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ZOLL AED Plus pads and battery: the parts, the prices, and why this AED is the cheapest to keep alive

ZOLL AED Plus pads and battery: the parts, the prices, and why this AED is the cheapest to keep alive

ZOLL AED Plus pads and battery the parts, the prices, and why this AED is the cheapest to keep alive | AED Brand Review

Quick answer

The ZOLL AED Plus takes one pad part, CPR-D-padz (8900-0800-01), about $230, replaced every 5 years. Its power comes from ten 123A lithium batteries, about $100 a set, also about 5 years. That combination costs roughly $330 per decade, the lowest of any AED we track and about a quarter of what a Philips OnSite costs to feed. Pediatric coverage is a separate part, Pedi-padz II, about $155 on a 2-year clock.

The parts list

Quick answer

Three parts cover everything an AED Plus needs: CPR-D-padz for adults, Pedi-padz II for children, and the lithium battery set. Match your device label before ordering, since the ZOLL AED 3 uses different parts entirely.
PartPart numberPrice (Aug 2026)Replace everyFits
CPR-D-padz (adult, one-piece with CPR sensor)8900-0800-01~$2305 yearsAED Plus
Pedi-padz II (pediatric)Pedi-padz II~$1552 yearsAED Plus
Battery set, 10x type 123A lithiumconsumer 123A cells~$1005 yearsAED Plus
Uni-padz (adult and child in one)Uni-padz~$2345 yearsAED 3 only, not the Plus
AED 3 batteryAED 3 battery pack~$2015 yearsAED 3 only
Prices: AED Leader, August 2026. The AED Plus and the AED 3 look related and share a PMA family (P160015), but they share no consumables. Check the model name printed on your unit before ordering.

The battery detail nobody explains

Quick answer

The AED Plus does not use a sealed proprietary battery pack. It runs on ten type 123A lithium cells, the same chemistry used in cameras and tactical flashlights. That single design decision is the reason its decade cost is the lowest on the market.

Almost every other AED locks you into a single-source battery: Philips M5070A at about $249 every 4 years, Powerheart G5 XBTAED001A at about $495 every 4 years. ZOLL instead built the AED Plus around commodity lithium cells, so a full set runs about $100 and lasts roughly 5 years in standby.

Two practical notes. Buy a matched set and replace all ten at once rather than mixing old and new cells, because the device draws from them as a bank. And buy from a source that dates the cells, since lithium 123A shelf life is long but not infinite. If you would rather not think about it, ZOLL sells a branded battery kit and that is the safe default.

~$330

Total consumables to keep a ZOLL AED Plus rescue-ready for 10 years, our calculation from August 2026 prices. The same decade costs about $894 on a Philips OnSite and about $1,342 on a Powerheart G5.

Why one-piece pads matter more than the price

Quick answer

CPR-D-padz combine the defibrillation pads and the CPR compression sensor in a single part with a single expiry date. Fewer parts to track means fewer ways for the device to be quietly out of service when it is needed.

This is the same logic that makes HeartSine’s Pad-Pak attractive, applied differently. The AED Plus asks you to track two dates (pads and battery) instead of the three or four an owner ends up juggling elsewhere, and the CPR sensor that powers Real CPR Help lives inside the pad rather than as a separate accessory.

One correction worth making, because it is repeated constantly: Real CPR Help is on both the AED Plus and the ZOLL AED 3. The AED 3’s actual differentiator is its color CPR Dashboard display, not the presence of compression feedback. We cover that properly in the AED 3 vs AED Plus comparison.

The honest cost of this design: FDA data shows roughly 46.9% of reported AED failures involve batteries or pads (DeLuca et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012, 40,787 reported events). A one-piece pad reduces the number of things that can quietly expire, but it does not remove the need to track the ones that remain.

The pediatric line item

Quick answer

Pedi-padz II cost about $155 and expire every 2 years, so pediatric coverage on an AED Plus runs roughly $775 per decade. A ZOLL AED 3 covers children at no extra cost because its Uni-padz serve both populations.

This is the AED Plus’s weakest point and it is worth stating plainly, because it is the line item that flips a purchase decision for schools, gyms, and families. Five replacement cycles at $155 is $775 of pediatric spend across a decade on a device whose adult consumables only cost $330. Our schools guide works this through at institutional scale, and the ZOLL AED 3 review covers the alternative.

If pediatric use is occasional rather than expected, note that the AHA permits adult pads on a child when pediatric pads are unavailable: one pad on the chest, one on the back. Planned coverage is better. No coverage is still far better than no defibrillation.

Do expired ZOLL pads still work?

Quick answer

Possibly, and replace them anyway. No FDA or AHA regulation requires it, so treat any page citing one as unreliable. The reason is physical: the conductive hydrogel dries out and a pad that will not adhere flat cannot deliver its energy properly.
The AED Plus makes this easier than most devices because its 5-year pad life means fewer decision points, and because the unit’s self-test and status indicator flag a pad or battery problem on the display. Trust the indicator to tell you something is wrong; do not trust it to tell you how much service life remains. Replace on the printed date.

Fleet math: the cheapest AED to run at scale

Quick answer

At roughly $330 per unit per decade, a ten-unit ZOLL AED Plus fleet costs about $3,300 to keep in service. The same fleet on Philips OnSite units costs about $8,940 and on Powerheart G5 units about $13,420.
Consumable cost is the line organisations forget when they compare purchase prices, and it is the line that compounds. Every unit needs pads and batteries on a fixed clock whether or not anyone ever presses the button, so a fleet decision is really a decade-long subscription decision.
Fleet sizeZOLL AED PlusPhilips OnSitePowerheart G5
1 unit$330$894$1,342
5 units$1,650$4,470$6,710
10 units$3,300$8,940$13,420
25 units$8,250$22,350$33,550
Our calculation from August 2026 part prices, adult consumables only. Add roughly $775 per unit per decade if pediatric coverage is required on the AED Plus, which narrows the gap considerably and is the honest caveat for schools. Work it through in the schools guide and the gym guide, and compare part-for-part against the Philips HeartStart parts guide.

Recertified units: when your clock starts

Quick answer

A properly recertified AED Plus ships with new CPR-D-padz and a new battery set, so your five-year clock starts on the purchase date. At about $875, a recertified AED Plus plus a decade of consumables is roughly $1,205 all-in.

That figure is the cheapest ten covered years available from any device we track, and it exists because two things stack: the recertified discount and the commodity battery design. Verify before buying that new pads and battery are included, that the warranty is written down, and that the reconditioner documents serial history so the unit can be checked against FDA recall listings.

Details in how to choose a refurbished AED, the recertified AED pillar, the recertified ZOLL AED Plus page, and the refurbished vs new analysis. Cross-brand comparisons live in the ZOLL vs Philips OnSite page, the recertified AED 3 breakdown, and the 2026 rankings.

Buying the device itself

If you are pricing consumables before deciding what to buy, the numbers above are the strongest argument for the AED Plus and the reason it appears in nearly every ranking we publish. New units run about $2,082, and recertified units are $875 with a 3-year warranty, which makes a recertified AED Plus plus a decade of consumables roughly $1,205 all-in. That is the cheapest ten covered years available, and we show the full ladder in the best AED for home guide and the refurbished buying guide.

Full device analysis lives in the ZOLL AED Plus review, and the cross-brand consumables table sits on the AED pads and batteries pillar. Philips owners should read the Philips HeartStart parts guide instead.

Order the right part

AED Plus: CPR-D-padz 8900-0800-01 for adults, Pedi-padz II for children, and a ten-cell 123A lithium set. AED 3 owners need Uni-padz instead. Match the model on your device label first.

ZOLL AED Plus parts FAQ

What pads does the ZOLL AED Plus use?

CPR-D-padz, part 8900-0800-01, a one-piece pad with the CPR compression sensor built in. About $230, replaced every 5 years. Pediatric use requires separate Pedi-padz II.

What battery does the ZOLL AED Plus use?

Ten type 123A lithium cells, about $100 for a set, roughly 5 years of standby life. It is not a sealed proprietary pack, which is the main reason the AED Plus is the cheapest AED to maintain. Replace all ten as a matched set.

How much does a ZOLL AED Plus cost to maintain?

About $330 in adult consumables over 10 years, our calculation from August 2026 prices. Pediatric coverage adds roughly $775 per decade because Pedi-padz II expire every 2 years.

Are ZOLL AED Plus and ZOLL AED 3 parts interchangeable?

No. The AED Plus uses CPR-D-padz and a 123A lithium set; the AED 3 uses Uni-padz and its own battery pack. The two devices share a PMA family (P160015) but share no consumables.

Do expired ZOLL AED pads still work?

They may, and they should still be replaced. No FDA or AHA rule mandates replacement; the reason is that the conductive gel dries and adhesion degrades. FDA failure data shows roughly 46.9 percent of reported AED failures involve batteries or pads.

Does the AED Plus have CPR feedback?

Yes. Real CPR Help is built into the CPR-D-padz and is present on both the AED Plus and the ZOLL AED 3. The AED 3’s added feature is its color CPR Dashboard display, not the feedback itself.

References

  1. FDA Premarket Approval database: P160015 covers the ZOLL AED Plus and the public-access ZOLL AED 3. AEDs are FDA-approved via Premarket Approval, not cleared.
  2. DeLuca LA et al. Analysis of automated external defibrillator device failures reported to the Food and Drug Administration. Ann Emerg Med. 2012 (PMID 21872969): 40,787 reported events, batteries 23.2%, pads and connectors 23.7%.
  3. American Heart Association guidance permitting adult pads on a child when pediatric pads are unavailable.
  4. Seller prices and part numbers: AED Leader product and accessory pages, checked August 2026.
Updated August 2026. Part numbers and prices re-verified on the date shown; tell us if a seller has since moved a price.
Picture of ayaan
ayaan
In the last 27 years, I have worked as a first responder. For 20 of those years, I focused on instruction and training. I’ve collaborated with teams in nonprofits, businesses, government, healthcare, and aquatic fields. I help them improve their readiness for many emergency situations. I have helped organizations adopt effective emergency response strategies. I’ve combined hands-on experience with practical education. This lets me use lifesaving tools, such as automated defibrillators, in daily operations.
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