Stannah Stairlifts Reviews

The installation was handled by Jose, who was very knowledgeable and ensured everything was set up correctly. He initially came last Friday to install the lift, but the first time, there was an issue because one of the arms was hitting the banister. He returned on Monday with a new arm, taking his time to make sure everything worked well. I had a chance to test the chair lift myself to understand its operation.

The lift doesn't move very fast, which is expected since no one would want a roller coaster experience on their stairs. However, it is sturdy and can hold up to 350 pounds. My mom weighed around 130 pounds, and Jose made necessary adjustments to fit her height, which is under 4'11", so she could easily get in and out.

Overall, my experience with Stannah Stairlifts has been positive, and I would recommend it to others facing similar challenges.

While the sales process was outstanding, the installation left something to be desired. The first installer worked alone and did the job, but there were preventive measures overlooked—something crucial since my husband has dementia, and advanced noise warnings would have been helpful. Additionally, adjustments were needed post-installation, though Jim's commitment led to a prompt resolution with a more competent second visit crew. I had some concerns as far as safety, where the chair landed, which wasn't all the way on the landing. We normally don't take it to the end of the railing because it ends up being higher. But that was something that the installer should have said. My husband's fairly tall, so it wasn't such that we would be able to touch the floor. But it was just at the edge.

Ultimately, our decision has greatly improved daily life. My husband can maintain his routine safely, with minimal disruption. When encountering problems, I've found Stannah’s customer service responsive, aligning with my overall experience. Though I rate Stannah a solid 4 out of 5 due to some minor areas needing improvement—especially the installation aspect—I wholeheartedly recommend them for their excellent sales team and reliable product. The stairlift has truly been beneficial for us.

The other day the extension was partially up. The chair was in the wrong place on the rail. I exercise it until it worked properly. I realized that when the extension is down, there's no electrical connection to it. It relies on the battery. Stannah should look at how to best treat that or tell their customers that they have a battery. They should have a meter on there that tells something about the battery state and ensure that it can stay down for eight hours, or go to sleep and know what it needs to do. A meter that would tell the owner, “You have to get this thing parked.” Otherwise, you have a service call. Other than that, we’re satisfied with how it works.

We have two installations. We have one from the second floor to the first floor and one from the first floor to the basement. The traffic is primarily for the disabled person, my wife. She travels from the living quarters upstairs to the first floor. When she gets down, she has no interest in wanting to try to park the chair part way up the steps. When she does that, the chair is fully deployed. She would have the foot rest down and the arms will be down. That means no one can get past it. The stairs are not especially narrow. They're standard for our class of home. So, there's a little danger in having to fold the chair up if it was parked in the right position.

We have a bunch of automatic features. There’s additional cost if it's controlled by a controller. So, when the seat is at the bottom of the steps, if you had a single button that was a speed dial that says “Park and fold”, you're done with it and it's safe. I find myself taking chances when it's at the top of the steps, because when she gets out of the chair, and let's say that my wife is going into the bedroom and I'm downstairs, the chair is rotated at the top, completely blocking my passage past it to get on to the second-floor landing. I need to lean up and straighten the chair out, lean over to press the button so that the foot rest goes up. And I fold the arms up and stand up. The same thing is true when I'm on the second floor and I need to fold it up.

I called a month ago because I had questions about oil that dripped on the steps. I was explained that it was lubrication from the track that was on the steps. It's urethane on the steps so I was able to wipe the oil off. But that's something that shouldn't happen. I don't know whether the technician used more than necessary, or if it was the lubrication formulation itself. If we had a rug on there, it would not come out. That would be the end of it. The other was that some of the labels were peeling. Like the technician had greasy fingers when he applied the labels. I was told, “You can call us and we can come out and replace them.” It's not necessary to do that yet. I cut off the pieces that were peeling off the stairs itself. In the meantime, all is good.

My stairwell is somewhat unique with a notch in the railing, but the stairlift fits perfectly. Though it does bring the chair a bit towards the middle of the staircase, which might be an issue in narrower spaces, it hasn’t affected the appearance of my room at all. Functionally, I'm very satisfied. I have remote controls at both the top and bottom of the stairs. It allows me to send things like groceries upstairs, which is incredibly useful. Although I don’t need it yet, a recent hernia repair proved the stairlift's worth, as I could limit my trips up and down the stairs.

The stairlift feels very sturdy. It holds up to 250 pounds, and I've had no issues carrying bags of groceries and other items up the stairs. I’ve recommended it to several friends. In the future, I foresee it impacting my life immensely, especially as I age and potentially face mobility challenges. I initially bought it to aid my elderly Basset Hound, and I expect to use it more for myself as time goes on.

The representative was worth a top rating for being informative and understanding my needs, even offering suggestions for alternative uses like transporting items or pets. I'm confident that investing in such a device has prepared me for continued independence, especially given the trend of longer lifespans. I had done ample research before purchasing, so I knew it would fit well into my lifestyle.

As for the installation, James did a fantastic job. I intended to leave a review for him but hadn't managed to do so until now. The stairlift itself has been a lifesaver. It's retractable at the bottom and well-built with safety in mind, but there are a few issues. The constant beeping when it's in motion, especially when my dad uses it late at night, is quite loud and disruptive. It would be great if there were an option to adjust the volume.

Another issue is the bright light on the left-hand armrest, where the emergency switch is. It's quite glaring at night and shines into our rooms; offering a way to turn it off when not in use would help. Additionally, we started hearing an occasional tapping sound that resembles someone tapping on a window when the lift is about a third of the way up. I haven't reported it because Stannah charges $200 for a service call, and since it doesn't affect the functionality, I decided against it for now.

The overall quality of the stairlift, I would say, deserves a 4 out of 5. The seat is a bit wobbly when my parents sit in it, which worries me as they have difficulty getting in gracefully. I constantly remind them to be cautious when sitting down.

As for pricing, I find it quite expensive, and I would rate it a 2, as the cost seems high compared to the product. I viewed the product online before contacting Stannah, and the site was quite clear and user-friendly, warranting a 5-star rating there. Overall, the stairlift's a crucial addition to our home, despite its minor flaws.