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🔬 How We Evaluate AEDs · Editorial Standards

Review Methodology —
How AED Brand Review Evaluates AEDs

Our complete methodology behind every AED recommendation: the data sources we cite, the evaluation criteria we score, the fact-checking workflow, the medical review process, and the update cadence that keeps every page accurate.
  • 📅 Last reviewed: May 2026
  • 🔄 Updated quarterly
  • 👨‍⚕️ Medically reviewed
  • 🛡️ Independent
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Methodology

🛡️ Editorial Principles

Our Six Editorial Commitments

Six commitments guide every AED Brand Review article, calculator, and product page. These principles exist before any individual review is written — they govern what we publish, what we don’t, and how we update.

🛡️

Independent

Not owned by, employed by, or paid commission by any AED manufacturer or distributor. Every recommendation is made on the buyer’s behalf, never the seller’s.

🔬

Evidence-Anchored

Every claim is backed by a primary source: AHA, CDC, OSHA, FDA, peer-reviewed clinical literature, or verified manufacturer documentation.

👨‍⚕️

Medically Reviewed

Every YMYL page is reviewed by a credentialed medical professional before publication and again on every major update.

🔄

Updated Quarterly

Statutes change. Devices launch. Prices shift. Every page is reviewed quarterly with verification of stats, pricing, and source URLs.

📋

Transparent Methodology

Anyone can see how a recommendation was made. Our scoring criteria, data sources, and update logs are published openly on this page.

✏️

Corrections-First

When we get something wrong, we correct it visibly. We do not silently edit. We publish a corrections note with the date, the original claim, and the corrected claim.

📦 Coverage Scope

What We Review

AED Brand Review evaluates every FDA-cleared automated external defibrillator currently available for sale in the United States. As of May 2026, that includes 9 active models across 6 manufacturers: Philips, ZOLL, Stryker (LIFEPAK + HeartSine), Cardiac Science, and Defibtech.

What we do not list or recommend

  • Non-FDA-cleared devices. If a device is not listed in the FDA 510(k) clearance database for U.S. sale, it does not appear on our site.
  • Discontinued models outside of historical reference. Discontinued models move to our archive with a clear “discontinued” tag.
  • Gray-market or international-only models not authorized for U.S. sale.
  • Pre-market or trainer-only units not intended for clinical use on a patient.

Beyond AED devices themselves, we also review and rank replacement pads, replacement batteries, wall cabinets, carrying cases, and training accessories — using the same independent process and citation standards.

📊 Evaluation Criteria

Our 8-Point Evaluation Framework

Every AED is scored against eight criteria that — based on our review of AHA guidance, OSHA workplace standards, and field deployment data — drive real-world buyer fit.

1

Ease of Use

How quickly an untrained bystander can deploy the device correctly under stress. Pull-handle activation, voice prompt clarity, decision-point count.

2

Pediatric Capability

Whether the device can safely treat patients under 8 years / 55 lbs. Built-in child mode, child key, or separate pediatric pads — and real-world reliability of each.

3

CPR Feedback

Real-time compression depth and rate coaching during active CPR. Critical for trained-responder environments per AHA Journals.

4

Durability & IP Rating

Operating temperature range, drop tolerance, and Ingress Protection (IP) rating. IP55 minimum for outdoor environments.

5

Pad & Battery Lifespan

Manufacturer-published cycles. Longer lifespan = lower 5-year ownership cost. Verified directly from official documentation.

6

Self-Test Capability

Daily or weekly automated readiness checks. Critical for unmonitored locations and small-team facilities without dedicated AED program staff.

7

Warranty & Support

Length of manufacturer warranty (typically 5–8 years for major brands) and the strength of the authorized U.S. distributor network.

8

Total Cost of Ownership

5-year ownership cost including device, pad replacements, battery replacements, and cabinet. Sticker price is only one input.

Why no single “score”: We do not publish numeric “scores out of 10.” Single-number ratings encourage buyers to pick based on highest score rather than fit-for-purpose. Every review explicitly names which criteria the device excels at, which it does poorly at, and which facility types it is best matched to.

📚 Data Sources

Our Primary Data Sources

Every fact, statistic, and claim on AED Brand Review traces to a primary source. We do not cite secondary blog posts, AI summaries, or other review sites as sources of fact.

Medical & Clinical Authority

Medical

American Heart Association

Resuscitation guidelines, 3-minute drop-to-shock standard, CPR + AED training standards.

heart.org →

Medical

American Red Cross

AED accessibility, pediatric AED guidance, lay responder training standards.

redcross.org →

Medical

National Institutes of Health

Cardiac arrest research, public access defibrillation studies.

nih.gov →

Medical

AHA Journals (Circulation)

Peer-reviewed cardiac care research, delay-to-defibrillation outcome studies.

ahajournals.org →

Regulatory & Legal

Legal

FDA

510(k) clearance database for every AED reviewed. Device safety verification.

fda.gov →

Legal

OSHA

Workplace AED program guidance, Publication 3185 on workplace SCA preparedness.

osha.gov →

Legal

State DOH / EMS

State-specific AED mandates, cross-referenced with NCSL.

ncsl.org →

Methodology

FHWA

Pedestrian walking speed standard (4.4 ft/s) used in AED coverage math.

fhwa.dot.gov →

⚙️ Review Process

Our 5-Step Review Process

Every AED, accessory, and article goes through the same five-step process. No shortcuts. No exceptions. Every AED, accessory, and article goes through the same five-step process. No shortcuts. No exceptions.

1

Initial research

Reviewer pulls manufacturer documentation directly from the brand's official source. Specs, lifecycle data, warranty terms, and FDA 510(k) clearance number are recorded in our internal review template. Authorized U.S. distributor pricing verified same day.

2

Cross-reference with clinical literature

Claims about device performance, environmental suitability, and pediatric capability are cross-referenced with AHA, FDA, Red Cross, and peer-reviewed research. Any claim without primary-source backing is rewritten or removed.

3

Apply the 8-point evaluation

Reviewer evaluates the device against each of the 8 criteria. Strengths and weaknesses are documented explicitly. The reviewer identifies which facility types the device is and is not a good match for.

4

Medical review

Draft is sent to our medical reviewer (board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician with AHA BLS / ACLS instructor credentials). All clinical claims, citations, and patient-safety language are checked. Flagged issues are revised before publication.

5

Publish + log

Final review goes live with a visible "Medically reviewed by" byline, publication date, and next scheduled update date. Added to the quarterly audit log for on-schedule updates.

🔄 Update Cadence

How Often We Update

AED Brand Review operates on a quarterly review cadence. Every published article, calculator output, and product review is re-verified at least four times per year — covering: device pricing, replacement consumable costs, manufacturer warranty terms, FDA 510(k) status, and any cited statistics.

In addition to the quarterly cycle, we run same-day updates when:

  • A new FDA 510(k) clearance for an AED model we cover is issued
  • A manufacturer announces a discontinuation, recall, or substantial spec change
  • A major state legislative change to AED mandates (schools, gyms, public-access)
  • An update to AHA, OSHA, FDA, or Red Cross AED program guidance is published
  • A reader reports a factual error (see Corrections Policy below)

🛡️ Independence

Conflict of Interest & Disclosure Policy

AED Brand Review is part of an ecosystem of independent businesses serving the AED buyer journey. Transparency about that ecosystem is foundational to our trust.

What we are

  • An independent editorial publication focused on AED reviews, planning tools, and compliance guidance.
  • Reader-supported via commissions from authorized U.S. AED distributor partners (AED Leader, Response Ready) and from CPR training partner CPR1.

What we are not

  • We are not owned by any AED manufacturer.
  • We are not employed by any AED manufacturer.
  • We do not accept payment for placement, sponsored reviews, or “best of” rankings.
  • We do not accept free product samples in exchange for favorable reviews.
Why this matters: Most AED review sites in the U.S. are operated by distributors. They sell what they review. We don’t sell anything — we review it. That structural independence is the single most important guarantee of our editorial integrity.

✏️ Corrections Policy

Fact-Checking & Corrections

If we publish something incorrect, we correct it visibly — never silently.

Our fact-checking workflow

  1. Pre-publish: Every claim with a statistic, citation, or quoted source is verified against the primary source.
  2. Medical reviewer pass: Clinical claims and patient-safety language are reviewed by the medical reviewer.
  3. Quarterly audit: Every page is re-checked on a quarterly cycle, with statistic dates and source URLs verified.
  4. Reader corrections: Readers can report errors via editorial@aedbrandreview.com. Verified reports trigger same-day corrections.

How we publish corrections

When a substantive correction is required, we publish a visible correction note including: the date, the original claim, the corrected claim, and the source for the corrected version. Minor edits (typos, formatting) are not flagged. Substantive edits always are.

🤖 AI Disclosure

How We Use AI Tools

We disclose this openly because trust requires it. AED Brand Review uses AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude) for specific narrow tasks:

  • First-draft outlining of article structure, then heavily rewritten by a human editor.
  • Grammar and readability checks on human-written copy.
  • Cross-referencing statistics against multiple sources, with all final citations verified by a human against the primary source.

We do not use AI to generate medical claims or clinical recommendations, fabricate sources or citations, or write product reviews end-to-end without human research and verification. Every article is written, fact-checked, and approved by a named human author and a credentialed medical reviewer before publication.

👥 The Team

The Team Behind the Methodology

Editorial integrity requires named, accountable humans.

Editorial Team

Ayaan [Last Name] — AHA-Certified BLS Instructor with 27 years of first-responder experience across nonprofits, government, healthcare, and aquatic safety. Leads research and writing across the site.

Medical Advisory Board

Every YMYL page (calculator, article, product review) is reviewed by our credentialed medical advisory board. Meet our medical advisors on the Medical Advisory Board page.

Reach the editorial team

For tips, corrections, or feedback, email editorial@aedbrandreview.com. We respond to every credible message and treat correction reports as urgent.

See Our Methodology in Action

Use the 3 free planning tools that apply this methodology to your facility — backed by AHA, FDA, OSHA, and peer-reviewed research.
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⚠️ Disclaimer. This methodology page describes our editorial process and is provided for transparency. It is not medical, legal, or financial advice. Every AED program decision should be made in consultation with qualified professionals — a licensed medical director, AHA-certified instructor, your local EMS authority, and legal counsel familiar with AED laws in your jurisdiction. If you are experiencing or witnessing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
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