Great product!

I reviewed all the various ice water therapy machines on the internet and the Breg Polar Care Kodiak model came out on top for me in respect to features. I like the battery pack option that gives me “cord free” power if I want to sit somewhere where there is no power outlet, which I have already done. I’ve found the ice strainer feature handy as well. The knee pad that came with the cooler gives me great cold contact on the areas I need it on. I cut a sleeve off of an old cotton long sleeve shirt and use that for my “protection layer”. I just pull it on my leg before applying the knee cold pad. It works perfectly, giving me excellent cold therapy and provides the safety layer. I sincerely and gladly give this device a 5 star review. The device was shipped promptly and packed well and I received it in a few days. So happy with this easy to use and effective device !

With a recent knee injury, a friend let me borrow his old Breg icing system. I came to love it and realized I was going to need my own for the long haul. I searched Amazon and could not find Breg. So I chose Polar Products Polar Active 3.0 unit. Upon unpacking, it was not nearly as well built. I then searched directly for Breg and ordered this unit.

Now, I will say my first impression was not awesome. The old unit is no longer available. But the cooler was bigger, and overall felt more durable. Then I put the new unit to use and found:

1.) The seal on the cooler is so superior to the old design, it keeps the cold longer than the older bigger unit.
2.) While the hoses/couplings are not as rugged as the older unit, they are more flexible and less likely to pinch the water flow. A net positive.
3.) Having the pump mounted to the cooler top seemed awkward vs. the old unit that had a free standing pump inserted in the bath. But I now see that this is what allows for the tight thermal seal. I was concerned it would make handling more difficult, but it easy to carry the cooler without the top to fill with water and ice. And the top mounted pump ensure it is submerged sufficiently so the pump does not burn out. The free standing pump could get knocked around and raise to the top of the bath and gulp a mixture of air and water. Definitely an improvement.

I made sure to order the battery pack as well. AWESOME! The entire unit is compact and lightweight (it only fits three 1/2 liter bottles of frozen water, then fill with ice & water - that leaves room for the pump). With the battery, I can be easily mobile, even while icing the knee. My plan is to place the unit on the floor board in the back seat of my car and ice my knee while driving as needed (for an upcoming trip).

Also appreciated is the Velcro on both ends of the straps. So many units have one end of the strap sewn into the cooling pad. Having them Velcro on both ends allows you to customize their position and therefore optimize the placement of the pad for the most effective cooling.

The light weight aspect of the unit had me questioning durability, certainly as compared to the old unit. But the ease of use has alleviated the concern. As a result, I have no drawbacks to report at this time.

With the level of swelling in my knee, ice packs just were not sufficient. This unit has brought pain relief, and reduced swelling. It is the best investment in my knee I have made. Hence a 5-star rating.

Had knee surgery and Breg has become my new best friend. It gets the job done in 20 minutes.

A great addition to manage post op care of my husbands shoulder surgery. We used frozen water bottles to help with the tremendous use of ice needed for the machine. Had to get separate bags of ice to keep up with the demand. Still a great purchase. Better information on item description (what items come with) would be helpful Haven’t needed the battery but nice to have