Stairlift Reviews

The most cost effective way to provide the elderly and the less than fully able access between the floors of their home is through a stair lift, which is simply a power driven chair that runs along a track mounted at the side of the stair case. And, if there are no bends or curves above, below or at the mid-point of the stair case, then a straight stair lift is perfect for the homeowner.

Most of the staircases that consist of a straight flight of steps can be fitted with a straight stair lift, which is much cheaper than a curved stair lift because it is easier to install. Another plus factor is that there is a wider range of brand new and reconditioned straight stair lift models and brands to choose from than curved stair lifts. While the price of straight stair lift models are kept down because of the many competing models, choosing the right brand, model and supplier can become a bit difficult and confusing.

If you are keen on having one installed in your home, a technician from the stair lift manufacturing company will visit your house to assess if your staircase can actually be fitted with a straight stair lift. To accommodate a straight stair lift there must be no projections and obstructions of any sort at any point of the staircase. Generally, the staircase must have a width of at least 24 inches and if you plan to have a stair lift that would fit a wheel chair instead of the regular swivel seat, then the width of the staircase must be at least 36 inches. After inspecting your staircase, the technician will inform you what sort of a stair lift can be installed in your house, make estimates on how long will the installation take and subsequently submit a formal price quotation.

At this point, you might want to get several quotations from different straight stair lift manufacturers and suppliers for both brand new and reconditioned units. On the basis of these quotations, you can compare prices, features, warrantees, and length of installation period. In choosing between a new and reconditioned unit, remember that the trade-offs do not only revolve around the price. As a general rule a reconditioned unit is cheaper than a brand new one. For a straight stair lift, however, the price difference may not be much, unlike in a curved stair lift where there is a large price difference. The price for reconditioned units goes down the older the model gets. One big advantage of a brand new stair lift over a reconditioned model is that the homeowner gets peace of mind that comes with the knowledge that breakdowns and repairs are less likely to occur within the normal economic life span of the equipment.

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