For anyone with mobility issues, climbing up and down the stairs can simply be impossible. You feel trapped in your own home and this can be debilitating for anyone. Thankfully, a lift for stairs can eliminate this issue once and for all. Here's a look at how to select a stairway lift and what you should know.

Stairway chair lifts come in several different makes and models, but mainly operate one of two ways. Either they are mounted directly to your wall against the stairway, or they are mounted on the actual steps leading up and down. In most cases it makes better sense to have a system mounted to your steps because of strength and structural issues.

What tends to happen with models installed to the wall is that the unit can often come apart from the wall. This can occur when your home settles or from just poor support. The other problem with a wall mounted lift is when a home has a curved staircase. The walls will not curve with the stairs, making it difficult to get the lift mounted.

Most chair lifts operate on electrical power, with many having a battery backup. I would highly recommend this with any unit. You never know when you're going to lose power and when you do, the lift becomes inoperable. Having a battery backup means you'll have no interruption in service and being able to get to the upper rooms of your home.

Another aspect of chair lifts to keep in mind is the seat. Look for seats that not only have a higher weight capacity, but also swivel for ease of use. This makes it so much easier in setting down and getting back up.

The key point in selecting a stairway lift chair system is to take your time and do the research on various makes and models. I would encourage you to speak with different companies and even get some estimates from them in person. They can also provide for the installation of the lift and get everything set up for you.