Harmar stair lifts

The installed price bundles two things together: the lift itself and the work of putting it in. Some brands give you that one number up front, but this Harmar dealer lists the lift and the fitting as separate charges.

For a brand new straight lift, NCOA puts the typical installed cost at $2,500 to $5,000. Expect $1,500 to $3,000 if you buy used. Curved models usually run $8,000 to $12,000. With fitting, the SL300 ($3,640 plus $725) lands inside the usual range, and the SL600 ($4,655 plus $725) comes in a little above it. The SL600HD costs more and holds up to 600 lb.

Looking at curved lifts, the Helix at $10,995 lands near the Stannah Siena 260, installed from $10,800. One dealer lists the Handicare Freecurve at $9,999. The Bruno Elite Curved goes from $12,000 up to $25,000 or more once installed.

Any of the three straight Harmar models works on stairs 28 inches wide or more. What separates them is how much weight they take and how far the chair juts out once folded.

Folded down, the SL600 takes up just 10.5 inches, slimmer than any of the 16 lifts compared on this site. That means more free stair space for everyone else in the house. The SL600HD holds 600 lb, the top limit of any model here. Most models top out at 350 lb. The SL300 is Harmar's cheapest option and carries up to 300 lb.

If your stairs measure 26 inches across, they are too tight for every Harmar model. Among the straight lifts compared, only the Acorn 130 works on stairs that narrow.

Stairs with a turn or a landing halfway up are where the Helix belongs. It holds up to 350 lb and needs a staircase at least 30 inches wide. Folded up, it reaches 16 inches out from the wall. One dealer prices it from $10,995, though the total depends on your staircase.

Most curved lifts on this page need stairs 30 inches wide or more. The exception is the Acorn 180, which works on staircases as narrow as 27.5 inches. On the weight side, the Helix carries more than the Acorn 180 (265 lb), the Handicare Freecurve (275 lb), and the standard Stannah Siena 260 (300 lb). The Bruno Elite Curved tops them all with 400 lb.

If a rail at the bottom of your stairs would block a doorway or hallway, ask your dealer whether a folding rail is available. Folded, the chair sits between 10.5 inches from the wall on the SL600 and 16.5 inches on the SL600HD.

All four Harmar lifts covered here have a seat. If you use a wheelchair and can't move onto a seat, ask a dealer which other options might suit your home.

Warranty terms vary from one Harmar model to the next. The gear rack is a toothed track fixed along the rail; the motor's gear grips it to pull the lift up. Harmar covers it for a decade on every straight model in the range. By drive system, we mean the motor together with the parts that move the seat along the rail.

• Pinnacle SL300: parts covered 2 years, gear rack 10 years, battery 1 year
• Pinnacle SL600: motor for life, gear rack 10 years, battery 1 year
• Pinnacle SL600HD: parts 3 years, gear rack 10 years, battery 1 year
• Helix: parts 2 years, drive system under limited lifetime terms

Batteries are covered for just one year on the straight models, so it makes sense to plan for that cost later. NCOA says a battery usually lasts one to three years and costs $200 to $300 to replace. Stannah puts the usual life at three to five years. How long yours lasts comes down to how often the lift runs and whether it gets left away from its charger.

When a straight staircase needs more rail than the stock length, the cost edges up a little. Stock means the standard 15.5 foot rail that comes included in the usual price. These estimates apply to any brand of new straight lift, fitted by an installer.

To give an idea, 20 steps call for roughly 8 feet of rail beyond the stock length. That extra rail adds around $600.