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To choose the right stairlift, consider your personal needs and weigh up what product features would be most useful for you. Think about your situation now as well as what it might be over the longer term.
- The Able Team
Buying a stairlift
Not only is a good lift an expensive purchase, you'll also expect to use it for many years to come; so the one you buy needs to last the course. Unfortunately, choosing what stairlift to buy can be rather confusing.
Before you buy, you need to know what makes a top rated stairlift, what manufacturers make the best stairlifts, and what are the types of stairlifts that are available.
Over the last few years the home stairlift- also known as stairway lift, stairway elevator, stair glide, chair lift, and stair chair - has become ever more popular. A stairlift is a safe means of traveling up and down floors for those who either find it impossible to do so unaided, or who find it too tiring. Although they can be expensive to install, their cost is considerably cheaper than selling up and moving to a single storey house, not to mention the emotional and psychological disruption a house move involves.
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So what is the price of a stair lift?
If your stairs are straight then you can expect to pay anywhere between £1,000 to £5,000 for straight stairlifts. For custom-built curved stairlifts you'll usually pay between £4,000 and £15,000, depending on the complexity of installation. (Stairlift prices are expensive but they're still cheaper than moving house or care assistance.)
How do stairlifts work?
There are primarily four types of stairlift drives available on the market today: cable, chain, worm or screw, and rack & pinion drives. Rack & pinion drive is the most widely used for residential stair lifts today - it's advisable to only buy this type. Some lifts have a visible gear rack, usually in the middle of the track but lifts with a hidden gear rack are more popular.
Stairlift manufacturers predominantly use aluminum for straight stairlifts. A combination of steel and aluminum is used for curved versions.
Many electric stairlifts are now battery powered. The main advantage of battery power is that the stairlift can still be operated during power outages.
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