Stannah vs Acorn Stairlifts

Prices and what is included

Compare the same staircase type and condition before comparing prices. The examples below are advertised starting offers, not personalised quotes. Fitting, optional equipment, warranty and postcode coverage must be confirmed by the named seller. They do not establish a brand-wide saving.

Stannah’s pricing page also advertises new curved stairlifts from £7,134 with two years of warranty and two services, but does not identify the model for that starting offer. Its new-straight section states £3,585, while its FAQ states £3,300. We have not chosen either as a reliable new-straight benchmark; ask Stannah for its current fitted price.

Acorn’s direct-pricing FAQ gives no numeric price: it says the amount depends on the user’s requirements and staircase configuration and is established by a survey. Manchester Stairlifts and Stairlift For You prices are those dealers’ offers, not prices supplied by Acorn through this site.

For more context, read Acorn stairlift prices and our UK fitted-price guide.

Installation and staircase suitability

Lead time is not fitting time. Lead time includes assessment, stock or manufacture and booking the engineer. Fitting time is the visit in your home. Acorn’s FastTrack page describes assembling interlocking rail sections in a few hours, enabling curved installations within days of enquiry and next-day fitting in some cases. This is an availability offer, not a promise for every address.

Stannah’s Siena page advertises five-day installation, subject to availability, for Siena 600 straight stairs with specified ivory upholstery, taupe footrest and powered options. It also lists 10 working days from order for Siena with no turns, and around three weeks to manufacture Siena/Starla rails with one or two turns, then a few hours to install. Ask which schedule applies to your order.

The Acorn 130 is for straight stairs; the 180 follows turns. Siena is available for straight stairs and stairs with turns, but the specifications differ: 160kg for straight Siena, compared with 120–135kg for versions with turns. Acorn 130 is 127kg standard or 159kg heavy-duty; Acorn 180 is 120kg.

Do not treat a folded-chair measurement as a minimum staircase width. Acorn’s 670mm (130) and 690mm (180) figures describe space needed to swivel at the top. A survey also needs to check the user’s knees, landing, doors and remaining walking space. Confirm any alternative seating rather than assuming a perch option exists for every model.

See our stairlift fit checker, narrow-stairs guide and curved-stairlift guide.

Warranty and ongoing costs

Acorn’s UK warranty page states 12 months as standard, with optional cover for a further four years that includes annual servicing. It does not give a price for that cover or establish the detailed exclusions of the standard warranty. Stannah’s pricing page states two years and two free services for new offers, but one year and one service for its reconditioned Siena offer. Dealer packages are separate: the checked reconditioned Acorn 130 from Stairlift For You has two years of parts and labour cover.

A longer initial warranty does not tell you the cost or level of protection in years three to five. We do not have verified comparable future charges, so we have not invented a five-year ownership estimate. Request these items in writing from each supplier:

• Total fitted price: chair, rail, installation, electrical work and VAT treatment.
• Optional equipment: itemised powered swivel, footrest, hinged rail and seating costs.
• Included services: how many visits, when they occur and any conditions.
• Warranty exclusions: parts, labour, travel, call-outs, accidental damage and batteries.
• Annual servicing after warranty: current service-plan price and renewal terms.
• Call-out charges: normal-hours and emergency visits, response arrangements and area coverage.
• Battery replacement: fitted replacement price and whether batteries are covered.
• Removal terms: who removes the lift, the charge and whether any buy-back is guaranteed in writing.

Which supplier to shortlist for different needs

• A lower-budget straight installation: compare the checked new and reconditioned dealer offers with direct quotes. Only shortlist a dealer if it covers your postcode for both fitting and aftercare.
• A new lift with services included: Stannah’s published two-year/two-service package is worth comparing with the actual Acorn package, not just the headline warranty length.
• Urgent fitting: ask Acorn about FastTrack and Stannah about the specified Siena 600 five-day offer. Choose only after receiving a confirmed date and suitable model.
• Curved stairs, a heavier user or restricted space: shortlist both only where the proposed model’s verified capacity and surveyed fit meet the user’s needs. Straight-model limits do not transfer to curved lifts.
• Seating or powered options: compare the exact seat and controls at a survey or demonstration. Do not infer suitability from the brand name.

Compare the wider market in our UK stairlift company shortlist, or read the Acorn brand guide and stairlift buying guide.