What is an automated external defibrillator (AED)?

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable life saving device that can give a casualty’s heart an electric shock, when it has stopped beating normally in a sudden cardiac arrest.

A defibrillator works by checking the casualty's heart rhythm once the defibrillator pads are placed on their chest and giving them a shock if needed.

Defibrillators can be used on adults or children over one year old.

By using a defibrillator before an ambulance arrives, you can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival.

How much is a defibrillator?

What you should consider when purchasing a defibrillator?

• who will likely need the defibrillator – in some cases children will need separate paediatric defibrillation pads
• storing your defibrillator – fixed-location defibrillators should be stored in a cabinet or wall bracket, with appropriate signage
• training – while you do not need to be trained to use a defibrillator, taking training can ensure you are familiar with the device and ready to act quickly in an emergency. Vitally, rescuers will still need to perform CPR, so it is important to know how to do this
• educating your community – ensure your colleagues or community members are aware of the defibrillator, its location, how to access it, and how to use it.

Find defibrillators suitable for:

Defibrillator comparison table

Model	DefiSign Life Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	DefiSign Life Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G5 AED Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G5 AED Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G5 AED with Intellisense CPR Device Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G5 AED with Intellisense CPR Device Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G3 Elite Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	Powerheart G3 Elite Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Heartsine Samaritan Pad 350P Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Heartsine Samaritan Pad 360P Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	Heartsine Samaritan PAD 500P Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	iPAD SP1 Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	iPAD SP1 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Lifeline AED Fully Automatic Defibrillator with 5 Year Battery Pack View more	Lifeline AED Fully Automatic Defibrillator with 7 Year Battery Pack View more	Lifeline AED Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with 5 Year Battery Pack View more	Lifeline AED Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with 7 year battery pack View more	Lifeline View AED Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Philips HeartStart FRx Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Philips HeartStart HS1 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Lifepak CR2 Fully Automatic Defibrillator with WiFi 30:2 View more	Lifepak CR2 Fully Automatic Defibrillator with 3G 30:2 View more	Lifepak CR2 Fully Automatic Defibrillator with USB View more	Lifepak CR2 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with WiFi 30:2 View more	Lifepak CR2 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with 3G 30:2 View more	Lifepak CR2 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with USB View more	Lifepak 1000 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	Lifepak 1000 Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with ECG Display and Manual Override View more	ZOLL 3 AED Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	ZOLL 3 AED Semi-Automatic defibrillator View more	ZOLL AED Plus Fully Automatic Defibrillator View more	ZOLL AED Plus Semi-Automatic Defibrillator View more	ZOLL AED Pro Semi-Automatic Defibrillator with Manual Override View more
Price	£990.00 ex VAT	£990.00 ex VAT	£1,250.00 ex VAT	£1,250.00 ex VAT	£1,300.00 ex VAT	£1,300.00 ex VAT	£1,200.00 ex VAT	£1,200.00 ex VAT	£910.00 ex VAT	£910.00 ex VAT	£1,320.00 ex VAT	£1,150.00 ex VAT	£1,150.00 ex VAT	£1,180.00 ex VAT	£1,230.00 ex VAT	£1,100.00 ex VAT	£1,150.00 ex VAT	£1,400.00 ex VAT	£1,400.00 ex VAT	£850.00 ex VAT	£1,730.00 ex VAT	£1,860.00 ex VAT	£1,570.00 ex VAT	£1,670.00 ex VAT	£1,770.00 ex VAT	£1,500.00 ex VAT	£1,700.00 ex VAT	£1,980.00 ex VAT	£1,500.00 ex VAT	£1,500.00 ex VAT	£1,150.00 ex VAT	£1,150.00 ex VAT	£2,850.00 ex VAT
Defibrillator type	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Fully Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Fully Automatic	Semi-Automatic	Semi-Automatic
Warranty	10 years	10 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	7 years	7 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	7 years + 3 years once registered online with the manufacturer	7 years + 3 years once registered online with the manufacturer	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	8 years	5 years	5 years	6 years + 2 years free upon registration of device	6 years + 2 years free upon registration of device	5 years + 2 years free upon registration of device	5 years + 2 years free upon registration of device	5 years
Dimensions	31 x 25.5 x 10 cm	31 x 25.5 x 10 cm	9 × 23 × 30 cm	9 × 23 × 30 cm	9 × 23 × 30 cm	9 × 23 × 30 cm	8 × 27 × 31 cm	8 × 27 × 31 cm	20 x 18.4 x 4.8cm	20 x 18.4 x 4.8cm	20 x 18.4 x 4.8cm	26 × 25.6 × 6.95 cm	26 × 25.6 × 6.95 cm	22 × 30 × 7 cm	22 × 30 × 7 cm	22 × 30 × 7 cm	22 × 30 × 7 cm	18.5 × 24 × 5.8 cm	22 × 18 × 6 cm	21 × 19 × 7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	22.6 × 27.4 × 9.7 cm	23.4 × 27.7 × 8.7 cm	23.4 × 27.7 × 8.7 cm	23.6 × 24.7 × 12.7 cm	23.6 × 24.7 × 12.7 cm	24.1 × 29.2 × 13.3 cm	24.1 × 29.2 × 13.3 cm	23.5 × 23.9 × 7.6 cm
Weight	2.5 kg including battery and pads	2.5 kg including battery and pads	2.6 kg including battery and pads	2.6 kg including battery and pads	2.6 kg including battery and pads	2.6 kg including battery and pads	3.1 kg including battery and pads	3.1 kg including battery and pads	1.1 kg	1.1 kg	1.1 kg	2.4 kg including battery and pads	2.4 kg including battery and pads	1.9 kg including battery	1.9 kg including battery	1.9 kg including battery	1.9 kg including battery	1.4 kg including battery	1.6 kg including battery	1.5 kg including battery and cartridge	2.0 kg including battery and pads	2.0 kg including battery and pads	2.0 kg including battery and pads	2.0 kg including battery and pads	2.0 kg including battery and pads	2.0 kg including battery and pads	3.2 kg including battery and pads	3.2 kg including battery and pads	2.5 kg including battery	2.5 kg including battery	3.1 kg including battery and pads	3.1 kg including battery and pads	2.9 kg including battery and pads
IP rating	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP24	IP24	IP56	IP56	IP56	IP55	IP55	IP54	IP54	IP54	IP54	IP55	Waterjet-proof IPX5, Dust-protected IP5X	Solid objects IP2X, Drip-proof IPX1	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55
Drop tolerance	-	-	1.22m	1.22m	1.22m	1.22m	1m	1m	1m	1m	1m	1.22m	1.22m	1m	1m	1m	1m	1.2m	1.22m	1m	-	-	-	-	-	-	1m	1m	1m	1m	1.5m	1.5m	1.5m
CPR monitoring	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ECG display	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Battery	DefiSign Life Battery	DefiSign Life Battery	Powerheart G5 Lithium Battery	Powerheart G5 Lithium Battery	Powerheart G5 Lithium Battery	Powerheart G5 Lithium Battery	Powerheart G3 Elite IntelliSense 4-year Battery	Powerheart G3 Elite IntelliSense 4-year Battery	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	iPAD SP1 Battery	iPAD SP1 Battery	Lifeline Standard Capacity 5-Year Battery	Lifeline High Capacity 7-Year Battery	Lifeline Standard Capacity 5-Year Battery	Lifeline High Capacity 7-Year Battery	Lifeline View Standard Capacity 4-year Battery Pack	Philips HeartStart Lithium Defibrillator Battery	Philips HeartStart Lithium Defibrillator Battery	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement Battery Kit	Lifepak Non-Rechargeable Li MnO2 Battery Replacement Kit	Lifepak Non-Rechargeable Li MnO2 Battery Replacement Kit	ZOLL AED 3 Battery Pack	ZOLL AED 3 Battery Pack	Pack of 10 CR123A Lithium Batteries	Pack of 10 CR123A Lithium Batteries	ZOLL AED Pro Non-Rechargeable Lithium Battery Pack
Battery shelf life	6 years	6 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	5 years	7 years	5 years	7 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years
Battery replacement price	£194.00 ex VAT	£194.00 ex VAT	£350.00 ex VAT	£350.00 ex VAT	£350.00 ex VAT	£350.00 ex VAT	£330.00 ex VAT	£330.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£199.00 ex VAT	£199.00 ex VAT	£236.00 ex VAT	£300.00 ex VAT	£236.00 ex VAT	£300.00 ex VAT	£215.00 ex VAT	£255.00 ex VAT	£255.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£197.00 ex VAT	£207.00 ex VAT	£207.00 ex VAT	£150.00 ex VAT	£150.00 ex VAT	£36.00 ex VAT	£36.00 ex VAT	£210.00 ex VAT
Pads	DefiSign Life Adult Electrode Pads	DefiSign Life Adult Electrode Pads	Powerheart G5 Adult Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G5 Adult Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G5 Adult Defibrillator Pads with CPR Device	Powerheart G5 Adult Defibrillator Pads with CPR Device	Powerheart G3 Adult Defibrillation Pads	Powerheart G3 Adult Defibrillation Pads	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Adult Pad-Pak	iPAD SP1 Dual Use Adult / Child Electrode Pads	iPAD SP1 Dual Use Adult / Child Electrode Pads	Lifeline AED Adult Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Adult Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Adult Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Adult Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline View Adult Defibrillator Pads	Philips HeartStart SMART Pads II Cartridge	Philips HeartStart HS1 Adult SMART Electrode Pads Cartridge	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Edge System Electrodes with QUIK-COMBO Connector and REDI-PAK Pre-Connect System	Edge System Electrodes with QUIK-COMBO Connector and REDI-PAK Pre-Connect System	ZOLL CPR Uni-Padz Universal Electrodes	ZOLL CPR Uni-Padz Universal Electrodes	CPR-D-Padz with First Responder Kit for ZOLL Defibrillators	CPR-D-Padz with First Responder Kit for ZOLL Defibrillators	CPR-D-Padz with First Responder Kit for ZOLL Defibrillators
Pad shelf life	2 years	2 years	20 - 24 months	20 - 24 months	20 - 24 months	20 - 24 months	24 months	24 months	4 years	4 years	4 years	3 years	3 years	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	18 months	18 months	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years	5 years
Pad replacement price	£76.00 ex VAT	£76.00 ex VAT	£73.00 ex VAT	£73.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£63.00 ex VAT	£63.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£80.00 ex VAT	£80.00 ex VAT	£45.50 ex VAT	£45.50 ex VAT	£45.50 ex VAT	£45.50 ex VAT	£75.00 ex VAT	£90.00 ex VAT	£99.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£23.50 ex VAT	£23.50 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT
Adult energy selection	150 to 200 Joules	150 to 200 Joules	95 to 354 Joules	95 to 354 Joules	95 to 354 Joules	95 to 354 Joules	95 to 351 Joules	95 to 351 Joules	150 to 200 Joules	150 to 200 Joules	150 to 200 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	150 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	200 - 360 Joules	120 - 200 Joules	120 - 200 Joules	120 - 200 Joules	120 - 200 Joules	120 - 200 Joules
Child pad	DefiSign Life Paediatric Electrode Pads	DefiSign Life Paediatric Electrode Pads	Powerheart G5 Child Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G5 Child Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G5 Child Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G5 Child Defibrillator Pads	Powerheart G3 Infant/Child Defibrillation Pads	Powerheart G3 Infant/Child Defibrillation Pads	Heartsine Samaritan Paediatric Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Paediatric Pad-Pak	Heartsine Samaritan Paediatric Pad-Pak	iPAD SP1 Dual Use Adult / Child Electrode Pads	iPAD SP1 Dual Use Adult / Child Electrode Pads	Lifeline AED Child Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Child Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Child Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline AED Child Defibrillator Pads	Lifeline View Child Defibrillator Pads	Philips HeartStart SMART Pads II Cartridge	Philips HeartStart HS1 Infant/Child SMART Electrode Pads	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak CR2 Replacement QUIK-STEP Electrode Kit	Lifepak Replacement Infant/Child Reduced Energy Electrodes	Lifepak Replacement Infant/Child Reduced Energy Electrodes	ZOLL CPR Uni-Padz Universal Electrodes	ZOLL CPR Uni-Padz Universal Electrodes	ZOLL Infant/Child Pedi Padz II for Zoll Defibrillators	ZOLL Infant/Child Pedi Padz II for Zoll Defibrillators	ZOLL Infant/Child Pedi Padz II for Zoll Defibrillators
Child pad included	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes when used with Infant/Child key	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Child pad price	£70.00 ex VAT	£70.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£95.00 ex VAT	£121.50 ex VAT	£121.50 ex VAT	£170.00 ex VAT	£170.00 ex VAT	£170.00 ex VAT	£80.00 ex VAT	£80.00 ex VAT	£110.00 ex VAT	£110.00 ex VAT	£110.00 ex VAT	£110.00 ex VAT	£133.00 ex VAT	£90.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£88.00 ex VAT	£86.00 ex VAT	£86.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£160.00 ex VAT	£123.00 ex VAT	£123.00 ex VAT	£123.00 ex VAT
Child energy selection	50 Joules	50 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	22 to 82 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 90 Joules	50 - 85 Joules	50 - 85 Joules	50 - 85 Joules	50 - 85 Joules	50 - 85 Joules
Case included	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connectivity	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes with Heartsine Gateway	Yes with Heartsine Gateway	Yes with Heartsine Gateway	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No

Should a defibrillator be kept in a locked cabinet?

Different ambulance trusts recommend different things when it comes to locking the cabinet. Please check with the ambulance trust in your local area for their advice.

Some defibrillator cabinets are alarmed rather than locked, letting people know that the defibrillator is being accessed.

St John Ambulance believes defibrillators should made as accessible as possible to ensure they can be accessed quickly in an emergency.

Do defibrillators need to be registered with the ambulance service?

We've partnered with the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK and UK Ambulance Services to make defibrillators more accessible via The Circuit and give them the best chance of saving a life.

Early defibrillation before emergency services arrive can help double a person’s chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However in the UK, defibrillation is received in less than 1 out of 10 cases. There are an estimated 100,000 defibrillators in the UK, but only 30% of defibrillators are known to ambulance services, which means that tens of thousands of defibrillators aren't used in an emergency because emergency services don’t know where they are.

The Circuit is the national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK, connecting them directly and automatically to each ambulance service.

Register on The Circuit to give your defibrillator its best chance of saving a life - put your defibrillator on the map.

Register on your defibrillator

Find out more about The Circuit and answers to some frequently asked questions, read our page.

What else to keep with a defibrillator

You will also need:

• A towel, tissues, or wipes to dry the casualty’s chest if it is wet or sweaty.
• A razor to shave the casualty’s chest.
• Scissors to cut away the casualty’s clothing.
• A face shield for administering CPR.

For more information on why you may need these items as a rescuer, read our Defibrillator guide for rescuers.