The Question Every Gym, Office, and School Asks
You’ve decided your business needs an AED. Good call, and for many San Diego businesses, it’s the law.
Now the second question: should you buy one or rent one? At A-B-CPR Training in San Diego, we do both. We’ve sold AEDs for years and now offer rental plans too. So here’s the honest math, with no thumb on the scale.
What Buying Really Costs
The sticker price is just the entry fee. Here’s the real 4-year picture using our own numbers for the Physio-Control LIFEPAK CR2, the AED we sell and rent:
| Cost item | A-B-CPR price |
|---|---|
| LIFEPAK CR2 package (semi-auto, with handle and rescue kit) | $1,795 (regularly $1,995) |
| Wall mount case with alarm | $125 |
| AED sign | $19.95 |
| AED Program Management (year 1 included, then $195/yr × 3) | $585 |
| Replacement pads (4-year life) | $190 at year 4 |
| Replacement battery (4-year life) | $329 at year 4 |
| 4-year total |
Worth noting: the CR2 is friendlier to own than most AEDs. Its pads and battery last 4 years where most brands need new pads every 2. It has a Child Mode toggle instead of separate pediatric pads. And the included first year of program management covers your state registration notifications.
Still, two hidden costs remain for any owned AED. First, expiration tracking: pads and batteries expire whether you use them or not, and an AED with dead pads is wall decoration. Second, the paperwork: California requires AED owners to register the device with local EMS and maintain it to AHA guidelines. Gyms must document readiness checks at least every 30 days.
What Renting Really Costs
A-B-CPR’s rental plan is $75 per month on a two-year term. Over the same 4 years (two terms), that’s $3,600. So yes, on raw dollars, buying usually wins over a long horizon.
Here’s what the monthly price buys instead:
- Zero upfront cost. No $1,900 hit to this quarter’s budget.
- Set up by A-B-CPR. A rescue-ready AED from the trusted brands we supply.
- Zero expiration risk. Maintenance is handled for the full term. We replace pads and batteries before they expire.
- A local team. Questions, issues, or a device that’s been used? We’re 20 minutes away, not a shipping warehouse.
Renting is essentially buying insurance against the most common way owned AEDs fail: expired pads and batteries nobody was tracking.
When Buying Is the Right Call
We’ll say it plainly, because we sell AEDs too:
- You have the budget and prefer owning equipment
- You have a safety officer or office manager who will genuinely track expirations
- You plan to keep the AED 6+ years (the CR2’s 8-year warranty rewards long ownership)
- You want a specific model configured your way
If that’s you, start with our AED sales page. The CR2 package is $1,795 right now (regularly $1,995) and includes the rescue kit and your first year of program management.
When Renting Is the Right Call
- Compliance is the driver (gym, school, newer building) and you want it handled
- You’d rather pay monthly than drop $2,000 up front
- Nobody on staff wants to own expiration tracking, and honestly, that’s most businesses
- You want the upkeep handled by a local team you can actually call
If that’s you, see our AED rental plans, $75 per month on a two-year term.
A 60-Second Decision Checklist
- Is an AED legally required for you? (Gyms: yes. Schools with athletics: yes. Many newer buildings: yes.)
- Do you have roughly $1,900 available now?
- Will a named person own monthly checks and expiration tracking?
- Will you still be in this space in 5 years?
Mostly yes? Buy. Any no’s on 2 or 3? Rent.
Either way, pair the device with training. An AED in trained hands is what actually saves a life. Our Combination CPR/AED & First Aid class gets your team ready in a few hours, at our two San Diego locations or at your workplace.
Bottom CTA
Still deciding? Ask a human.
Call A-B-CPR Training in San Diego at (619) 281-3304. We’ll ask about your space, your budget, and your compliance needs, then tell you straight whether to rent or buy. Family-owned since 1998. 650+ five-star reviews.
