With winter coming to an end you’ll be beginning to think more about the maintenance of your pool. Maybe you’re sick and tired of all the manual labour and are beginning to think of alternative cleaning options.
Well we’re here to help, we will be braking down the features and differences between the popular Polaris 360, and the Polaris 380 pressure side pool cleaners to see what their differences are, and which one is the better value for money.
Polaris 360 pressure side pool cleaner
The Polaris 360 is a pressure side pool cleaner that connects easily to the pools dedicated pressure line. The 360 is designed for in-ground pools and any surface types. This cleaner does not require the purchase of an extra booster pump in order to operate. It features an all-wheel, belt drive mechanism that provides greater vacuum power, and faster cleaning.
Pros:
- Doesn’t require booster pump
- Large Filter Bag
- Fast
- Tri jet nozzle
- Automatic reverse feature
Cons:
- Expensive
- replacement parts are expensive
Polaris 360 pool cleaner key Features
Automatic reverse
The Polaris 360 uses an automatic reverse feature that kicks in every couple of minutes to ensure that it doesn’t become hung up on stairs. While many pressure side cleaners often become stuck, the 360 can be confidently left to clean unsupervised.
Booster pump free operation
Pressure side pool cleaners are designed to take the pressure off your pools pump by operating off the water being pushed back into the pool by the pump. However most pressure side cleaners require a booster pump in order to function and these come at an added cost. Not the Polaris 360 pool cleaner though, it gains enough power through only the pools dedicated pressure line saving on an extra purchase.
Large filter bag and throat intake
The Polaris 360 pool cleaner has an a large throat intake designed to give it a wider cleaning path and better handling of larger debris. To compliment this feature it also has a decent sized filter bag allowing it to accommodate more debris.
Tri-jet nozzle
The tri-jet nozzle allows for a more thorough yet efficient clean. They also help with the Polaris 360’s ability to climb walls which most pressure cleaners struggle to do.
Now that we’ve checked out the features of the Polaris 360 pool cleaner, let’s check out the Polaris 380 to see if it’s worth the extra cost.
Polaris 380 Pressure side pool cleaner
Much like the Polaris 360, the Polaris 380 pool cleaner is designed for all in-ground pools of any surface type. As you can imagine it packs a lot of the same features as the Polaris 360. It uses the same automatic reverse feature that kicks in every few minutes ensuring it doesn’t become stuck in corners or stairs. It also comes with the same 31ft hose feed and 2 litre filter bag.
Just like the Polaris 360 It also features an all-wheel, belt drive mechanism that provides greater vacuum power, and faster cleaning.
The only real noticeable difference between the two models was the Polaris 380’s ability to clean, and navigate stairs. But this feature does come at a cost. Unlike the 360, the Polaris 380 requires an extra booster pump to operate which if you don’t already have prior to purchase can hike up the price of an already expensive cleaner.
Pros:
- Automatic reverse feature
- Efficient at cleaning
- Large filter bag
- Tri jet nozzle
- Good at cleaning stairs
Cons:
- Expensive
- Parts are costly to replace
- Requires a booster pump
polaris 360 pool sweep quick review
The Polaris 360 is an efficient yet thorough cleaner. Unlike Most pressure side cleaners it is designed to run without an added booster pump. It handles debris of all sizes using it’s wide suction intake which it then deposits into a 2 litre filter bag that is easy to clean and change. It uses it’s tri-jet system to get into hard to reach places like corners and stairs, while allowing it to also navigate walls effectively.
It’s downside however is it’s ability to clean stairs, this is common for most cleaners though and is not a make or brake issue. Though it does have low maintenance needs due being belt driven, if parts do need to be replaced they can be expensive.
Polaris 380 pool sweep quick review
The Polaris 380 is powerful pressure side cleaner designed to clean all areas of your pool, from walls to even steps the 380 can clean it all. Using its tri-jets system it loosens up stubborn dirt while it’s wide suction intake sucks up debris into it’s decently sized 2 litre filter bag.
Though slightly more powerful than the 360 the Polaris 380 realise on an added booster pump to operate. Unfortunately these pumps aren’t cheap, and when you add in the price of an expensive cleaner too it can be a pricey purchase. Maintenance is also low for the Polaris 380, but just like the Polaris 360 if parts do need to be replaced they are expensive.
polaris 360 vs the polaris 380 Verdict
For us, the better pressure side cleaner when taking into consideration cost and performance is the Polaris 360. It packed all of the same features, and was able to perform much to the standard of the Polaris 380, but without the extra extra price-tag, or purchase of a booster pump. The only area it failed to compete in was its ability to clean stairs, which we feel was not enough to justify the higher price-tag of the Polaris 380.
It is for these reasons that we feel like the Polaris 360 pressure side pool cleaner is a better combination of price and performance.
Click here to get one for yourself.
