AED Packages for Schools: What K-12 Programs Pay in 2026
A school AED package is worth buying for one reason: the premium over the bare device is smaller than the cabinet the building must mount anyway. Across every model checked that premium runs from minus $48 to $63.99.[2]
Updated · September 2026 · prices checked September 11, 2026
Judge a school AED package by its premium over the bare device, not by its sticker. That premium is $52.80 on the HeartSine 350P package at $1,463.80 and minus $48 on the cheapest ZOLL AED Plus package, while a wall cabinet alone runs $149 to $499. For K-12 the pediatric-key Philips HeartStart FRx is the pick, and it has no package SKU.
What does an AED package for schools cost in 2026?
Eight package lines, each set against the closest named competitor listing.[2][3][4][5]
All prices checked September 11, 2026. Confirm price and stock before ordering.
| Package | Our network price | Named competitor benchmark | Device alone, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeartSine 350P AED Package 350-STR-US-10-VP |
$1,463.80 | None published Gap | $1,411 |
| Philips OnSite Value Package M5066A-1 |
$1,581.80 to $1,801.80 | AED Superstore Small Business $1,639.99 · AED.com $1,679.99 · AED Brands Education $1,869.00 | $1,589 |
| ZOLL AED Plus Value Package 8000-004000-01-1 |
$2,144.70 | AED Superstore School and Community $2,129.99 · AED.US Community $2,132.00 | $2,082 |
| Defibtech Lifeline AED Package DCF-A100 to A130-EN-VP, four builds |
from $1,541.50 (A100) to $1,721.85 (A130) | AED Superstore $1,512.80 · Mobile Responder $1,919.99 | $1,478.80 |
| LIFEPAK CR2 Value Package 80427-000134-1-1 |
$2,379.10 to $2,743.70 | AED Superstore $2,319.99 · AED Total Solution dated stock $1,692.00 to $2,010.75 Check expiry | $2,256 |
| HeartSine 450P AED Package 450-STR-US-10-VP |
$1,813.80 | Not published | $1,761 |
| ZOLL AED 3 Value Package | $2,369.70 | Not published | $2,399 |
| Philips HeartStart FRx Value PackageEditor’s Pick K-12 | $2,062.80 | None on any ranked listing | $2,099 |
AED Superstore runs the deepest persona ladder, from ZOLL AED Plus Small Business at $2,034.00 to Complete at $2,583.99, and its School and Community tier at $2,129.99 is the only competitor SKU written for a school.[4] Nobody publishes a HeartSine or ZOLL AED 3 package written for K-12, though AED Leader and Response Ready both list a Philips HeartStart FRx Value Package at $2,062.80, verified 12 September 2026. For the wider ladder, see every AED value package priced and compared.
Why the premium, not the package price, decides the purchase
Subtract the 2026 device list from the cheapest package on the market and the answer stops being an opinion.
| Model | Device alone, 2026 | Cheapest package seen | Premium | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOLL AED Plus | $2,082 | $2,034.00 | minus $48 | Package is cheaper |
| Defibtech Lifeline | $1,478.80 | $1,721.85 | $243.05 | Match the SKU first |
| HeartSine 350P | $1,411 | $1,463.80 | $52.80 | Buy the package |
| Philips OnSite | $1,589 | $1,581.80 | minus $7.20 | Buy the package |
| ZOLL AED 3 | $2,399 | $2,369.70 | minus $29.30 | Buy the package |
| LIFEPAK CR2 | $2,256 | $2,319.99 | $63.99 | Buy the package |
For any model with a package SKU, the bare device is never the right line item. Price the district’s full placement count in the AED cost calculator first.
What is in a school AED package, and what no seller publishes
Eighteen of the 25 ranked pages carry an itemised includes list, so the list is table stakes. What none of them print is the difference.[4][5]
- Adult pads and the printed expiry date
- Battery or cartridge and its date. AED batteries explained
- Cabinet type, and whether it is alarmed
- Wall sign and flag mount, visible from a corridor
- Rescue kit, carry case, inspection tag, warranty
- Pediatric pads or the FRx key, almost never bundled. AED pads explained
- A spare adult pad set, so one use does not idle the AED
- A gym cabinet and a soft case for athletics
- Staff training, through a CPR and AED provider
| Published on the listing page | 25 ranked competitor pages | This page |
|---|---|---|
| Visible dollar price above the fold | 24 of 25 | Yes |
| Itemised What’s Included list | 18 of 25 | Yes |
| Specification table, 6 to 9 rows | Most | Yes |
| Premium over the bare device | 0 of 25 | Yes |
| Multi-model comparison table | 0 of 25 | Yes |
| FAQ | 0 of 25 | Yes |
| Pad and battery expiry dates | 0 of 25 | Ask the seller |
Two traps in school AED package listings
AED Leader lists the Defibtech Lifeline AED Package as DCF-A130-EN-VP at $1,721.85, the build we price. Other sellers list DCF-A100-EN-VP under the same name for less.[2][3] The gap is a different build, not a discount. Match the SKU on the purchase order, then confirm on the Defibtech Lifeline page.
Two sellers list a CR2 package from $1,692.00 with stated expiry against $2,319.99 for current stock.[4][5] The saving is real, the trade is shelf life, and no seller publishes the pad and battery dates on the listing page. Get both in writing before approval, and check the LIFEPAK CR2 specification.
Which school AED package fits which building?
| School setting | Pick | Price, Sept 11 2026 | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary, K to 5 | Philips HeartStart FRx plus specified cabinet Editor’s Pick | $2,099 device | Pediatric key gives a child dose from the same pads. No package SKU. |
| One complete unit, tight budget | HeartSine 350P AED PackageBest Value | $1,463.80 | Cheapest complete build; one cartridge, one expiry date. |
| Gym, athletics and field | ZOLL AED Plus Value Package | $2,144.70 | Real CPR Help coaches depth and rate; lowest ten year cost, $330. |
| Middle and high school corridors | Philips OnSite Value Package | $1,581.80 to $1,801.80 | Two-button operation for a rotating staff roster. |
| District office and bus fleet | Defibtech Lifeline AED Package | from $1,541.50 | Lowest complete unit price at volume. Match the SKU. |
| Multi-building district, 5+ units | Managed program quote | Quoted | Fleet expiry tracking beats unit price. Size with the quantity calculator. |
Not sure which row? The Find Your Perfect AED quiz separates them in six questions.
What does a school AED package cost to keep running for ten years?
The package price is paid once. Pads and batteries recur, and they are the failure mode: consumables are implicated in 46.9 per cent of reported AED failures across 40,787 FDA-reported events.[1]
| Model | Ten year consumable cost | Package price, Sept 11 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| ZOLL AED Plus | about $330 | $2,144.70 |
| ZOLL AED 3 | about $435 | $2,369.70 |
| HeartSine 350P | about $472 | $1,463.80 |
| Defibtech Lifeline | about $530 | $1,721.85 |
| Philips HeartStart FRx | about $854 | Device only, $2,099 |
| Philips OnSite | about $894 | $1,581.80 to $1,801.80 |
| Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 | about $1,342 | Device only, $2,157 |
Ten year figures are a labeled estimate, modelled from list consumable prices and published replacement intervals.[2]
Read the columns together: the OnSite package saves about $681 on day one against the ZOLL AED Plus package, then gives most of it back by year ten. Reorder pads and batteries ninety days before the printed date.
Before the requisition goes out
Four checks, in the order a business manager runs them.
Package price minus device list. Under about $100 the cabinet pays it back.
Compare SKUs, not package titles. One Defibtech name covers $180.35.
Pad and battery dates before approval. No ranked listing prints them.
One unit per three minute timed round trip, plus the gym.
Find Your Perfect AED Size the order
More than 350,000 EMS-assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the US each year.[7] See AED for schools and AED laws by state.
The verdict for a K-12 buyer
Philips HeartStart FRx, device plus a specified cabinet
The FRx earns K-12 on the pediatric key: one pad set covers adults and children, so nobody tracks a second date for a pad used once a decade. AED Leader and Response Ready both carry a Philips HeartStart FRx Value Package at $2,062.80, verified in the live store catalogue on 12 September 2026 and in stock at both. That is $52.80 above the $2,099 device alone, the same shape of premium as every other package in this table, and it is the build a school buying for the pediatric key should price first. No competitor in the ranked set published an FRx package.
One cartridge for pads and battery, the cheapest complete school build. Pediatric use needs the separate pediatric Pad-Pak.
Simplest operation for a rotating roster, most widely stocked pads. Budget about $894 of consumables over ten years.
Replacing units in service? See best refurbished AEDs, refurbished vs new AED, and the Philips, ZOLL and HeartSine brand pages.
School AED package questions, answered
Twenty states plus the District of Columbia carry a K-12 AED statute, and the duties differ: some mandate a device in every building, others tie it to athletics or to a written emergency action plan. Check the district’s state on the AED laws by state tracker before budgeting.
The HeartSine Samaritan 350P AED Package at $1,463.80, SKU 350-STR-US-10-VP, checked September 11, 2026. That is $52.80 above the $1,411 device alone, and its single Pad-Pak cartridge removes one expiry date.
Yes. AED Leader and Response Ready both list a Philips HeartStart FRx Value Package at $2,062.80, verified 12 September 2026 and in stock at both. That is $52.80 above the $2,099 device on its own. No competitor in the ranked set published an FRx package, which is why most K-12 buyers never find it.
Yes, on every model checked. The premium runs from minus $48 on the ZOLL AED Plus to $63.99 on the LIFEPAK CR2, while a wall cabinet alone costs $149 to $499 (typical range). Any premium under roughly $100 is repaid by the cabinet.
About $330 for the ZOLL AED Plus, about $472 for the HeartSine 350P and about $894 for the Philips OnSite (labeled estimate, modelled from list consumable prices and replacement intervals). Consumables are implicated in 46.9 per cent of reported AED failures, so running cost is the reliability line.
Build, not discount. We price the AED Leader build, DCF-A130-EN-VP at $1,721.85. Other sellers list DCF-A100-EN-VP under the same name for less, and the gap tracks a different configuration. Match the SKU, not the title.
Related: AED packages for business · AED for gyms · AEDs for sports · AED by industry · AED brands · refurbished checklist.
References
- DeLuca LA Jr, et al. Analysis of automated external defibrillator device failures reported to the US Food and Drug Administration. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2012. PMID 21872969. 40,787 FDA-reported events; consumables implicated in 46.9 per cent of reported failures.
- AED Leader public WooCommerce Store API, device and package prices, checked September 11, 2026.
- Response Ready public WooCommerce Store API, package prices, checked September 11, 2026.
- AED Superstore published listing prices: ZOLL AED Plus persona packages, Philips OnSite, Defibtech Lifeline, LIFEPAK CR2. Checked September 11, 2026.
- AED.com, AED Brands, AED.US and AED Total Solution published listing prices, checked September 11, 2026.
- US Food and Drug Administration, Premarket Approval (PMA) database. AEDs are FDA-approved via PMA.
- American Heart Association, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest statistics: more than 350,000 EMS-assessed events annually in the United States.
- State K-12 AED statutes, tracked and linked per state on AED laws by state. Twenty states plus the District of Columbia carry a K-12 AED law; duties differ by statute.