Harmar vs Bruno stair lifts

Harmar's lineup has four models and Bruno's has three. Any of them needs a staircase no narrower than 28 inches, and the curved models need a 30-inch minimum.

The fold number tells you how far the lift juts out once you've folded the seat, arms, and footrest away. The smaller that number, the more space is left for people climbing past.

Lift	Stair type	Weight capacity	Folded depth	Minimum stair width	Cost
Harmar Pinnacle SL300	Straight rail	300 lb	11 inches	28 in	$3,640 with $725 installation from one dealer
Harmar Pinnacle SL600	Straight rail	350 lb	10.5 inches	28 in	$4,655 with $725 installation from one dealer
Harmar Pinnacle SL600HD	Straight rail	600 lb	16.5 inches	28 in	$7,505 with $725 installation from one dealer
Harmar Helix	Curved rail	350 lb	16 in	30 in	Starts at $10,995 from one dealer
Bruno Elan	Straight rail	300 lb	12 in	28 in	Starts at $3,000; installation billed separately
Bruno Elite	Straight rail	400 lb	15.125 inches	28 in	$4,999 from one dealer; installation billed separately
Bruno Elite Curved	Curved rail	400 lb	15 inches	30 in	$12,000 to $25,000 or more, installed

Information gathered from: SL300 by Harmar, SL600 by Harmar, SL600HD by Harmar, Helix by Harmar, Elan by Bruno, Elite by Bruno, and Elite Curved by Bruno.

Bruno's Elan is the cheapest way in, with the lift priced from $3,000. You pay installation separately, so what you spend overall comes down to your dealer.

Harmar's least expensive model, the Pinnacle SL300, ran $3,640 plus $725 for installation at one dealer. That puts it above the Elan before you add the Elan's installation.

For context, the National Council on Aging lists $2,500 to $5,000 installed for a new straight stair lift. A used one costs between $1,500 and $3,000.

Extra stair length means extra rail, and extra rail costs money. Here's what the site's cost tool shows for a new straight lift, installed:

Each figure assumes a standard rail of 15.5 feet; beyond that, every added foot of rail runs roughly $75.

At one dealer, the Harmar Helix begins at $10,995, and your stairway's shape determines the final number. Dealer pricing puts the Bruno Elite Curved at $12,000 to $25,000 or more with installation.

There's more than price setting them apart. Bruno's model holds more, 400 lb versus 350 lb for the Harmar. It also tucks in a bit nearer the wall, 15 inches versus 16. Both need a staircase no narrower than 30 inches.

Nobody covers as wide a spread as Harmar. Its models start at 300 lb with the SL300 and reach 600 lb with the SL600HD, which tops all 16 models the site compares.

At Bruno, the Elite and Elite Curved each hold 400 lb, while the Elan holds 300 lb. Across all 16 models the site compares, the midpoint weight limit is 350 lb, which puts both Bruno Elite models above that middle mark.

Harmar's SL600 folds down to 10.5 inches, with the SL300 right behind at 11. No Bruno folds down as tight as either one. Bruno's slimmest option, the Elan, stops at 12 inches.

The sturdy SL600HD folds to 16.5 inches, so that big weight capacity brings a bigger footprint.

What if your stairs measure just 26 inches across? Neither brand will work. Among the 11 straight lifts the site compares, the Acorn 130 is the only one that works on stairs that narrow.

They do differ, and each brand structures its own. Bruno backs the Elan and the Elite Curved with a limited lifetime warranty. That kind of warranty covers certain parts for life, under conditions the manufacturer sets, so the terms are worth a careful read. For the Elite straight, the warranty details come from the dealer.

Harmar covers each part separately:

• SL300: parts covered for two years, the gear rack for 10, and the battery for one
• SL600: the motor for life, the gear rack for 10 years, and the battery for one
• SL600HD: parts for three years, the gear rack for 10, and the battery for one
• Helix: two years on parts, and the drive system carries a limited lifetime warranty

That gear rack is a toothed strip fixed along the rail; the motor grips it to move the lift up and down.