Independent review. Last updated June 2026 by Claire Ashworth.
Brooks stairlifts start from around £1,500 for a straight model and £3,500 for a curved one, fitted. The single most useful thing to know is that Brooks and Acorn share a controlling owner: Acorn sells direct to the public, Brooks reaches you through independent dealers. Dealers routinely present the two as one lift. Neither company publishes enough for anyone to confirm that, and the figures that are published do not line up, which is worth knowing before you compare quotes.
Brooks stairlifts at a glance (UK, 2026)
- Straight (dealer names vary, usually a 130 or a Slimline): from around £1,500, typically £1,700 to £2,200 fitted
- Curved (180): from around £3,500, often £4,000 to £5,000 fitted
- Reconditioned: from around £1,000
- Weight limit: around 19 stone (120 kg) standard, up to 25 stone on heavy-duty versions
- Warranty: 12 months as standard; many dealers add up to 3 years
- Ownership: Brooks Stairlifts Limited and Acorn Mobility Services Limited share a controlling owner and a registered office in Steeton, West Yorkshire
- Sold through: independent local dealers, not direct from a single national company
- Best for: buyers who want a mid-market lift at a dealer price and have a good local installer
Who makes Brooks stairlifts?
Brooks was founded by Frederick Brooks in 1973, and is often credited with producing one of the first domestic stairlifts in the UK (he reportedly built the first to help his wife, who had respiratory problems). The brand later came under the same ownership as Acorn, now one of the largest stairlift manufacturers in the world.
The two businesses remain linked. John Stewart Jakes holds more than 75% of both Brooks Stairlifts Limited (01042173) and Acorn Mobility Services Limited (02593771) on the Companies House PSC registers, and both are registered at the same address in Steeton, West Yorkshire. Jakes has been a Brooks director since July 2010. The register does not name a parent company for Brooks, and neither business states publicly that a Brooks lift and an Acorn lift are the same machine.
Are Brooks and Acorn the same stairlift?
Nobody publishes an answer. Brooks names no models and gives no specifications, Acorn publishes two models with full figures, and where a dealer prints dimensions for a Brooks lift they differ from Acorn figures for the equivalent Acorn. Treat the claim as dealer shorthand. What is documented is the ownership and the sales channel:
- Acorn is direct-to-consumer. You deal with one national company for sales, installation and aftercare.
- Brooks is sold through independent dealers. They buy from the manufacturer and resell, usually with leaner margins, which is why a Brooks lift is often cheaper than a comparable lift bought directly.
This is genuinely good news for price, but it shifts the thing that matters most onto your dealer. With Brooks, your experience of installation, servicing and breakdown cover depends on the local company you buy from, not on a single national brand. A great local dealer can beat the direct experience; a poor one cannot.
Brooks stairlift models
Brooks does not publish a model range. Its own site names one product, the Brooks Stairlift, and gives no model number, weight limit or dimensions. Every Brooks model name you will meet therefore comes from a dealer, and the names change from dealer to dealer, so the table below sets out who publishes what.
| Name | Published by | Type | Published specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks Stairlift | Brooks | Straight | No model number, weight limit or dimensions given. |
| Acorn 130 | Acorn | Straight, outdoor option | 127 kg, or 159 kg heavy duty. Needs 670 mm to swivel at the top, 605 mm overall width, folds to 310 mm, rail up to 10 m. |
| Acorn 180 | Acorn | Curved | 120 kg. Needs 690 mm to swivel at the top, inclines 0 to 58 degrees, rail up to 30 m. |
| Slimline 130 T700, Heavy Duty, Sit & Stand, Outdoor 130 T700 | Dealers, for example Halton | Straight | Dealer names for lifts whose product codes read BROOKS-SL. Halton publishes 620 mm overall width, folding to 280 mm, and 20 st on the Slimline, 25 st on the Heavy Duty. |
The two sets of published figures do not line up. Acorn gives the 130 an overall width of 605 mm and a folded width of 310 mm; Halton gives its Brooks-built Slimline 130 T700 620 mm and 280 mm. The weight limits are close, the dimensions are not. Ask for the manufacturer spec sheet for the exact lift you are quoted rather than assuming a Brooks lift and an Acorn lift are interchangeable.
What dealers list on a Brooks-built straight lift
- Padded vinyl seat and backrest, with a soft start and stop
- Swivel seat that locks so you can step off on the landing
- Safety sensors on the footrest and carriage that stop the lift if it meets an obstruction
- Battery operation, so it keeps working in a power cut
- Folding seat, arms and footrest to keep the stairs usable for others
Brooks and Acorn product pages read 28 August 2026, dealer figures read on haltonstairlifts.co.uk the same day. Ownership from the Companies House PSC registers.
About these model details
Every model name, weight limit and dimension above was read on the manufacturer or supplier website on the date shown, and none of it is a quote. Ranges change without notice, the same lift is often badged differently by different sellers, and a figure on a dealer page can differ from the maker’s own. Confirm the model and the specification in writing before you buy. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we will check it.
How much do Brooks stairlifts cost?
Prices vary by dealer because Brooks is sold through independent companies, but the typical 2026 UK ranges are:
- New straight (Slimline 130): from around £1,500, commonly £1,700 to £2,200 fitted
- New curved (180): from around £3,500, commonly £4,000 to £5,000+ fitted
- Reconditioned straight: from around £1,000
- Reconditioned curved: less common, priced on the staircase
Because dealers compete, it is worth getting two or three quotes for the same Brooks model. You are also comparing the fitting, warranty and aftercare, which is where the real difference sits.
Brooks vs Acorn vs Stannah
- Brooks: the dealer-sold sister brand to Acorn. Often the cheapest route to a new, reliable mid-market lift, if you have a good local dealer. See our Acorn stairlifts review.
- Acorn: bought direct, with single-company national service. Simpler aftercare, usually a little more expensive than Brooks.
- Stannah: the UK market leader, generally the highest quality and the highest price, sold direct with a large service network. See our Stannah stairlifts review.
- Every published Brooks price, with sources: the UK Stairlift Price Tracker
If reliability and a single national point of contact matter most, Acorn or Stannah are the safer pick. If price matters most and you have a reputable local installer, Brooks can save you several hundred pounds.
Warranty, servicing and running costs
A new Brooks lift usually carries a 12 month manufacturer warranty, and many dealers extend this to two or three years. Servicing is recommended annually and usually costs £100 to £200. Electricity is negligible, about £12 a year, because the lift only draws power to recharge its batteries. The battery packs typically last two to five years before they need replacing.
Because Brooks aftercare runs through your dealer, check before you buy: who answers a breakdown call, how fast, and what an out-of-warranty callout costs. For more on this, see manufacturer vs independent stairlift servicing.
When a Brooks stairlift is the wrong call
- Your local dealer is unproven. With Brooks, the dealer is your aftercare. If you cannot find a well-reviewed local installer, buy Acorn direct instead.
- You want one national company for everything. Brooks is inherently local; Acorn and Stannah are national.
- You need the highest build quality. Brooks is solid mid-market, not premium. For the smoothest, quietest, longest-warranty option, compare Stannah.
- You are buying reconditioned sight-unseen. Reconditioned Brooks lifts are good value, but insist on a proper refurbishment record and warranty.
Is a Brooks stairlift right for you?
Brooks suits buyers who want a dependable mid-market stairlift at a dealer price and who have access to a reputable local installer. For a straight staircase, the Slimline 130 is one of the better-value new lifts in the UK. For curved stairs, get the 180 quoted alongside an Acorn and a reconditioned option so you can see the real price of the custom rail.
Compare your options across straight stairlifts, curved stairlifts and reconditioned stairlifts, or see typical figures on our stairlift prices guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Brooks and Acorn stairlifts the same? They share a controlling owner. Companies House shows more than 75% of both Brooks Stairlifts Limited and Acorn Mobility Services Limited held by the same person. Whether the lifts are identical is not something either company publishes, and the dimensions dealers print for Brooks lifts differ from Acorn figures, so ask for the manufacturer spec sheet rather than assuming.
How much does a Brooks stairlift cost? A new Brooks straight stairlift, which dealers usually call a 130 or a Slimline, starts from around £1,500 and typically costs £1,700 to £2,200 fitted. Curved 180 models start from around £3,500. Reconditioned lifts start from around £1,000.
What is the weight limit on a Brooks stairlift? The standard Brooks straight lift carries around 19 stone (120 kg). Heavy-duty versions raise this to about 25 stone.
Will a Brooks stairlift fit narrow stairs? Dealers list the straight Brooks lift as a narrow-stairs option. Halton publishes a minimum staircase width of 24 inches for its Brooks-built Slimline 130 T700. Acorn separately says its own 130 needs 670mm to swivel at the top. Get the figure for the exact lift you are quoted.
Does a Brooks stairlift work in a power cut? Yes. Brooks lifts run on rechargeable battery packs, so they keep working during a power cut and recharge automatically at the top and bottom of the stairs.
Is buying Brooks through a dealer safe? The manufacturer warranty comes with the lift whoever fits it. The variable is the dealer, who handles your fitting and aftercare. Choose a well-reviewed local installer and confirm breakdown response and callout costs before you buy.
Compare other stairlift brands
- Acorn stairlifts review
- Stannah stairlifts review
- Handicare stairlifts review
- Otolift stairlifts review
- Bruno stairlifts review
- Thyssenkrupp stairlifts review
- Companion stairlifts review
- Halton stairlifts review
Brooks and Acorn are separate companies with the same controlling owner, which is worth knowing if you are comparing quotes from both. See our map of who owns the stairlift brands sold in the UK.
