Do you need a stairlift to take some of the load? Are your stairs straight? Then you’re in the right place!
Straight stairlifts come in many different shapes and sizes catering to a wide range of uses so it can be a bit confusing. We aim to make it the best resource for understanding which stairlift brand and options suits you best.
What You Need To Know
- Price: Our straight stairlifts range from £1,500 (£950 reconditioned) to about £4,000 depending on the brand and optional extras.
- Time to install: We can usually have it fitted within 2 to 3 days, sometimes the next day if it’s in stock.
- Ease of use: We have straight stairlifts with automation features, comfier seats and smooth rides.
- Peace of mind: Each manufacturer provides a 12 month warranty. Then, after that we have service plans to suit your budget.
If you want to know more detail, then feel free to read on or get in touch with the team.
Click on the chat icon to speak directly with us during work hours or fill out the form below.
Choosing a straight stairlift
There are a few key things to consider when choosing the right straight stair lift for you and your home. Cost, usability, safety and comfort.
How do you know what’s right for your needs? We can recommend an Occupational Therapists that you are more than welcome to speak to if you need an unbiased opinion. Alternatively, our team are trained by the suppliers and have many years of experience selecting the best lift for our customers.
Let’s start with the basics. A straight stairlift does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a chair lift carriage that travels up and down a straight piece of track or rail. Simply get on at the bottom and glide your way up a flight of stairs. They’re designed to be efficient, reliable and fit into your home like any other appliance. They don’t use much energy either. We have popular ones in stock so we can usually fit a lift within 24 hours in some cases. They’re quick to install, typically only taking a an hour or two.
Features of a Straight Stairlift
Straight stairlifts are made up of many different components. Here is a breakdown of what a stairlift is made up of:
- Rail
- Power source
- Seat
- Footrest
- Motor
- Transmission
- Controls
How do you fit a straight stairlift?
Installing a stairlift for straight stairs is fairly simple. All brands attach the rail to the stairs so there’s no impact on the wall. A stairlift’s carriage is mounted to a track or rail which is then fastened with brackets attached to the stair treads. The stairs’ banister and upper and lower walls are not touched. Also, stairlifts are installed at a respectful distance from the wall or balustrade to prevent any accidental scrapes or scratches.
Straight stairlifts rails are cut to match the length of the staircase. The exact length is measured during the home survey.
The key things our team will consider when doing a survey are:
- Is there enough space for getting on at the bottom and off at the top?
- Would a stairlift rail cause a trip hazard? This isn’t usually a problem as a hinged rail can be fitted to move out of the way when the lift isn’t in use. See the options below.
- Which side of the stairs should the lift be fitted?
Straight stairlifts are mainly ‘handed’ and most can’t be reversed. So when the lift is being specified it’s important to decide on a left-handed or a right-handed stair lift.
The diagrams below show how a straight stairlift can be installed. If you have a split staircase and you are happy and able to move between the two, then installing 2 separate chair lifts could be a cheaper alternative to a curved stairlift.
Home survey
It’s important to get a home survey. Straight stairlifts are more than likely going to fit any straight stair case but there could be other elements to take into account such as where to run the power cables. So Anglian Lifts offer a free home survey to assess you and the staircase and advise which straight stair lift solution would be best you and the preferred way you’d like to use it.
The survey will give essential information when it comes to choosing the right straight stair lift for the home in question. Also, our sales engineer will be able to advise which optional extras will be most beneficial for you to ensure the stair lift is as easy to operate as possible.
Peace of Mind Guarantee
All of Anglian Lifts range of straight track stairlifts come with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty as standard. Each lift undergoes rigorous safety check before being installed.
Our team are based across the midlands so if you’re ever in need of advice or help we will get you quickly. We recommend an annual stairlift service to keep things moving smoothly. We’ve got several service packages to suit you budget.
Operating Your Straight Stairlift
Your new stairlift will usually be in the parked position, either at the top or bottom of your stairs. When you want to use it simply flip the seat and armrests down, and lower the footrest – via a button if you have the powered footrest option or manually if not. Then you’re ready to sit down and buckle up. Move the controls in the direction you want to travel and hold the switch until you’ve reached the end of the travel. Check out our stairlift owners guide for more info.
Check our ownership guide for more details about operating and looking after your stairlift.
How much do straight stairlifts cost?
Prices for straight stairlifts range from £1,500 for an entry level lift (or £950 recondition) up to about £4,000 for a heavy duty lift with lots of option extras.
The price we quote will depend on a few things. Examples include, the length of your stairs and the optional extras you choose.
If you need other purchase and ownership options then we can offer finance via Snap finance [link to finance page], reconditioned lifts and we’re working on a rental option but that isn’t currently available – see the Stairlift Rental section.
Reconditioned straight stairlifts
A very popular option is a reconditioned stairlift. We usually have a stock of lifts and they all go through a thorough safety inspection before they’re re-sold. We always recommend you have a new rail fitted to ensure safe operation.
Basic reconditioned straight stairlifts with no extras starts from £950.
Straight Stairlift Rental
Currently, Anglian Lifts don’t offer rental lifts. We are going through the FCA approval process because rental constitutes a consumer credit agreement. If you want a rental option then we can put you in touch with one of our partner companies as they are FCA approved. Make sure you check if the installation company is FCA approved to provide rental lifts. If not, they could be breaking the law.
Products: Compare the best straight stairlifts
We have handpicked our range of stairlifts to make sure we have a solution for every situation.
Brooks 130 T700
A reliable solution which has a slimline design which folds away neatly. This is our most popular product. It’s perfect for a straight staircase.
Features
- Safety belt – Yes
- Controls – Directional paddles on the arms
- Display – Yes, Digital
- Lockout switch – Yes
- Safety sensors – Yes
- Swivel seat – Yes
- Remote controls – Yes
- Slimline design – Yes
- Adjustable – Yes
Options
- Outdoor – Weatherproofed cover to enable the lift to be used outdoors
- Powered footrest – Lift the footrest automatically when not in use
- Hinged rail – Folds the lower section of rail up and out of the way
- Sit or Stand – Allows the users to sit or stand depending on you choice
Bruno – Elan Straight
Bruno is a US brand and they build rock solid, reliable straight and curved lifts. The Elan is their most popular lift and caters for the majority of their market
Features
- Safety belt – Yes
- Controls – Directional paddles on the arm
- Slimline design – Has a vertical rail which only protrudes 127mm from the wall for compact footprint.
- Large seat – Wide 391mm seat as standard
- Adjustable seat height – Change the seat high to fit your size.
- Continuous charging – Charging strips across the rail constantly recharges wherever the lifts stops.
Options
- Outdoor – Bruno have a dedicated outdoor version.
- Powered footrest – Manual or powered. Can have a lever to raise footrest without leaning down or a button on the arm.
- Hinged rail – Power or manual folding rail
- Power swivel seat – Automated
- Sit or stand – No
Bruno – Elite Straight
One of very few stairlifts that is rated up to 190kg (30st). Highly reliable with a smooth ride.
Features
- Safety belt – Yes
- Controls – Directional paddles on the arm
- Display – Digital display
- Lockout switch –
- Safety sensors –
- Continuous charge – Yes
- Swivel seat –
- Remote control –
- Slimline design –
- Adjustable – Yes
- Wide seat – Yes
Options
- Outdoor – Bruno have a dedicated outdoor version
- Powered footrest – Manual or powered. Can have a lever to raise footrest without leaning down or a button on the arm
- Hinged rail – Power or manual folding rail
- Power swivel seat – Automated
- Sit or stand – No
Straight stairlift features and options explained:
Features we think are important when choosing your chair lift.
- Safety belt – All chair lifts are required to have seatbelts
- Controls – Directional paddles on the arm for easy control with limited dexterity
- Diagnostic display – Digital display show the status and fault codes
- Lockout switch – Key lock to prevent unintended use by children
- Safety sensors – Mounted to the footrest and carriage to stop the straight stairlift
- Swivel seat – Manual and automatic options
- Remote control – 2 remotes are provided to call and send the lift
- Slimline design – Folding footrest, arms and seat
Typical Straight Stairlift Options
- Outdoor – Weatherproofed cover to enable the lift to be used outdoors. Some brands have a dedicated outdoor version while others make an outdoor cover to protect the motor and electronics.
- Powered footrest – Manual or powered. Can have a lever to raise footrest without leaning down or a button on the arm. Lift the footrest automatically when not in use.
- Hinged rail – Power or manual folding rail. Allows for open hallways and doorways. Discrete fold away rail to prevent tripping. Folds the lower section of rail up and out of the way. Retractable rail means we can adapt your stairlift to your home. Even if you have a radiator or door right at the top or bottom of your stairs.
- Power swivel seat – Makes it even easier to get in and out of the chair at the top of the stairs.
- Sit or Stand – Allows the users to sit or stand depending on your choice.
Benefits of a Straight Stairlift
No major disruption or building works
Stairlifts are installed directly to your stairs which means limited installation time and disruption to your home.
Takes less space than you think
Our rails are narrower than you’d expect. They’re barely noticeable on your staircase, leaving plenty of room for everyone else to use your stairs comfortably.
Outdoor straight stairlift
Some of our customers want to enjoy access to their garden and a reliable way of doing this is to have an outdoor chair lift fitted. There are several options available from our suppliers. If you’re in the market for an outdoor lift then get in touch with the team. Some business find it useful to have an outdoor lift for example to access a beer garden.
Summary
Feel free to contact us to find out more. To arrange a free, no-obligation home survey please call 01733 971 975. Alternatively, request copies of our stairlift brochures.
