Experts recommend Polaris VRX iQ+ more than Polaris 9650IQ
As of 8 Jan 2025, experts prefer Polaris VRX iQ+ over Polaris 9650IQ, but both Pool Cleaners have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Polaris VRX iQ+ received 3 recommendations: from Better Homes and Gardens (2 Dec 2024), Bob Vila (27 Aug 2024) and The Spruce (1 Jan 2025). Polaris 9650IQ was also endorsed 3 times: by Bob Vila (27 Aug 2024), US News & World Report (18 Jul 2024) and Forbes (7 Jun 2024). However, experts generally ranked Polaris 9650IQ lower than Polaris VRX iQ+ in their articles, which caused it to rank lower in ReviewFinder ranking.
| Rank | Change | Price | Pool Cleaner | Better Homes and Gardens  | reviewed.usatoday.com  | River Pools  | Robotic Pool Cleaners  | Bob Vila  | The Spruce  | Cleanup Expert  | US News & World Report  | Real Simple  | Forbes  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | - | $1649 |  Polaris VRX iQ+ | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | 5 | - | - | - | - |
| 11 | - | $1200 |  Polaris 9650IQ The Polaris 9650IQ robotic pool cleaner is a powerful and efficient solution for pool owners looking to maintain a clean and healthy pool environment with ease. | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 7 | - | 5 |
Curious to see this month's entire Robotic Pool Cleaners ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 27 Aug 2024 Bob Vila ranked Polaris VRX iQ+ as #3 and Polaris 9650IQ as #6
Rank Pool Cleaner Comment ... ... ... #3 out of 9 Polaris VRX iQ+ Upgrade pick... ... ... #6 out of 9 Polaris 9650IQ Best for Ingound... ... ... Source: www.bobvila.com - On 18 Jul 2024 US News & World Report ranked Polaris 9650IQ as #7
Rank Pool Cleaner Comment ... ... ... #7 out of 8 Polaris 9650IQ Best Smart Features... ... ... Source: www.usnews.com - On 7 Jun 2024 Forbes ranked Polaris 9650IQ as #5
Rank Pool Cleaner Comment ... ... ... #5 out of 8 Polaris 9650IQ Best Upgrade Robotic Pool Cleaner... ... ... Source: www.forbes.com - On 2 Dec 2024 Better Homes and Gardens ranked Polaris VRX iQ+ as #7
Rank Pool Cleaner Comment ... ... ... #7 out of 9 Polaris VRX iQ+ Best with Caddy... ... ... Source: www.bhg.com - On 1 Jan 2025 The Spruce ranked Polaris VRX iQ+ as #5
Rank Pool Cleaner Comment ... ... ... #5 out of 10 Polaris VRX iQ+ Best Automation... ... ... Source: www.thespruce.com
After counting and adding up the 94 expert endorsements of the January rankings, Polaris VRX iQ+ outranks Polaris 9650IQ. This is not to say that Polaris 9650IQ is a bad option. Like Polaris VRX iQ+, it is recommended by experts, but less.
As can be seen below, Polaris VRX iQ+ outranks Polaris 9650IQ by 2 positions. This indicates that, as of 8 Jan 2025, Polaris VRX iQ+ is more critically acclaimed than Polaris 9650IQ.
| Rank | Change | Price | Pool Cleaner | Better Homes and Gardens | reviewed.usatoday.com | River Pools | Robotic Pool Cleaners | Bob Vila | The Spruce | Cleanup Expert | US News & World Report | Real Simple |
Forbes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | Check price |  Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus The Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus is a reliable and efficient robotic pool cleaner that can clean all types of debris, equipped with CleverClean technology, dual-cyclonic suction, and dual scrubbing brushes, making it easy to maintain and energy-efficient. | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | - | Check price |  Dolphin Premier 2018 The Dolphin Premier 2018 robotic pool cleaner is a smart, efficient, and durable option that can handle any type of debris and pool shape, with a filtration system that captures debris of different sizes and a non-prorated three-year warranty. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 3 | 7 | - |
| 3 | - | $200 |  Aiper Seagull SE The Aiper Seagull SE robotic pool cleaner is highly praised for its cleaning performance, filtration system, durability, ease of use, warranty coverage, and energy efficiency, making it a great investment for flat-bottomed pools. | 2 | 3 | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
|
4 | - | $669 |  Dolphin Escape The Dolphin Escape robotic pool cleaner is a highly efficient and effective cleaning solution for pool owners, with a high-capacity filter cartridge, durable design, and energy-efficient technology. | 4 | - | - | 7 | 5 | - | 13 | 4 | 6 | - |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
From Seller:
- INTELLIGENT POOL CLEANER: Wherever you are, whenever you want -- clean your pool easily with the iAquaLink app. Comes WiFi ready and many options within the Polaris app that allow your pool to be cleaned, all from your phone. Comes w/ dirty canister indicator.
- Read more
From Seller:
- SMART Cycle Cleaning Mode: Complete cleaning in less time. SMART Cycle Cleaning Mode assesses your pool’s shape, size and surface material to calculate the optimal cleaning time needed to effectively and efficiently clean your entire pool.
- Read more