What is the Difference Between a Vertical Platform Lift and a Stiltz Home Elevator?

During the research process when looking for an assisted living or mobility product such as a residential elevator, many people may ask themselves what is the difference between a vertical platform lift and a Stiltz Home Elevator?

While the VPL is an improvement in terms of space-saving, when compared with the traditional and outdated stair lift, Stiltz residential elevators really do have so much more to offer overall. Here’s why:-

1. Outdoor Use Vs Indoor Use
Vertical platform lifts are primarily designed for outdoor use, meaning the materials used are hard wearing and durable as they are designed to withstand the elements. Stiltz elevator lifts, however, from its inception, were designed to be part of the family home. With this in mind, it is created with elegant and refined materials, to address a practical solution, in the most attractive way possible for use inside the home.

2. Industrial Vs Elegant
The Stiltz Home Elevator is designed to work with your interior design rather than against it. The vertical platform lift historically was mainly for commercial use, so it is clunky and industrial. Residential elevators by Stiltz, on the other hand, are capsule-shaped, ergonomic and finished in a chic neutral colorway.

3. Slow Vs Fast
The Stiltz Home Elevator travels between floors in under 30 seconds which is a massive plus point. The vertical platform lift is well-known for being particularly slow. In addition to the advantage of speed, the Stiltz Trio Wheelchair Lift comfortably accommodates a regular wheelchair, and also suits people using walkers, rollators, crutches or canes, as well as anyone who lives with heart issues or emphysema, where the effort of the stairs can prove a challenge.

4. Noisy Vs Quiet
Whisper-quiet in motion, the Stiltz residential elevator glides between levels. It is a very smooth and almost silent ride, when compared with the crunching, grinding output of the vertical platform lift. When outdoors, the VPL noise output would not be a problem, but the gentle electrical operation of the Stiltz elevator is far superior when used within the family home.

5. No Added Value Vs Adding Value
Many of our customers have told us that when they come to sell their home, their Stiltz elevator is giving them a distinct advantage and it is actually adding value to their home. It is a practical investment that is already established and in place, and it is proving to be extremely appealing to prospective house buyers. The same cannot, necessarily, be said about vertical platform lifts unless there is a specific need by the homebuyer for such a device.

6. Cumbersome Vs Compact
The VPL is not a natural choice for indoors, as it is cumbersome and awkward. By its very nature the lift is complicated, making it inefficient as a working but discreet part of the household. The Stiltz residential elevator, namely the Duo Home Elevator, by comparison, is designed with a compact footprint, to protect precious floorspace, yet – the Trio – will still comfortably fit a standard-sized wheelchair and its weight capacity even allows for an additional passenger to travel up.