This variety of algebras is well studied. In particular, the description of the underlying vector space of the free algebra in this variety follows immediately from
"A note on the T-ideal generated by $s_3(x_1,x_2,x_3)" by G. D. James, Israel Journal of Mathematics, 29 (1978), 105–112"A note on the T-ideal generated by $s_3(x_1,x_2,x_3)$" by G. D. James, Israel Journal of Mathematics, 29 (1978), 105–112.
The main result of that paper, when translated to free algebras, says that the degree $d$ component of the free algebra generated by $V$ is the following Schur functor of $V$:
$S^{2}(V)\oplus S^{1,1}(V)$ for $d=2$
$S^{4}(V)\oplus 2S^{3,1}(V)\oplus S^{2,2}(V)$ for $d=4$
$S^{d}(V)\oplus 2S^{d-1,1}(V)$ for $d=3$ or $d\ge 5$.
This description, in my opinion, is sufficiently pleasant to have good intuition of what these algebras are, present them by generators and relations, write down convenient bases etc.