Should You Buy an AED for Your Home?

A home AED makes the most sense when someone in the house has a heart condition, or when help would take a long time to arrive. Most cardiac arrests outside a hospital happen at home: about 7 in 10 adult cases in the US, according to the American Heart Association. An AED in the hall closet can deliver a shock minutes before an ambulance gets there.

It’s not a must-have for every household, and it only helps if someone grabs it, calls 911 and starts CPR. Here’s who should think about one, the three AEDs you can buy without a prescription, what they cost to buy and keep, and how to store one so it’s ready.

Why keep an AED at home?

Because home is where most cardiac arrests happen, and it’s where an AED is least likely to be nearby. In the American Heart Association’s 2024 US data, 71% of adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happened at a home or residence, against 18% in public places. The Red Cross points out the gap: most arrests happen at home, where AEDs usually aren’t at hand.

Time is the problem. The Red Cross puts the median EMS response to a cardiac arrest call at 6.4 minutes, and estimates that every minute without defibrillation cuts the chance of survival by about 10%. Only about 1 in 10 adults treated by EMS after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survives to leave the hospital (10.5% in the AHA’s 2024 data). According to the AHA, CPR started immediately can make survival two to three times as likely, and an AED adds the shock that can restore a normal heart rhythm.

New to AEDs? Our guides explain what an AED does and walk through the steps for using one.

Who should consider a home AED?

A home AED is worth a serious look if any of these describe your household:

• Someone has a heart condition, or a doctor has told them they’re at higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Ask their cardiologist whether an AED at home fits their care plan.
• Help is far away. A rural home, a lake cabin or a long driveway can stretch the wait for an ambulance well past the typical six or seven minutes.
• Someone in the house knows CPR, or is willing to learn it. The AED talks the rescuer through each step, but it works alongside CPR, not instead of it.
• Older relatives live with you or visit often, or the house is where your family gathers.

Be realistic about what it can do. An AED treats sudden cardiac arrest, which the AHA describes as an electrical problem that stops the heart pumping. A heart attack is different: a blocked artery cuts off blood to part of the heart, and the AED is only needed if the person goes into cardiac arrest. It also isn’t a replacement for any treatment a doctor has prescribed. The Red Cross also notes that newer ultra-portable AEDs look appealing for home use, but there isn’t yet evidence of how well they work in real emergencies, so stick with an FDA-approved AED.

Do you need a prescription for a home AED?

Not for three models. Most AEDs sold in the US need a doctor’s prescription, but three can be bought over the counter:

• Philips HeartStart Home (M5068A). Heartstream, which now sells Philips’s HeartStart AEDs, says it was the first defibrillator the FDA approved for sale without a prescription.
• Philips HeartStart OnSite (M5066A), the same AED marketed to businesses and schools. The FDA approved it and the HeartStart Home together, both as over-the-counter AEDs.
• HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P. Stryker sells the 350P without a prescription for adults and children. The 360P and 450P versions need one.

Child pads are the catch with the Philips models. Their Infant/Child SMART Pads Cartridge (M5072A) is prescription-only, while HeartSine’s Pediatric-Pak for the 350P is, according to Stryker, the only FDA-approved pediatric pad cartridge cleared for use on children without one. If you want a different AED, Total AEDs, AED Log’s sister store, includes a physician’s prescription with every AED order.

A prescription isn’t the only rule. Some state AED laws set duties for anyone who owns an AED, such as keeping it maintained or telling local EMS where it is, and in many states following them is a condition of civil immunity. Look up your state in our AED laws by state and Good Samaritan AED laws.

The best AEDs for home use: the three sold without a prescription

For most homes, the choice comes down to the Philips HeartStart Home or OnSite and the HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P. All three are semi-automatic: they talk you through placing the pads, decide whether a shock is needed, and tell you to press the shock button. The Philips HeartStart Home and OnSite share the same pads, battery, size and build, so one row covers both.

Each maker’s manual gives its AED’s standby range, with the pads and battery installed. The Philips AEDs are rated IP21, which covers dripping water but not spray, so keep them indoors. The HeartSine is rated IP56 against dust and sprays of water. If young children live with you, the 350P’s no-prescription Pediatric-Pak is a real advantage; the Philips models switch to a lower child shock only with their prescription cartridge. Without child pads, use the adult pads on a child rather than wait. See our guide to pediatric AED pads for how child pads work.

How much does a home AED cost?

About $1,400 to $1,600 to buy, then roughly $60 to $115 a year in pads and batteries. These are Total AEDs’ prices on October 29, 2026:

• Philips HeartStart Home or OnSite: adult pads cartridge $99 about every 2 years and a battery $249 about every 4 years, roughly $112 a year.
• HeartSine samaritan PAD 350P: a Pad-Pak $236 every 4 years, about $59 a year.

Pads also have to be replaced after every use, and pads that arrive months after they were made give you less than their full shelf life. Heartstream lists the HeartStart Home as FSA and HSA eligible, so check with your plan before you buy. For more models and every part, see our AED cost guide.

Where to keep an AED in your home

Keep it inside the living space, in one central spot that everyone in the house knows. Every second spent searching for it is a second without a shock.

• Stay inside the storage range. Garages, attics, cars, porches and sunny windowsills get too hot or too cold, especially for the Philips models.
• Leave it ready. Keep it in its case with the pads and battery installed, as both makers direct, so it can run its self-tests.
• Keep it from small children but not locked away. Philips warns that small parts and pad cables are a hazard to young children, so a high shelf or closet works better than a drawer at toddler height.
• Tell people where it is. Show family members, regular visitors and anyone who babysits.

For bigger buildings, our AED placement guide covers where AEDs should go and how many you need.

A home AED works best with CPR training

You don’t need training to use an AED, but the people most likely to use it should have some. The Red Cross says anyone can use an AED in an emergency, and that training builds the confidence to act faster. Its CPR/AED class takes a few hours and gives a certification that lasts two years.

In an emergency, the order matters: call 911 and send someone for the AED, start CPR, then turn the AED on and follow its voice prompts. Our guide to how to use an AED walks through each step, including what to do with water, medication patches and pacemakers. Philips ships the HeartStart Home with a training DVD, and its shop sells it bundled with training pads. A practice run at the kitchen table makes the real thing much less frightening. For class options, see CPR and AED certification.

Keeping a home AED ready

A home AED needs the same few minutes of attention a month as one at work.

1. Look at the status light. The Philips HeartStart Home and OnSite blink a green Ready light. The HeartSine 350P’s status light flashes green every 5 to 10 seconds. A chirp, a red light or no light at all means it needs attention: see what AED self-test warnings mean.
2. Check the dates on the pads cartridge and battery, or the HeartSine Pad-Pak, and order replacements before they run out. Our guides to AED pad expiration and AED battery replacement list each model’s parts.
3. Replace the pads after any use, even a practice run with real pads.
4. Write it down. Our free AED inspection log sheet and tag holds a year of monthly checks on one page.
5. Watch for recalls. Check our AED recall list for your model now and then.

An AED itself lasts years longer than its supplies: see how long an AED lasts. If you’d rather get a reminder than keep a paper log, or you also look after AEDs at work, church or a school, AED Log tracks every pad and battery date and alerts you before one expires. Plans start at $114 a year for 1 AED, after a 45-day free trial.

Home AED FAQ