Quick Answer: The Polaris P965iQ (confirmed $1,099 at Leslie’s and In The Swim) is a 4WD robotic pool cleaner with Vortex Vacuum Technology, a 70-ft tangle-reducing swivel cable, a 5-liter canister, and iAquaLink Wi-Fi app control — the same core platform Polaris now sells as the VRX iQ+ (~$1,499) and Alpha iQ+ ($1,599 list). It’s no longer on Polaris’s own featured robotic-cleaner lineup page, but it’s still sold at full 2-year warranty through major retailers, and it undercuts both current flagships by $400 or more for nearly the same hardware.
Polaris’s best Polaris pool cleaner guide already flags that the brand’s official product hub has quietly dropped several older model names from its featured lineup without formally discontinuing them — the pressure-side 280, 360, and 380 are the clearest examples. The P965iQ fits that same pattern on the robotic side: still in retailer inventory, still backed by Polaris’s standard warranty, just no longer the model Polaris promotes. Here’s what’s actually confirmed, and who should still consider it.
Polaris P965iQ at a glance
| Spec | Polaris P965iQ (2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Plug-in robotic pool cleaner (in-ground) |
| Cleans | Floor, walls, waterline-only mode |
| Drive | 4WD with Vortex Vacuum Technology and front brushes |
| Cable | 70-ft cable with tangle-reducing swivel |
| Filtration | 5-liter top-load canister ("Easy Clean" shake-and-spray) |
| Retrieval | Easy Lift Removal System with automatic water evacuation |
| Control | iAquaLink Wi-Fi app |
| Included | Transport caddy |
| Warranty | 2-year limited |
| Price | $1,099 (Leslie's, In The Swim) |
| Rating | ★★★★ |
Polaris P965iQ
- 4WD drive with Vortex Vacuum Technology and front brushes — the same suction branding as the VRX iQ+.
- 70-ft tangle-reducing cable and iAquaLink Wi-Fi app control.
- Easy Lift Removal System automatically evacuates water before you pull it out.
- Roughly $400-$500 cheaper than Polaris's current VRX iQ+ and Alpha iQ+ for a near-identical core platform.
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By the numbers
- Price gap: At $1,099 (Leslie’s, In The Swim), the P965iQ costs about $400 less than the VRX iQ+ (~$1,499) and $500 less than the Alpha iQ+ ($1,599 list / $1,499.99 sale) — despite sharing the same 4WD drive, 70-ft cable, and 5L canister with both.
- Retailer price spread is wide: A smaller reseller lists it at $1,699 “reduced from $2,399.99,” while Leslie’s and In The Swim — the two full-line pool retailers this site consistently cross-checks — both confirm $1,099. The inflated “original price” framing doesn’t reflect what the major retailers actually charge.
- Missing from Polaris’s own lineup page: Per this site’s own research into Polaris’s product hub (used for the best Polaris pool cleaner guide), the brand’s current featured robotic cleaners are FREEDOM, FREEDOM Plus, ALPHA iQ+, ALPHA iQ, VRX iQ+, and the EPIC series — the P965iQ isn’t among them, though it carries the same 2-year warranty as those current models.
- Warranty holds at 2 years: Per the official Fluidra/Zodiac Polaris Limited Warranty document (H0355004), robotic cleaners carry a 2-year limited warranty regardless of whether they’re a currently-promoted model — the P965iQ gets the same coverage as the VRX iQ+ or Alpha iQ+, not a reduced holdover warranty.
What it does well
The same 4WD platform for less. Vortex Vacuum Technology and 4WD front-brush drive give the P965iQ real wall- and waterline-climbing power, not a floor-only crawl — the same core mechanism Polaris still markets on the pricier VRX iQ+.
Easy Lift Removal System included. A touch-button surface-and-drain feature that this site’s Alpha iQ+ review singles out as that model’s standout is already built into the P965iQ, at a lower price than the model that currently advertises it.
A cable that doesn’t fight you. The 70-ft cable with a tangle-reducing swivel matches the VRX iQ+ and Alpha iQ+ spec — no cut-down cable length for the lower price.
Full manufacturer warranty, not a discontinued-model gamble. Unlike genuinely discontinued Polaris models such as the Prowler 930W sell-through stock, the P965iQ still carries Polaris’s standard 2-year robotic warranty — it’s a retailer holdover, not an orphaned product.
Where it falls short
- No longer Polaris’s promoted model. It’s absent from the brand’s current featured lineup, so expect thinner marketing support, no active manufacturer rebate (unlike the VRX iQ+‘s $100 and Alpha iQ+‘s $200 rebates), and a smaller pool of recent independent reviews.
- No published SMART Cycle. Polaris’s own materials credit the newer VRX iQ+ with SMART Cycle pool-sizing logic; the P965iQ’s listed modes don’t include it, so expect a more fixed run-time behavior.
- Inventory isn’t guaranteed to last. As a holdover model sold through retailer stock rather than Polaris’s own active production push, availability can tighten faster than a currently-promoted model’s.
- Price claims vary wildly by retailer. The $1,699/$2,399.99 listing at smaller resellers versus $1,099 at major retailers means shopping around materially changes whether this is even a deal — see our best robotic pool cleaner guide for how it stacks up against the full field.
Polaris P965iQ vs the alternatives
| Model | Drive | Cable | Standout | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris P965iQ | 4WD Vortex | 70 ft | Cheapest 4WD Polaris with app control | $1,099 |
| Polaris VRX iQ+ | 4WD Vortex | 70 ft / up to 60 ft pools | SMART Cycle, active rebate, current flagship-adjacent | ~$1,499 (~$1,399 after rebate) |
| Polaris Alpha iQ+ | 4WD + front brushes | 70 ft / up to 60 ft pools | Polaris's current flagship | $1,599 list / $1,499.99 sale |
| Dolphin Sigma | Dual drive + gyroscope | ~50 ft cable | Gyroscopic mapping, WiFi app | ~$1,499 |
Inside Polaris’s own history, the P965iQ is best understood as the platform the VRX iQ+ and Alpha iQ+ were both built on — Vortex Vacuum drive from one, Easy Lift Removal from the other, bundled into a single earlier model that retailers still stock at a meaningfully lower price. Against the wider premium field, the Dolphin Sigma trades the P965iQ’s longer cable for gyroscopic mapping and a third motor. See the full field ranked in our best robotic pool cleaner guide.
Who should buy the Polaris P965iQ
Buy it if you want Polaris’s 4WD Vortex Vacuum platform, a 70-ft tangle-resistant cable, and iAquaLink app control, and you’d rather save $400-$500 than have the newest SMART Cycle software or an active manufacturer rebate. It’s a sound pick specifically because it still carries Polaris’s full 2-year robotic warranty — this isn’t a gamble on an orphaned, unsupported model.
Skip it if you want Polaris’s most current, most actively supported robot — the VRX iQ+ or Alpha iQ+ get the manufacturer rebate, the SMART Cycle mode, and a spot on Polaris’s own featured lineup page — or if you want the lowest possible price and are willing to consider a cordless robot like the Aiper Scuba S1 instead.
The bottom line
The Polaris P965iQ is the cheapest way into Polaris’s 4WD robotic platform — the same Vortex Vacuum drive, 70-ft cable, and Easy Lift Removal System as the brand’s current VRX iQ+ and Alpha iQ+, for $400-$500 less at the two major retailers that confirm its price. It’s missing from Polaris’s own featured lineup and doesn’t get the current rebates or SMART Cycle software, but it’s still backed by the same 2-year warranty, which makes it a legitimate budget entry point rather than a discontinued-model risk. Compare it against the rest of the brand’s lineup in our best Polaris pool cleaner guide.