Battery versus Electric Powered Stair Lifts

I formed SILVER CROSS over 15 years ago and have not changed my opinion that an electric powered stair lift is more reliable than a battery operated stair lift.  The key reasons why I say this are the following: 

1. Batteries eventually die and you can not predict when this will happen.  

2. Your furnace, air conditioner, fridge and stove are most likely run by electricity.  You count on these appliances just as much as you would count on a stair lift.  So, why choose a battery operated stair lift over an electric powered stair lift?  It does not make sense.

3. The stair lift manufacturer’s that insist that their battery operated stair lifts are more quiet and more reliable than electric powered stair lifts have an agenda to push their stairlift models.  

4. Battery operated stair lifts rely on electricity to  power the battery charger.  If electricity goes out in your home, the stair lift charger will not get power and your stair lift will not work after a few runs up and down your stairs.

5. Most stair lift batteries will die unless you charge the batteries every few weeks.

On the other side of this opinion, battery operated stair lifts now dominate the marketplace and there are only a few stair lift models that are electric powered.  

If you plan to use the stair lift for less than two years, and plan to charge them weekly, then a battery operated stair lift is fine.