Which is the best stairlift for me?
Every person and every house is different. So is every stairlift.
Stannah stairlifts are made to fit you and your stairs. We’ve been making stairlifts for over 40 years, so we’ve learned a lot about them. That means we know the ways in which we can help you feel safer and more comfortable in your own home.
The right stairlift will let you stop worrying about using your stairs. It will remove that obstacle and give you back the independence you thought you’d lost.
All you need to do is decide what you want and need, and find out what we offer that matches those wants and needs. It’s easier than it sounds. One of our specialists is ready and waiting to pay you a visit to help you work out every detail.
In the meantime, here are some factors you should start thinking about to get an idea of what’s best for you.
Work out what you need
Why have the stairs become a problem?
Is it a lack of energy? Is it your knees? Is it your heart? Is it a fear of falling?
The answer to this question will help our specialist advise you which chair would suit you best. If a mobility problem affects your knees, maybe a perch-seat like our Sadler would be best. It supports your weight, so it’s easy on your knees, but also doesn’t let you sit down completely. It’s that much easier to get in and out of.
If you want that extra bit of room, maybe the Siena is the choice for you – it comes in 2 widths. The Siena might also be a good choice if you’re unsteady getting up and down as its longer arms offer you an extra bit of support as you get in and out of the chair.
Think about what you would make you feel the safest, the most confident. Is it a bigger footrest for that extra foot support?
Booking a home visit is easy, just give us a call us now. Our consultant will be with you in no time, asking you the right questions to find out what would work for you. Before you know it, your stairlift will be installed and you’ll have no idea what you did without it.
Work out what your house needs
Every staircase is different. As you can imagine, what your staircase is like is a very important factor in choosing the right stairlift for you. To decide which type of lift you need, start thinking about these questions:
- Is there a landing half way up?
- How many steps in the staircase?
- Are your stairs straight or curved?
- Are there any obstacles in the way?
- Are there more than one set of stairs?
- Where will the chair sit when it’s not in use?
- Which side of the stairs should your stairlift go on?
Our sales consultant will help you answer any questions you are unsure of. They measure your staircase from top to bottom to work out the best options.
Start looking at your staircase and thinking about what would work best for you. During your home visit our consultant will talk you through what they think will work best. Then you can decide together what suits your wants and needs.
Do you need an outdoor or indoor stairlift?
Is it up one flight of stairs?
Do you need regular access to your attic?
Do you want to get down to your basement too?
Do you live in a townhouse with several flights of stairs?
Your first step is to decide where your stairlift needs to start, and where it needs to end. Your next step is:
Where will the rail go?
Do you want it next to the wall?
Or next to the banisters?
Do other people need access to the bannisters to feel safer? If they do, having your rail on the opposite side of the stairs would help them. Stairlifts are fitted to your stairs, not your wall, so they can be placed on either side.
Stairlift rails are compact. They don’t obstruct your stairs, so other people can still use them comfortably. Every chair we make folds away neatly, so you’re not choosing between a stairlift and the stairs, you get both.
Where will the chair sit when it’s not in use?
Is there a landing at the top or bottom of the stairs? Do you want your chair to be out of the way?
Having the chair sit around a corner might be something you’re interested in if your stairs are narrow and you don’t want the chair taking up too much room.
Is there a doorway in the way?
That’s not a problem. Our retractable rail folds away when your stairlift isn’t in use. That means that if there is a door right at the top or bottom of your stairs, you can get a stairlift fitted and still use the door. The rail folds down automatically when the stairlift starts moving, so there’s no heavy lifting involved.
Options like our retractable rail make our stairlifts even more adaptable and allow us to give you even more options.
How is a stairlift made to suit your needs?
From the rail to the type of chair, every part of a stairlift can be changed to suit you better. If your stairs are straight, a straight rail will be cut down to the millimetre to fit your stairs. If they’re curved, a rail will be bent to hug every curve.
Then you have your choice of chairs that fit onto the rail. Do you want longer arms on the chair? A wider seat? A perch seat? A wide range of upholsteries? A wider footrest or a footrest that’s angled to your left or to your right?
Our consultants are especially trained to find out which stairlift is right for you and your house. Start thinking about what you might like, but consider their advice. They know how to help you get full access to your house back, in safety and comfort.