Acorn vs Stannah Stairlifts Compared

Acorn and Stannah are two of the biggest and best-known stairlift brands in the UK, and they're often shortlisted together. Here's an honest side-by-side to help you decide.

Quick answer: Stannah is generally rated highest for build quality, customer service and warranty, and is usually the more premium, expensive option. Acorn is known for competitive value, fast installation and nationwide coverage. Neither is simply "better" — the right choice depends on your budget and priorities.

Price, installation time and aftercare — the three-way answer

Most people comparing these two brands are really deciding on three things. Here's where each currently stands, using what both companies publish:

Price: neither brand publishes fixed prices, because the rail, the bends and the seat options change the total. Acorn is positioned as the value option and Stannah as the premium one, but the only comparable figure is a written fitted quote for your own staircase.

Installation time: on a straight staircase Acorn's next-day availability is the clearest speed claim in the market — see urgent stairlift installation. On a curved staircase both take weeks, because the rail is manufactured after the survey.

Aftercare: Stannah's advertised two-year warranty is longer than Acorn's stated twelve months, which matters if long cover is your priority. Compare what each warranty actually includes — call-outs, parts, labour — and what a service plan costs afterwards: warranty and aftercare.

Choose Acorn if speed on a straight staircase and a simple, value-priced range matter most. Choose Stannah if the longer standard warranty and wider model and styling choice are worth a higher price. Wider view: best stairlift brands and Acorn vs Handicare.

How we work: UK Mobility Stairlifts is an affiliate of Acorn Stairlifts — we earn a commission if you buy through Acorn, at no extra cost to you. We've kept this comparison balanced so it's genuinely useful. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Model-by-model: what each company actually sells

Both figures below come from each manufacturer's own published product literature, checked on 8 September 2026. Specifications change, so ask the surveyor to confirm them in your written quote.

Read across the rows that matter to you rather than counting ticks. If a specific model matters — a perch lift, a 25-stone weight limit, a particular upholstery — Stannah's range is wider. If the priority is one straightforward straight lift fitted quickly at a value price, that is what the Acorn 130 is built around.

About Acorn

Acorn is one of the UK's largest stairlift manufacturers, known for competitive pricing, a wide installer network and fast fitting — a straight lift can often be installed quickly. It offers straight, curved, outdoor and reconditioned models. As with any supplier, it's worth comparing quotes and taking your time rather than feeling rushed into a same-day decision. More in our Acorn Stairlifts guide.

About Stannah

Stannah is a long-established, family-owned British company with a strong reputation for build quality, customer service and warranty. It manufactures in the UK and markets the widest model and styling choice of the major brands, currently including JOYA, Siena, Starla, Sadler and an outdoor lift, and it currently advertises a two-year standard warranty on new stairlifts. That positioning typically comes at a higher price than value-focused brands.

Price comparison

As a general guide, UK stairlift prices are:

• Straight: £2,000–£4,000
• Curved: £4,500–£8,000+
• Reconditioned straight lifts: usually below the equivalent new lift

Acorn tends to sit at the more competitive end, Stannah at the premium end — but exact prices depend on your staircase, so compare quotes for your home. Eligible customers pay no VAT with either brand. See our costs guide.

Be careful with "starting from" figures quoted elsewhere for either brand. Neither company publishes a fixed price list, so any single number is a snapshot of one quote on one staircase at one date — not a price you can hold them to. The ranges above are our own market estimate as at 8 September 2026, and the only figure that binds anyone is a written fitted quote after a survey.

Which is right for your circumstances?

Price and warranty are only half the decision. These situations point more clearly one way than the other:

Which should you choose?

• Choose Acorn if value, competitive pricing and fast installation are your priorities.
• Choose Stannah if you want the highest-rated build quality and service and are comfortable paying a premium.
• Either way: get at least three quotes, check exactly what the warranty and aftercare include, and don't feel pressured into deciding on the spot. Our how to choose a stairlift guide helps.

What actually changes the price with either brand

Brand accounts for less of the final figure than most people expect. What moves it is:

Neither company publishes fixed prices, and neither can give you a real figure before the stairs are measured. Budget from our stairlift costs guide and see Acorn stairlift prices for the Acorn side in detail.

Curved staircases: where the two really differ

On a curved staircase the rail is manufactured to match your bends, landings and any doorway at the bottom. That is true of the Acorn 180 and of Stannah's curved range alike, so the comparison shifts away from the machine:

• Measurement — ask how the staircase is measured and whether the survey is done by the company that will fit the lift.
• Lead time — curved lifts take weeks, not days. Get the quoted date in writing.
• Rail design — ask whether the rail can park out of a doorway or hallway.
• Reconditioned availability — limited on curved with any brand, because the rail was made for someone else's stairs.
• Price spread — curved quotes vary far more than straight ones, which is the strongest argument for getting three.

Full guide: curved stairlifts.

Narrow stairs and difficult layouts

Neither brand wins this on paper. What decides it is the usable width once the rail and folded seat are in place, and whether anyone else in the house still needs to get past. Both offer slimmer seat and folding options, and both send a surveyor to measure before anything is confirmed.

If knees don't bend enough for a normal seat, ask both about a perch or standing option. If the stairs are steep, see stairlifts for steep stairs. For tight staircases: narrow stairs.

Warranty, servicing and aftercare side by side

Warranty length is the headline, but the useful questions are the same for both: what is covered, are call-outs and parts included, how quickly does an engineer attend, and what does year three cost? See warranty and aftercare.

How to compare the two quotes fairly

1. Get both companies to quote the same staircase, ideally within a fortnight.
2. Compare the total fitted price, not the "from" figure.
3. Check the VAT treatment — eligible buyers should pay none.
4. Put the warranty terms side by side, then the service plan costs.
5. Ask each for the installation lead time in writing.
6. Ask both about removal and buy-back if the lift is only needed for a period.
7. Don't sign on the day. A price that disappears overnight is a sales technique.

More: questions to ask before you buy and best stairlift companies in the UK.

Get a free Acorn quote

If Acorn is on your shortlist, you can get a free, no-obligation quote through us, with VAT relief applied if you're eligible — fill in the form below. We'd always recommend comparing it against another quote before you decide. For a wider view, see our best stairlift brands comparison.

Where to go next: stairlift costs · Acorn stairlift prices · Acorn vs Handicare · best stairlift companies · get a free quote