Battery backup stairlifts: do you need one?
You usually already have it. Current household stairlifts run on batteries in the chair. A wall outlet only keeps those batteries topped up. When the house power dies, the chair keeps moving until the charge runs down.
Need A Stairlift does not sell, install, rent, or service stairlifts. We collect competing installer quotes for you, free. Installers never get your last name, phone, or email.
How the batteries work
Stannah says both straight and curved lifts use batteries that take a constant charge from a nearby outlet. The motor is 24-volt DC. Two 12V VRLA batteries sit in series. Typical packs are 7.4 Ah. Stairs longer than about 39 feet, or heavy duty models, use 12 Ah packs instead.
Bruno's 2026 guide is the same layout: two 12v batteries. On a Bruno indoor straight lift, they charge wherever the chair stops along the rail. The charger plugs into a standard 110v outlet at the top or bottom. LEDs show red, green, and yellow.
On a Bruno Elite curved lift, charging happens when the chair is parked at the top or bottom. Split-level homes can add a mid-rail charge point.
Savaria splits those two styles. Some models charge only at the ends of the rail. Others use constant or continuous charging anywhere on the rail. The Handicare 1100 charges along the whole rail. The K2 and Handicare 1000 charge at the top and bottom. The K2 can add continuous charging as an option.
Stannah's rail page matches that split. Straight rails have a charging strip, so the chair can park anywhere. Curved rails use a charge contact at the top or bottom. Park off that contact and the chair beeps.
How many trips in a power cut
Makers do not promise a number of hours. They talk in trips, and those trips depend on stair length, angle, rider weight, and battery condition.
Bruno says an indoor straight lift typically manages 10 to 15 round trips in an outage. An outdoor straight Bruno is listed the same way: 10 to 15 round trips.
Stannah says a full charge is typically good for around 15 to 20 trips up and down. Its battery page repeats at least 15 to 20 rides.
Savaria and Handicare stay vaguer. The K2, 1100, and 1000 pages all say the lift will provide several up and down trips if household power fails. Savaria's home-accessibility guide says the same: several trips during a power failure.
If you need a number on the quote, ask for that model's published trip count. "Several" is not a plan.
What to do when the lights go out
Use the chair for the trips you actually need.
Stannah tells you to turn the isolator switch off between rides in a long outage, then turn it back on to move. After power returns, park on a charge point and leave it there so the pack can refill. If you had switched the isolator off, switch it back on.
Bruno's storage advice is a separate case. If a straight indoor Bruno will sit unused for a long stretch, Bruno says turn off the carriage breaker and unplug the charger, then recharge to a green LED before you ride again. That is for unused time, not for an outage you still need to ride through.
Do not leave a curved lift parked off the charge contacts. Stannah says that is how packs die early. Batteries are listed at about 3 to 5 years if you park on charge. Slow travel, short stops, or a pack that will not take a charge are the usual signs the cells are done. Replacement belongs with a technician.
What to compare on quotes
Battery backup is not usually a paid extra on a current chair. The differences that do show up on quotes:
- Continuous charge on the rail versus charge contacts only at the ends
- A mid-rail charge point on a split staircase
- Whether the charger location is already in the price, or you need a new outlet
- Who replaces batteries, and whether that labor is in the warranty
Need A Stairlift gathers those quotes from companies that cover your ZIP code, free. Start a quote request. They see city, stair photos, and rider details that affect fit. They do not get your last name, phone, or email. You read the email, then you call the company you want, with the quote number.
A national brand can still quote $7,000 or more for a straight lift that a local installer prices for much less. Our FAQ has that comparison point. Ask each quote how the batteries charge and what the maker says happens in a power cut. More on upkeep is in stairlift maintenance.