Quick Answer: “Polaris EPIC” covers three separate robotic pool cleaners: the EPIC 8520 (around $1,000-$1,100, single front Double Helix brush, no Wi-Fi), the EPIC 8640 ($1,299, adds a second rear Double Helix brush, still no Wi-Fi), and the EPIC 8642 iQ ($1,399, same dual-brush hardware as the 8640 plus iAquaLink Wi-Fi app control and a bundled caddy). Confirmed directly against Polaris’s own product pages: the 8520-to-8640 jump buys a real second brush, but the 8640-to-8642-iQ jump buys only the app and a caddy — two very different kinds of upgrade hiding under one family name.
If you searched “Polaris EPIC” expecting one robot, here’s the short version: Polaris sells three under that name, and the suffix changes what you’re buying more than the price gap alone suggests. Below is the plain-English breakdown of each tier, real 2026 prices, and which one actually fits your pool and budget.
The EPIC family at a glance
| Model | Brushes | Wi-Fi | Cable | Caddy | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPIC 8520 | 1 (front only) | No | 50 ft | Not included | ~$1,000-$1,100 |
| EPIC 8640 | 2 (front + rear) | No | Up to 50-ft pools | Not standard | ~$1,299 |
| EPIC 8642 iQ | 2 (front + rear) | Yes (iAquaLink) | 60 ft | Included | ~$1,399 |
Polaris EPIC 8640
- Cyclonic Vacuum technology and dual-traction motors for independent brush rotation.
- Front and rear Double Helix brushes — the same scrubbing hardware as the pricier 8642 iQ.
- Rated for in-ground pools up to 50 ft; large-capacity debris canister.
Robots this size usually ship freight, which can mean a multi-day wait — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days and you could have accessories or a backup cleaner on your deck well before the EPIC itself arrives.
By the numbers
- The first price jump buys real hardware: per Polaris’s own product pages, the EPIC 8520 has a single Double Helix brush at the front only, while the EPIC 8640 adds a second brush at the rear — a genuine scrubbing upgrade, not a naming difference, for roughly $265-$300 more.
- The second price jump buys convenience, not cleaning: the EPIC 8640 and 8642 iQ share the same Cyclonic Vacuum suction and the same front-and-rear Double Helix brush pair — the only confirmed differences are iAquaLink Wi-Fi app control, a 60-ft cable, and an included caddy, for about $100 more.
- Parts pricing confirms these are a real, separately-engineered platform: this site’s own Polaris parts guide lists the EPIC 8642 iQ’s power supply (R0899400, $601.99) and motor block (R0895400, $584.99) as distinct InyoPools part numbers from the ALPHA iQ+/VRX iQ+ control-box architecture — EPIC isn’t a rebadge of Polaris’s other robotic line.
- The base tier is the hardest to buy online: several US pool-specialty retailers list the EPIC 8520 as “call for price” rather than a fixed checkout price, while Club Piscine’s Canadian storefront shows a firm $1,034.99 CAD — a dealer-distribution pattern that doesn’t apply to the 8640 or 8642 iQ, both of which post fixed US prices online.
What “EPIC” actually buys you (and what it doesn’t)
All three EPIC models share Cyclonic Vacuum suction and dual-traction motors that let the brushes rotate independently — confirmed directly against Polaris’s own product pages. What changes between tiers is brush count, cable length, and control method.
EPIC 8520 — the single-brush entry point. At roughly $1,000-$1,100, it’s the cheapest current EPIC tier, but it ships with only a front Double Helix brush and a 50-ft cable, and it’s the one tier you may need to call a local dealer to buy rather than check out online. No Wi-Fi, no included caddy.
EPIC 8640 — the value pick. At about $1,299, it adds the second Double Helix brush at the rear for more thorough wall and waterline scrubbing — the same hardware the flagship 8642 iQ uses — while skipping the app. For an owner happy to run the robot without phone scheduling, this is functionally the same cleaning as the 8642 iQ for about $100 less.
EPIC 8642 iQ — the 8640, plus the app. At $1,399 (with a $100 manufacturer rebate sometimes active, per Polaris’s standard robotic-cleaner promotions), it adds iAquaLink Wi-Fi app control, two selectable cleaning modes (Floor-only or Floor/Wall/Waterline), a 60-ft cable, and a bundled transport caddy on top of hardware that’s otherwise identical to the 8640. Worth the premium specifically if phone control and the included caddy matter to you.
Which one should you buy?
If you want the lowest EPIC price and don’t mind a single-brush cleaning pass, the 8520 is the cheapest tier — just confirm it’s actually in stock at a local dealer before counting on it, since firm US online pricing is inconsistent.
If you want full dual-brush scrubbing without paying for the app, the EPIC 8640 is the better value: it does the same cleaning job as the 8642 iQ for about $100 less.
If you specifically want to start, schedule, or monitor cleanings from your phone, or want the caddy included out of the box, the EPIC 8642 iQ is worth the small premium.
For Polaris’s other robotic tiers — including the 4WD VRX iQ+ and Alpha iQ+, which use a different drive architecture and branded “Vortex Vacuum” rather than EPIC’s “Cyclonic Vacuum” — see our best Polaris pool cleaner guide. For the wider market beyond Polaris, our best robotic pool cleaner guide covers Dolphin, Beatbot, Aiper, WYBOT and Hayward too.
The bottom line
“Polaris EPIC” is three robots, not one. The 8520 (about $1,000-$1,100) is the single-brush entry point and the hardest to buy online at a fixed price. The 8640 (about $1,299) and 8642 iQ (about $1,399) share identical dual-brush cleaning hardware — the roughly $100 gap between them buys Wi-Fi, a longer cable, and a caddy, nothing more. Unless you specifically want phone control, the 8640 is the smarter buy of the two.