If you have made the decision to purchase a stair lift in order to easily go up and down the stairs in your home, it can be difficult to decide which stair lift is right for you—and for your stairs. Thankfully, there are a few things to keep in mind when you are choosing a stair lift that will allow you to make the best choice for your enhanced mobility. Here are six things to consider when choosing a stairlift.
1. Type of Staircase
Depending on the age and size of the home, your staircase might be big, small, jagged, or straight. If you have a straight staircase, a standard rail stairlift should suffice, but if you have a curved staircase or a staircase with landings, you may need a curved rail that can be custom made for your home. Take a look at this ultimate stair lift guide to help you decide which lift is the right one for your home’s structural needs.
2. User’s Mobility
You need to take into account the mobility of the person that the stair lift is for. If it is for you, ensure that you choose a model that you know will fit your exact needs with attention to features such as ease of access and location of the lift. For example, if you have two flights of stairs in your home, you could either have a custom curved rail to get up both flights, or if you are able to easily switch seats on a landing, you could save money with two separate straight rails for each set of stairs.
3. Budget
It is important to go into this search for a stair lift with an idea of what you want to spend. For a new straight-rail stair lift, you could be looking at paying around $3,000, and a curved stair lift starts at $9,500, so it is important to decide what exactly you are looking for and stick to that budget. While on the topic of budget, it is also important to consider taking a cheaper route…
4. Consider Buying Used
A lot of local dealers will also have used models in stock for sale. These models are usually still in great shape, but they will cost a fraction of the price.
If your budget is not quite ready for a brand-new curved stairlift, it might be a good idea to ask about the used options to see if one of them would work for you.
5. Seat Size and Weight Capacity
Most stair lifts will have a weight capacity of 300 pounds, so if you find that you may need a seat that has a higher weight capacity, you could be looking into some more expensive stair lifts.
If you do need a more heavy-duty model, also keep in mind that it will take up more space on the stairs, so plan accordingly.
6. Visit a Showroom
The best way to decide on a stair lift is to try out the different options for yourself. Many showrooms will allow you to sit on the lifts and assess their comfort, stability, and safety before you buy.
Many people looking into making the investment of a stairlift have never actually been on one, so it is a good idea to test one out to see how it rides before they install.
If you are looking into installing a stair lift, it can feel like there are countless options to choose from, but as long as you go in with these six decisions in mind, you should have no problem finding the perfect stairlift for you that is within your budget.
