A home lift (Home Elevator) does more than add comfort for everyone in the family — it is also a key solution that helps people with disabilities and older adults go about daily life more independently and more safely. That said, choosing a home lift for a person with a disability means weighing up several factors so that it genuinely fits the way it will be used. This article shares the 5 essential tips you should know before you decide to buy a wheelchair lift
1. Pick the Right Type of Wheelchair Lift
The Cibes Cloud Plus Home Lift — the only home lift designed specifically for people with visual impairments, complete with Braille for everyday use
Home lifts for people with disabilities come in several types, each designed around a specific need:
- Platform Lift: ideal for wheelchairs, with a generous floor area that travels up and down between levels
- Stair lift (Stairlift): installed along the staircase, ideal for homes without enough room for a conventional lift
- Hydraulic lift (Hydraulic Lift): smooth in operation, ideal for homes that value quiet
Choose the type of lift that matches your home and the way it will actually be used. If the user relies on a wheelchair, for example, pick a lift with enough floor space and easy entry and exit.
Why Is Cibes Lift the Best Home Lift for People with Disabilities?
- Cibes Lift needs no lift pit , comes with its own lift shaft , is a machine-room-less lift , is easy to style to suit any building, comes in a wide choice of sizes, takes only 3-7 days to install and is remarkably space-saving — the smallest model needs just 1 sq.m. and the largest almost 5 sq.m. — and it can be installed indoors or outdoors
- We offer several lift types to choose from: cabin lifts (Cabin), platform lifts (Platform), *half-height wheelchair lifts, and extra-large lifts big enough for a hospital bed (Cibes Extra)
- Cibes wheelchair lifts can be installed without disturbing the main structure of the building; in most cases only minor structural reinforcement is required (depending on each individual site)
- Cibes Lift suits installation both inside and outside the building, making it ideal for detached houses, duplex condominiums, a Penthouse , houses with a basement, public buildings, healthcare facilities and nursing homes
- Cibes Lift wheelchair lifts, or disabled-access lifts, travel anywhere from 0-20 metres, or around 6 floors, in line with the European safety standard EN81-41 and Thai law
*Half-height wheelchair lift: Cibes Lift does not currently sell this model officially in Thailand, but you are welcome to speak with our sales team, who can recommend other lift types with similar features and better value in everyday use.
2. Put Safety First When Using a Home Lift for People with Disabilities
When it comes to home lifts designed for people with disabilities, safety is the heart of the matter — and Cibes Lift is one brand that takes it particularly seriously. Every Cibes lift is designed and manufactured to international safety standards and comes with a complete set of features that make everyday use safer, as follows:
Take, for example, Cibes Cloud Plus , a luxury screw-driven platform lift. Let’s look at what makes it so safe to use.
Cibes Cloud Plus
Cibes Cloud Plus — a lift designed to answer technical constraints, aesthetics and real-world use all at once
1. Sensor System (Safety Edge)
Cibes Lift comes with an intelligent sensor system fitted around the travel area, detecting obstacles the moment they appear. If an object or a person is in the lift’s path, the system stops immediately to reduce the risk of an accident. It is a feature that is especially reassuring in homes with small children, older adults or pets.
2. Emergency Stop System
If someone becomes trapped inside, there is no cause for concern: the Cibes Cloud Plus home lift comes with an emergency rescue key that lets a family member open the lift door and help the person out straight away, with no need to wait for a technician and no need to force the door. The emergency key works on every floor so help can reach the person immediately, and it was developed specifically for home lifts.
3. Backup Battery for Power Dips and Outages
Cibes Lift comes with a backup power system (Battery) that keeps the lift running for a short period during a power cut, so users can move the lift to a safe floor instead of being stranded. If the power dips or fails while the lift is in use, the backup battery takes over: the lift automatically travels down to the nearest floor and the doors open so the user can step out safely. Until mains power returns, the lift stays out of service — because if the system allowed continued use and the backup battery ran flat before the mains came back, the lift would shut down automatically and someone could end up trapped. The backup battery recharges itself from the mains once household power is restored, which gives users a great deal of confidence in the lift’s safety.
3. Choose the Right Size and Design for People with Disabilities
The Cibes Uno Home Lift comes in as many as 41 sizes and features a High-back control panel design standing up to 1300 mm tall
Our entry-level Cibes Lift home lift measures 1000 x 900 mm (1 square metre) and carries 1 passenger. So let’s look at the sizes Cibes home lifts are available in, and how to choose the one that best suits the way you will use it.
Home Lift Size for a Family of 3
We recommend 1000 x 1300 mm or larger, so the whole family is comfortable over the long term.
Home Lift Size for Wheelchair Users, Older Adults and People with Disabilities
For older adults, wheelchair users and people with disabilities, we recommend 1600 x 1400 mm, the standard size set out in the ministerial regulation “Prescribing Facilities in Buildings for Wheelchair Users, Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, B.E. 2548”. As the image below shows, however, for household use you can start at 1000 x 930 mm, the entry size for a folding wheelchair.
4. Check the Budget and Work Out the Maintenance Costs
Cibes Lift is a home lift that delivers on convenience and safety while keeping costs within a sensible budget. Standout qualities such as an energy-efficient system, modest lift maintenance costs and outstanding after-sales service make Cibes Lift a worthwhile choice for anyone looking to invest in a high-quality home lift. Choosing Cibes Lift not only improves quality of life for everyone in the family, it also helps you manage your budget efficiently without worrying about hidden costs down the line.
5. Choose a Home Lift Supplier You Can Trust
A map showing the locations of Cibes’ 4 factories serving customers around the world
Cibes Lift has specialised in manufacturing screw-driven home lifts since 1947 and has now been selling them for more than 79 years. We have over a thousand employees across branches and sales offices throughout Europe and Asia, together with more than 200 partners worldwide, all working towards our new goals side by side. With 4 factories around the globe today, you can be confident that Cibes Lift is a company you can rely on, with spare parts and an after-sales team supporting customers for many years to come — and with genuine care for every lift user, whether an older adult, a wheelchair user or a person with a disability.
