Which is the best stairlift for me?
Each person and each house is different. So is every stairlift.
Stannah stairlifts are made to fit your needs, your home and your stairs. We’ve been making stairlifts for over 40 years, so you might say we’ve learned a thing or two 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 for you will let you stop worrying about using your stairs. It will remove that hindrance 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. That’s easier to do than it sounds, because a experienced specialists is ready and waiting to pay you a visit to help you work out every detail, so you’re not doing this alone.
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 for you?
Is it a fear of falling? Is it a lack of energy? Is it your heart? Is it your knees?
The answer to this question will help our specialist advise you which chair would suit you best. If a mobility issue is affecting your knees, maybe a perch-seat like our Sadler would be the best option for you. It supports your weight so it’s easy on your knees and doesn’t let you sit down completely. It’s that much easier to get in and out of.
If you need that extra bit of room to be comfortable, maybe the Siena is the choice for you. This model comes in 2 widths. The Siena might also be a good choice if you’re unsteady getting up and down as its longer armrests offer you an extra bit of support as you get in and out of the chair.
What would make you feel the safest, the most confident? Maybe a bigger footrest for that extra foot support would help you?
Booking a home visit is easy, just give us a call us now. An experienced adviser will be with you in no time, asking you the right questions to find out what would work for you and your home. Before you know it, your stairlift will be installed and you can’t even remember what you did without it.
Work out what your house needs
All staircases are 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 the following questions:
- Are there more than one set of stairs?
- Where will the chair sit when it’s not in use?
- 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?
- Which side of the stairs should your stairlift go on?
One of our friendly sales consultants will help you answer any doubts or questions you are unsure of. Your staircase will be measured from top to bottom to work out the very best options.
Start looking at your staircase and thinking about what would work best for you. During your commitment-free home visit the 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 indoor or outdoor stairlift?
Do you want to get down to your basement too?
Do you live in a townhouse with several flights of stairs?
Is it up one flight of stairs?
Do you need regular access to your attic?
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 banister?
Or next to the wall?
Do other people you live with 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, whichever is best for you.
Our stairlift rails are compact. They won’t obstruct your stairs, so other people can still use them comfortably. Every chair we make folds away neatly, often people think they have to choose between having space on the stairs or a stairlift, however you don’t have to make a choice, you can get both.
Where will the chair sit when it’s not in use?
Do you want your chair to be out of the way? Is there a landing at the top or bottom of the stairs?
Having the chair sit, or parked 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 no problem at all. Our retractable rail folds away when your stairlift isn’t in use. That means that if there is a door right at the bottom or top 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 you there’s no heavy lifting involved for you, let the rails take care of that.
Options like our retractable rail make our stairlifts even more adaptable and allow us to give you even more options that will help you make your life easier.
How is a stairlift made to suit your needs?
From the the type of chair to the rail, 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 exactly. 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 a wider footrest or a footrest that’s angled to your left or to your right? A perch seat? A wider seat? A wide range of upholsteries? Longer arms on the chair?
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.