What are the main stairlift brands in the UK?

The brands most people shortlist are Acorn, Stannah, Handicare and Access BDD. Which?'s 2026 stairlift research covers Acorn, Handicare, Stannah and TKE/Access BDD, which reflects how the UK market is usually compared.

Is Acorn or Stannah better?

Neither is simply better. Acorn has a focused range (130 Straight, 180 Curved, 130 Outdoor) and is known for nationwide coverage and fast installation availability. Stannah markets a broader choice of models and styling, and currently advertises a standard two-year warranty on new stairlifts. The right answer depends on your staircase, budget and how much choice you want.

Is Acorn or Handicare better?

They suit different buyers. Acorn sells direct as the manufacturer with a small, simple range. Handicare offers a wide set of straight and curved options and specialist configurations, often supplied through dealers and partners. Check who your contract and aftercare would actually be with in each case.

Which stairlift brand is cheapest?

No brand is reliably cheapest for every staircase, because price depends on the rail, the number of bends, the seat options and the installation. The only way to know is to get written quotes for your own stairs and compare the total price, warranty and servicing together.

Which stairlift is best for narrow stairs?

Acorn states stairlifts are available for narrow staircases, and Access BDD publishes a 610mm minimum staircase width for its Flow X. Narrow stairs are usually a survey question rather than a brand question — a surveyor measures the usable width before anything is confirmed.

Which stairlift company installs fastest?

Acorn advertises next-day installation availability on straight stairlifts, though it is availability rather than a guarantee. Curved stairlifts take longer with any brand because the rail is made to fit your staircase.

What is the most reliable stairlift brand?

We don't publish reliability scores, because we have no independent data of our own. Which? runs a member survey covering Acorn, Handicare, Stannah and TKE/Access BDD; its ratings sit behind its membership. Regular servicing and a clear breakdown arrangement matter as much as the badge on the seat.

Should I buy directly from a manufacturer or through a dealer?

Both are normal. Buying direct means the manufacturer surveys, installs and supports the lift. Buying through a dealer can mean more brand choice locally. Either way, confirm in writing who holds the contract, who services the lift and who attends a breakdown.

What warranty should I expect with a stairlift?

Acorn currently states a 12-month manufacturer's guarantee, and Stannah currently advertises a standard two-year warranty on new stairlifts. Ask what the warranty covers, whether call-outs and parts are included, and what a service plan costs after it ends.

Best Stairlift Brands UK 2026: Acorn, Stannah, Handicare & More

There are only a handful of stairlift brands most UK households ever compare: Acorn, Stannah, Handicare and Access BDD. This guide sets out what each is known for, so you can work out which is worth a quote for your staircase.

Quick answer: there is no single "best" brand. Acorn has a deliberately small range and is known for nationwide coverage and fast installation availability. Stannah offers wider model and styling choice. Handicare and Access BDD are strong on specialist and narrow-staircase configurations. Match the brand to your stairs and your priorities, not to a league table.

How we make money: UK Mobility Stairlifts is an affiliate of Acorn Stairlifts. If you request a quote through this website and subsequently buy from Acorn, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. This guide compares several brands so you can understand the main options available. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Which brand suits which need?

Your need	Brands worth considering
Straight stairlift with a simple product range	Acorn
Fast installation availability	Acorn
Wider model and style choice	Stannah
Narrow or specialist configurations	Handicare / Access BDD, depending on requirements
Curved staircase	Acorn, Stannah, Handicare or Access BDD
Outdoor access	Acorn, Stannah, Handicare or Access BDD

Acorn's current range centres on the 130 Straight, 180 Curved and 130 Outdoor. Stannah currently markets a broader range including Siena, Starla, Sadler, JOYA and an outdoor model. Access BDD currently offers HomeGlide and HomeGlide Extra for straight stairs, HomeGlide Outdoor, and Flow X for curved or narrow staircase applications.

The brands at a glance

Brand	Straight	Curved	Outdoor	Notable positioning	Buying route
Acorn	Acorn 130	Acorn 180	Acorn 130 Outdoor	Focused product range, nationwide coverage, fast-installation availability	Direct from manufacturer
Stannah	Yes	Yes	Yes	Broad model and style choice, UK manufacturing	Direct from manufacturer
Handicare	Yes	Yes	Yes	Wide straight and curved options, specialist configurations	Often via dealers and partners
Access BDD	HomeGlide	Flow X	HomeGlide Outdoor	Strong narrow-stair and technical positioning	Approved dealer network

We don't publish star scores. Which? runs proprietary ratings from its member survey, and those sit behind its membership product — its 2026 research covers Acorn, Handicare, Stannah and TKE/Access BDD, but we won't reproduce scores we haven't seen published.

Acorn Stairlifts

Acorn is the brand we partner with, and it keeps a deliberately narrow range:

Acorn 130 Straight — 127kg standard maximum weight capacity, with a 159kg heavy-duty version available
Acorn 180 Curved — 120kg maximum weight capacity, on a rail made to fit your staircase
Acorn 130 Outdoor — a weatherproofed version for steps outside the house

Acorn states a 12-month manufacturer's guarantee, and advertises next-day installation availability on straight stairlifts — availability, not a guarantee.

Acorn is worth considering if you want a relatively simple product range and a direct manufacturer quote, rather than choosing between many different seat and rail combinations. More detail: Acorn Stairlifts and Acorn stairlift prices.

Stannah Stairlifts

Stannah's appeal is choice. Its current models include JOYA, Siena, Starla, Sadler and an outdoor lift, with more upholstery and styling options than Acorn offers. Stannah also currently advertises a standard two-year warranty on new stairlifts.

It tends to suit people who place greater value on upholstery, styling and configuration choice, and who don't mind paying more for it.

Read the full head-to-head: Acorn vs Stannah.

Handicare Stairlifts

Handicare is a genuine brand-selection competitor rather than a fringe option. Its public information lists straight and curved products including the 1100, 1000, 4000 and Freecurve — though availability is worth confirming with a supplier before you rely on any individual model specification, as its UK information currently mixes older and newer products.

Handicare is often supplied through dealers and partners, so ask early who would hold your contract and who would service the lift.

Access BDD

Access BDD is the most technically-positioned of the four. Its current products include HomeGlide, HomeGlide Extra, HomeGlide Outdoor and Flow X.

Access BDD states that Flow X can fit staircases from 610mm wide and works on curved as well as straight configurations, and that HomeGlide has capacity options up to 160kg depending on configuration. That makes it a name worth knowing if your stairs are narrow or you need a higher weight capacity.

Which stairlift brand is best for straight stairs?

Straight stairlifts are the most competitive part of the market, because the rail is a standard component rather than a bespoke one:

Acorn 130 — simple range, fast installation availability, 127kg standard (159kg HD)
Stannah Siena / Starla — more seat, finish and control options
Handicare straight options — wide configuration choice, usually via a dealer
Access HomeGlide — technical focus, capacity options up to 160kg depending on configuration

If your stairs run in one uninterrupted straight line, the bigger purchasing decision is often specification, price, installation timescale and aftercare, rather than simply brand name.

Compare straight stairlifts →

Which brand is best for curved stairs?

For curved stairs the rail is manufactured to match your exact staircase — the bends, the landings, any doorway at the bottom. That is true of the Acorn 180, Stannah's curved range, Handicare's curved products and Access Flow X alike.

Because the rail is bespoke, curved lifts cost more and take longer to install with every brand, and quotes are much harder to compare on paper than straight ones. Get the survey done and compare the written figures.

Curved stairlift guide →

Which brand is best for narrow stairs?

Narrow staircases are usually a measuring question before they are a brand question. Acorn says stairlifts are available for narrow stairs, and Access BDD publishes a 610mm minimum staircase width for Flow X.

What matters is the usable width once the rail and folded seat are in place, and whether anyone else in the house still needs to walk past. A surveyor confirms that on site.

Stairlifts for narrow stairs →

Acorn vs Stannah vs Handicare

A short version of the three-way decision:

Acorn — small, focused range, direct from the manufacturer, fast installation availability, 12-month guarantee
Stannah — widest styling and model choice, currently a two-year standard warranty, generally the more premium price
Handicare — broad straight and curved options with specialist configurations, frequently supplied through dealers

Acorn vs Stannah → · Acorn vs Handicare → · Acorn vs Brooks →

Choosing the company rather than the badge? See best stairlift companies in the UK.

Acorn's individual models are covered here: Acorn 130 Straight, Acorn 180 Curved and Acorn 130 Outdoor.

What should you compare before choosing?

Which? guidance highlights that the things which go wrong are often not the machine itself — customer service, advice, fitting, aftercare and reliability matter, and so does knowing who your contract is actually with. Before you sign anything, compare:

suitability for your staircase, confirmed by a survey
the total quoted price, including installation and VAT treatment
the warranty length and what it covers
whether servicing is included, and for how long
breakdown and call-out arrangements
installation lead time
seat and rail options
weight capacity
whether a reconditioned model is available
who actually sells, installs and supports the stairlift

More on this: questions to ask before you buy, warranty and aftercare and stairlift costs.

Think Acorn might suit your staircase?

UK Mobility Stairlifts can connect you with Acorn for a free, no-obligation quotation. Acorn will confirm which model is suitable, assess your staircase and provide the exact price before you decide whether to proceed.

Get a free Acorn stairlift quote

Where to go next: stairlift costs · types of stairlift · Acorn vs Stannah · get a free quote

Best Stairlift Brands in the UK Compared