Acorn 120 Stair Lift Review

For many individuals with home mobility issues, a two-story home can be more of a burden than a luxury. But stair lifts are a novel way to expand the accessibility to all floors for home owners with leg problems. Often referred to by its manufacturer as The Cadillac of Straight Electric Stair Lifts, Acorn Stair lifts have established themselves as a dependable brand in all their years of operation. It only goes to reason that their top selling unit, the Acorn 120 Stair Lift, would display all the capabilities and potential their lofty advertising implies.

The Acorn Superglide 120 is a stair life often singled-out for its DC power source, running on a 15 volt, rechargeable battery. This means not only is their no danger of the fully-charged chair not being able to work if your power goes out, but also that there is no main line voltage running to the operating parts of the chair (this eliminates the risk of electric shock in the case of faulty wiring). Also, unlike other stair lifts that have four or six chassis rollers and a box rail, the Superglide 120 has 8 rollers and a double tube rail profile. This provides for smoother, more luxurious, more stable and quieter than normal ride quality since the extra rollers give it four times than normal surface contact area during lifts. It also has a padded seat and backrest, a safety belt, fold-up seat, arms & footrests, a lifetime warranty, 2 hand-held remotes, and a 300 lb weight capacity standard (350 lb available as Heavy Duty option)

When it comes to safety features, the Superglide 120 includes electronic and mechanical braking systems, limit sensors (which enable the stair lift to come to a soft stop in the correct position), a mechanical joystick fitted to the seat arm, a swivel seat with locking catch, 5 surfaces / edges that stop the stair lift in event of a collision with any possible obstruction on the stairway and a digital status display that lets you know if the stairlift is suffering a fault of any kind. The stair lift is often custom-built, and measurements and specification from the measuring guide will be necessary to complete any orders. That is where potential issues could arise.

If installation is done properly and the unit is kept charged when not in use, most consumer reports are highly positive. It does come with a lifetime warranty (with as the motor and gear box being covered for the life of the original owner) and Acorn service techs are often reported as diligent when maintenance issues arise. But those who report a smooth installation and properly use the Superglide 120 with regularly yearly maintenance scheduled often report little to no issues with the stair lift. Its those who experience bad installations or dont charge the chair regularly who have reported bad batteries, malfunctioning computer panels and slow ascents and descents along longer stairways with users who come closer to the 300 lb. weight limit.

There were also concerns about the consistency of maintenance service technicians being dispatched. Some users reported prompt service while other claimed they called the manufacture and were ensured assistance within 24 hours they didnt have a technician come out until a week later. Acorns reception staff is often very cordial and polite, but the quality of their technicians can be lacking in some smaller communities. It all depends on how the estimate and pre-measurements by the installation representative are communicated to the actual installation technician. As long as the installation is well done, the Stairglide 120 should perform exactly as advertised.