Ossur Cold RushTherapy Machine System -Unit Only- Quiet, Lightweight and Strong Cryotherapy Freeze Kit Pump

As I approached my third achilles surgery, I knew that this was a dire need. I had previously borrowed a similar Ossur model from a friend after the 2nd surgery - and boy - did I wish I had it for the 1st! I decided to purchase my own since I knew this would be a long haul. This machine is quiet and works great. There was no leaking, it was easy to use and kept the water cold for an extended period of time. The size and weight are managable for anyone to use. Very happy with this purchase and glad I have it in case any other issues pop up down the road. This is a must have for any type of knee, shoulder or ankle foot injury or surgery. Highly recommend.

This is a terrific machine for icing your knee. When you fill it, be sure to use 3-4 frozen bottles of water, floating in water. Often I also throw in some ice from my freezer's ice machine, just to make the water as cold as possible really fast. It will last at least 2-3 hours before needing to be refilled, maybe 4 hours if very slightly warmer is OK during that last hour. Even the first day home from hospital, I was able to refill it myself because 3-4 frozen bottles of water are a lot easier to carry with a plain metal hospital walker than a bag of ice would be. I have a basket for my walker so I could carry the bottles in that, but if I did not then I would just put them in a plastic grocery bag and drape it over my walker's handles. I found this machine to be nice to have even during the weeks leading up to my TKR surgery. After using it my knee was a little less swollen and therefore less painful. Now, in my second week of recovery after TKR surgery, I use it a lot and depend on it. It does a great job of icing, providing the cold my knee needs and doing so for long periods of time. You can barely hear the motor, which I appreciate because I am hooked up to this machine so much. The only negative for me, was the elastic velcro straps that attach the knee pad to your knee. The velcro was so strongly embedded into the strap itself, that it took me several weeks to get it loose so I could attach it to the knee pad. Instead of the straps, I was having to use scarfs to tie the pad to my knee until today. But to tell the truth, I would have rated it five stars even if it didn't have any straps at all, because it is such a good, reliable, effective, and easy to use machine for icing my knee.

We purchased this unit based on the advice of my wife's orthopedic surgeon for a shoulder replacement. The unit arrived when promised but it was not in an original box and seemed to be a previously "used" unit. It was purchased through one of Amazon's third party sellers. We put it together and tried to use it but it leaked badly. I sent it back within a couple of days and requested a refund. The refund was not given immediately. Hopefully we will get a refund! I called Ossur directly and they recommended another vendor whom I purchased it through again. We requested overnight delivery and paid the additional $25 charge. We finally received it 4 days later! It works like a charm. Requested a refund of the overnight deliver fee. We'll see!

I now own both the Ossur Cold Rush and the DonJoy IceMan version of this ice machine. There are significant differences. Both are good, but the Ossur wins out on a handful of fronts. Icing is amazing therapy. There are good reasons pro athletes use it all the time. I’m not a pro athlete, but I find icing to be invaluable in recovery from surgery, trauma as well as everyday sports therapy. I’ve been skiing for 50 years so I have bad knees. After three different surgeries (2 left, 1 right), I recently had to replace my left knee. The recovery has been rough, but having an ice machine (two, actually - one in the bedroom and one in the living room), has been awesome at keeping down the swelling. These machines used to be stupidly expensive and so were only available for rent as part of physical therapy post-surgery. Now that they’re under $150, there’s no reason not to have one in the house if you’re into sports that sometimes hurt you. I give the Ossur Cold Rush five stars and the IceMan only three (it kind of deserves 4, but it is definitely two steps below the Ossur for various reasons - read on). Both machines work the same way. You put some cold water in the tank, add ice and turn it on. They have a pump that feeds ice water through a hose to a cold pad and return water to the tank. I’ve tried a couple different types of pads - don’t worry if you have a knee pad and need to use it on your elbow/shoulder/hip. It will work better than any re-freezable bag you’ve bought from the drug store in the past. If you’re buying it new for a specific injury, then by all means buy the right pad. Both machines are insulated to some degree. Both have insulated hoses (they look identical, including the connectors - I haven’t tried interchanging them). Both have a tank that is insulated to some degree. The Ossur seems to be more insulated because ice seems to last longer in that one. Here is where the Ossur out-shines the IceMan: Plug it in and leave it plugged in. The Ossur has a power dial that you use to turn it on and turn up/down the flow of water. In effect, this allows you to control the “temperature”. The higher the flow, the colder it makes your knee/foot/whatever. On the Donjoy, you have to plug it in to turn it on. Not easy when the hole where you plug it in is not marked and is only a few inches off the ground (injured people often can’t bend easily). More important, it only has one speed. Noise: The IceMan makes lots more noise. You won’t notice it in most cases, but it is very loud if you try to use it while lying in bed in a quiet room. Yes, it is mostly just white noise, but the ColdRush is so much quieter - especially if you put it on a low setting. And you’ll want the low setting if you’re going to sleep with it on. In the 6-8 weeks after my knee replacement surgery, I slept with it on most nights - for at least a few hours. I always wear a pair of flannel pajama pants between the pad and my skin and have not had any problems with freezing when I run it at a lower setting. The ColdRush seems to require less water and less ice, yet the ice lasts longer. I think it is better insulated, but I’m not sure if that’s why. Also, the ColdRush prints instructions on the lid in color so you can’t lose them. My IceMan was given to me by the hospital and didn’t come with any instructions. Pro tip: if your ice machine at home won’t make enough ice to keep up with your demands, try freezing a few small water bottles (empty out a little water first so they don’t burst). Put one or two water bottles in the water, then add the ice. You’ll need less ice and it works nearly as well. Also, when you lift the lid, pull it straight up to take it all the way off. It makes emptying and filling the machine easier. Bottom line: The Ossur Cold Rush is less expensive and better than the DonJoy Polar IceMan. Save some money and get the better machine.