Anyone know?

Yes they are available. Various price ranges and it's a great idea to have one as well as CPR training. Survivability increases substantially when CPR is started immediately.

Don't know these people and haven't used them but here's one place to start looking-
https://www.aed.us

I got a refurb one with warranty from here and used HSA to pay for it.

https://www.calmedequipment.com/product/frx-refurbished/

The manually operated ones down at Harbor Freight are just under $400 I think.

Yes. They are over the counter. They require a prescription that the company who sells them takes care of. Clearly a Doctor on retainer who signs off. Its a stupid requirement.  An Aed will only shock a shockable rhythm.

I have 2 aeds. I have a Zoll AED Plus for my home. I have a lot of children  AND we live 30 plus miles one way to town. If anything its for me.

My other aed is a recertified Philips Heartstart FRX.  It is rated to very low temps. I keep it in a Pelican case.  I do NOT leave it in my vehicle though. Pads are the limiting factor. too much cold, too much hot and you might not get good adhesion.  I take it anytime we leave the house. Going to the lake, camping, mountain biking, hiking, etc.

I got the Philips heartstart as a recertified unit for $299 from  AED.us. It has a 5 year warranty, new battery and pads. Included the case as well.

Whatever you buy check pad and battery prices first. Some units have expensive batteries. some have expensive pads.

As a Paramedic I use a monitor at work daily and most people never come back from cardiac arrest.

Early Defibrillation is the key.  If you have it when it happens there is a much better chance. Which is still very low.  


many of the AED companies are the same company. I mean different website and name, same company.  aedsuperstore.com is another good one.  I know that nobody wants to sign up for emails but both of those companies run specials on recertified units all the time. Although less so now than before the virus.

I think it is VERY cheap insurance. You carry a firearm, spare mags, etc. Have an AED at home if only for you and your family.  What could it hurt?

I know someone who installs them.... Suddenly all kinds of stores are buying them in the last year or so...

Didnt even think about paying for it with an HSA....

What's the shelf life like on them?  Is it something you can buy and plug in to keep it charged and it'll be ready to rock when you need it in 7yr?

Most have a 5 year battery life. I dont know all of the brands, but assume 3-5 years. Then you replace the batterys and order new pads.  This is as simple on some models as lithium cr2 batteries. Others are a one piece proprietary battery.  They dont need to be charged. Typically there is a light that shows they are ready to go.  

Great thread OP.. i have wondered this myself, but never really looked because of price... glad to see a quality refurb market.

Batteries and pads need to be checked on and replaced as needed.

It's funny to hear the aed compliment my Lucas before we switch over to our monitor.  

Suddenly, indeed

13 month battery it says in the description.

I did some shopping recently.  Seems the refurbished Phillips can be found in the $500 range.

I totally understand why people would want to get AEDs. My business has several of them. I don't unfortunately, but would like to have one as well at my home at some point.

Yeah for sure. Will a HSA/FSA cover this?

They've been available for years, cost several thousand dollars.

I'm fairly certain they will.  HSA covers first aid kits.  I used it to buy my IFAKs.

Zoll had a 9 month lead time when I ordered one through unifirst last year.

I assume anyone can go online and place an order.

I want one for out at my place due to the slow response times of the fire department

Not in America comrade.   Much cheaper. Stick to losing in Ukraine.

Yes, I chortled.

So it’s got to be the vax, right?


That trend started long before covid.

I don't think a prescription is required.

Costco sent me an email sale for a Philips AED 6 years ago new for $1,000.

Took a while to get it, but I just now got around to replacing the battery and pads.

Great to have, and seems very simple and easy to use. I told all my neighbors that I have it and to come running if someone appears to be in need.

My Philips recommends pad replacements every two years (about $90) and a new battery every four (another $90).

state legal issues (or lack of)

as I said at the begining you DO need a prescription. You will not have to do anything to get it though. The AED companies have Doctors on retainer who take care of it at the time of sale.

An AED Requires a Prescription
AEDs must be sold and operated according to strict FDA guidelines. On the consumer end, this means you will need a physician’s prescription before you buy. If you own multiple AEDs, every device must have its own prescription. The only exception is the Philips Heartstart OnSite AED, currently the only AED available for personal use without a prescription, though use within an organization, or outside of ‘personal’ use (usually considered within a private home) still requires a prescription.

An AED prescription isn’t like a drug prescription. Whereas a drug prescription requires a pre-existing condition, an AED prescription isn’t intended to weed out ineligible users but rather to ensure that the device is properly labeled and responsibly maintained.

You don’t need a pre-existing condition to obtain an AED prescription because cardiac arrest can happen to anyone. Every home, business, and facility can benefit from having at least one automated external defibrillator.

To obtain a prescription, all you have to do is speak with a licensed physician and identify the specific model you intend to purchase. Your physician should hopefully be able to help you in providing the prescription, which you’ll want to keep for your records. These days several of the AED manufacturers also include an initial prescription shipped along with your AED, though this prescription does not meet the requirement for continued physician or medical oversight, as required in most States.

Which AEDs Are Subject to FDA Guidelines?
There are currently six FDA-approved AED brands:

Cardiac Science (owned by ZOLL)
Defibtech
HeartSine (owned by Stryker, formerly Medtronic)
Philips
Physio Control (owned by Stryker, formerly Medtronic)
ZOLL

Something else to consider if you're on the fence.

Where I live, our EMS service is a rural service that hires lazy fucks. My house to the closest hospital is 25 minutes,  areas of the county are pushing an hour.  The service here will not work a cardiac arrest of any kind. Period, end of story. They flat won't do it. If they show up and the pt has vitals, they will transport.

Where I work, we pretty much all have the attitude of "oh you're dead,  let me fix that" and get all serious.  BUT we're a busy metro service and may or may not have units available. So it's still a good idea to have one.

Purchased my refurb Philips FRx from www.aed.us as well. Used FSA money. Good insurance to have.

Seems like most of these grant places are just sales sites that offer a $250 discount/grant to buy from them. Not an actual free or significantly discounted unit.

I saw a startup company that is coming out with one for under $1k new.

Hopefully over time prices on them continue to decrease, making them more and more viable for home users.

That said, this thread has me thinking. We all sit around here spending thousands on the chance of something bad happening, yet how many of us have a refurb AED that costs the same as a Glock 9mm. And statistically, a lot more of us will need an AED in our home than a gun. Like the gun, the AED protects everyone in your house, not just you.

I have a Zoll AED+ . Currently batteries have been in it three years (8 or 12 CR123s).

The adhesive on the pads is literally the only thing that normal temperatures could harm. If you are that concerned with it just take the pads with you.

Why worry so much about temperature sensitivity?

We have dozens of units that are stored with zero regard to temperature and the only thing that fails is the pads (and usually from high heat).