- 2026 AEDBB Awards · Schools category
The schools award went to the Philips FRx. One key is why.
School AED programs fail in one predictable place: the separate pediatric pad set that somebody forgot to buy, or let expire, until the day a child needed it. The FRx deletes that failure with a physical Infant/Child Key that reconfigures the same pad set for pediatric energy, and in a 21-plus-state mandate landscape, that is what won the category. The complete K-12 decision, statutes included, lives in the full schools guide.
- Checked · July 23, 2026
- The criteria
- Editorially reviewed
- Direct answer
The Philips HeartStart FRx won the 2026 schools category because its Infant/Child Key covers every student age on one pad set with one expiry date, removing the most common pediatric-readiness failure, inside an IP55 body that survives gyms and sports fields. $2,099 list, checked July 23, 2026. Trade-offs: higher upfront cost than budget picks and no CPR-depth coaching. Full K-12 decision: the schools guide.
- The criteria, applied
What did the FRx win on, in a school's reality?
Schools-category weighting raises pediatric capability and consumable architecture, stated per the published criteria. The evidence, dated:
| Criterion | How the FRx performed | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatric capability | Category-defining: Infant/Child Key M3841A reconfigures the same pads for pediatric energy; no second SKU to buy, date, or forget | Philips IFU |
| Consumable architecture | One pad set + one battery across every age; shares the M5070A battery with the OnSite for district stocking | Philips IFU; the by-model matrix |
| Durability | IP55 with drop and crush specs: gym floors, sports fields, response bags | Philips IFU; IEC 60529 |
| Rescuer simplicity | Voice guidance built for the untrained adult nearest the collapse | Philips IFU |
| 5-year cost | Mid-pack at ~$2,380 est. with cabinet; the pediatric no-second-SKU math claws back part of the premium at mixed-age sites | Sourced calculation, list checked 7/23 |
The mandate context this wins inside: 21+ states require AEDs in K-12 schools, several tying requirements to pediatric readiness; the statute-by-statute table with Texas Ed. Code 38.017, NY Ed. Law 917, FL 1006.165 and more lives on the schools guide, with fast lookups in the law tracker.
- The award's fine print
What the trophy does not hide.
The FRx costs more upfront than the budget picks, and it does not measure CPR depth. A district stretching dollars across many campuses should also price the recertified route, where the FRx is one of the most commonly recertified models; athletics programs wanting compression coaching should read the ZOLL AED Plus first.
- What this award is NOT
Not a state endorsement, not a compliance certification, not a hands-on test result, and not for sale. A documented editorial judgment under published criteria: your district’s statute and procurement rules control, always.
- Where districts decide
The award is context. These pages are decisions.
The decision owner
Statute table, pediatric rules, daycare inclusion, placement drills, and the full verdict stack with alternatives compared.
The 3-minute drill, as math
Size a building or a district on the timed-drill method instead of a square-footage myth, then budget it in the Cost Calculator.
The full 2026 program
Overall, value, home, CPR feedback, connected fleet and more, each with criteria and trade-offs shown.
References · primary sources
- ManufacturerPhilips. HeartStart FRx documentation: Infant/Child Key M3841A, SMART Pads, IP55. philips.com emergency care
- LegislativeTexas Education Code 38.017, campus AED requirement. statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- RegulatoryUS FDA. Premarket Approval (PMA) database. accessdata.fda.gov PMA
- ProgramAmerican Heart Association. Implementing an AED Program, 2023 guide. cpr.heart.org AED guide (PDF)
- MarketAuthorized US distributor list pricing, checked 2026-07-23, per the dated-price convention in our editorial standards.
Checked · July 23, 2026 Review Methodology Editorial Standards 2026 Awards All 22 Industries AED Resource Library