How Long Will Your Stairlift Last?

Whilst it is seldom the first question a customer will ask when they are looking into a stairlift, one of the most important facts someone wants to know about their stairlift is how long it will last them.

Stairlifts are a commitment to independence, mobility and remaining in your home for as long as possible, but given their importance, people who are interested in having one installed want to know just how long they will last before they need replacing or substantial repairs.

There is no simple answer to this, as there are so many factors that go into a stairlift choice that can either add or take away years to its longevity, but the rough lifespan of a stairlift is around a decade.

Whether it will last ten years will depend a lot on how a person uses it, the staircase it is attached to, whether it is taken care of, where it is located and sometimes the person themselves.

A standard, robust, straight indoor stairlift used in the morning, at night and once or twice in between will last a very long time compared to a stairlift that sees constant use, such as ones found in commercial buildings.

As well as this, the steepness of the stairs it is climbing will affect how hard the motor has to run, which will ultimately determine how long it will last before it stops working.

Curved stairlifts tend to be on average less robust than straight ones, although this can vary wildly by manufacturer and a growing number of heavy-duty curved stairlifts do exist that can handle years of constant use.

Outdoor stairlifts tend to be at the mercy of the elements, which means that they can degrade and break down sooner than indoor ones.

Finally, if a stairlift is left to its own devices without regular preventative maintenance, that increases the chances of it breaking down sooner.