Stuck on how to find the best stairlift company that you can trust to install a lift for you or a loved one?  Having a stairlift fitted is an expensive purchase and one that you don’t want to get wrong.  So how can you find trusted stairlift companies?

Having been in the stairlift industry for over 60+ years, working for both the stairlift manufacturers and themselves, our directors Colin and Coral are here to give you their top tips for finding the best UK stairlift companies.

Who are the top UK stairlift companies?

The UK stairlift companies that you have probably heard of are Acorn stairlifts, Stannah Stairlift, and Companion Stairlifts who sell for Age UK and are part of Handicare Stairlifts.

As well as selling directly they also sell to stairlift suppliers who are independent UK stairlift companies local to you. The Brooks stairlifts are made by Acorn stairlifts and sold to independent companies.

Stairlift Companies

There are another five stairlift manufacturers who don’t supply direct and will supply through these independent stair lift companies. These include:

• Access Stairlifts
• Platinum stairlifts
• Otolift (who also now own the defunct stairlift brand Meditek stairlifts)
• Bespoke stairlifts
• Bruno stairlift models

You, therefore, have the option to buy from a manufacturer or other stairlift companies known as stair lift dealers.

Every company will offer you their own brand if they are a manufacturer, or a range of brands if you find stairlift companies that are dealers. Most offer straight stairlifts suitable for a straight staircase.

The more advanced stairlift dealers, like ourselves, will offer stair lift products for straight staircases as they are easy to survey.

More experienced stairlift companies will be able to offer models for curved staircases and even complicated spiral staircases, depending on which seated stairlift will be best for your stairs and which model can accommodate tight spaces if you have a narrow curved staircase.

Which stairlift is best?

Stairlifts work essentially the same way. They have:

• a folding seat to sit comfortably and travel on with folding arms
• a manual or optional power swivel seat
• remote controls
• retractable seat belt
• power folding footrest if you have hip or knee joints problems and cant bend down to fold the footrest
• multiple height adjustments on the seat (set by your engineer) or a fixed seat height
• rail that attaches to the stairs and comes with a folding rails option to gain access to downstairs hallways or doors and not cause an obstruction.
• a rack and pinion rail and motor drive system (except one model) – some with a covered gear rack, some with the rack on show.
• safety sensors all around the lift should you meet an obstruction on the stairs as part of the inbuilt safety features.

Some offer a standing stairlift but we do not supply these models, and prefer for user safety to offer a seated stairlift with a downward or upward-facing seat.

Straight stairlift and curved stairlift models have a smooth ride up and down your stairs making everyday life easier. It’s a stable ride too as the rail is fixed to the stairs, not the wall.

Outdoor Stairlifts

For outdoor spaces like accessing your garden and other outdoor spaces, outdoor stairlift models are available that fit to a staircase. Wheelchair lifts are also available to rise vertically or with the incline of the steps. These models come as new only with no options for reconditioned or rental.

Which Stairlift Company Reviews can you trust?

Who do you know that’s had a model fitted? Speaking to a stairlift user that you know as a family or friend, who has experienced the product and service would be really helpful.

Review websites can also help but it’s difficult to distinguish between real and fake reviews! That’s why we only trust our reviews with Which? Trusted Traders because they verify every review and check that they are actual customers.  You can check our verified Which? reviews here

Your local council will have an approved list of contractors they use for disabled facilities grants work. Ask your local Social Services, Occupational Therapy team, or Independent Living Centre for their list of reputable contractors.

How am I protected when purchasing a stairlift?

When choosing the best stair lift companies it’s best to check if they are an endorsed Which? Trusted Trader or a member of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA).  Both offer an independent arbitration service and help protect your consumer rights should anything go wrong or if there is a dispute between you and the company.

Which Trusted Traders

Which? Trusted Traders vet members and monitor the service that they offer. They annually check the company is adequately insured should something go wrong. When choosing a trusted trader it doesn’t get any better than with Which? which is why we love being endorsed members and proudly carry the consumer badge of trust.

The BHTA

The BHTA is the mobility industries trade association and has a Code of Practice, approved by the Trading Standards Institute, which is against mis-selling and protects customers when purchasing mobility products including stair lifts. They set standards of what you can expect from a member company.  But they cannot deal with complaints about mobility or stairlift companies if they are not members. 1st Choice Stairlifts are members of the BHTA.

How do I find a trusted stairlift company near me?

The best ways to find a trusted company is to:

1. Get recommendations and check verified reviews
2. Look on the Which Trusted Trader and/or the BHTA’s website directories to find an endorsed contractor or speak to your local authority.
3. Try a stairlift model out for yourself at an Independent Living Centre that offer impartial advice on a wide range of equipment with an independent Occupational Therapist Assessment.
4. Visit the company to check out the range of models they offer in their showroom and see what their company and customer service are all about.

As a word of caution, however, when searching the internet do be careful about handing your data over! There are many websites that can look like genuine companies but they do not supply the products. Instead, they use their “comparison/lead generator sites” to pass the business to some stairlift manufacturers and get a commission for it.

How do you get a stairlift fitted?

It’s really easy!  Once you’ve decided on which company you’d like to give you a quote give them a call and see how their service is on the telephone.

Ask questions and decide if you’d like to get them to come out and do a survey and provide a free no-obligation quotation.  They’ll assess you and your stairs to get the best model.

What about stairlift maintenance and repairs?

When choosing your original installer you’ll need to make sure that they can provide you with the aftercare you need as levels of service vary!

• Will they come out and repair your stairlift if there is an emergency out of office hours?
• Do they operate a 24/7, 365 days a year callout or clock off out of normal working hours?
• Do they carry spare parts on their vans?
• Is there a local engineer nearby and how fast could they attend if you needed a repair?
• Your lift will need to be regularly serviced, normally once a year which you’ll need to factor in too and perhaps purchase an extended warranty to cover this.

Why we’re your 1st Choice!

Want to learn more about having a stairlift installed from the best (that’s why we’re 1st Choice!)? We’d love to have a friendly chat with you, visit you or see you in our showroom. We provide new, reconditioned stairlift and rental models for all stair types as well as wheelchair models too. We also buy from various stairlift manufacturers to get the best model for you.

Give us a call on 0800 019 22 10.