Top 10 Alternatives to Laerdal CPR Manikins update

CPR Manikins, mannequins, dummies or dolls. Whatever you prefer to call them, every trainer has their favourite.

If you don't have a favourite, the choice of great products on the market can be overwhelming.

Keep scrolling for the best features (in our opinion!) of our updated top 10 alternatives to Laerdal CPR manikins, to suit every budget and help improve your first aid training.

1. Brayden Advanced CPR Manikin with Lights

Brayden Advanced CPR Manikin with Lights | Sim & Skills

One of the biggest concerns for learners (and trainers!) is

Am I doing CPR right?

How effective is your CPR practice? This concern is resolved by Brayden Advanced CPR manikin, utilising visual feedback with LED lights. Learners see instantly how well they are doing and get that important reassurance.

First, correct compression depth of at least 5cm will light up the chest. Next, correct rate of 100 compressions per minute will light up the blood flow route to the brain.

Finally when both depth and speed are perfected the brain area will light up to indicate quality CPR has been delivered. This represents the perfusion of the heart, sending oxygenated blood to the victim’s brain – the reason CPR works!

Along with realistic head tilt and accurate anatomical markings, It is clear to see why this is a solid favourite for those delivering CPR training.

2. Brayden Baby CPR Manikin with Lights

Brayden Baby with Lights CPR Manikin | Sim & Skills

In Infants, cardiac arrest is likely to be caused by a respiratory issue^1.This increases the importance of delivering effective rescue breaths.

Brayden Baby aids understanding in this by providing instant visual feedback on the quality of ventilation given.

Lighting up the lungs when correct ventilation is achieved and also flashing when an excessive breath is performed.

Just like the Brayden Adult manikin, LEDs indicate the correct depth of compression: 1/3 of the depth of the manikin. When learners achieve the correct rate of compression of 100 per minute the lights show blood flow to the brain with the quality of CPR indicator of the brain area lighting up.

This shows how Brayden baby is a unique and specifically designed product that utilises visual feedback to aid improving CPR skills.

3. CPR Cube Pro with CPR Feedback app

cprCUBE Pro with CPR feedback | Sim & Skills

The updated cprCUBE is next with the new Pro version.

Although not a manikin, its compact size and feedback capabilities are the reason this fun little device makes the list.

Focused on compression only, the cprCUBE Pro is constructed from a dense foam giving realistic results similar to an actual manikin torso.

The cube also includes LED lights to give the visual confirmation of a successful compression. Once all lights around the base are lit, the cube will flash and buzz to indicate good quality compressions have been achieved.

Further to the visual feedback, connect the cprCUBE Pro to the feedback app on a smart phone or tablet and you can produce a detailed individual learner report which allows for accurate feedback.

4. CPR Prompt Adult/Child Manikin with optional CPR feedback available

When building your kit for CPR training, size of manikin, storage and weight are key areas taken into account.

No one wants to be lugging around large, heavy manikins on a regular basis!

CPR prompt is a fantastic, best value for money solution, offering a lightweight foam body.

It includes a simple, one use face shield/lung bag system, anatomical markings and allows for the practice of the Heimlich manoeuvre.

Sharing a feature with the Brayden Manikin, CPR Prompts also have an adjustable compression depth clicker that allows you to quickly and easily switch between Adult and Child for the most realistic and accurate CPR practice.

Want CPR feedback aswell? Add on the CPR Plus package powered by Heartisense, connect wirelessly and get accurate feedback via the app and sensors.

5. Life/form® Fred Bariatric CPR Manikin

Baariatric Fred CPR Manikin Dark skin tone | Sim & Skills

When looking for realistic CPR trainers, it can be hard to find manikins of different sizes.

This is where Bariatric Fred or 'Fat Old Fred' as he used to be referred to, comes in.

Fred represents an older, larger male allowing for the challenge of performing CPR on an obese victim. The additional padding around the stomach and chest is designed to give further resistance for learners to practice realistic CPR.

The second feature to highlight for Fred is the easy to replace Mouth/nose pieces and lung system with a non-rebreathing valve. This keep maintenance and cleaning simple and helps to control infection risk when learners are sharing the same manikin.

6. Simulaids® CasPeR CPR Dog Manikin

CPR isn't and shouldn't be limited to just humans.

As our pets become part of our family so so should pet First Aid.

Pet first aid is on the rise so it begs the question would you know what do if your dog collapsed with suspected cardiac arrest?

CasPeR is a canine manikin, developed under veterinarian review for improved realism.

It boasts features including an appropriate moulded position for delivering chest compressions, mouth to snout resuscitation, with a one use face shield/lung system and a pulse bulb to simulate femoral pulse.

When you purchase a CasPeR CPR Dog from Sim & Skills we donate to PDSA through our partnership with Work for Good.

7. Basic Buddy with optional CPR feedback available

BAsic Buddy CPR Manikin with optional crp feedback | Sim & Skills

Like the CPR Prompt we listed at #4 but need something even more compact?

Basic Buddy shares the same features but with a slightly more compact torso.

Basic Buddy delivers just as its name suggests; a basic, budget friendly manikin that is lightweight and easy to store, featuring a compact torso that includes a compression block.

Switching between adult and child compressions is as simple as adding or removing the block. This minimises the need for multiple sizes of manikins.

As with the Prompt range, you can add on CPR Plus powered by Heartisense and get accurate, real time, CPR feedback for compressions and ventilations via the app and sensors to share with learners.

8.Simulaids® Kyle Child CPR Manikin

Any person of any age or size may need CPR at some point in their life. Many instructor kits include adult and infant torsos, but what about other age ranges?

Adding Kyle to your existing kit, is a perfect solution to increase the age range of CPR training you offer. With Kyle you increase the realism and diversity in your training aids.

Kyle is a manikin that represents the size of a three year old toddler. The perfect addition for teaching paediatric first aid.

As with the other Simulaids® manikins on the list, Kyle has mouth/nose pieces that are quick and easy to change in between learners and uses a lung system with non-rebreathing valves for that extra infection control reassurance.

Also available in a jaw thrust model.

9. Simulaids® Brad Adult CPR Manikin with optional CPR Feedback

No CPR Manikin list is complete without featuring the Simulaids® Brad.

Known for its sturdy construction, Brad has been tested to withstand over one million compressions!

Brad ticks all the boxes for quality and versatility starting with a simple to clean mouth/nose piece that can be easily and quickly changed in between learners and non-rebreathing valve in the lung system.

It is available in light or dark skin tone and there is also an additional female overlay available to purchase to add further realism and diversity to your CPR training kit.

Finally Brad also has a CPR feedback model available, utilising Visual training assistant (VTA). Keeping it simple, VTA is a box that plugs into the side of the manikin and provides feedback via two LEDs. One to confirm correct rate and a second to confirm correct compression depth. Both light up when quality CPR is being delivered.

10.Simulaids® Economy Sani-Man with optional CPR Feedback (VTA)

Economy Sani-Man with VTA | Sim & Skills

The Sani-Man range from Simulaids® is known for it simplicity, value and complete single use face shield lung system.

The Economy model makes the list for its affordability, allowing Trainers to have one manikin per learner if needed.

The Economy Sani-man includes realistic head tilt, anatomical landmarks to aid hand placement and is made from tough vinyl, with a foam filled chest for resistance when doing compressions.

Love the idea of CPR Feedback but don't want to deal with the app and sensors?

Economy Sani-man is available with VTA, the same CPR feedback system as Brad at #9. VTA gives learners immediate reassurance their technique is working with visual confirmation provided by the LED illuminating.