Here are seven quick tips that will help you when you are shopping for the best home stair lift for your family. Use this information to help you better understand the industry and how the lifts are made.

1. AC units are the most dependable available. Most offer both AC and DC (battery) but you'll be changing batteries every 18-24 months and they only carry a 6 month warranty. Don't consider a battery operated chair unless you live in an area with frequent brown-outs.
2. Mark your calendar every 18 months to remind you to automatically replace the batteries if you choose to buy a battery operated lift. Batteries don't last forever.
3. Look for lifts that have a swiveling seat at 45 and 90 degrees both at the top and bottom. And make sure you install a vertically mounted bar at the top and bottom of the run in case the rider becomes unstable when getting up.
4. Be mindful to buy a lift that uses only a rocker switch to operate and not a toggle or joy switch which could get snagged in clothing. Remotes tend to get lost.
5. Stair lifts shouldn't contain circuit boards. They don't hold up when the lift is being used and moved up and down. Repair can be a very expensive service call.
6. Make sure your home lift has at least a 5 year warranty on everything. If a company can't stand behind their product why would you want to buy it? Think about it. Stair lifts don't see that much action. All a warranty is really doing is covering the motor and moving parts. But make sure everything is covered, even the rail on your residential stair lift.
7. Finally, your stair lift needs to have what is called a call-send unit. This is something that can send the chair up or down stairs when you need it there, without you on it. This will help you get the chair out of sight when you have visitors and will free up space when not in use. It's a good feature that shouldn't be extra.

In addition to the above, I would do what I could to get a lifetime warranty. Most quality vendors offer free shipping on a product of this cost. There are plenty of online vendors, but make sure that you work with someone who can walk you through what it takes to install this unit in your home, and a local representative that will be able to service and support your stair lift should the need arise.