Choosing the Right Stairlift UK – Stair Lift Review

How do I choose the right stair lift?

When it comes to purchasing mobility products, there are a number of considerations to make. There is a good chance you will be spending your hard earned money and will want to therefore make sure you make a sensible purchase. The Stairlift review below will help you to consider some essential points and put you in the know before making any enquiries.

1. Who is the chair lift for and what are the needs of the individual?

2. What are all the options?

3. Budget – How much should I pay – Stairlift Prices?

4. Where should I shop?

5. What about aftercare?

6. What is my first step to inquiring about a stair lift?

All of the above questions will be answered below:

1. Who is the chair lift for and what are the needs of the individual?

Often people purchase stairlifts on behalf of friends, partners, parents, children and of course for themselves. There may be a few questions you want to ask before making any inquiries. Here is a start point:

                i )  Why is the lift required? E.g. “Cannot get up and down the stairs safely or consistently, and I worry about (said individual) falling on the stairs”

                ii ) How often will the lift be used?  Would it be worth considering a second hand stairlift or refurbished stair lift?

A good quality Mobility store will explain if they feel it’s a good option to go for a refurbished stairlift and will provide you with the confidence that it is in good order and they should offer you a stairlift warranty or stairlift service pack. If these are not offered, then I would feel less confident about the quality of the lift. A company willing to sell you a second hand lift with a service pack is a good sign! They will want to keep coming out to fix it and therefore gives you confidence in the quality. Ensure the supplier of the lift is of course the aftercare service provider. In some instances it can be more cost effective to purchase a brand new stairlift, this depends on the track and the use of the lift. If the individual is totally dependable on a stair lift I would recommend a brand new stair lift. Another option to consider if the lift will be required for a short period, is to rent a stair lift.

iii )  Is the stairs in the home straight or curved?

Straight Stairlitfs – If the stairs are straight, this means the track will be less expensive. The track will be fastened to the floor and will be measured to fit the staircase. Chair lifts for straight stairs are thus less expensive as the track just needs to be measured and cut to the required length and installed. There are a number of UK stairlift manufacturers that can offer you a wide variety to choose from. Some good brands to look out for which are good quality and offer good value are: Brooks, Acorn, Minivator, Platinum, Freelift, Bison Bede, and MediTek. You will find that most stairlift suppliers will recommend many of the UK manufactured stair lifts mentioned above.

Curved Stair lifts – If you have a curve in the stairs, then it is highly probable that you will need to have a curved stairlift. A curved stair lift will be more expensive and there are a few reasons why, I will now briefly explain. The first reason; is that not every curved staircase is the same and therefore this requires a bespoke made track to align with the contours of the staircase. In this instance a more sophisticated and very accurate survey of the staircase is required to ensure the system is crafted and installed to meet the exact requirements. On the day of installation as you can expect, due to the added complexities compared to a straight stairlift, it will take approximately half a day to install – slightly longer than a usual straight stairlift installation. Depending on the stairlift supplier it should be possible to have the lift installed within a 7 to 28 working days from the initial enquiry. 

2. What are all the options?

There are plenty of options when it comes to getting help with mobility in the home. If you feel that getting up and down the stairs is a problem, but one that you feel will only last in the short term, there is a solution available.

                i )  Rent a Stairlift – Why would I rent a chair lift? It could be that you are undergoing a trauma or an operation and thus unable to cope with the challenge of getting up and down the stairs. If that is the case, a rental option can be very cost effective and beneficial, because it will allow you to remain independent in the home whilst overcoming the current set back. A rental stairlift will be an all inclusive package i.e. the rental service will supply, install, maintain (even replace if necessary) and remove when no longer required – all within the terms of the rental agreement. With this option there is no added concern of “what if it breaks down?” as it will be taken care of by the supplier. To give you a rough idea of costs, the first month will be approx £400 which includes supply, installation, removal and first months rental and thereafter rental charger per month approx £40 -50.

                ii )  Purchase a Brand New Stair Lift – Purchasing a UK Stair lift is a great option for those who plan to use the stairlift for the foreseeable future. New chair lifts will come with Warranty and service options. There is a wide range of stairlifts available and purchasing a new stairlift will allow you to pick one that is bespoke for your home and in keeping with your decor. Using a local supplier can have significant advantages also, they will be easily contactable, you can deal with the same person and they are Big enough to serve all your needs but small enough to give you the care and attention you deserve. You want to ideally purchase your lift from a supplier that has its own engineers and offers its own extended warranty cover and service packs. The reason is, they will be far cheaper and the call out response will be faster. A way to find this is out is to inquire where the warranty comes from and who installs the lift – Chances are if it will be provided by another partner company there will be a mark up price – and it is worth asking why is the seller not able to install the lift. An all round supplier, installer, engineer and warranty provider will be a one stop shop and take care of all your needs at the right cost to you.

 3. Budget – How much should I pay – Stairlift Prices?

There are a wide range of lifts available which obviously vary in price. It is a good idea to shop around but I would recommend that you consider the quality of the lift you are buying rather than just the price. In the long run, the better quality lift will save you money in repairs and call out charges. There will be cheaper lifts on the market but may not be British made and can cost more for parts and repairs in the long run. There are some top UK stairlift brands that work with independent suppliers of stairlifts – like Top Flight Stairlifts.co.uk – for instance you can purchase a Stair lift made by Brooks, Acorn, Freelift, Platinum, Minivator, MediTek, Bison Bede and have the additional benefits of dealing with a local company and they too offer a wide range of options such a warranty and aftercare packs at low prices. Companies such as Top Flight Stairlifts who are recommended suppliers, will have their own fully qualified engineers and installers, who will be experts on the ranges of lifts they sell and can deal with all your needs.

For a Recondition Stair lift or second hand stairlift you would expect to pay around £595 upwards depending on the requirements. 

Typical prices for a New Straight Lift range from £1295 anywhere up to £2000 dependant on the amount of extras you go for. Typically about £1500 is a good ball park figure for an average straight stairs.

Typical prices for a New Curved Lift range from £3795 anywhere up to £5500 dependant on the amount of extras you go for. Typically about £4250 is a good ball park figure for an average straight stairs.

4. Where should I shop?

Never buy from anybody direct without meeting the supplier! At Top Flight we recommend meeting the engineer assigned to you would be the one who would be responsible for looking after you from the date of initial enquiry onwards. All surveys & quotes are carried out with no obligation.

Ideally buy from somebody with their own shop (you can see a lift in demonstration), their own engineers and service team. This means they will be more equipped to service and support you after the lift is sold and at a lower cost. Suppliers that don’t have the above will often use another company to service you but add an additional fee and thus drives up the cost. Of course, if you purchase a new lift, you will in all cases have a 12 month full warranty which includes parts and labour. We recommend you obtain a warranty pack. If you have not secured a warranty package after the 12 months is up, the important factor to consider is, the lift is likely to need a service or a repair – you will need to source a stairlift engineer locally or contact the manufacturer direct – and this can cost anywhere between £100 – £280 for a call out dependant on their availability. However, if you were to purchase from a Supplier with their own shop and engineers, they will more than likely be able to cover any needs, questions or concerns as they arise and hopefully will be round the corner and on hand if and when you need them – for a much lower cost. Topflight Stairlifts have a call out charge between £60 – £120 – and they will be with you within 24 hrs.

All Stairlift suppliers should be able to come to your home as this is a standard protocol, it makes sense as they have to survey the staircase at the time in order to give you a direct quote.

5. What about aftercare?

This aspect of buying a lift is often forgotten about at the outset. Usually you are so keen to get the stair lift installed and enjoy the benefits of it you forget this part, but, it can be an effective way to detect how good the company, that you are about to buy from, really are. You can bet your bottom dollar, in a year or two, the chair lift will need some maintenance or at least a health check – and these cost money. So if the engineer doesn’t talk about the aftercare, it usually is a hint that they cannot offer this service because they are too small, or they are not too concerned about you long term, as long as they have made their sale! At the risk of sounding rather cynical, I do apologise – but the reality is that if someone genuinely cares for your well-being, they will be discussing the options that are available to you post sales procedure.

If they do offer warranty and extended service packs, this is a good sign! It means they have the facilities and are a large enough stairlift supplier to care for you properly. Warranty Cover costs from around £2 per week and covers you in the eventuality of any breakdown, giving you complete peace of mind! This entitles you to priority callout response, covering all parts & labour plus an annual service which is included worth approx £80.

6. What is my first step to inquiring about a stair lift?

I would have said read a review like this one, but you already have – so well done you! Now pick up the phone and make some general inquiries, and get a feel for how well they willing to help you. And then call back the ones that were the most helpful and ask them to visit your home and ask if they have a shop and could you visit them maybe to see a demonstration?

We are more than willing to give you some advice call Top Flight Stairlifts on 0800 093 6117, we have a Showroom where you can also try out a Stair lift.

Below is a list of just some of the areas Top Flight Stairlifts cover in the North West and Midlands:

Stairlifts in Cheshire: Bollington, Stairlifts in Holmes Chapel, Bramhall, Stairlifts in Alderley Edge, Aldford, Stairlifts in Altrincham, Astbury, Ashton Hayes, Audlem, Beeston, Birkenhead, Stairlifts in Chester, Congleton, Stairlifts in Crewe, Disley, Stairlifts in Ellesmere Port, Frodsham, Stairlifts in Hazel Grove, Ince, Stairlifts in Knutsford, Lymm, Stairlifts in Macclesfield, Malpas, Marple, Stairlifts in Middlewich, Mobberley, Mottram, Nantwich, Stairlifts in Northwich, Chair lifts in Poynton, Prestbury, Runcorn, Stairlifts in Sandbach, Tarvin, Tarporley, Tilston, Stairlifts in Stockport, Warburton, Warrington, West Kirby, Stairlifts in Wilmslow and Wrenbury. 

Stairlifts in Manchester: Chair lifts in Ashton Under Lyne, Atherton, Beswick, Billinge, Bolton, Bury, Chair lifts in Castlefield, Chadderton, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Cheetham, Cheetham Hill, Crumpsall, Denshaw, Denton, Didsbury, Disley, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Eccles, Failsworth, Fallowfield, Flixton, Gatley, Haigh, Stairlifts in Hale, Hale Barns, stairlifts in Handforth, Heywood, Hindley, Horwich, Hyde, Kearsley, Littleborough, Stairlifts in Manchester, Manchester Airport, Marple, Mellor, Middleton, Millbrook, Moston, Mottram, Old Trafford, Stairlifts in Oldham, Openshaw, Pendlebury, Plattbridge, Prestwich, Radcliffe, Stairlifts in Rochdale, Romiley, Rusholme, Saddleworth, Sale, stairlifts in Salford, Shevington, Stalybridge, Standish, Stairlifts in Stockport, Stretford, Swinton, Trafford Park, Tyldesley, Uppermill, Urmston, Walkden, West Didsbury, Westthoughton, Whitelfield, Wigan, Worsley and Wythenshaw.  

Stairlifts in Staffordshire: Alsager, Burton on Trent, Stairlifts in Stone, Burton Upon Trent, Cannock, Cauldon, Chesterton, Codsall, Eccleshall, Edingdale, Chair lifts in Stafford, Fazeley, Freehay, Goldenhill, Stairlifts in Stafford, Hanbury, Hanley, Harlaston, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Huntingdon, Kettlebrook, Kidsgrove, Leek, Lichfield, Longnor, Marchington, Middleton,  Stairlifts in Newcastle Under Lyme, Rocester, Stairlifts in Stoke On Trent,  Tamworth, Uttoxeter, Walsall, and Telford. 

Who are Top Flight Stairlifts? Read about us

For more help and advice see Top Flight Blog articles such as Better Health – Keep yourself Moving

Many Thanks,

Jerry Atrick aka The Stairlift Guru