Powerheart G3 Is Discontinued — Here's What to Replace It With

The Cardiac Science Powerheart G3 is discontinued — but that does not mean yours is useless, and it does not mean you need to buy anything today. Here is when replacement actually makes sense, and what to move to.

When it is genuinely time to replace

Three triggers, in order of urgency:

1. It fails a self-test with in-date, correctly seated consumables. That is an internal fault, and on a discontinued device there is no repair path. Replace it.
2. It is past 8–10 years from the manufacture date on the back label. This is the honest window for any AED, discontinued or not.
3. You are facing a full consumables cycle on a unit past 8 years. The G3 battery is a substantial fraction of a new AED's price. Spending that on a device you will retire in eighteen months is the most common way people waste money here.

If none of those apply, maintain it and revisit next year.

The number that actually decides this

Not the unit price — the ten-year consumable cost. An AED lives 8 to 10 years and eats pads every 2 to 5 years and a battery every 2 to 5. Across that life, consumables routinely add up to a meaningful share of what the device cost, and the gap between models is larger than the gap in sticker price.

So the right question is not "what is cheapest today" but "how many times will I have to buy something, and how many separate things are they?"

Your four realistic options

1. Powerheart G5 — the path of least disruption

From $2,157. The direct successor. Same manufacturer lineage, the familiar Rescue Ready indicator, and staff who know the G3 will need almost no retraining. It also offers Intellisense CPR feedback pads XELAED002C as an upgrade over standard pads.

Choose it if retraining cost or programme documentation continuity matters to you, or you run several G3s and want one transition rather than a mixed fleet. G5 parts guide →

2. ZOLL AED Plus — the lowest maintenance overhead

From $2,082. Its CPR-D-padz carry a five-year shelf life and the CR123 battery set also runs five years — so pads and battery come due together, once every five years. Over a ten-year life that is roughly two reorder events instead of four or five.

Choose it if the real problem in your programme is nobody remembering to check dates. Fewer events means fewer chances to lapse. It also gives Real CPR Help coaching as standard. AED Plus parts guide →

3. LIFEPAK CR2 — the fewest things to track

From $2,256. One electrode set covers adults and children — Child Mode is a button, so there are no paediatric pads to buy or let expire. Pads and battery both run four years, coming due together.

Choose it if you currently maintain G3 paediatric electrodes that keep expiring unused. This removes that line item permanently. Connected models can also report readiness remotely, which matters across multiple sites. CR2 parts guide →

4. HeartSine samaritan PAD — the simplest and cheapest to run

From $1,411. Pads and battery are a single Pad-Pak cartridge with one expiration date — the simplest maintenance model of any AED, and the lowest entry price of the four.

Choose it if budget is the binding constraint, or the AED will be managed by someone with no clinical background who needs exactly one date to remember. Pad-Pak guide →

Quick recommendation

Do not throw the G3 away on day one

Keep it in service until the replacement is physically mounted, commissioned and its pads are installed. The gap between removing an old AED and having a working new one is the only genuinely dangerous moment in this whole process, and it is entirely avoidable.

Once the new unit is live, the G3's remaining in-date pads are of no use to you — they fit nothing else — but the device should be disposed of responsibly rather than binned, since it contains a lithium battery. We can advise on that when you order.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Cardiac Science Powerheart G3 discontinued?

Yes. Production has ended and accessory support is winding down, though adult electrodes (9131-001), paediatric electrodes (9730-002) and batteries (9146-302, or re-celled 9146-ABE) remain available.

Can I still use my Powerheart G3?

Yes, provided it passes its self-tests and its pads and battery are in date. A maintained G3 is a working AED. Replace it when it fails a self-test with in-date consumables, or when it passes 8 to 10 years from its manufacture date.

What should I replace a Powerheart G3 with?

The Powerheart G5 is the direct successor and needs the least retraining. The ZOLL AED Plus has the lowest maintenance overhead thanks to five-year pads and battery. The LIFEPAK CR2 removes paediatric pads entirely. The HeartSine samaritan PAD is the cheapest to buy and run.

Is it worth buying a new battery for an old Powerheart G3?

It depends on the device's age. Under about eight years from manufacture, yes. Past that, a full-price battery on a unit you will retire soon is largely wasted spend — consider the lower-cost re-celled option to bridge the gap, if your programme permits non-OEM parts.

Related

• Is my AED discontinued? 2026 end-of-life guide
• Powerheart G3 pads & battery
• Powerheart G5 pads & battery
• AED pads & batteries by model

Last reviewed: 18 August 2026. Prices are starting configurations and change — check the product page for current pricing.