diff --git a/.github/workflows/array-api-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/array-api-tests.yml
index 51cc6c41d..f76ba6c48 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/array-api-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/array-api-tests.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         os: ["ubuntu-latest"]
         python-version: ["3.11"]
-        zarr: ["<3", ">3"]
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Cubed
@@ -46,9 +45,6 @@ jobs:
           pushd array-api-tests
           pip install -e '../cubed[test]'
           pip install -r requirements.txt  # from Array API tests repo
-      - name: Install zarr${{ matrix.zarr }}
-        run: |
-          pip install -U 'zarr${{ matrix.zarr }}'
       - name: Run Array API tests
         env:
           ARRAY_API_TESTS_MODULE: cubed.array_api
diff --git a/.github/workflows/slow-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/slow-tests.yml
index a0679126a..f7094336b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/slow-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/slow-tests.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         os: ["ubuntu-latest"]
         python-version: ["3.11"]
-        zarr: ["<3"]
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout source
@@ -43,10 +42,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           python -m pip install -e .[test] memray
 
-      - name: Install zarr${{ matrix.zarr }}
-        run: |
-          python -m pip install -U 'zarr${{ matrix.zarr }}'
-
       - name: Run tests
         run: |
           pytest -vs -k slow --runslow
diff --git a/.github/workflows/zarr-v2-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/zarr-v2-tests.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index c65eac360..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/zarr-v2-tests.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-name: Zarr v2 Tests
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - "main"
-  pull_request:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-concurrency:
-  group: Tests-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  test:
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        os: ["ubuntu-latest"]
-        python-version: ["3.11"]
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout source
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
-        with:
-          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-          architecture: x64
-
-      - name: Setup Graphviz
-        uses: ts-graphviz/setup-graphviz@v2
-        with:
-          macos-skip-brew-update: 'true'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-
-      - name: Install
-        run: |
-          python -m pip install -e .[test]
-          python -m pip install -U 'zarr<3'
-
-      - name: Run tests
-        env:
-          COVERAGE_CORE: sysmon
-        run: |
-          if [ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Windows" ]; then
-            pytest -v
-          else
-            pytest -v --cov=cubed --cov-report=term-missing --cov-fail-under=90
-          fi
-        shell: bash
diff --git a/cubed/storage/store.py b/cubed/storage/store.py
index dfdac6735..be6086b16 100644
--- a/cubed/storage/store.py
+++ b/cubed/storage/store.py
@@ -7,29 +7,13 @@
 def get_storage_name() -> str:
     # get storage name from top-level config
     # e.g. set globally with CUBED_STORAGE_NAME=tensorstore
-    storage_name = config.get("storage_name", None)
-
-    if storage_name is None:
-        import zarr
-
-        if zarr.__version__[0] == "3":
-            storage_name = "zarr-python-v3"
-        else:
-            storage_name = "zarr-python"
-
-    return storage_name
+    return config.get("storage_name", "zarr-python-v3")
 
 
 def is_storage_array(obj) -> bool:
     storage_name = get_storage_name()
 
-    if storage_name == "zarr-python":
-        import zarr
-
-        from cubed.storage.stores.zarr_python import ZarrArrayGroup  # type: ignore
-
-        return isinstance(obj, (zarr.Array, ZarrArrayGroup))
-    elif storage_name in ("zarr-python-v3", "zarrs-python"):
+    if storage_name in ("zarr-python", "zarr-python-v3", "zarrs-python"):
         import zarr
 
         from cubed.storage.stores.zarr_python_v3 import ZarrV3ArrayGroup
@@ -58,21 +42,7 @@ def open_storage_array(
 ):
     storage_name = get_storage_name()
 
-    if storage_name == "zarr-python":
-        from cubed.storage.stores.zarr_python import open_zarr_array  # type: ignore
-
-        open_func = open_zarr_array
-
-        # set object codec if needed
-        import numpy as np
-
-        if np.dtype(dtype).hasobject and "object_codec" not in kwargs:
-            import numcodecs
-
-            object_codec = numcodecs.Pickle()
-            kwargs["object_codec"] = object_codec
-
-    elif storage_name == "zarr-python-v3":
+    if storage_name in ("zarr-python", "zarr-python-v3"):
         from cubed.storage.stores.zarr_python_v3 import open_zarr_v3_array
 
         open_func = open_zarr_v3_array
diff --git a/cubed/storage/stores/zarr_python.py b/cubed/storage/stores/zarr_python.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c811ad8f6..000000000
--- a/cubed/storage/stores/zarr_python.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-# type: ignore  # Zarr Python v2 types are different to v3
-from typing import Optional, Union
-
-import zarr
-from numcodecs.registry import get_codec
-
-from cubed.types import T_DType, T_RegularChunks, T_Shape, T_Store
-from cubed.utils import join_path
-
-
-class ZarrArrayGroup(dict):
-    def __init__(
-        self,
-        shape: Optional[T_Shape] = None,
-        dtype: Optional[T_DType] = None,
-        chunks: Optional[T_RegularChunks] = None,
-    ):
-        dict.__init__(self)
-        self.shape = shape
-        self.dtype = dtype
-        self.chunks = chunks
-
-    def __getitem__(self, key):
-        if isinstance(key, str):
-            return super().__getitem__(key)
-        return {field: zarray[key] for field, zarray in self.items()}
-
-    def set_basic_selection(self, selection, value, fields=None):
-        self[fields][selection] = value
-
-
-def open_zarr_array(
-    store: T_Store,
-    mode: str,
-    *,
-    shape: Optional[T_Shape] = None,
-    dtype: Optional[T_DType] = None,
-    chunks: Optional[T_RegularChunks] = None,
-    path: Optional[str] = None,
-    compressor: Union[dict, str, None] = "default",
-    **kwargs,
-):
-    if isinstance(compressor, dict):
-        compressor = get_codec(compressor)
-
-    if dtype is None or not hasattr(dtype, "fields") or dtype.fields is None:
-        return zarr.open_array(
-            store,
-            mode=mode,
-            shape=shape,
-            dtype=dtype,
-            chunks=chunks,
-            path=path,
-            compressor=compressor,
-            **kwargs,
-        )
-    else:
-        ret = ZarrArrayGroup(shape=shape, dtype=dtype, chunks=chunks)
-        for field in dtype.fields:
-            field_dtype, _ = dtype.fields[field]
-            field_path = field if path is None else join_path(path, field)
-            ret[field] = zarr.open_array(
-                store,
-                mode=mode,
-                shape=shape,
-                dtype=field_dtype,
-                chunks=chunks,
-                path=field_path,
-                compressor=compressor,
-                **kwargs,
-            )
-        return ret
diff --git a/cubed/tests/storage/test_zarr.py b/cubed/tests/storage/test_zarr.py
index 75450e12e..3bc7324c0 100644
--- a/cubed/tests/storage/test_zarr.py
+++ b/cubed/tests/storage/test_zarr.py
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 import pytest
-import zarr
 from numcodecs.registry import get_codec
 
 from cubed import config
 from cubed.storage.store import open_storage_array
 from cubed.storage.zarr import lazy_zarr_array
 
-ZARR_PYTHON_V3 = zarr.__version__[0] == "3"
-
 
 def test_lazy_zarr_array(tmp_path):
     zarr_path = tmp_path / "lazy.zarr"
@@ -22,9 +19,6 @@ def test_lazy_zarr_array(tmp_path):
     arr.open()
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    ZARR_PYTHON_V3, reason="setting zarr compressor not yet possible for Zarr Python v3"
-)
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "compressor",
     [
@@ -41,7 +35,7 @@ def test_compression(tmp_path, compressor):
     )
     arr.create()
 
-    # open with zarr python (for zarr python v2 and tensorstore)
+    # open with zarr python (for zarr python and tensorstore)
     with config.set({"storage_name": "zarr-python"}):
         z = open_storage_array(zarr_path, mode="r")
 
diff --git a/cubed/tests/test_store.py b/cubed/tests/test_store.py
index efb103140..6774fc0d3 100644
--- a/cubed/tests/test_store.py
+++ b/cubed/tests/test_store.py
@@ -7,12 +7,10 @@
 import cubed.array_api as xp
 from cubed.storage.store import get_storage_name
 
-ZARR_PYTHON_V2 = zarr.__version__[0] == "2"
-
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    ZARR_PYTHON_V2 or get_storage_name() == "tensorstore",
-    reason="setting an arbitrary Zarr store is not supported for Zarr Python v2, or tensorstore",
+    get_storage_name() == "tensorstore",
+    reason="setting an arbitrary Zarr store is not supported for tensorstore",
 )
 def test_arbitrary_zarr_store():
     store = zarr.storage.MemoryStore()
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d96b358d4..7c25b2c7c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "psutil",
     "tenacity",
     "toolz",
-    "zarr != 3.1.2",
+    "zarr > 3.1.2",
 ]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]