Choosing a Patient Lift

Patient lifts are an integral part of the home care setting.  They make transfers and daily activities easier and they help eliminate injury both to the caregiver and to the patient.  SpinLife carries the top brands including Bestcare, Drive patient lifts and Invacare patient lifts.

SpinLife carries a full selection of patient lifts, both manual and battery-powered.  We also offer a comprehensive variety of slings, although we only show the most basic and popular slings on our website.  If your patient sling needs are more specific, please give us a call at 1-800-850-0335 for help selecting the best sling to meet your needs. 

Manual Patient Lifts - These lifts are manual and completely operated by the caregiver. They have hydraulic actuators to raise and lower the person in the lift. The legs at the base of the lift can be widened or narrowed by manually leveraging the handle and bar connected to the base of the lift. These lifts are appropriate when cost is a significant factor, the situation doesn't allow easy access to a power source, or if the patient lift is used for transferring the patient from one room to another.

Power Patient Lifts - These patient lifts are powered either through a standard electrical outlet or by a rechargeable battery. The lifting is achieved through a hand control, eliminating any physical exertion by the caregiver. The legs at the base of the lift can be widened or narrowed by manually leveraging the handle and bar connected to the base of the lift. Some power patient lifts have power bases which allow the legs to be opened or closed with the hand control. All of these models have manual back-up in case of power failure.

Stand-Up Patient Lifts - Stand-Up patient lifts assist users rising from a chair, bed, or seated position to a standing position. Stand-Up patient lifts are not intended for transport, but to aid in standing, strengthening the legs, and assisting in walking or gait training. Stand-Up lifts can also aid in lowering users from a standing position to a sitting surface or onto a commode. Users of Stand-Up lifts must be able to bear at least 80% of their own weight in a standing position. The slings used for Stand-Up patient lifts will either support only the user’s lower back or their bottom and lower back. Stand-Up patient lifts can be either power or manual. Manual models will require an attendant to help raise the user to a standing position by pushing down on a bar where the sling attaches. Power Stand-Up lifts will raise the user with a hand control. The battery unit supplying the power can be recharged. The legs on the lift can be opened for stability or closed for passage through a doorway or narrow opening.

Heavy Duty Patient Lifts - These patient lifts are designed to bear a safe working load of 400 lbs. to 700 lbs. These heavy duty/high weight patient lifts feature all the same benefits and options as the power patient lifts just with higher weight capacities. With several models featuring swing away arms, these lifts can double as gait and strength training for the user.

Professional Patient Lifts - Professional Patient Lifts are lifts designed to be ergonomic for the user and engineered to use superior technology including auto weight shutoffs, battery backups and scales. These lifts undergo third-party testing to ensure they meet industry established safe-handling requirements. These are the lifts most commonly used in hospitals, and care facilities. The homecare user will benefit from these lifts by experiencing a safer and more intuitive operation.

Overhead Track Lifts -Overhead track lifts require overhead track systems. These tracks can be permanently installed with hardware, or pressure fitted to keep the integrity of the walls and ceiling. Overhead track lifts feature simple onboard controls and are battery powered. Being connected to an overhead track, the worry of maneuvering your patient lift around furniture or other obstacles is gone. These patient lifts are ideal if space in a homecare setting is limited, or if the lift will be used in multiple rooms.

Patient Lift Accessories - Don't forget to get a sling for your lift.  These are sold separately because there are a wide variety of slings to meet all transfer needs.  Contact customer service if you require a specialty sling.  We carry the full lines of patient lift slings from Invacare, Proactive, and Liko.

Will I be charged sales tax?
SpinLife is required to collect sales tax for items shipped to certain states. Please click here: Sales Tax Info to see if your state is on the list.

Is shipping free?
Yes, if your order is over $50,  it will ship for free. (Orders over $50 always ship for free everyday at SpinLife.)

What if something goes wrong with my patient lift?
SpinLife is here to support you throughout the life of your purchase.  We honor all manufacturers warranties.  If you run into trouble, give us a call and we will get it taken care of.

What if I want to return my patient lift?
SpinLife wants you to completely satisfied with your purchase.  If it arrives and it is not what you thought or does not meet your needs, you are free to return it as long as it is in new condition and the original packaging.  The only thing we require is that you pay freight to return the purchased item. Make your choice carefully, patient lifts are heavy so the freight costs to return them can be expensive. Please see our Return Policy for complete details.