EPIC 8642 iQ
Limited evidenceRead the findings →Polaris's corded, tracked robot for in-ground pools, with front and rear brushes and app control. It's aimed at US owners who want to schedule and steer it from their phone. There's no full-canister light, and the app needs Wi-Fi at the poolside.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
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
Feedback
What we know
The EPIC 8642 iQ's main selling points, per Polaris, are tracked drive and independently turning brushes, which should help on walls, steps and the main drain; front and rear brushes for scrubbing; a button that brings it up for lifting out; and app control over home Wi-Fi. It's sold in the US and a caddy comes in the box. 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, rather than wheels, give it more contact with the surface, which Polaris says helps on walls, stairs and the main drain.
Two brushes, one canister
The front and rear brushes have 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, and you shake it and spray it clean. There's no dirty-canister light, and no choice of filter is listed.
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, and 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.
Still to be proven
Nobody independent has tested the EPIC 8642 iQ, so three things are open. Whether tracked drive really covers a pool better than a four-wheel-drive Polaris such as the 9650iQ Sport, whose testers disagreed about how thoroughly it covers a pool. How the 4-litre canister copes with fine silt or heavy leaves. And how dependable the app is at the poolside. Everything else here is what Polaris says.
Our take
Should you buy the EPIC 8642 iQ?
Best for: In-ground pools whose owners want scheduled cleaning from an app. Skip it if: You want a stronger record in independent tests before buying.
hold off until someone tests it. The Hayward AquaVac 650 is a corded US robot with an app and two tests behind it, and if you don't need an app, testers rate the Dolphin Premier highly.
The EPIC 8642 iQ is a corded Polaris robot for in-ground pools, sold in the US. It runs on 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. The app starts and schedules runs, steers it and triggers the lift system from your phone.
Polaris says it cleans the floor, walls and waterline, and the cable has a swivel. The canister holds 4 litres, a little less than the 9650iQ Sport's, and there's no light to tell you it's full, though the lid is clear. A caddy comes in the box, and the lift system drains water as you pull it out.
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 yet checked how well it does either.
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 cut down tangles, and a caddy is included.
How do I clean the filter?
Take out 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.
Alternatives
Other robotic pool cleaners to compare.
AquaVac 650
Why consider it: Another corded robot with Wi-Fi control, whose cleaning and filterless canister both testers praised.
The compromise: Neither tester could make its tug-the-cable recall work.
Premier
Why consider it: A long-running corded Dolphin with a choice of filters, including a big leaf bag, and testers rate its waterline scrubbing highly.
The compromise: It has no app, and it's heavy to lift out.
Nautilus CC Plus
Why consider it: A mid-price corded Dolphin that testers found cleans floors and walls quickly, with easy filters.
The compromise: It sometimes gets stuck on steps, and testers disagree about its waterline cleaning.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the EPIC 8642 iQ?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Polaris EPIC 8642 iQ ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.