Seated stairlift: choosing the chair and the rail

A straight stairlift suits a single straight flight with no turn at the top or bottom. The rails are standard sections cut to length, so they can often be supplied and fitted quickly. If the staircase is straight except for a turn right at the top, a straight lift with a bridging platform may reach the landing.

Any bend, winder or half-landing means a curved stairlift, with a rail made for your particular staircase. That is why it takes longer and costs more. Which? notes that, as a rough guide, each corner roughly doubles the initial price, and that on two straight flights separated by a landing, two straight lifts can be cheaper than one curved lift, as long as the user can move safely from one to the other.

The features that matter are practical. A powered swivel seat turns at the top so the user can get off facing the landing, not the stairs. A folding seat, armrests and footrest keep the stairs clear for others. Arm and footrest controls should suit the user's hands. A seatbelt is standard; some people need a harness or a perch seat for knees that do not bend well.

At the bottom, a folding or hinged rail stops the rail end blocking a door or creating a trip hazard. Remote controls at the top and bottom let the lift be called or sent back. Ask which features are standard and which are extra, and try the chair before ordering if you can.

• model and manufacturer, straight or curved
• seat type, swivel (manual or powered) and seat height
• rail length, finish and parking positions
• folding rail or hinge at the bottom if needed
• charging point positions and any electrical work
• warranty period and what it covers
• servicing cost after the warranty and breakdown response

A surveyor measures the stairs and checks that there is room for the seated user's knees, especially at turns and at the top. They look at where the rail can be fixed, usually to the treads rather than the wall, where the lift will park at each end, and whether a door, radiator or window board is in the way. The visit should be free. An occupational therapist's assessment beforehand, through the council, helps make sure a seated stairlift is the right answer at all.

Most stairlifts run on batteries charged by charging points at the top and bottom, so they keep working through a short power cut. Batteries wear out and need replacing every few years depending on use; include this when comparing long-term costs.

Ask how often servicing is recommended, what it costs after the warranty, how quickly breakdowns are attended, and whether the company will buy the lift back if it is no longer needed. Some do, under conditions such as age and service history; others do not.

Under VAT Notice 701/7, the supply of a stairlift to a chronically sick or disabled person for their own use can be zero-rated, and so can its installation and later repair and maintenance. The person, or someone acting for them, signs a declaration that is kept separate from the order. People aged 60 or over who do not qualify on those grounds pay the reduced rate of VAT when a stairlift is supplied and installed in their home, but not on later repairs. Make sure every quote says which VAT rate it assumes, otherwise prices are not comparable.

You describe the staircase and the home and confirm your phone number and email address. Stairlift installers near you see the request without your contact details, and one installer can buy it. Once bought, it is taken off the list. We email you the installer's name, address and phone number before it receives your details, and you can withdraw consent at any time. It costs you nothing, no installer is obliged to take it, and it is withdrawn after 21 days if unsold. Offrano checks only that the buyer is a registered business.