A stair chair lifts system follows a track up and down a staircase to allow easy access to different levels  a residential  or sometimes a commercial structure.

Stair Chair Lifts are primarily used to carry a person up and down stairs but often times they are used to send items like groceries, laundry and personnel items up and down flights of stairs. This makes it easy to move from floor to floor where  mobility can be limited. The track can be installed on either side of the stair case and popular items such as remote controls and swivel seats can be added as options. This can provide a new sense of independence that can give someone their life back. If someone you know or love has a problem navigating stairways because of age, illness or accident, a Stair Chair Lifts system just might be the solution they need.

Stair Chair Lifts Provide Peace Of Mind

Compared to the costs of building a 1st floor addition or installing a home elevator in new or existing construction, a stair chair lifts system can be a more viable solution. There are many things to consider when deciding which Stair Chair Lifts system is right for you, so lets take a look at the two main types that are manufactured.

Cable or Chain Drive – Driven by a main chain drive with fewer parts to maintain but some will argue that starts and stops are not as smooth as with the rack and pinion types.

Rack and Pinion Type Drive - Some say the overall ride is smoother than the chain driven systems but there are more parts involve and require more frequent maintenance.

One recent advance in the design of these systems is that they are now battery powered as opposed to electric. Even though the battery systems need to be recharged, they are less bulky and quieter than the hard wired electric variety.

Most people agree there is no clear advantage from one design to the other and all manufacturers will make the claim that their design is best. The only thing left to consider is cost and personnel preference.

The biggest factor in determining cost is whether you have a straight run up the stair well or a curved staircase. With the straight run, the system can be pre-manufactured, thus keeping costs down while the curved system will most likely be a custom build. The system running up the straight staircase will generally cost in the $1,800 to $5,000 range. The custom system will often start at $5,000 and often exceed $10,000 or more depending on the equipment and the length of the run. The straight stair chair system can be purchased online and installed by just about anyone regardless of skill level.

As you can see from the video above, the straight run system is the most efficient and least expensive.