claims, so read it as a checklist for a future test rather than as findings. The claims that matter are the tracked drive and independently turning brushes, which should help on walls, steps and the main drain, the front and rear brushes for scrubbing, the button that brings it up for lifting out, and app control over home Wi-Fi. Shop star ratings exist, but we don't treat them as reviews.
Built for grip and turning
Polaris says a rear water outlet pushes the robot up slopes and over obstacles, and two drive motors let the brushes turn independently for a tighter turning circle. Continuous tracks give it more surface contact, which Polaris says helps on walls, stairs and the main drain. Nobody has tested whether that adds up to better coverage than a four-wheel-drive Polaris such as the 9650iQ Sport, whose testers disagreed about how thoroughly it covers a pool.
Two brushes, one canister
The front and rear brushes use staggered rubber blades that Polaris says loosen stuck-on dirt and channel it into a wide inlet. Debris ends up in a 4-litre canister with a clear lid, so you can see when it's full, then you shake it and spray it clean. There's no dirty-canister light and no choice of filter listed. How it copes with fine silt or heavy leaves is untested.
App, lift and caddy
The app connects over home Wi-Fi and, per Polaris, starts and stops cycles, shows the timer, picks the mode, schedules runs, triggers the lift system and helps with troubleshooting. The lift system brings the robot to the waterline and drains water as you pull it out. A caddy is included. On the 9650iQ Sport, one reviewer warned that weak Wi-Fi at the poolside can make app control unreliable, and the same could apply here.
No independent review of the EPIC 8642 iQ yet. Everything here comes from Polaris and its dealers.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Polaris says so: it has a floor-only mode and a floor, walls and waterline mode, per the specifications. No independent test has checked how well it does either yet.
How do I get it out of the water?
Press the lift button, on the robot's controls or in the app, and it comes up to the waterline and drains as you lift it, per the specifications. The 60ft cable has a swivel to reduce tangles, and a caddy is included.
How do I clean the filter?
Remove the 4-litre canister, shake it and spray it clean, per the specifications. The clear lid shows when it's full, but there's no indicator light. Nobody has tested how it copes with leaves or silt yet.
Does it need an app?
The app is how you schedule runs and steer it, over home Wi-Fi, per the specifications. Polaris also lists one-touch cleaning cycles for floor-only or full cleans.
Compare with
AquaVac 650
Another corded robot with Wi-Fi control, and both testers praised its cleaning and filterless canister.
Neither tester could make its tug-the-cable recall work.
Premier
A long-running corded Dolphin with a choice of filters, including a big leaf bag, and testers rate its waterline scrubbing highly.
It has no app, and it's heavy to lift out.
Nautilus CC Plus
A mid-price corded Dolphin that testers found cleans floors and walls quickly, with easy filters.
It sometimes gets stuck on steps, and testers disagree about its waterline cleaning.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a EPIC 8642 iQ?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.