Standing stair lifts

Heaviest rider on a perch seat 300 lb (Handicare 1000)
New straight lift, installed $2,500 to $5,000
New curved lift, installed $8,000 to $12,000
Narrowest stairs most straight lifts will fit: 28 in

With a standing stair lift, the rider leans on a small, high seat rather than lowering fully into a chair.

A perch stair lift with a small saddle seat on a steep narrow staircase

Standing stair lifts compared

Model	Weight limit	Folded, from wall	Installed price	Warranty
Handicare 1000Pro: up to 440 lb with the heavy-duty version. Con: it sticks out 15¼ in from the wall when folded. Sources	350 lb heavy-duty version: 440 lb	15¼ in	$3,990–$5,490 estimate: lift price + usual fitting	2 years on parts
Harmar Pinnacle SL300Pro: parts are covered for 2 years, longer than the one year some manufacturers give. Con: its standard weight limit is 300 lb, below the 350 lb carried by most lifts here. Sources	300 lb	11 in	$4,365 published: lift + fitting, one dealer	2 years on parts
Harmar Pinnacle SL600Pro: of the straight lifts here, it folds closest to the wall (10½ in). Sources	350 lb	10½ in	$5,380 published: lift + fitting, one dealer	Lifetime on the motor
Savaria K2Pro: parts are covered for 3 years. Sources	350 lb	10¾ in	$4,135 published: lift + fitting, one dealer	3 years on parts
AmeriGlide Rave 2Pro: parts are covered for 2 years, longer than the one year some manufacturers give. Con: you buy it online, so fitting it is up to you: hire your own installer or do it yourself. Sources	350 lb	11 in	$2,749–$4,249 estimate: lift price + usual fitting	2 years on parts

Call for an installed price

Ask for a written quote

Three short steps: the stairs, then the rider and ZIP code, then your name and number. Each one opens when you answer the last.

The stairs

Straight up They turn or have a landing Outside steps

How it works: we pass your request to one stair lift dealer who covers your ZIP code, and only that dealer. The dealer pays us for the introduction; we do not sell lists of visitors.

Who will ride it?

Me My spouse or partner A parent or relative

ZIP code

Your name

Phone number

Anything the dealer should know (optional)

Rather talk first? Call (833) 512-0232.

It suits people whose knees or hips make bending down into a seat difficult. Of the 16 models we looked at, we found a perch seat listed only for the Handicare 1000, which is made for straight stairs, so other models may still offer one.

How does standing on a lift work?

You stay nearly upright the whole way, which helps if standing is fine for you but bending down to sit and getting back up is the hard part.

What a perch seat is

A perch seat is small and raised, something like a saddle. The rider leans on it more than sits on it. A perch stair lift is just a regular stair lift with this kind of seat where the usual chair would be.

You can get the Handicare 1000 with a perch seat or with a standard seat. The manufacturer's page offers the perch seat for riders who struggle to lower themselves into a sitting position.

How much weight does a perch seat hold?

On the Handicare 1000, the perch seat is rated for 300 lb. With the standard seat, the same lift is rated for 350 lb, and there is a heavy-duty version that goes to 440 lb, per Savaria's product page.

So the perch seat on this lift takes less weight than the standard seat does. Of the 16 lifts we compared, 350 lb is the middle of the pack. The lowest is 265 lb on the Acorn 180, and the highest is 600 lb on the Harmar Pinnacle SL600HD.

Will it fit your home and your rider?

These three numbers are a good place to start, but they cannot tell you for sure whether a lift will suit you or your parent:

Weight limit: the Handicare 1000's perch seat holds 300 lb.
Width of stairs: the Handicare 1000 needs stairs no narrower than 28 in.
Fold depth: how far the unit juts from the wall with the seat and footrest folded up. The Handicare 1000 measures 15.25 in.

Stair width knocks a lot of lifts out of the running on narrow stairs. Of the 11 straight lifts we compared, only one works on stairs 26 in wide. Widen that to 28 in and all 11 should fit, going by the usual guide.

The Handicare 1000 is for straight stairs, and we did not find a perch seat listed for any curved model. Curved lifts are pricier, too. Expect around $8,000 to $12,000 installed for a new one, per the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

Cost by stair length

A stair lift runs along a metal track called the rail, and a longer staircase needs more of it. Our cost tool assumes a standard rail of about 15.5 ft and adds about $75 for each extra foot, so these are estimates rather than quotes for a perch-seat lift.

Here is what a new straight-stair lift costs installed, by staircase size:

Steps	Rail (about)	Installed cost (about)
8	10 ft	$2,500 to $5,000
13	16 ft	$2,575 to $5,075
16	19 ft	$2,800 to $5,300
20	23 ft	$3,100 to $5,600

Secondhand straight-stair lifts go for about $1,500 to $3,000, per the NCOA.

Prices by model

One dealer lists the Handicare 1000 at $3,490 with a 16 ft track, before installation, and the price does not say whether the perch seat is included. Parts are covered for 24 months through your dealer.

We also checked eight other straight lifts, from Handicare, Savaria, Harmar, Bruno, Stannah, Acorn, and AmeriGlide. We did not find a perch seat listed for any of these models, so what you see below is the general straight-lift market rather than standing lifts in particular.

These prices come from dealer listings, manufacturer starting prices, and reviewer estimates, so they are not directly comparable. Installation is bundled into some prices and left out of others. When you compare quotes, check that installation is included so the numbers line up fairly.