
Pressure side Pool cleaners have long been a popular choice for pool owners when it comes to keeping their pool clean all year round. Efficient and fast, pressure side pool cleaners can enhance water circulation while distributing filtered water throughout your entire pool while ensuring your pool filter and skimmer doesn’t become clogged.
With so many different brands and models available choosing the one that best suits you can be tricky. So we’ve decided to take an in depth look at the popular Polaris 280 a pressure side pool cleaner to see if it can work for you.
Polaris 280 pool Cleaner review
The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 is a pressure side pool cleaner designed to work in in-ground pools of any surface. It is powered by two powerful double jets allowing it to efficiently clean a pool in roughly 3 hours or less.
It’s versatile pressure side pool cleaner when it comes to the areas of the pool it’s able to clean, The Polaris 280 is able to clean the pools floor, walls, and even up to the waterline however it’s start cleaning ability os debatable.
The Polaris 280 is able to clean a wide variety of debris like dirt, dust, pebbles and leaves. the Polaris 280 robotic pool cleaner has a 2 1/4 ” suction inlet that is complimented by a large and easy to clean single chamber filter bag. The Polaris 280 also comes with 31ft of feed hose. Unlike other Polaris models the 280 does not require a booster pump in order to operate.
The Polaris 280 is also available in the colour Black Max which is great for complimenting pools with a darker surface.
Pros:
- Large filter bag
- Easy to clean
- Handles large debris
- Sweeping tail for stubborn dirt or algae
- Cleans all areas of the pool
Cons:
- Parts of the cleaner can be quite flimsy
- Customer service can be hard to get a hold of
- Requires a booster pump
Polaris 280 Pool cleaner specs
- Manufacturer: Polaris
- Model: Polaris Vac-Sweep 280
- Pool Type: In-ground
- Cleaning cycle: Roughly 3 hours
- Dimensions: 20 x 23 x 10 inches
- Weight: 6.2lbs
polaris 280 Pool Cleaner key Features
TailSweep PRO® Compatibility
The Polaris 280 comes with a sweeping tail to aid with its cleaning. This tail is a great addition that helps remove stubborn dirt and stains on the pools floor. Another benefit of this sweeping tail is the fact that also helps clean tricky corners and even the base of the pools ladder.
Patented 3 wheel design
The Polaris Vac-Sweep 280 pool robot features a patented 3 wheel design that allows it to easily manoeuvre over objects like lights or drains, and clean accordingly to any corners or variations your in-ground pool may have. These wheels may also be easily replaced once worn out with minimal experience needed.
Unique Filter Bag
The Polaris 280 pool cleaner is equipped with a single chamber filter bag which it uses to captures large debris such as acorns, leaves, pebbles, and other small to large debris. This unique filter bag removes debris before it reaches your pump basket or filter, therefor prolonging the life of your filtration system.

Polaris 280 vac-sweep User reviews
When checking out users reviews it was clear to see that across the board the Polaris 280 pool Sweep pressure side pool cleaner provides a satisfactory clean.
Many of the users loved the fact that the Polaris 280 pool vacuum was easy to install and operate saying very little assembly was required. Users also liked the how efficiently it was able to clean their pool saying they saw a substantial decrease in their power bill.
One of the most significant points was made in relation to how well the built the Polaris 280 pool sweep was. Many users commented on how surprised they were at how long their Polaris had lasted for mentioning they only had to replace minor parts like wheels or the hose. They also liked the fact that the Polaris vacuum had stainless steel nuts and bolts that prevent rusting.
Some users however did mention that customer service was hard to make contact with, either taking a long time to respond or not responding at all. Other customers also made the comment saying that occasionally the Polaris 280 can become tangled in its hose feed.
Polaris 280 Pool Cleaner summary
For me, the Polaris 280 is a well constructed pool cleaner that takes all the needs of a pool owner into consideration. Though priced slightly on the higher end its high quality standard of build makes this pressure side pool cleaner makes it a great investment piece of pool equipment, with well priced and easy to install spare parts.
I like that the Polaris 280 is able to provide an efficient yet thorough clean, and how it does a good job handling a wide variety of debris.
The fact that it can operate in all types of in-ground pools of any surface type makes it extremely versatile. It is a quality product with a growing number of happy customers with lots saying they wish the had bought it sooner.
It is for all these reasons I think the Polaris 280 is definitely a pressure side pool cleaner worth considering.
Click here to get one for yourself.