Around the home, the stairs can prove to be very hard to use for many people who are mobility challenged. Due to how dangerous a fall on the stairs can be, many people decide to avoid the stairs, but this is not really all that practical of an option. Instead a stair lift can be used to allow full safe access to a home.

There are many conditions that can prohibit someone from safely using the stairs, but of these conditions arthritis is one of the more common. Arthritis causes joint inflammation and can make it painful to bend the knees. Often, the joints also become much stiffer, so a fall is much more likely. There are many other mobility related conditions that can make using the stairs hard or painful.

The reason that stair lifts are so popular is in part because they can often be installed onto the staircase, without requiring any major modification to the home. This is true of most straight staircases; however a curved staircase will require a special, much more expensive, stair lift. For all other staircases though, a stair lift is an affordable way to allow safe access to the home.

Most people choose to use a sitting stair lift, which is often referred to as a stair chair. The advantage to this type of lift is that the occupant remains seated as the lift carries them up the staircase. This is much safer, because it does not require much balance and many even include seat belts, to help improve safety.

The other type of stair lift is called a perch lift and provides a small area that the occupant can stand on. They will then be carried up the staircase in a standing position, so a much higher degree of balance is required. As a result of the increased risk associated with a perch lift, stair chairs are almost always used, unless a standing lift is required out of medical necessity.

While the standing and sitting lift describe the two main types of stair lifts, they can also be described by how they are powered. DC battery powered stair lifts are very popular and perhaps the most versatile. A DC lift can be used even if the power goes out, so there will never be a time when you are unable to use the lift, even during a storm or power disruption.

An AC Powered lift is the other type. This type of stair lift will have a cost that is a little bit less, but only work when the power is on. The lower cost is usually the actual upfront cost and also the maintenance cost, because the batteries in a DC powered lift will need to be replaced every so often, but this is not the case with an AC powered lift. Due to the advantages of the DC powered lift, they are usually the first choice for most people.

Often for a straight staircase, the stair chair can be installed by the homeowner. Most require only standard household tools and take a few hours to be completely installed. Of course, most distributors also offer a professional install service.