Compare Best Stair Lift Types Brands and Costs

Having trouble with stairs? Can’t get out of the house because you’re using a walker, wheelchair or scooter?

Is a family member being excluded from activities? We’ve been in the same situation and know how frustrating this can be.

Make your multilevel home or business fully accessible with one of our stair lifts. We review only the top brands in the industry to ensure smooth and easy navigation up and down your stairs.

We provide a wide variety of chairlift reviews for both indoor and outdoor applications that can be custom-fit to the unique style and path of your staircase

Cost of Stair Lifts

If your home has a straight stair case with about 12-14 steps, you should budget anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 to purchase a new stair lift. The average cost usually ends up in the middle of this range, between about $3,000 and $4,000. These prices include installation as well as a one-year service warranty. See more in our cost guides here.

Features Affecting Stair Lift Price

There are many factors and features that can affect the price of a stair lift. Some of the more important ones include:

Shape of Stairway – – straight staircases are the most affordable. Curves and landings can add as much as $1,000 to the purchase price. The width of a staircase may not add to the price, but may limit the models of stair lifts that can be used. Therefore, houses with narrow staircases may be limited to more expensive models. Some staircases may be too narrow to accommodate any stair lift.
Length of Stairway – most stair lifts provide enough track or rail for about 15 feet of run (distance from base to top, not vertical height). For longer stairways, an additional track can be purchased for approximately $50 – $80 per foot.
Indoor vs. Outdoor – the weatherproofing required for an outdoor lift adds approximately $500 to the purchase price
Rider Weight – most stair lifts are designed for individuals up to 300 lbs. Specially designed bariatric stair lifts can accommodate riders up to 500 lbs. This can add $500 – $1,000 to the cost.
Chair Features – such as folding seats, arms, footrests, swivels, padding and upholstery material can add $100 – $200.
Folding Rail – some houses require that the track fold up at the base or top of the stairs to accommodate for hallways and doorways. Folding segments will add $300 – $500 to the purchase price.

Types Of Stair Lifts

Depending on your specific needs, the type of stairlift you need may differ. Stairlifts to consider include:

Stairlift Brands Reviewed

Selecting the best brand for your needs is as important as selecting the correct lift type. You should only deal with reputable brands such as:

Purchasing Used Stair Lifts

Unlike many home medical products, purchasing a stairlift used makes good sense. The designed lifespan for most stairlifts is approximately ten years, and the average stair lift is only used in the home for three years. For those paying out of pocket, buying used can save 25% – 50% off of purchasing the product new. Buyers can expect a product price of between $500 and $1,500 for a used stair lift. It should be emphasized that unless one is buying from a professional refurbisher, this price very likely does not include installation.

These are typically units that had been previously rented out but are still in like-new condition. Our inventory of used stair lifts fluctuates, but if you let our consultants know you are interested in refurbished options we will do our best to identify a unit to fit your needs. Cost varies based on the make and model of the unit, but is often between $500 to $1,000 less than retail price. They are still backed by our expert installation so you can be sure that your lift is set up to run safely and reliably.

One challenge, when buying used, is with curved staircases. It is much easier to match a straight staircase stair lift to a different house. With curved staircases, very few are exactly alike and buyers may be required to purchase additional pieces of track from the manufacturer to make the stair lift fit their home.