Acorn stairlifts

Which of the two models fits depends on how your staircase is shaped. The Acorn 130 travels along a straight rail that spans from the first step to the last. The Acorn 180 is the one you need when your stairs bend or curve.

Model	Stair type	Capacity	Folded depth	Minimum stair width	Installed cost
Acorn 130	Straight	280 lb, or 350 lb in the sturdier version	12.25 in	26 in minimum	$3,000–$5,000
Acorn 180	Curved	265 lb	13.25 in	27.5 in minimum	$8,000–$15,000 or more

Both carry an identical 12-month warranty from the manufacturer.

A weight limit is the most a lift is rated to carry safely. The standard Acorn 130 handles up to 280 lb. There is also a heavy-duty variant of the 130, and it handles 350 lb.

The Acorn 180 is built for riders up to 265 lb. Among the 16 models this site covers, that is the lowest rating. For all 16 together, the median is 350 lb, and the Harmar Pinnacle SL600HD tops the group at 600 lb.

If a rider is near or over 265 lb and the stairs curve, some other brands allow more. The Bruno Elite Curved takes up to 400 lb, and the Harmar Helix goes to 350 lb.

When no one is riding, you can fold the seat, arms, and footrest out of the way so the stairs stay open for everyone else. The folded depth measures how far the lift juts out from the wall once folded. The smaller that number, the more stair space stays free.

Folded, the Acorn 130 sits 12.25 inches off the wall. A few straight models fold slimmer, the Harmar Pinnacle SL600 (10.5 inches) and the Savaria K2 (10.75 inches), for instance. Others jut out farther, such as the Handicare 1000 (15.25 inches).

The Acorn 180's folded depth is 13.25 inches, the thinnest of the five curved lifts covered here. The rest land in the 15-to-16.5-inch range.

Reviewers peg the Acorn 130 at $3,000–$5,000 with installation. For the 180, their estimate runs $8,000 to $15,000 or more, fitted. Acorn sets the real price only after it has seen your staircase.

These estimates line up with the general numbers from the National Council on Aging. New straight lifts run $2,500 to $5,000 with installation there, and curved ones fall in the $8,000-to-$12,000 range. Expect $1,500 to $3,000 for a secondhand straight lift.

With straight stairs, a longer run of steps calls for a longer rail. Many quotes start from a stock rail, a standard length of roughly 15.5 feet. Anything beyond that adds a bit to the cost. The figures in the table describe new straight lifts in general, not just Acorn.

Battery Costs Down the Road

Every stair lift runs on batteries, and those batteries wear out eventually. Stannah says they tend to hold up three to five years, depending on how much you use the lift and whether it spends time away from its charging point. Per the National Council on Aging, expect a replacement once every year to three years, costing $200 to $300 each time.

Installation is included in the Acorn estimate. A number of other brands quote just the lift and bill fitting separately, so totals make for a fairer side-by-side than lift prices alone. Each dealer price below comes from a single dealer and could vary somewhere else.

On curved stairs, the Acorn 180 at $8,000 to $15,000 or more sits beside the Handicare Freecurve, listed at $9,999 by one dealer (about $10,499 to $11,999 once installed, our estimate), and the Harmar Helix, listed from $10,995 (about $11,495 to $12,995 installed). The Stannah Siena 260 opens at $10,800 fitted, while the Bruno Elite Curved starts at $12,000 and can reach $25,000 or beyond.

Acorn lists the 130 for straight stairs of 26 inches or wider. At 26 inches, no other straight lift on this site has a published minimum that low. Move up to 28 inches and all 11 straight lifts meet their published minimum or the usual guide, so your options open right up; the installer still checks the rider and the stairs.

Acorn lists the 180 for curved stairs 27.5 inches wide or wider. If your curved stairs measure 28 inches across, none of the other four curved lifts on this site lists a minimum that narrow. Those four need 30 inches at minimum, and at 30 inches all five fit. For the Bruno, Harmar and Handicare curved lifts that 30 inches is the usual guide rather than a published minimum, so the installer confirms the fit on the visit.