Types of Home Lifts Compared – Which Is Right for Your Home?
Once you’ve decided to make moving between levels easier, the next question is often less obvious: which type of lift is right for your home? A few entrance steps call for a very different solution from three storeys or wheelchair access.
This guide compares platform lifts, cabin lifts, through-floor lifts, stairlifts, platform stairlifts, and step lifts, helping you understand which could suit your property, available space, and longer-term plans.
Home Lift Types at a Glance
Different lift types solve different access challenges. Some travel vertically between several floors, while others follow the staircase or overcome a small change in level. This quick comparison shows where each option generally fits before we look at them in more detail.
| Lift type | How it travels | Typically suited to | Key consideration |
| Home platform lift | Vertically between floors | Everyday access throughout the home | Needs a suitable vertical position through the property |
| Cabin lift | Vertically between floors | An enclosed, conventional lift experience | Installation differs from self-contained platform lifts |
| Through-floor lift | Through an opening between floors | Direct access between two levels | Typically serves a more limited layout |
| Stairlift | Along the staircase | Seated users who can transfer safely | Doesn’t provide wheelchair access |
| Platform stairlift | Along the staircase | Wheelchair access using the existing stairs | Stair width and configuration must be suitable |
| Step lift | Vertically over a short rise | Entrances, terraces, and split levels | Intended for smaller changes in height |
The right choice depends on the property, the levels you need to connect, and how the lift will be used.
1. Home Platform Lifts – A Flexible Option Between Floors
A home platform lift travels vertically between floors within its own enclosed structure. The platform and control wall move together, while the surrounding shaft remains stationary. Unlike a conventional passenger lift, there is no separate moving cabin around the user.
For your home, one of the main advantages is that these lifts can be relatively straightforward to accommodate. They are self-contained, with the shaft supplied as part of the system, and don’t require a separate machine room. This can make them suitable for existing homes as well as extensions, renovations, and new builds.
Home platform lifts can serve two or more floors and accommodate wheelchair users, making them a practical option for long-term access throughout the home. They can also be considerably more compact than many people expect. The smallest models occupy roughly the space of an airing cupboard or wardrobe, opening up possibilities in properties where floor space is limited.
The key consideration is finding a suitable vertical route through each level. Our guide to where a home lift can be installed looks at this in more detail, while compact home lift options are worth exploring if space is a particular concern.
2. Cabin Lifts – When You Want a More Conventional Lift Experience
A cabin lift offers a more familiar lift experience, with passengers travelling inside a fully enclosed moving cabin. This makes it closer in feel to the passenger lifts commonly found in hotels and blocks of flats, while still being designed for residential use.
These models use machine-room-less electric traction technology, with the equipment contained within the shaft rather than requiring a separate machine room. They can serve multiple floors and offer automatic telescopic doors, alongside smooth starts and stops and quiet operation. This can make a cabin lift particularly appealing when the lift is being incorporated into a substantial renovation or new-build project.
Platform Lift vs Cabin Lift (What’s the Difference?)
With a platform lift, you travel on a platform within a stationary enclosure. With a cabin lift, the entire enclosed cabin travels between floors.
Both can provide access across multiple levels, so the choice depends less on accessibility alone and more on your home’s layout, available space, preferred experience, and the type of installation you’re planning.
3. Through-Floor Lifts – Direct Travel Between Two Floors
A through-floor lift travels vertically through a purpose-made opening in the floor, typically providing direct access between two levels. Rather than moving inside a permanent enclosed shaft, as many platform and cabin lifts do, the lift unit itself travels between its upper and lower positions.
This type of lift can work well when access is only needed between two floors, particularly when retrofitting an existing property and there is a suitable route between two rooms.
The layout needs careful consideration:
- Where can the necessary floor opening be created?
- How will the lift affect usable space in both rooms?
- Can you accommodate the necessary building work?
- Will access between two floors continue to meet your needs in the years ahead?
4. Stairlifts – A Simple Solution When the Stairs Are Still Suitable
A conventional stairlift carries a person in a seat along a rail fitted to the staircase. It can be a useful choice for someone who can transfer safely onto and off the seat, mainly needs help with one staircase, and doesn’t need to remain in a wheelchair while travelling.
There are some longer-term practicalities to consider:
- The stairs remain the route between floors, and transferring on and off the seat may become more difficult if mobility changes.
- Wheelchairs or walking aids may also be needed at both levels.
- Unlike a vertical home lift, a seated stairlift isn’t intended for carrying larger everyday items between floors – one of the everyday uses of a home lift beyond accessibility that can influence the decision.
Gartec does not supply conventional seated stairlifts. These are distinct from the wheelchair platform stairlifts covered next.
5. Platform Stairlifts – Wheelchair Access Along the Staircase
A platform stairlift isn’t simply a larger version of a conventional seated stairlift. Instead of a chair, it uses a platform designed to carry a wheelchair and its user along the existing staircase.
Platform stairlifts are suitable for straight staircases, including configurations with a landing, and can be used for internal and external access. The platform folds away when parked, helping to reduce the space it occupies on the stairs.
This type of lift is particularly relevant for wheelchair users where the existing staircase can accommodate the system. Rather than creating a new vertical route through the property, it makes the staircase itself accessible.
A useful question when comparing your options is: do you want to make the existing staircase accessible, or create an alternative route between floors? The answer can help narrow the choice between a platform stairlift and a vertical home lift.
6. Step Lifts – For Entrances, Terraces, and Small Changes in Level
Not every lift needs to travel between storeys. A step lift is a short-rise vertical platform lift designed to overcome smaller changes in level, providing an alternative where steps create a barrier and a ramp may require too much space.
They can be used for front entrances, raised patios and terraces, decks, and split-level areas inside the home. Platform step lifts are suitable for both internal and external settings, making them useful for addressing specific access challenges around a property.
The distinction from other home lift types is straightforward: a step lift solves a localised access problem, while a home platform or cabin lift provides movement between floors. If the main challenge is a raised entrance or a few steps rather than access throughout the home, a step lift may therefore be the more appropriate solution.
So, Which Type of Lift Is Right for Your Home?
There is no single lift type that suits every property. The right choice starts with understanding the access problem you need to solve, both now and in the future.
How Many Levels Do You Need to Connect?
For a few entrance steps or a small change in level, a step lift may be sufficient. If the staircase itself needs to remain the route between floors, a seated or platform stairlift could work. For access across several floors, a vertical platform or cabin lift is likely to be more relevant.
Will the User Remain in a Wheelchair?
This can quickly narrow the options. A conventional seated stairlift requires the user to transfer on and off the seat. Platform stairlifts and suitable vertical lifts can accommodate wheelchair users without that transfer.
How Much Space Is Available?
Limited space doesn’t necessarily rule out a vertical lift. There are small home lift options for compact properties, but finding the right position is crucial.
Are You Solving Today’s Problem or Planning for Later Life?
Think about how your requirements could change. Planning how your home will work in later life may lead you towards a different solution than addressing one immediate access difficulty.
How Do You Want the Lift to Fit Into the Home?
Platform and cabin lifts create a vertical route through the home, while stairlifts follow the existing staircase. Available space, layout, appearance, and the level of alteration you’re comfortable with should all inform the final decision.
Professional Advice Can Be Useful
Our team can assess your property and requirements, explain the suitable options, and advise on installation and ongoing servicing. The aim is to find a lift that works for your home rather than simply choosing a particular type.
Have You Found Your Type?
There is no single lift for every home. The right option depends on the levels you need to connect, who will use it, and how your needs may change. Start with your home and how you want to use it, then find the lift that fits.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the difference between a platform lift and a cabin lift? | With a platform lift, you travel on a platform within an enclosed structure. A cabin lift has a fully enclosed moving cabin, creating an experience closer to a conventional passenger lift. Both can provide access between multiple floors. |
| What is the difference between a home lift and a through-floor lift? | A home platform or cabin lift typically provides a permanent vertical route between floors. A through-floor lift travels through a purpose-made opening, commonly connecting two levels directly without the same type of permanent enclosed shaft. |
| Is a home lift better than a stairlift? | Neither is universally better. A seated stairlift can suit someone who can transfer safely and primarily needs help using the stairs. A vertical home lift may be more appropriate for wheelchair access, multiple floors, or broader everyday use around the home. |
| Can a platform lift carry a wheelchair? | Yes. Home platform lifts can be designed to accommodate a wheelchair and its user, providing vertical access between floors without requiring the user to transfer to a separate seat. |
| Which type of lift takes up the least space? | It depends on the property and the access problem. Stair-mounted solutions use space along an existing staircase, while vertical lifts require a suitable position through the home. Compact home platform lifts are available specifically for properties where floor space is limited. |