First Hand Advice on Stairlifts Please

When choosing a stairlift, consider factors like the staircase type (straight or curved), weight capacity, and additional features like swivel seats or remote controls. Seek professional installation and opt for reputable brands with good warranties and after-sales service. User reviews can provide valuable insights.

Thank you so much everyone for your enlightening suggestions. All comments are much appreciated and have given me pointers to consider.

I bought Stannah stair lift for my Mum it was great and worth the money ! The advice I received from Stannah was excellent. The guys who installed it were quick efficient and very friendly .

Had an Acorn stairlift (reconditioned) fitted in January and we are really happy with it. The staff were so helpful and made sure we had exactly what we wanted. Would thoroughly recommend them.

….should have said ….even 2 nd hand we had two remote controls …one upstairs and one down . You could turn the lift onto the landing when you reach top and of course it’s secured to stairs NOT wall as a lot of folk think ! It needs a charging point where it sits when not in use ….and that conveniently was hidden in cupboard under the stairs. Go for it!

Bought a second hand Acorn stairlift about 10 years ago ….my husband needed it !
He’s now in full time care and the stairlift still in situ. I keep it because I might need it in the future and my sister could not visit my home if i ditched it! My hubby found it most useful ….I have a good mechanic to upkeep it , and replace battery if needed (only 2 batteries in ten years) . It’s now in mothballs ….as I prefer even with arthritis to use my legs …I think they are excellent for those who really need them …. but too slow for me!!

When she moved into a care home I sold it privately for about £200 on condition they removed it themselves.

I can’t remember the name of Mum’s stairlift but it was brand new and was her lifeline. She could never have lived at home so long without it.

She had a habit of hanging clothes over the banisters on the landing and every so often something would fall off and get trapped in the chains of the stairlift, ruining them and halting the stairlift. It used to cost about £150 every time the engineer came out to free the clothes.

I got a Stannah for my mother. The survey before installation took up to 3 hrs which I did not expect. But the rail was custom made to fit her stairs and had three turns. We saved a bit by getting a pre owned chair but when it was no longer needed we had to pay the company to remove and the rail was of no value. It needed a power connection at the bottom to charge up the battery. When removed there was very little evidence that it was there as it was secured to the floor/stairs and not to the wall.

You might find this comparison handy. livingmadeeasy.org.uk/category/access-and-mobility/stairs-and-lifts/stairlifts

I have an Acorn and I love it. Stairs too steep for comfort. Takes half a minute to go up and down which feels like a lifetime. When my husband was alive we used to cook downstairs but eat upstairs (long story) and it doubled as a dumb waiter. The remorse control helped a lot. And their service was first-rate.

I got my Stannah last year after a 3 week stay in hospital with heart failure. As others have said they are slow so dont leave going to the loo until the last minute, Mine is serviced every six months unless I call them out which I have not needed to do so far. The technician said he can speed it up when "you get a special drivers licence and a crash helmet". This was said in such a routine manner I presume it is a frequent question. Any stair lift is not going to be cheap but I would not be without mine now.

I used to be involved in assessment for them. Things to think about are who else will use the staircase and will they be able to get past the the lift and where the seat will sit at the top and bottom of the staircase. Could YOU get past it if you needed to?
Straight run stairlifts in spacious-ish houses are not a problem but you say "little terraced house" and "steep staircase" which make me think you might need proper advice. have you looked into getting an assessment from social services? even if you can't get a funding contribution, you should be able to get advice.

We had one fitted before I had my new knees. It’s an Acorn and you can sit or stand on it. We’ve kept it as who knows what the future holds. It’s used constantly for carrying the vacuum cleaner up and down, carrying laundry piles up and anything else which is heavy . It’s a godsend!!

We had one fitted for my husband a few months ago. We used Handicare who we contacted through Age Co. They were really good. We were moving to a new house 300 miles away so they arranged with the estate agent to get access to do the initial survey and the chap rang me and talked me through everything while he was at the house. They came and fitted it two days after we moved in and talked me through it all ( we stayed in the local premier Inn for a few days while the family helped me get the house sorted before my husband moved in). We've had no problems.

My late MIL had a Stannah which worked well. And we sold it back to them after she died: they deinstalled it. Service was good. They replaced the battery under guarantee without fuss. One thing I discovered from the various vendors was that it's better to have an internal battery lift as it works when there is a power cut and the DC motor starts very smoothly.

My mum had one and was a lifesaver, but she also had a downstairs loo installed under the stairs, well worth looking into. Try Help the Aged for advice and when you do get one ensure you have a watertight service agreement and it’s the right size/height for you. I second the poster who said they’re not fast so give yourself plenty of time if you need the loo xx

We don't need one now but I am curious as to how long it would take (as in an emergency situation) to buy and install.

Are they made to measure or are the various bits put together to form any shape of stairs?

I broke a leg and foot (on the other leg) ten years ago and had to be off my feet for six weeks. I had to negotiate the stairs by levering myself up using just my arms and probably couldn't do that now!

Our stairs are 'dogleg', they have one turn, one landing and another turn so may be difficult to fit - or not. I have no idea.

Does it take long for a stairlift to be fitted?

I've had a total hip revision and 6 dislocations in 14 months. Stairs are out now for me. Acorn stair lifts are marvellous they are reliable, reasonable, and efficient. The backup service is brilliant. If at any time you no longer require it they will buy it back. If your staircase is simple you might be able to buy a reconditioned one for a much cheaper price.

My MIL needed one for a straight staircase, about 8 years ago. We found one on Ebay for £800, inc installation! It had to be brought in via the bathroom window, due to a tight turn in the downstairs hallway! The fitter travelled many miles to deliver it too.

It worked fine - had a local mobility shop out to service it after a few years, when it was needed.

When she eventually moved to a care home last year, we managed to sell it on Ebay for £100, and the buyer took it away too.

We had an Acorn stairlift installed in 2019 when DH left hospital after breaking his hip. We have had no trouble at all with it. Sadly DH died recently just as we are coming to the end of this year's insurance (we took out 2* insurance for 2022-2023 but would have got away with 1* as nothing has gone wrong). I am not renewing the contract, I don't need a stairlift but I'm entitled to the service for 2022-2023 which is booked. Acorn does not take out stairlifts, it's not in the way and so I'll run it up and down regularly so it doesn't seize up. If it does I'll hope to find someone local to fix it and internet sites suggest that it's possibly to buy and replace the battery yourself. Our stairlift is curved at the top of the stairs.

I’ve just had a Stanah stairlift installed and am very pleased with it. They have a good reputation and very good backup service. Stairlifts are slow so don’t leave a trip to the loo to the last minute.

Try to stay local and steer clear of the large companies as some are rip-off merchants. My little company was gobbled up by one of them and my second stairlift was installed by them but I get it serviced locally. Cheaper and a better job.

I am lucky as my staircase is straight so mine was much cheaper.
Feel free to PM me.

Handicare stairlift here. I have had it for 2 years, and apart from a few teething problems, it has been fine.
I took out an extended warranty, which was badly handled, but has been resolved now.
But beware * Rapunzel100*, don't leave it too long before you need the loo, stairlifts are not the speediest of travel!

See if you can find a mobility shop in your area that does installation. They could advise you personally too. Our local one did ours and they also service, for a fee of course. Apart from that, installation was speedy and little mess. They have stairlifts that can fit almost anywhere.