Polaris Quattro: Pivot and Turn

Launched in February, the Polaris Quattro Sport from Zodiac Pool Systems of Carlsbad, California, is poised to reform the way people clean pools. With 40 years’ experience making pressure-side pool cleaners, Polaris has put that considerable experience into building this advanced cleaner.

Mike McDowell, director of marketing for automatic pool cleaners at Zodiac, says the Quattro Sport is the result of listening to customers’ needs and expectations. “We take great pride in understanding what users want in a product and solving any challenges they may encounter,” MeDowell says. “In this instance, pool professionals wanted a complete cleaning solution that picks up both large and fine debris, as well as the ability to remove stuck-on grime and brush the tile line. With this knowledge, our research and development over the past couple of years has been dedicated to delivering on their expectations.”

The Quattro Sport has a unique four-wheel design, which boosts its wall-climbing abilities and agility. It’s multidirectional, able to quickly change course to navigate and cover the entire pool. Rotating brushes effectively buff debris from the bottom, sides and waterline.

The Quattro Sport also has a dual-stage filtration system to collect both larger bits and finer particulate and a 2.75-inch debris intake. Rather than using the typical debris bag, the machine incorporates a canister design. A clear window on the canister allows users to easily see when it needs to be emptied and sprayed out.

While the Quattro Sport hasn’t been on the market for long, it’s already winning fans and gaining positive feedback. Walter Weldon, residential division manager with Anchor Aquatics in Edgewater, Maryland, has had a chance to test the system on a few pools and is impressed with the results. “It’s not getting stuck in corners because it goes into a mode where it does a 360-degree spin and then takes off in another direction,” Weldon says, “as opposed to the other cleaners that sometimes find themselves stuck up against something.”

Polaris set out to create a machine that combines all the features both pool pros and homeowners need. Andrew Williams, owner of Williams Pool Care in Citrus Heights, California, feels they’ve hit the mark. “Compared to other booster pump driven cleaners, what stands out is it actually scrubs the walls like a robot,” Williams says. “It’s pretty inventive. I’ve actually had the idea in my head that they need to come out with this for a long time. Take the best of both worlds — a robotic and a pressure cleaner — and combine them. Just use water drive instead of energy drive. Polaris did it, which is awesome.”

Users so far seem impressed with the Quattro Sport’s ease of use. Both Williams and Weldon are big fans of the debris collection components. They say that it’s incredibly easy to open, clean out and pop back into place. Williams also says pool pros will be happy with the canister system, as they won’t have to buy bags.

Weldon says that the machine is well built and will stand up to a lot of use. He’s also been pleased to see the unit covers the entire pool but stays where it’s supposed to. He saw it in action in a vanishing-edge pool: The machine navigated its way to the top but didn’t go over and end up outside the pool. Williams says he thinks the Polaris Quattro Sport “will probably dominate the market in the next 10 years.”