Last reviewed: 2 May 2026.
Our affiliate disclosure: Stairlift Costs UK earns commission when readers buy a stairlift through one of our partner suppliers. Companion Stairlifts, one of those partners, is owned by Handicare. This review is editorially independent and we name the trade-offs as well as the strengths. Read our full disclosure.
Verdict in one paragraph
Handicare is the right answer for households who want a middle-of-market stairlift backed by a serious manufacturer (the parent group is one of Europe’s largest mobility companies), with broader model variety than Acorn and lower entry pricing than Stannah. It is the wrong answer for households who care most about long-term resale value, where Stannah’s brand recognition holds the price better, or for those who want a single-vendor accountability chain rather than a manufacturer-and-installer split. Handicare’s technical engineering is genuinely strong; the customer experience varies more than it should because the installer relationship sits separately from the brand.
Who Handicare is
Handicare Group is a Swedish-headquartered mobility company that has been making stairlifts since the 1980s. They acquired Brooks Stairlifts (UK) in 1996 and have manufactured stairlifts in Yorkshire ever since. The group is publicly listed and has a wider range of mobility products (transfer aids, ceiling track hoists, and bathroom adaptations) beyond stairlifts.
In the UK, Handicare distributes through two routes: independent stairlift dealers (similar to the Stannah model), and through Companion Stairlifts, a Handicare-owned direct-installer brand based in Guiseley, Leeds. If a Companion engineer surveys your home, you are getting Handicare equipment installed by a Handicare-owned company. If a different installer surveys your home and quotes a Handicare unit, you are getting Handicare equipment installed by an independent business that sources from Handicare.
That distinction matters when something goes wrong, because aftercare runs through the installer, not Handicare directly.
Handicare prices in 2026
- Handicare 1100, straight, new: from £1,595 at Clear Choice Stairlifts. Shire Mobility quotes £1,495 for a version with a manual footrest and manual swivel, and prices climb to £2,495 once the powered options are added.
- Handicare 1000, straight, new: from £1,895 at Clear Choice Stairlifts. The perch-seat version is from £1,995 at Multicare Mobility, and the outdoor version from £2,395.
- Handicare 1000 XXL, heavy duty: £3,995 at Multicare Mobility.
- Handicare Freecurve, curved single rail: from £3,995 at Clear Choice Stairlifts, and up to £5,295 elsewhere for the same model.
- Handicare 4000, curved twin rail: £5,895 at Multicare Mobility.
- The discontinued 2000: still listed at £3,695 straight, £2,950 as a twin rail, £3,800 as a Freecurve and £4,795 outdoor. Worth knowing before you accept one as current stock.
- Reconditioned: a Simplicity at £1,595 from Multicare Mobility is the cheapest Handicare-family lift we have recorded.
Every figure above is a price published by the named seller and recorded with its source URL and capture date in our UK Stairlift Price Tracker. Neither Handicare nor Companion publishes a price against a model name; Companion states only that prices start at around £2,000. None of these is a quote for your staircase.
Pricing positions Handicare between Acorn (cheaper, fewer features) and Stannah (premium, longer warranty). For straight stairlifts the Handicare-Acorn gap is usually £400 to £700; the Handicare-Stannah gap is similar in the other direction. See our 2026 straight prices.
Models and what they actually do
- Handicare 1100: the slimmest straight lift in the range. The international site publishes 140kg. Companion, which sells the same lift in Britain, publishes no figure at all and calls it the narrowest straight slimline lift on the market without giving a measurement to back that up.
- Handicare 1000: the standard straight lift, published at 350 lb, about 159kg, or 300 lb with the perch seat. Companion publishes 137kg as standard and 160kg with the heavy-duty motor for what is the same machine, so ask which figure applies to the lift you are quoted.
- Handicare 1000XXL: the heavy-duty straight lift, published at 440 lb, about 200kg. That is the highest published user weight of any stairlift sold in Britain.
- Freecurve, listed as the single-rail curved lift: 275 lb, about 125kg, and Companion agrees at 125kg. One rail rather than two, which is what lets it take tighter turns.
- Handicare 4000: the twin-rail curved lift, and the one that fits most staircases. Companion publishes 160kg for it. The international page publishes no weight at all.
Handicare stairlift models and specifications
There is a complication worth stating before the table. Handicare’s UK site, handicare.co.uk, refused connection when we checked on 8 September 2026, as it did on 28 August, so the figures below come from the international site and from Companion, which sells the same lifts in Britain under the same parent, Savaria. Where the two disagree, both figures are shown.
| Model | Type | Weight limit on the international site | Weight limit Companion publishes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Straight | 350 lb, about 159kg | 137kg standard, 160kg heavy-duty motor | The perch seat is an option on this model and caps at 300 lb |
| 1000XXL | Straight, heavy duty | 440 lb, about 200kg | Not sold under the Companion name | The highest published limit of any UK model |
| 1100 | Straight | 140kg | Not published | The slimline model |
| Freecurve, the single-rail curved lift | Curved | 275 lb, about 125kg | 125kg | The two sites agree |
| 4000 | Curved, twin rail | Not published | 160kg | Same machine, one figure between two sites |
Read on handicare-stairlifts.com and companionstairlifts.co.uk on 8 September 2026. Neither site publishes a width, a stair angle, a travel speed or a rail length for any model, and neither publishes a price against a model name. See how that compares with every other UK maker in our stairlift model specifications table.
Three names still traded second hand are absent from the current range: the Handicare 2000, the 950 and the Simplicity. They are perfectly good lifts, but if one is offered to you as new, ask which current model it actually is and who will service it.
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.
Install speed and process
Straight installs typically run 1 to 2 weeks from initial survey to fitted unit, similar to Stannah and slower than Acorn. Curved installs add 1 to 3 weeks for bespoke rail manufacture. Companion (the Handicare-owned installer) often runs at the faster end of those ranges because they control the supply chain end to end.
The survey is conducted separately from the sales decision in most cases, so doorstep pressure is generally lower than Acorn’s direct-sales model.
Warranty and aftercare
Handicare’s base warranty is 12 months parts and labour. Extended warranties (typically 5 years) are sold by either Handicare directly or by the installer, depending on the route you bought through. Annual service contracts run £140 to £220 depending on the installer.
The aftercare consideration to know: if you bought through Companion, Companion handles service. If you bought through an independent dealer, the independent dealer handles service. Both routes pull parts from Handicare’s UK warehouse, so parts availability is consistent. The variable is the engineer who actually shows up; that is the dealer’s responsibility, not Handicare’s.
In practice this matters when the original installer goes out of business (independent dealers do close occasionally). Handicare will not directly take over an orphaned unit, but they will route you to another approved dealer in the area. This is a slightly weaker accountability chain than Stannah’s factory-controlled dealer network.
Customer service: the split-brand reality
Handicare scores well on Trustpilot and independent reviews when measured at the equipment level. The 1100 and the 4000 curved are quiet, smooth, and reliable. Where complaints concentrate is in the boundary between Handicare-the-manufacturer and the local installer; some customers expect a single accountable vendor and get bounced between two.
Companion-installed Handicare units tend to have the cleanest experience because the installer and the manufacturer are part of the same group. When an issue arises, Companion has internal channels to Handicare engineering. Independent-dealer-installed Handicare units have more variable experiences depending on the dealer.
When Handicare is the right call
- You want a middle-market unit that out-spec’s Acorn but undersells Stannah on price.
- User weight is above 25 stone. The 1000XXL publishes 440 lb, about 200kg, which is higher than anything Acorn, Stannah, Halton or Platinum puts in writing.
- Curved staircase with multiple turns where you want bespoke-rail engineering without the Stannah price premium.
- Companion Stairlifts is your local installer (then you get the cleanest accountability chain).
- Quiet operation matters (the 1100 is the quietest mainstream straight on the UK market).
When Handicare is the WRONG call
- Long-term resale value matters: Stannah holds value better on the second-hand UK market because brand recognition is stronger. If you might sell on, see stairlift depreciation and our Stannah review.
- You want one-vendor accountability: if your local installer is independent (not Companion), the manufacturer-and-installer split can frustrate. Stannah’s factory-controlled dealer network is cleaner; Acorn’s direct model is simpler still.
- Tightest possible budget: Acorn’s entry £1,995 beats Handicare’s £2,100 to £2,400 in most postcodes. See Acorn review.
- Speed-critical: 24 to 48 hour installs are an Acorn specialty; Handicare cannot match that timeline on a fresh order.
Frequently asked questions
Is Companion the same as Handicare?
They are sister brands under the same owner. Savaria completed its purchase of Handicare Group in March 2021 and also owns Minivator, Freelift, Sterling and Garaventa, so Companion is the UK installer brand and Handicare is the manufacturer name, with its own customer-service operation behind it. The equipment is the same; the customer experience may differ from an independent Handicare dealer.
Are Handicare stairlifts made in the UK?
The UK Handicare manufacturing plant in Yorkshire (in Kingsbury, near Tamworth) handles assembly, quality control and curved-rail manufacturing for the UK market. Some sub-components are sourced from the wider Handicare Group supply chain in Europe.
How long do Handicare stairlifts last?
Typically 10 to 13 years with annual servicing. The 1100 has been on the market since 2010 in similar form and the long-term reliability data is now mature; longevity is comparable to Stannah and better than Acorn at the equivalent price tier.
Can I get a reconditioned Handicare?
Yes through approved reconditioning channels and through some independent specialists. Reconditioned Handicare straights start around £1,300 fitted; reconditioned curveds are rarer because the rail is staircase-specific.
Will the council fund a Handicare through a DFG?
Yes if the OT specifies it, or if the council’s framework contractor uses Handicare equipment. Some council frameworks favour Handicare for the heavy-duty 2000 model when load capacity is the constraint.
Cross-links
- Stairlift companies overview
- Acorn stairlifts review
- Stannah stairlifts review
- National vs independent aftercare
- Heavy-duty stairlifts
- Curved stairlifts
- Reconditioned stairlifts
- Published Handicare prices across the dealer channel, tracked monthly
This review is independent and not paid placement. Stairlift Costs UK earns commission only when a reader who buys a Handicare unit does so through one of our partner suppliers (Companion Stairlifts is one of those partners). We earn nothing on Handicare purchases made through other channels. See our full disclosure for the partner list and the commercial relationship.
Compare other stairlift brands
- Acorn stairlifts review
- Stannah stairlifts review
- Brooks stairlifts review
- Otolift stairlifts review
- Bruno stairlifts review
- Thyssenkrupp stairlifts review
- Companion stairlifts review
- Halton stairlifts review
