In our Stannah Stairlifts evaluation, we look at this family-owned manufacturer of accessibility products and evaluate their stairlifts. We take a close look at their user reviews and how their approach to curved stairlifts makes them the best option if you have tricky stairs. We also compare the pricing to other brands.While the straight stairlifts are competitively prices, the curved stairlifts are very expensive, likely because they are the only brand who can put stairlifts on virtually any type of staircase.
About Stannah Stairlifts
Stannah is the biggest and oldest brand of stairlift manufacturers in the world. The company, which is still owned by the Stannah family, was founded in 1867 London, England and focused on making cranes and hoists. Now it operates in over 40 countries, delivering mobility to seniors and people with limited mobility. As much, this company has more experience building lifts than all of the other brands in our review combined.
This experience seems evident in user reviews. With 449 user reviews on TrustPilot, Stannah stairlifts has an excellent rating of 4.8 stars. And on ConsumerAffairs, Stannah also has a 4.8 rating based on 89 certified user reviews. This high level of satisfaction and the experience make Stannah a brand worth checking out because the chances are great that you’ll be happy with your purchase. That said, we always recommend you talk to consultants (Stannah offers a free virtual consultation) so you can evaluate for yourself how well the company presents itself. We also recommend finding a dealership, if possible, and visiting it to test the stairlifts in person. After all, you’re going to be riding your stairlift often. Probably many times a day. And they aren’t fast, traveling roughly 20 feet per minute. So, choosing a comfortable seat is a good idea.
The best stairlift company for curved stairs
Curved stairs are tricky. Many manufacturers or installers have very specific requirements that your stairs need to fit within in order for a curved stair lift to work. With Stannah, they claim to make it work regardless of the issues you might have. In fact, many of the positive reviews we read focused on how the user had tried to use a different brand but was told their stairs couldn’t have a stairlift because of the tight curves, but with Stannah, they made it happen. Their website promises to configure stairlifts to fit your curved stairs regardless of how steep, narrow, long, or short. It doesn’t matter if the stairs are made of metal, wood, concrete or tile, and it doesn’t matter if there are obstacles on the stairs or no clear landing. This is because the rails are manufactured to fit your home’s specific measurements.
There are three curved stair options, the Starla, Sienna, and Sadler. Much like the rails, each is customizable, allowing you to shape the seat to your needs and color aesthetics. The Sienna is ideal for narrow stairs while the Starla is all about an elegant design. However, the Sadler stands out the most, as this seat has a narrow front and wide back, much like a bicycle seat, but larger and with better padding. This seat is designed to keep you in a near-standing position, making it easier to sit in and get out of, especially if you have knee and back issues that make it difficult to stand from a sitting position.
The Starla and Sienna are available with straight stairlift models as well. However, the Scout is an economical option. While it still provides a safe ride up and down your stairs, it doesn’t have the amenities of the Starla and the Sienna, such as a powered footrest and seatload sensors.
Stannah also makes an outdoor stairlift capable of lifting you up and down stairs, even in icy rain or snow. The outdoor stairlift is made of more durable materials and designed to handle the elements. It also comes with a protective cover.
Stannah’s warranty covers 10 years for critical components like the motor, electrical parts, and the railing. By comparison, most brands cover these parts for only one to five years. A lifetime warranty is rare.
Cost comparison
Stannah is among the most expensive stairlift manufacturers that we’ve reviewed. The basic straight stairlift starts at about $3,000 and can run as high as $6,000, depending on the length of the stairs and the options chosen. By comparison, AmeriGlide’s most affordable straight stairlift costs less than $1,700. However, it’s the curved stairlifts that cause the most pause. Starting at between $12,000 and $15,000, it’s the most expensive stairlift on the market.
That said, it might also be the only stairlift you can get if you have very tricky stairs. Many of the user reviews point to this fact, as users who had previously been told by other brands that their stairs wouldn’t work, either because they were too steep or the curves were too drastic, were able to get a stairlift with Stannah because the rails are custom built to fit your specific home.
Stannah doesn’t offer financing because you have to go through a dealer to buy a Stannah stairlift. As such, speak with the dealer about financing options, as this helps seniors afford the stairlift.
Final Verdict
Stannah is the oldest manufacturer of accessibility products in our review at over 140 years old. And they are one of the biggest manufacturers of stairlifts in the world with a presence in over 40 countries. While the options are of a high quality, it’s the curved stairlifts that stand out. This is because each curved stairlift is custom built to fit your stairs specific needs. As such, Stannah can build you a curved stairlift when other manufacturers told you they couldn’t. This has led to a very high customer satisfaction in online reviews.
That said, Stannah is expensive. You pay a premium for the customized rails and the many options, including color and upholstery. So, if you’re in need of a customized curved stairlift, make sure you talk to the dealership about financing options.
