Today, our homes and buildings have complicated designs with stairs leading to a variety of floors at several levels. This is not always ‘mobility friendly’, especially to those who are physically challenged or who have difficulties walking. It is necessary to make a solution available for this problem.

Stairlifts are devices that make the climbing of stairs easier. These devices are installed on the frame of the stairs. They act as a lift, helping the immobile move up and down with ease. Stairlifts have a comfortable seat and generally work via electricity or a battery operated motor. They are easy to operate and provide immense convenience to those who are in need of them.

Stairlifts prevent various accidents that may take place while going up or down the stairs on foot, especially if a person is unsteady. Stairlifts are available for all types of staircases, whether they are straight or a curve. Therefore, you do not have to change the physical structure of your home to suit your stairlift.

Does your family comprise of elderly people or people with physical disabilities? Does the layout of your home, especially the stairs, make movement difficult for these people? If you answer yes to these two questions, then stair lifts are the perfect solution for you.

Stair lifts are motorised chairs attached to your stairs that help people to go up and down the stairs with ease and comfort. These chairs are set to a rail on one side of your stairs and are powered by a motor and a gear box. Though stairs lifts sound like complicated devices, they are quite simple to operate and do not require any structural changes to your home or the stairs themselves.

Stair lifts are available for all kinds of staircases, whether straight, spiral of curved. The motor of the stair lift runs on mains electricity. Certain models also have a continuously charged backup battery that allows them to run even during a power-cut.

Stair lifts can help to avoid accidents that could potentially occur while climbing or descending steps. This allows everybody to get up and down the stairs unsupported which is a convenience for all involved.

One of the best inventions that have been developed for disabled or aged people is without doubt stair lifts. These mobility aids are great for those who find climbing up and down stairs difficult. Sometimes it can even be dangerous if there is no one to assist them. However, stair lifts provide the ideal assistance to people with accessibility problems.

Kinds of stair lifts

Stair lifts are available in two main types - straight stair lifts and curved stair lifts and suit straight, curved or spiral stairs, and have various other features. The lift uses a rail that is attached to the stairs and carries the person from one floor to the next. Nearly all stair lifts are battery operated to provide safety and reliability even during power cuts and are remote controlled. They may also have other features like seat belts, safety breaking systems and safety sensors.

Choosing the right stair lift

Stair lifts may be extremely beneficial, but it is important to choose the right one to increase its efficiency. While buying a stair lift it is important that this mobility product suits the user. A stair lift with a seat belt is always a good option. You must also ensure that the user can get on and off it with ease. It is vital to choose a model that can withstand about 20 or 30 pounds more than the weight of the user. Stair lifts are available with foldable seats for easy storage when not in use.

A stair lift is an innovative albeit uncomplicated device that helps to carry a user up and down a flight of stairs. The rider simply needs to position him or herself in the comfortable seat, push a start button and the stair lift will automatically travel up or down the stairway effortlessly and smoothly.

There are a few different types of stair lifts:

Heavy Duty Stair Lifts: The heavy duty stair lifts have features that are similar to any standard inside stair lift but the former come with a larger motor and are recommended for the heavier user.

Perch Stair Lifts: This stair lift is specially developed for users who cannot bend their legs enough to let them sit down on the lift’s seat or perhaps because stairs are too narrow. The perch model can be easily operated by a remote control system.

Outside Stair Lifts: These lifts have all the comfort and safety features of the indoor unit, but are designed and manufactured for outdoor use. Their components are heat and UV resistant, to protect the lift from ambient heat damage and colour fading. It is ideal for situations involving any staircase that is often exposed to the elements.

The stair lift broadly consists of three components:

1.    The Rail: An extruded and anodised track that is fitted with a rack, and affixed to the staircase. The carriage assembly rides along it.
2.    The Carriage: This houses a direct current powered gear motor as well as the pinion and associated electronic controls, electrical or mechanical safety equipment and a battery pack. The carriage comprises a folding footrest that comes attached.
3.    The Seat: This is an upholstered, folding swivel seat assembly, which carries the user in comfort. It is complete with a handy folding seat cushion as well as armrests. One of these will house the diagnostic status lights and mechanical controls.

If you are looking for a reputable company for your mobility devices, you can easily get quality products at a very competitive price. A stair lift is one such mobility product that can come with many enhanced features of great benefit to the user.

The stair lift will continue to operate even if the main electricity supply is interrupted. It helps if no mains voltage is supplied to any of the operating parts of the stair lift. This will mean that there are no bothersome, trailing mains cables, as is the case with an AC powered lift.

Elderly or partially disabled people face the problem of falling and tripping down while climbing stairs. If they fall down, the injuries further limit their independent and active life. By making a simple change in their lifestyles and surrounding environment one can prevent these mishaps and make life easier.

By using electrically operated stairlifts the problems of climbing stairs can be removed. Stairlifts are very easy to use and can be installed very easily. A stairlift carries the disabled or elderly person safely and conveniently up to the stairs. Stairlifts also come with remote control, so that one can control and operate them easily.

Stair lifts help people go upstairs as well as downstairs with comfort. Disabled people can easily move around the house by using stair lifts. There are many different models available in the market from which you can choose a stair lift as per your needs and requirement.

Stair lifts are suitable for the users who use wheel chairs. They act as the simple alternative to inline platform lift and vertical platform lift.

Importantly, stair lifts can be easily modified to fit in any staircase.

There is a large range of stair lifts solutions available, which you can select from on the basis of your precise needs. For instance, the straight rails stair lifts are essential for a transfer between different floors of a home when you face difficulty walking up and down the stairs. The range also comprises pool lifts, external vertical platforms and inside and outside residential stair lifts.

Stair lifts should allow simple and rapid installation, without any mess or disruption. A good stair lift is the one that delivers near silent and smooth operational characteristics. Features like ‘Soft Start’ and ‘Soft Stop’ will ensure that there is little or no lurching or jolting as the lift starts to move or finishes its journey. A smooth operation adds to the feeling of stability and safety from the users’ perspective.

There are various advantages of this user-friendly mobility product. One of them is an uninterrupted power supply system, since no mains wiring is necessary. There is no need for disruptive and expensive alteration to your domestic mains power supply. Power for the stair lifts is derived from maintenance free batteries charged via an independent unit.

Whether because of an accident or injury or simply due to old age, many people are still keen to continue a normal life at their home and office. However, loss of mobility can make it a difficult proposition to climb up and down the stairs.

However, advanced mobility solutions have come to their aid via the invention of quality stairlifts. The benefits of stairlifts are multi-fold in terms of functionality, including a smooth start and stop action, easy to use joystick operation, fold-up seat and footrest, electronic or mechanical braking systems and a swivel seat.

Stairlifts are easy to install as well as smooth and safe to operate thanks to features like diagnostic digital display; lockable isolation switch; infra-red remote controls and safety cut-out sensors.

There are user-friendly stairlift versions powered by rechargeable batteries, to deliver an ultra-quiet and safe ride. What makes their use hassle free is the maintenance free DC power and the fact that they are almost silent in operation. Outdoor stairlift models are also available.

There are a number of useful accessories available to enhance and complement the use of a stairlift. These accessories are designed and manufactured that they will provide maximum comfort and convenience to the user.

For instance, the sit and stand frame allows a stairlift user to choose the option of either the normal seated position or standing on the footrest, holding on to a special folding steady, security bar. The idea is to provide greater stability while ascending or descending the stairs in either position.

It is ideal for those who may have difficulty in bending their knees, or in case multiple users with different needs will be using the stairlift. There is also the perch model stairlift suitable for specific users.

The sit and stand frames as well as the perch frames are both modified versions of the normal stair lift frame. A perch frame is quite similar to the sit and stand frame but for the fact that it is designed to allow usage of the stairlift in a perched position. This is again recommended for users who have problem bending at the knees.