If you live in a multi-level home and suffer from mobility issues, you might find going up and down the stairs a daunting and dangerous task. Yet you have to do this multiple times a day to get to the master bath upstairs or bring your laundry to the basement. Thankfully, there is a solution to this problem—a stairlift. No need to completely reorganize your home so that you can live on the main level. A stairlift can help you move around your house safely and with less strain. Freedom Mobility offers stairlifts in Maryland and we’ll be happy to help you get started with your own stairlift.
Choosing a Stairlift
Once you decide to get a stairlift installed, you should start looking at different models. While the basic functions are typically the same in all stairlifts, different models may have different features that you could benefit from.
Curved vs. Straight Stairlifts
Straight stairlifts can go up and down a straight flight of stairs. So if you have a straight staircase, a straight stairlift is all you need. Curved stairlifts, on the other hand, can work on curved staircases as well as in situations where more than one flight of stairs is involved. The curved connectors can be installed to seamlessly take you all the way down regardless of how many flights you have to pass.
Sitting vs. Standing Stairlifts
A standard stairlift has a chair that you sit on while being transported up or down. This is the optimal solution for most people who want to avoid the strain of standing as much as possible. However, for some people it might be even more strenuous to flex their worn-out or injured knee joints to take a seat on a chair. In this case, the standing chairlift might be a better option. This type of stairlift is also great for narrow stairs where there is not much leg room left if you use a seat. Some stairlifts can be converted between the seating and standing positions—be sure to ask your Maryland stairlift consultant whether the model you are interested in is a flexible one. Regular stairlifts are designed for sitting. and you can’t simply stand upright on the foot platform, as this could be dangerous.
Electric vs. Battery-powered
Electric stairlifts have to be plugged into an outlet in order to operate. This can be inconvenient for two reasons. First of all, there needs to be an outlet close to the staircase. Second of all, if the power goes out, the stairlift won’t move. That’s why battery-powered stairlifts are more popular these days. They require periodic recharging, but you get smoother, more reliable operation from them.
Weight Capacity
Most standard stairlifts have weight capacity threshold somewhere between 300 and 400 pounds. If you need a heavy-duty stairlift, there are specialized bariatric models that can support up to 500 pounds. They feature a different design and the seat is usually positioned facing down instead of sideways to minimize the stress on the rail.
Where to Shop
A stairlift is not something you just order online. Although you can certainly shop online, it’s more convenient if you buy your stairlift from a specialized store instead. Working with a mobility consultant will guarantee that you purchase the model that meets your needs, and at Freedom Mobility we will even install it for you. If you have any questions in the future, you can always call us back—no need to spend hours on hold with the website customer rep. Are you ready to start shopping? Contact us and we’ll assist you with choosing the right stairlift for your home.