Buying a Stairlift Online: What You Can and Can't Do

Online tools have become a normal part of how older people make big decisions. The Office for National Statistics found that the proportion of adults aged 75 and over who were recent internet users nearly doubled between 2013 and 2020, from 29% to 54%. Over the same period, internet use among disabled adults reached 81%. The ONS has since discontinued this series, but the trend towards more older people going online has continued.

For a purchase like a stairlift, that shift is useful. Researching online means you can:

• Understand the options before anyone visits your home
• Get a realistic idea of cost in advance
• Read what other owners say about brands and suppliers
• Compare several suppliers without arranging lots of calls
• Take your time, without any pressure to decide

It is also common for adult children to do the research for a parent who lives some distance away. Going online first means the whole family can look at options together before booking any surveys.

Most of the research and comparison stage can be done online:

• Learn the basics. Find out the difference between straight and curved stairlifts, new and reconditioned models, and buying versus renting.
• Compare brands and models. Look at features such as swivel seats, folding footrests, slim rails and weight limits.
• Get a guide price. Answer a few questions about your staircase and get an estimate of what a stairlift is likely to cost.
• Read reviews. See how owners rate different brands and suppliers.
• Compare suppliers. Get prices from several vetted suppliers covering your area.
• Book surveys. Arrange free home visits at times that suit you.

Doing this first puts you in a much stronger position when surveyors visit. You will know roughly what you need, what it should cost and what questions to ask, which makes it much easier to spot a good quote and to decline a poor one.

A stairlift is not like buying a television online. It has to be fitted to your staircase and set up for the person using it, so some steps still need to happen in person.

The home survey. A surveyor needs to measure your staircase, check the width, angle and any turns or landings, and look for obstructions such as radiators or doors near the bottom. For a curved stairlift, these measurements are used to manufacture a rail that fits your stairs exactly. The surveyor also assesses how the user sits, stands and transfers, which affects the seat and features recommended. Home surveys are free and carry no obligation.

Professional installation. Stairlifts carry a person and must be fitted and tested correctly. A qualified engineer fixes the rail to the stair treads, mounts the carriage and seat, and calibrates the safety sensors. DIY installation is unlikely to be signed off by the manufacturer and will usually void the warranty.

The handover. The engineer should demonstrate how to use the stairlift safely and answer any questions. See our stairlift installation guide and what happens at a home survey.

A guide price gives you a realistic idea of cost before any surveyor visits. You answer a few simple questions, such as whether your staircase is straight or curved and roughly how many steps it has, and get an estimate based on real market prices.

As a rough guide, a new straight stairlift typically costs from around £1,650 to £2,500 fitted, depending on the brand, and a reconditioned straight lift from around £1,250. Curved stairlifts usually cost £3,500 to £5,500 for a single bend and more for complex staircases. Most buyers with a long-term illness or disability can buy VAT-free, which cuts the price by 20%.

Knowing the likely cost before a survey helps in several ways. You can budget properly, you are less likely to be surprised by a quote, and you can tell straight away whether a price is in line with the market. If a quote sits well above or below the guide price, you know to ask why.

Get your guide price online nowIt takes a couple of minutes. Answer a few questions about your staircase, see your guide price on screen, then compare prices from vetted UK suppliers covering your area.
Get my free guide price ›

Comparison sites let you get prices from several stairlift suppliers without having to find and contact each one yourself. You enter details about your staircase and your area, and the site passes your enquiry to suppliers who cover your location so they can arrange surveys and quotes.

To get the most from them:

• Check who the suppliers are. A good comparison site will tell you which companies it works with and how they are vetted. See the stairlift suppliers we work with.
• Understand how the site is paid. Stairlift Comparison is free to use; the suppliers we work with pay us if you buy, so you never pay us anything.
• Give accurate details, so the guide price and the suppliers matched to you are right for your staircase.
• Still compare quotes properly. Look at the full price, warranty, servicing cost after the warranty and lead time, not just the headline figure.

A comparison site saves time, but the final choice is always yours, and you are under no obligation to buy from anyone.

Online reviews are one of the most useful parts of researching a stairlift, but they need reading carefully.

• Look at patterns, not individual reviews. One bad review among hundreds of good ones tells you little. Repeated complaints about the same issue, such as slow call-outs, tell you a lot.
• Read the detail. Reviews that describe the survey, installation and aftercare are more useful than a one-line rating.
• Check how recent they are. A company's service can change, so recent reviews matter most.
• Separate the brand from the supplier. The same brand of stairlift can be sold by several companies. Reviews of the company fitting and servicing your lift often matter more than reviews of the lift itself.
• Look at local branches where a company operates regionally, since service can vary between areas.

You can read what our own customers say on our buyer reviews page, and see owner reviews for individual brands and suppliers in our stairlift reviews section.

A few simple checks help you buy with confidence:

• Never pay a large deposit before a survey. A reputable supplier will survey your stairs before giving a firm price.
• Get everything in writing, including the model, price, warranty, what is included and the installation timeline.
• Check your cancellation rights. Many purchases made at home or at a distance come with a cooling-off period, usually 14 days, under UK consumer law. Custom-made items, such as a curved rail built for your staircase, may not be covered once manufacturing has started, so check the terms before you sign.
• Be wary of pressure. Reputable companies will not insist you decide on the day of the survey.
• Check the company. Look up how long it has been trading on Companies House and whether it belongs to a trade body such as the British Healthcare Trades Association.
• Be careful with private sales. A second-hand stairlift bought privately online comes with no warranty and still needs professional fitting.
• Protect your details. Only enter personal information on secure, reputable websites.

Many families research stairlifts online on behalf of a parent, particularly if they live some distance away. It is a practical way to take the pressure off, as long as your parent stays at the centre of the decision.

• Do the groundwork together where you can, perhaps sharing a screen on a video call so your parent can see the options.
• Get a guide price so you both know what to expect before anyone visits.
• Book surveys at times you can join, in person or by phone, so you can ask questions and compare quotes afterwards.
• Make sure your parent is present for the survey, as the surveyor needs to assess how they sit, stand and use the stairs.
• Let your parent make the final decision. They are the one who will use the stairlift every day.

If your parent is reluctant, it helps to lead with independence rather than safety. See the signs your parent needs a stairlift and our guide on how to help a parent accept they need a stairlift.