Best value for a home, priced today
Prices checked 30 September 2026 at AED Leader. Each link opens our full review with the buy path.
- Recertified Philips HeartStart OnSite review and price$875Save 45%Recertified, 3-year warrantyBuy at AED Leader
- HeartSine Samaritan PAD 350P review and price$1,411New, 8-year manufacturer warranty
- Defibtech Lifeline AED review and price$1,478.80 to $1,659.15New, 8-year manufacturer warranty
Quick answer
For most homes the Philips HeartStart OnSite is the best AED: it is sold over the counter, its voice coaching is the easiest for an untrained spouse to follow, and it runs about $1,589 new or $875 recertified (Sep 2026). If weight and price matter more, the HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P at $1,411 is the only sub-3-lb AED you can buy without a prescription. If lowest 10-year cost wins, the ZOLL AED Plus costs about $330 in consumables per decade, the cheapest of any home AED.
Why a home AED at all
Quick answer
Roughly 7 in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home (AHA), survival falls about 10% per minute without defibrillation, and EMS response in most US suburbs is longer than the window. A home AED exists to cover the 6 to 10 minutes an ambulance cannot.
~70%
of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes and residences, per the American Heart Association. More than 356,000 out-of-hospital arrests happen in the US each year, and survival drops roughly 10% for every minute without a shock.
The uncomfortable math: if an arrest happens in your kitchen, the AED cabinet at the gym down the road is worth nothing. The device you own is the one that gets used inside the first five minutes. That is the entire case, and it is why the rest of this page is about which device an untrained family member can operate under the worst stress of their life, and what each option costs to keep rescue-ready for a decade.
The prescription question nobody answers
Quick answer
Every AED on this page is FDA-approved via Premarket Approval (PMA). But only two device families are approved for over-the-counter sale: the HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P and the Philips OnSite/Home adult configuration. Everything else, including the Philips FRx and every ZOLL, is prescription-labeled. Dealers handle the prescription for you, but OTC means zero friction and no paperwork.
This is the single most useful fact for a home buyer, and not one top-ranking page on this search explains it. Here is the verified table, checked against the FDA PMA database and approved labeling:
| Model | FDA status for consumer sale | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P | Over the counter | PMA P160008, supplement S017, decided 23 Jun 2022 |
| Philips HeartStart OnSite (M5066A) / Home (M5068A) | Over the counter, adult configuration | FDA-approved labeling on PMA P160029; the Infant/Child pads cartridge (M5072A) is Rx-only |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | Prescription | PMA P180028, product code MKJ |
| ZOLL AED Plus / ZOLL AED 3 | Prescription | PMA P160015 |
| HeartSine 360P / 450P | Prescription | P160008; the S017 OTC change names the 350P alone |
| Powerheart G5, LIFEPAK CR2, Defibtech Lifeline | Prescription | P160033, P170018, P160032 |
Two practical notes. First, “prescription” does not block a home purchase: established dealers like AED Leader handle medical direction as part of the sale. Second, the FDA’s over-the-counter AED definition covers use on people greater than 8 years old or greater than 55 lbs, so households with small children should read the pediatric section below regardless of which model they pick.
How we ranked them
Five criteria, in the order a home actually experiences them: how well the device coaches an untrained, panicking adult; what the consumables cost over 10 years (our calculation, from dated part prices); pediatric coverage for families; whether you can buy it over the counter; and the purchase price new and recertified. We review devices across every brand (see the full comparison hub and best AEDs of 2026) and publish the part numbers and pad prices we use, so you can check our math.
The ranked picks
1
Philips HeartStart OnSite
Best home AED overall
$1,589 new · $875 recertified (AED Leader, Sep 2026) · OTC adult config · pads $99 / battery $249
The OnSite exists for exactly one user: a person who has never touched an AED and is currently terrified. Its voice coaching is the calmest and most granular in the industry, the pads cartridge clicks in without assembly, and it is the AED most often recommended for households. It is sold over the counter in the adult configuration. The honest downside is consumable cost: about $894 over 10 years, the second highest here, because pads last 2 years and the battery 4. Read the full OnSite review or the recertified OnSite breakdown.
2
HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P
Best compact + best OTC value
$1,411 new (AED Leader, 27 Sep 2026) · $875 recertified · Pad-Pak $236
At 2.4 lbs it is the lightest AED sold in the US, it carries the best dust and water rating of any home pick (IP56), and it is the only compact AED approved for over-the-counter sale. Its killer feature is the Pad-Pak: pads and battery in one $236 cartridge, one expiry date to track instead of two. In September 2025 the FDA approved extending Pad-Pak shelf life to 5.25 years from manufacture, which improves the already-low ownership cost. One honesty note: the current 350P/360P/450P family has open FDA recalls, including one for shock delivery; we cover the details and the serial-number check in our full 350P review.
3
ZOLL AED Plus
Cheapest to own for 10 years
$2,082 new · $875 recertified (AED Leader, Sep 2026) · ~$330 consumables per decade
The AED Plus wins the long game: CPR-D-padz last 5 years ($230) and it runs on consumer lithium batteries (about $100 a set, 5 years), so a decade of readiness costs about $330, a quarter of what the Philips models cost to feed. It also has Real CPR Help, which measures your compression depth and coaches you to push harder, something neither Philips model does. It is prescription-labeled, which the dealer handles. Weakest point for homes: it is bigger and heavier than the 350P, and pediatric coverage needs separate Pedi-padz II ($155, 2-year life). Full analysis in the ZOLL AED Plus review and the ZOLL vs Philips OnSite comparison.
4
ZOLL AED 3
Best for homes with children
$2,399 new · $1,150 to $1,295 recertified (AED Leader, Sep 2026) · Uni-padz $234, cover children at no extra cost
The AED 3’s Uni-padz work on adults and children with a mode switch, so a family pays $0 extra for pediatric coverage while every other brand charges $139 to $775 for it over a decade. It adds a color CPR Dashboard on top of the same Real CPR Help as the AED Plus. It is the most future-proof pick here and the right answer if your buying trigger is kids at home. Details in the ZOLL AED 3 review, the AED 3 vs AED Plus comparison, and the recertified AED 3 breakdown.
5
The $875 recertified route
Best budget play, any model above
OnSite, FRx, ZOLL AED Plus, HeartSine: all $875 recertified with 3-year warranty (AED Leader, Sep 2026)
Not one page ranking home AEDs prices the recertified tier, which is strange, because it is how a $1,500 to $2,100 device becomes an $875 device (the recertified FRx is the same story) with new pads, a new battery, and a 3-year warranty. A recertified OnSite costs less than half a new one and saves the identical life. If the budget is the blocker, this is the answer: start with how to choose a refurbished AED, then the refurbished vs new cost math, and buy from a reconditioner that publishes serial-number history. The recertified ZOLL AED Plus at $875 with $330-a-decade consumables is the single cheapest path to 10 covered years on this page.
What 10 years actually costs
Quick answer
Purchase price is the smallest part of the story. Consumables over a decade range from $330 (ZOLL AED Plus) to $1,342 (Powerheart G5). Our cost-per-covered-year column is the number to compare.
Our calculation, from dated part prices published in our pads and batteries guide. FDA adverse-event data shows why this table matters: in a review of 40,787 reported AED failures, batteries and pads or connectors accounted for about 46.9% (DeLuca et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012). A dead battery is the most preventable way an AED fails.
| Model | New price (Sep 2026) | Recertified | 10-yr consumables | Cost per covered year* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOLL AED Plus | $2,082 | $875 | $330 | $241 / $121 |
| ZOLL AED 3 | $2,399 | $1,150 to $1,295 | $435 | $283 / $158 |
| HeartSine 350P | $1,411 | $875 | $472 | $188 / $135 |
| Philips FRx | $2,099 to $2,199 | $875 | $854 | $295 to $305 / $173 |
| Philips OnSite | $1,589 | $875 | $894 | $248 / $177 |
| Powerheart G5 | $2,157 | $1,225 | $1,342 | $350 / $257 |
*Cost per covered year = (purchase + 10-yr consumables) ÷ 10, shown new / recertified. Our calculation, prices from AED Leader, September 2026.
The Pediatric Pad Trap, home edition
Quick answer
If children live in or visit your home, pediatric capability costs $0 extra on a ZOLL AED 3, about $139 one-time on a Philips (reusable key on FRx), and up to roughly $775 per decade on a ZOLL AED Plus (Pedi-padz II expire every 2 years). The AHA permits adult pads on a child if pediatric equipment is not available, so no AED is unusable on a child, but planned coverage is cheaper than improvised coverage.
This is the line item that flips rankings for families. The AED 3’s Uni-padz cover both populations in one $234 cartridge. The FRx uses a reusable Infant/Child key (about $139, one-time; note the Philips pediatric pads cartridge for the OnSite is prescription-only). The AED Plus needs separate pediatric pads at $155 every two years. Run the math for your household before you buy, not after. Full breakdown in each model review and in our schools guide, where the same trap decides purchases at institutional scale.
Where to buy, and what should be in the box
Buy from a dealer that sells the current-generation device, includes pads and battery, states the warranty in writing, and answers the phone. Our partner AED Leader carries every model on this page new and recertified, ships free, and backs recertified units with a 3-year warranty. A complete home setup is the device, a wall bracket or cabinet, and a spare set of pads; skip monitoring subscriptions for a home unit and put a battery-check reminder in your phone instead. If you want training to go with it, an AHA-certified CPR course through AED Leader takes an afternoon.
The one-line decision
Easiest for an untrained spouse: Philips OnSite, $1,589 or $875 recertified. Lightest and OTC: HeartSine 350P, $1,411. Cheapest decade: ZOLL AED Plus recertified, $875 plus $330 in consumables. Kids at home: ZOLL AED 3.
Replacing your AED pads or battery
AED pads and batteries expire on a fixed schedule whether the device is ever used or not, and they are the single most common reason an AED fails when it is needed. In the largest published analysis of FDA-reported AED events, 40,787 cases, batteries accounted for 23.2 per cent of failures and pads and connectors for 23.7 per cent, so 46.9 per cent of all AED failures are consumables (DeLuca et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012, PMID 21872969). Below is every current replacement part with its price and service life, verified against seller product data on 12 September 2026.
| Model | Adult pads | Battery | Pediatric option | 10 year consumable cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HeartStart OnSite | M5071A $99.00, 2 years | M5070A $249.00, 4 years | Separate M5072A cartridge, prescription only | About $894 |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | SMART Pads II 989803139261 $89.00, 2 years | M5070A $249.00, 4 years | Infant/Child Key $139.00, reusable | About $854 |
| ZOLL AED Plus | CPR-D Padz 8900-0800-01 $230.00, 5 years | Lithium set of 10 $100.00, 5 years | Pedi-padz II $155.00, 2 years | About $330, the lowest we track |
| ZOLL AED 3 | CPR Uni-padz 8900-000280-01 $234.00, 5 years | 8000-000696 $201.00, 5 years | None needed, Uni-padz cover children | About $435 |
| Defibtech Lifeline | DDP-100 $75.15 | DBP-1400 $229.10 | DDP-200P $130.25 | About $530 |
| Defibtech Lifeline VIEW | DDP-2001 $83.05 | DCF-2003 $240.45 | DDP-2002 $136.40 | About $813 |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD | Pad-Pak-01 $236.00, pads and battery in one cartridge | Included in the Pad-Pak, there is no separate battery | Pediatric Pad-Pak PAD-PAK-02 $279.00 | About $472 |
| Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 | XELAED001C $88.00 | XBTAED001A $495.00, 4 years | XELAED003C $127.00 | About $1,342, the highest we track |
| Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR2 | Quik-Step 11101-000021 $196.00, adult and child in one set | LIFEPAK CR2 lithium battery $341.00, about 4 years | None needed, the Quik-Step set covers children | Not published per part |
Prices verified against the public product data of AED Leader on 30 September 2026. Service life is the manufacturer figure where one is published; where it is not, check the expiry date printed on the part itself. Ten year consumable cost is our own calculation from those part prices and service lives.
Three things owners get wrong
- Buying the wrong Philips pad. The FRx uses SMART Pads II, part 989803139261. SMART Pads III belong to the FR3, a different device. The OnSite uses M5071A and the two are not interchangeable.
- Assuming the pediatric part is optional. On a ZOLL AED Plus, Pedi-padz II cost $155.00 and last two years, which is about $775 across a ten year life. On a ZOLL AED 3 or a LIFEPAK CR2 the pads already cover children and that cost is zero.
- Tracking the wrong date. HeartSine combines the pads and battery into one Pad-Pak cartridge, so there is a single expiry to track. Every other model here has two parts on two separate clocks.
Full replacement schedule by model is on our AED pads and batteries page. If you are still choosing a device, the ten year running cost is usually a bigger number than the discount you are negotiating: see every AED brand ranked by price and ten year cost.
Recertified prices across all seven models
Recertified units are the same models under the same FDA premarket approvals, restored, tested and sold with a minimum three year warranty.
| Model | New | Recertified | You keep | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HeartStart OnSite | $1,589 | $875 | $714 (45%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | $2,099 | $875 | $1,224 (58%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| ZOLL AED Plus | $2,082 | $875 | $1,207 (58%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| ZOLL AED 3 | $2,399 | $1,150 | $1,249 (52%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD 350P | $1,411 | $875 | $536 (38%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| HeartSine Samaritan PAD 450P | $1,761 | $875 | $886 (50%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
| Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 | $2,157 | $1,225 | $932 (43%) | AED Leader or Response Ready |
Prices verified 30 September 2026 against the public product data of both stores. Both list identical recertified prices, so buy from whichever fits your order size: AED Leader for one to four units, Response Ready for five or more and for compliance and fleet programmes. New prices are the AED Leader list price on the same date.
The honest risk. A recertified AED is a used device. The three year minimum warranty is what makes the saving worth taking. Read recertified versus new and how to choose a refurbished AED before you decide.
FAQ
Can I buy an AED without a prescription?
Two device families are FDA-approved for over-the-counter sale: the HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P (PMA P160008, supplement S017, 2022) and the Philips OnSite/Home adult configuration (per the approved labeling on P160029). Every other AED is prescription-labeled, and established dealers handle that prescription as part of the sale, so any model on this page is realistically buyable for a home.
Is a recertified AED safe for a home?
A properly recertified AED passes the same self-tests as a new one and ships with new pads and battery. The device design keeps its FDA approval; what varies is the reconditioner. Buy from one that documents service history and check the serial number against FDA recall lists. Our refurbished buying guide walks through it.
What does a home AED cost per year?
Using Sep 2026 prices: from about $121 per covered year (recertified ZOLL AED Plus, our calculation) to about $350 (new Powerheart G5). A typical home pick lands between $120 and $250 per year including purchase and consumables.
Can adult pads be used on a child?
The AHA permits adult pads on a child if pediatric pads are not available; place one pad on the chest and one on the back. Planned pediatric coverage is still better, see the Pediatric Pad Trap section above.
Where should an AED live in a house?
Central, visible, and known to everyone: hallway closet shelf, kitchen wall, by the stairs. Not a car trunk (heat kills batteries and pads) and not a locked case. Everyone in the house should know the location the way they know the fire extinguisher’s.
Do I need training to use one?
No. Every device here is designed for untrained users and talks you through each step; the OnSite is the best coach of the group. Training raises confidence and CPR quality, and a one-afternoon AHA course through AED Leader is worth it, but never wait for training to buy the device.
References
- American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and home-location share; survival decline per minute without defibrillation.
- FDA Premarket Approval database: P160029 (Philips OnSite/Home), P180028 (FRx), P160015 (ZOLL AED Plus / AED 3), P160008 incl. supplement S017 (HeartSine 350P OTC, decided 23 Jun 2022) and S030 (Pad-Pak shelf-life extension, 2025), P160033 (Powerheart G5), P170018 (LIFEPAK CR2), P160032 (Defibtech).
- FDA product classification, product codes MKJ (prescription AED) and NSA (over-the-counter AED), 21 CFR 870.5310.
- DeLuca LA et al. Analysis of automated external defibrillator device failures reported to the FDA. Ann Emerg Med. 2012 (PMID 21872969): batteries 23.2% and pads/connectors 23.7% of 40,787 reported failures.
- Seller prices: AED Leader product pages, checked 27 Sep 2026. Consumable part numbers and prices as published in our pads and batteries guide.
Updated September 2026. Prices re-verified against seller pages on the date shown; tell us if a seller has since moved a price.
