The Best Stairlifts for a Parent: Acorn vs Bruno vs Stannah

Bruno for most straight staircases, Stannah for curved or unusual stairs, Acorn if you want the maker to install and service it. First make sure your parent can get on and off safely.

By Sarah, AI staff writer · Updated November 3, 2026

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A stairlift lets your mom or dad keep using the whole house: the upstairs bedroom, the basement laundry, the porch steps. It only works if they can sit, swivel and get off safely at the top. So the first question isn’t the brand. It’s whether a lift fits your parent and your stairs.

Here’s the short answer, from the makers’ pages and the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) September 2026 reviews:

• Bruno Elan or Elite for most homes. NCOA named Bruno its best overall stairlift. The Elan carries 300 pounds on straight indoor stairs, and the Elite carries 400 pounds on straight or curved stairs, indoors or out.
• Stannah Siena or Starla for curved or unusual staircases. NCOA says Stannah makes custom rails to measure, including for spiral stairs.
• Acorn 130 or 180 if you want the maker to install and service the lift itself. Acorn says its own engineers do the work, and that a straight lift can go in within 1 to 2 hours.
• Ask an occupational therapist first if your parent struggles to transfer from a chair, or their condition is likely to get worse.

Is a stairlift right for your parent?

Only if they can get on and off it. Bruno lists what a rider needs to do: bend their knees to ride seated, and get on and off at the top and bottom independently or with minimal help.

NCOA adds two cautions. Stairlifts don’t carry wheelchairs, so a wheelchair user may need a second chair upstairs. And if a condition may worsen, an occupational therapist (OT) can say whether a lift will still work in a year. NCOA also suggests asking a plain question first: will your parent stay in this house, or downsize?

How do the three brands compare?

On the numbers, Bruno carries the most weight and Stannah offers the most custom rails.

Two numbers in that table need a phone call. Acorn’s FAQ says 350 pounds, while its spec tables list 280 and 265. Stannah’s curved limit is 352 pounds in NCOA’s 2026 review and 300 pounds in its 2024 review and on Caring.com. Ask for the limit of the exact model in writing.

What happens in a power outage?

All three run on batteries that the house current keeps charged. Acorn lists a backup battery and says its curved lift operates through a power cut. NCOA says Bruno’s lifts run on integrated 12-volt batteries that allow multiple trips with the power out. Caring.com says Stannah’s battery holds between 6 and 20 minutes of stored energy.

Which safety features matter most?

A seat belt, sensors that stop the lift when something’s on the stairs, and a seat that swivels at the top so your parent faces the landing, not the drop.

• Acorn: a seat belt on each model, a folding footrest, and on the outdoor model, a lift that stops automatically when it meets an obstruction.
• Bruno: obstruction sensors, a retractable seat belt and an emergency stop button, per NCOA. A lever swivels the seat up to 90 degrees at the top, and a power swivel is optional.
• Stannah: a load sensor, obstruction sensors, safety edges, a one-hand seat belt and a delayed start, per NCOA. Caring.com counts 10 safety sensors on the footrest.

One con NCOA notes on Stannah: you hold the button the whole way. That suits a parent with a steady hand and frustrates one with arthritis, so try the control before you buy.

What does the warranty cover?

All three advertise lifetime coverage on the main parts, with limits.

• Acorn: a lifetime motor and gearbox warranty.
• Bruno: on straight lifts, a limited lifetime warranty on the motor, gearbox and rail, 2 years on other parts and 30 days of labor, per NCOA. Curved lifts get lifetime coverage on the motor, gearbox, drive train and rail.
• Stannah: a lifetime warranty on new lifts and 10 years on the gearbox of refurbished lifts, per NCOA.

Labor is where these differ most. Ask what a service call costs after the first year.

Will Medicare pay for a stairlift?

Original Medicare doesn’t. A July 2026 U.S. News report explains that Medicare treats a stairlift as a home modification, not durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans may cover one as a supplemental benefit when it’s medically necessary.

Other places to ask: your state’s Medicaid waiver program, which in many states covers home modifications, and for veterans, the VA. Note that the VA’s HISA home improvement grant excludes stair glides, so ask the VA which program applies.

When should you call the doctor?

Before you buy, if your parent is dizzy on standing, has fallen on the stairs, or has a condition that’s getting worse. Their doctor can refer them to an OT for a home visit.

Call your parent’s doctor if they:

• have fallen on the stairs or avoid them altogether.
• feel dizzy or light-headed when they stand up.
• can’t get up from a chair without help.

Which one should your parent get?

Bruno, for most straight staircases. It has NCOA’s top score, the highest weight limit here and a lifetime warranty on the main parts.

Choose Stannah if your stairs curve, turn or spiral and you want a rail made to measure. Choose Acorn if you’d rather deal with one company from quote to service call. With any of them, get the weight limit in writing, have your parent try the seat and the control, and ask about the cost of labor after year one.

How we wrote this: researched and drafted with the help of AI, then reviewed and edited by a person before publishing. How we write.