Stannah Stairlifts Review 2026: Prices, Models, Real Trade-offs

Last reviewed: 2 May 2026.

Our affiliate disclosure: Stairlift Costs UK earns commission when readers buy a stairlift through one of our partner suppliers, and some of those suppliers sell Stannah. This review is editorially independent. Read our full disclosure.

Verdict in one paragraph

Stannah is the right answer when long-term reliability, a five-year motor warranty, and Stannah’s own service network matter more than headline price. It is the wrong answer when the household needs the cheapest unit possible, when speed is critical (a Stannah curved typically takes 1 to 3 weeks to install versus Acorn’s 2 to 4 days), or when you are buying through a reseller whose aftercare terms are weaker than Stannah’s own. Stannah’s reputation is genuinely earned over 150 years and across 700,000+ stairlifts installed worldwide. The premium pricing is real.

Who Stannah is

Stannah is a family-owned British engineering business, more than 150 years old and still owned by the Stannah family, now in its fifth generation. They moved into stairlifts in 1975 and have manufactured at their Andover headquarters in Hampshire ever since. Annual production runs into the tens of thousands of units.

Worth knowing: Stannah sells direct. Its own engineers install, and its own UK service branches handle warranty and post-warranty work. It also works with a small number of accredited distributors in the UK and Ireland, independent businesses that resell Stannah lifts under their own terms, so it is worth asking which one you are dealing with.

Stannah prices in 2026

Stannah publishes no price. Its pricing page names no figure, and the online stairlift builder its range page links to redirects to the homepage. Every figure below is a price published by a reseller, recorded with its source and capture date in our price tracker.

• Siena, straight, new: from £2,200 at My Mobility UK. Reconditioned from £1,800 at the same seller.
• Starla, straight, new: from £2,500 at My Mobility UK, or from £2,100 reconditioned.
• Starla, curved, new: from £4,195 at Dolphin Lifts, including installation and up to 5 metres of rail. Millercare lists a Siena on the curved 260 rail at £5,995.95.
• Stannah 600, the straight rail: £2,795 new and £1,695 nearly new at My Mobility UK.
• Stannah 260, the curved rail: £5,600 new at My Mobility UK, £3,995 in mint used condition and £3,695 nearly new.
• Reconditioned straight: £1,250 for an ST 950 and £1,695 for an ST 600 at Reconditioned Stairlift Prices, £1,395 at Millercare, and £750 for a 420 at GN Stairlifts when one is in stock.
• Rental: from £395 upfront plus £40 a month at GN Stairlifts.

Dolphin Lifts also states that the same Starla runs around £2,500 less on a straight staircase than on a curved one, which is the clearest published figure we have found for what the bend itself costs. Every price here is in our UK Stairlift Price Tracker with its source URL. None of them is a quote for your staircase.

Cross-reference: 2026 straight stairlift prices and curved prices.

Models and what they actually do

• JOYA: the newest chair, and the one Stannah is promoting hardest. Its page publishes no weight limit, no width and no dimension of any kind, which makes it the hardest lift in the UK market to compare against anything else.
• Siena: the mainstream chair. On straight stairs Stannah publishes 160kg, 25 stone, with a minimum 659mm in use and 344mm folded. Fitted to stairs with turns, the same chair drops to 120 to 135kg and needs 679mm.
• Starla: the customisable one, 32 fabric options and a shaped seat. 120 to 160kg on straight stairs at 654mm in use and 339mm folded, and 120 to 135kg at 679mm on stairs with turns.
• Sadler: a tilted seat for people who find sitting and standing painful. 135kg, fits a staircase from 650mm with the shorter footrest option, and needs 400mm of overrun at the top of the stairs. Stannah lists it under curved stairs rather than as a straight-stair perch lift.
• Outdoor: 135kg, 646mm in use and 332mm folded, with a protective cover and a keyswitch.

Stannah stairlift models and specifications

Stannah publishes a weight band and two minimum widths per chair, and nothing else. There is no stair angle, no travel speed, no rail length and no price anywhere on the range.

Read on stannah.com on 8 September 2026. Note that the curved version of a Stannah chair carries a lower weight limit than the straight version of the same chair, by as much as 40kg on the Starla. See how Stannah compares with every other UK maker in our stairlift model specifications table.

What the Stannah model numbers mean

Stannah no longer publishes model numbers, but the dealer and second-hand market runs on them, so a buyer comparing a Stannah 600 with a Stannah 260 has nothing official to check against. Across the reseller listings in our price tracker, and on independent dealer sites, the usage is consistent: 600 is the straight rail and 260 is the curved rail. The names are the chair, the numbers are the rail, which is why a Siena 600 is advertised as straight and a Siena 260 as curved. The 420 and the 950 are older straight models, and the Solus 420 is discontinued.

Three names still circulating are absent from Stannah’s current range: the Solus, the Sofia and the Sarum. If a seller offers you one as new, ask which current model it actually is.

Install speed and process

Stannah straight installs typically run 1 to 2 weeks from initial survey to fitted unit. Stannah surveys, the order goes to Andover, the rail is configured, the install is booked. Curved orders take 1 to 3 weeks longer because the rail is bespoke-manufactured for the specific staircase rather than assembled from modular sections.

Compared to Acorn’s 24 to 48-hour straight install, this is materially slower. The trade-off: the quote from a Stannah survey is provided in writing afterwards; you are typically not asked for a same-day decision. Households who dislike doorstep selling find Stannah’s process more comfortable for that reason alone.

Warranty and aftercare

Stannah’s standard warranty is 12 months on parts and labour with a generous 5-year warranty on the motor and gearbox. That motor cover is the longest base warranty in the mainstream UK market and reflects the company’s confidence in its powertrain. Extended warranties are available beyond year 1 at additional cost; Stannah also sells service contracts that bundle aftercare into a yearly plan.

Annual service contracts run £180 to £260 depending on the contract and whether emergency call-out is included. Stannah engineers will service Stannah units; most independents will also work on Stannah.

Customer service: direct, or through a distributor

Most Stannah buyers deal with Stannah itself. Stannah sells direct, its own engineers install, and its own UK service branches handle warranty and post-warranty work. The exception is buying through one of the small number of accredited distributors Stannah works with in the UK and Ireland. Stannah says these are independent businesses that resell Stannah products under their own terms, and that their service and warranty agreements may differ from those it offers its direct customers.

Practical advice: before you commit, ask whether you are buying from Stannah or from a distributor or reseller, who will service the lift, and whose warranty applies, and get the answers in writing. The same goes for a new or used Stannah offered by an independent seller. The factory and the engineering are the same either way; the service and warranty terms may not be.

When Stannah is the right call

• You will own the unit for 10+ years and want minimal mid-life trouble.
• A 5-year motor warranty matters to you (it should).
• Curved staircase with multiple turns or unusual angles where a bespoke rail beats modular.
• You dislike doorstep selling and want a separated survey-then-quote process.
• You value resale value (Stannah units depreciate slower; see stairlift depreciation).
• Heavy-duty needs above 25 stone. The highest limit Stannah publishes is 160kg, about 25 stone, on the Siena and the Starla for straight stairs, and it falls to 135kg once the same chair goes on stairs with turns. Above that, see our heavy-duty stairlift guide.

When Stannah is the WRONG call

• Tight budget: at £3,300+ for a Siena vs Acorn 130 from £1,995, the £1,000 to £1,500 gap is hard to justify if your staircase is straight and your stairlift will see modest daily use. Consider Acorn or a reconditioned Stannah from £1,400.
• Speed-critical: someone discharging from hospital next week needs an Acorn or a rental. Stannah cannot install in 48 hours.
• You are offered a Stannah by a reseller with weaker terms: a Stannah bought outside Stannah’s own channel may not carry Stannah’s own service and warranty terms. Check them in writing, or buy direct.
• Short-term need under 18 months: rent rather than buy. See our rental vs buying comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Are Stannah stairlifts overpriced?

Higher than Acorn, comparable to Handicare’s top-tier models. The premium pays for the 5-year motor warranty, the bespoke curved rail manufacturing, and Stannah’s own aftercare network. Whether that is “overpriced” depends on how long you plan to keep the unit. Over 10 years it usually works out cheaper per year than a budget unit replaced after 6.

How long do Stannah stairlifts last?

Typically 12 to 15 years with annual servicing. Stannah units have the longest realistic lifespan on the UK market; we still see well-maintained 1990s Stannahs running today.

Can I get a reconditioned Stannah?

Yes, through Stannah-approved reconditioners or independent specialists who buy returned units, refurbish, and re-sell with limited warranty. Straights from £1,400 fitted; curved reconditioned Stannahs are rarer because the rail is sized to the original staircase. See reconditioned stairlifts.

Will the council fund a Stannah through a DFG?

Yes if the OT specifies it. Some councils prefer Stannah on DFG installs because long-term reliability reduces re-call costs.

Does Stannah negotiate on price?

We have found no published evidence on how far Stannah moves on price. The cleanest lever is a written quote for a comparable lift from another maker, or for a reconditioned Stannah from an independent seller, so you know what the alternatives cost before you negotiate.

Cross-links

• Stairlift companies overview
• Acorn stairlifts review
• Handicare stairlifts review
• Stannah vs Acorn head-to-head
• Curved stairlifts overview
• Reconditioned stairlifts
• What Stannah resellers publish about prices: the UK Stairlift Price Tracker

This review is independent and not paid placement. Stairlift Costs UK earns commission only when a reader who buys a Stannah unit does so through one of our partner suppliers; we earn nothing on Stannah purchases through other channels. See our full disclosure for the partner list.

Compare other stairlift brands

• Acorn stairlifts review
• Handicare stairlifts review
• Brooks stairlifts review
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• Bruno stairlifts review
• Thyssenkrupp stairlifts review
• Companion stairlifts review
• Halton stairlifts review

This article was written in accordance with our editorial policy. Prices and grant figures are checked regularly but may change. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Claire Ashworth Managing Editor

Claire Ashworth is the Managing Editor of Stairlift Costs, an independent UK guide to stairlift pricing, grants, and installation. She has spent over four years researching and writing about mobility equipment, interviewing installers, and analysing stairlift quotes to help homeowners make informed decisions. Claire oversees all editorial content and ensures pricing data is verified against real installer quotes each quarter.

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