AEDs & Defibrillators

Which AED setup should your facility buy in 2026?

Short answer: The Philips HeartStart OnSite (about $1,624, or the Ready-Pack at $1,780 for out-of-box deployment), staged in an alarmed cabinet — the Activar universal at $126 covers it — with the $59 fast-response kit on the case and a trainer behind the program. The complete ranking lives in our best AEDs buyer's guide.

AEDs & Defibrillators (2026)

Sudden cardiac arrest is survivable in direct proportion to how fast a defibrillator arrives — which is why AEDs exist as public-access devices designed for whoever is standing closest. This collection carries the whole program, not just the box: HeartStart OnSite units, the OEM battery and response kit that keep a placement rescue-ready, alarmed cabinets for staging, and the trainer tier from classroom Practi-Trainers to the device-exact Philips trainer.

It anchors the emergency-response end of our first aid silo, alongside workplace first aid kits, first aid cabinets, trauma kits, and CPR & rescue supplies. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and AED deployment can carry state registration, medical-direction, and training requirements — verify yours before relying on a placement.

Editor's pick — Philips HeartStart OnSite
The most widely deployed workplace AED in America: voice coaching built for untrained responders, on the platform with the deepest battery, pad, and trainer ecosystem in the category. (Affiliate link — see disclosure below.)

VIEW PHILIPS HEARTSTART ONSITE → CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON →

What this collection covers

• AED units — Philips HeartStart OnSite (slim case) for cabinet staging and the OnSite Ready-Pack for out-of-box deployment.
• Program consumables — the OEM Philips M5070A battery and the 68-PCHAT fast-response kit every placement should carry.
• Staging — the Activar universal alarmed cabinet and the brand-matched Philips premium cabinet.
• Trainers — WNL Practi-Trainer Essentials, Philips M5085A (device-exact), American Red Cross trainer (adult + child pads), and the Prestan UltraTrainer.
• Training consumables — Philips M5093A training pads and Prestan 4-set training pads.

• Buy the OnSite slim case if a cabinet and staging already exist — or the Ready-Pack if this is placement number one.
• Buy the fast-response kit with every unit, unconditionally — it is the $59 that makes the $1,624 work at speed.
• Buy the Activar cabinet for program-scale staging; step to the Philips premium cabinet where the lobby placement is also a statement.
• Buy the M5070A OEM battery on a logged schedule — and never its third-party clones.
• Buy the WNL trainer for general drills, the Philips trainer for device-exact rehearsal on HeartStart sites.

Shop AED equipment on Amazon → HeartStart OnSite Response Kit M5070A Battery Alarmed Cabinet WNL Trainer

How to stand up an AED program

Place for the three-minute round trip

Coverage is measured in response time: central, visible, corridor-facing placements beat locked offices every time. The alarmed cabinet is what makes a placement findable by strangers and audible when opened.

Own the consumables log

Batteries and clinical pads expire on multi-year cycles; the unit self-tests and chirps when unhappy. A named owner, a dated log, and a five-minute monthly check are the whole discipline.

Drill on a trainer, never the deployed unit

Clinical pads are single-use and the wall unit should stay sealed. Trainers and training pads exist so quarterly drills cost pennies — and drills are what convert equipment into response seconds.

Complete the response chain

Cardiac arrest is one emergency; the kit wall covers the rest — best workplace first aid kits, best trauma kits, and best first aid cabinets map it.

Regulatory context: recommendations, mandates, and clearances

OSHA recommends workplace AEDs but its baseline requirement is first-aid readiness under 29 CFR 1910.151 (reference here). Actual AED mandates are state-level — common for health clubs, schools, and public buildings — and many states pair them with registration, medical-direction, or training rules. Purchase-side, FDA clearance status differs by model: the HeartStart OnSite/Home line has historically sold over-the-counter while most competitors require dealer-arranged prescriptions. Good Samaritan statutes broadly protect lay responders. Verify all of it for your state; this page is neither legal nor medical advice.

Total cost of ownership

A placement runs roughly $1,900-2,600 up front and low hundreds per multi-year cycle in batteries and pads — decade math that lands under a dollar a day per placement. Against the cost profile of a single witnessed arrest without defibrillation, AED program spending is not a close call.

Frequently asked questions

Which AED should a workplace buy?

The Philips HeartStart OnSite is the default public-access unit — voice-guided for untrained responders with the deepest consumables ecosystem. New programs without existing staging usually take the Ready-Pack configuration. The full ranking is in our best AEDs buyer's guide.

Does OSHA require an AED?

No general OSHA standard mandates AEDs — OSHA recommends them and requires first-aid readiness (29 CFR 1910.151; see OSHA first aid kit requirements). Mandates are state-level: gyms, schools, and public buildings in many states. Verify your state's rules.

Do you need a prescription to buy an AED?

It varies by model: the Philips HeartStart OnSite/Home line has historically held over-the-counter clearance, while most other AED brands sell under a dealer-arranged prescription. Verify current status at purchase.

Can an untrained bystander use an AED?

Yes — voice prompts walk through every step and the unit only shocks when its rhythm analysis calls for it. That is the entire design premise of public-access defibrillation. Training still cuts response hesitation dramatically.

What does a complete AED placement include?

The unit, an alarmed wall cabinet (universal or brand-matched), the fast-response kit velcroed to the case, spare battery and pads on a dated log, and signage. Budget roughly $1,900-2,600 per placement.

How often do AED batteries and pads expire?

Both carry expiration dates on multi-year cycles — the Philips M5070A is the four-year OEM battery for the OnSite platform. The unit self-tests and chirps on failure; the program keeps a dated replacement log and never ignores the chirp.

Should I buy OEM or compatible AED batteries?

OEM — on a resuscitation device the battery is the single point of failure, and the self-test regime was validated against the OEM cell. Economize on cabinets and trainers, never on the battery.

What is an AED trainer and which one should I get?

A trainer mirrors prompts and pad flow without delivering shocks, so drills don't consume clinical pads. Classrooms take the WNL Practi-Trainer ($110); HeartStart-standardized sites take the device-exact Philips M5085A; pediatric curricula take the Red Cross trainer with child pads.

Where should an AED be mounted?

Central, visible, reachable within about a three-minute round trip from anywhere it claims to cover — main corridors and lobbies, never locked offices. Alarmed cabinets make placements findable, audible when opened, and tamper-resistant.

What training goes with an AED?

A current CPR/AED certification course (Red Cross, AHA, or equivalent) for designated responders plus short quarterly drills on a trainer. Good Samaritan statutes broadly protect responders; many state AED laws reference training expectations.

How does an AED fit with the rest of a first-aid program?

It's the cardiac-arrest link of a chain that runs through workplace first aid kits, trauma kits, CPR & rescue supplies, and first aid cabinets — mapped in which first aid kit do you need.