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Types of Patient Lifts: Which One Do You Need?

One question decides it: can they bear any weight on their legs? Watch the video or read on for the three kinds of lift, what names like PL350H mean, and five safety rules.

By the Dansons Medical team 11 min read
Types of Patient Lifts: Which One Do You Need?
In this article6 sections
  1. Start here: can they bear any weight?
  2. How to read a lift’s model name
  3. Bariatric and ceiling lifts
  4. Five safety rules before you lift
  5. Cost, insurance and a second opinion
  6. Questions about patient lifts

Here from YouTube? Every lift in the video is listed just under the player, with the minute it comes up. Jump to the lifts.

Every lift in the video
Sorted by how much weight the person can bear on their legs, with the minute each one comes up.
They can stand, with something to hold
Standing aid

Start here: can they bear any weight?

How much strength someone has in their legs decides what kind of equipment they need, and that need changes as their health and mobility change. Patient lift equipment falls into three groups: standing aids, stand assists and full-body patient lifts.

Standing aid: they can stand, with something to hold

If your loved one still has decent leg strength and balance but needs a little help pulling up safely, start with a standing aid. Standing aids have no motors or pumps, which makes them the most affordable option. They give the person something sturdy to hold so they can pull themselves up with their own strength. That keeps their leg muscles working and protects them from slips and falls.

The Bestcare STA450 holds up to 450 lb. It gives the person a secure place to hold on and rest their knees while you roll them from the bed to a chair or the toilet.

Stand assist: some strength, and a machine to help

When someone can support only part of their weight, they need a stand assist, also called a sit-to-stand lift. It’s built for people with partial leg strength and good control of their head and upper body. Instead of wrapping the whole body, it uses a simple strap around the torso. As the machine lifts, the person pushes up with their legs as much as they can, and the machine does the rest.

Stand assists come in electric and manual models. They’re a big help for bathroom trips, getting dressed and physical therapy.

The Dansons SA350 Electric Stand Assist holds up to 350 lb and is slim enough to fit through tight doorways at home. It’s fully electric, so you raise and lower the person with a button instead of straining your back.

Full-body patient lift: no weight on the legs

If the person can’t put any weight on their legs, because of severe weakness, paralysis or conditions like a stroke or ALS, they need a full-body patient lift. People often call these Hoyer lifts. A soft fabric sling cradles the person from the shoulders to the thighs, and the machine does all of the lifting, so they don’t have to make any effort.

For a full-body lift that does a bit of everything, look at the Bestcare PL350CT Car Transfer Electric Foldable lift. It’s built for everyday transfers at home and for car transfers. The frame folds down and fits in the back of a van, so someone who can’t bear weight can still get out for doctor’s appointments and family visits.

Torn between a stand assist and a full-body lift? Our stand assist vs. patient lift guide compares the two side by side.

How to read a lift’s model name

Most lift model numbers follow a simple code. Once you know it, a list of lifts gets much easier to read.

PLpatient lift350weight limit in lbHhow it lifts
The letter at the end:
HHydraulic: you pump a handle. PL350H, PL400H
EElectric, or no letter at all: a button on a remote. PL350
CTCar transfer: folds to go in a car. PL350CT
EFElectric, and folds flat. PL400EF
So a PL350H is a hydraulic patient lift that holds up to 350 lb.

H for hydraulic: a hand pump, no batteries

An H at the end, as in the Dansons PL350H Compact Hydraulic lift, means hydraulic: you raise the lift with a smooth hand pump. The big advantages are simplicity and price. There are no batteries to charge, no motors to wear out and no electronics to worry about, which makes it a reliable main lift and a dependable backup during a power outage.

The trade-off is effort. Pumping the handle takes work from the caregiver, and that adds up with frequent daily transfers. If you start with a hydraulic lift and later find the pumping is too much, many lifts can be upgraded. The Bestcare PL400H takes an electric upgrade kit that turns it into a fully powered lift, so you don’t have to buy a whole new one.

E for electric: a button instead of a pump

Electric models may have an E instead of an H, or no letter at all, like the Dansons PL350 Compact Electric lift. A battery-driven motor does the lifting. It’s the same compact, 350 lb home lift as the PL350H, but the caregiver presses a button on a remote instead of pumping a handle. That takes the physical effort out of everyday transfers and greatly reduces caregiver fatigue. If there’s ever an electrical problem, there’s usually a manual mode on the actuator to finish the lift.

Hydraulic or electric?
Question Hydraulic (H) Electric (E)
How you raise it A hand pump A button on a remote
Caregiver effort Pumping adds up with daily transfers The motor does the lifting
If the power goes out Keeps working: no batteries Usually a manual mode on the actuator
Check before each lift For leaks The battery
Later on Many take an electric kit, like the PL400H Nothing to add
In the video PL350H, PL400H PL350

CT for car transfer, and lifts that fold

CT stands for car transfer. Most lifts stay on one floor at home. The Bestcare PL350CT has a frame designed for transfers in and out of a car, and it folds neatly into a trunk or back seat. It’s built on the same 350 lb platform, so families can take someone who can’t bear weight to appointments, outings or trips without buying a second piece of equipment.

The Bestcare PL400EF takes portability a step further. It’s a fully electric lift that folds down flat, small enough for the trunk of a standard sedan or SUV, so you get powered lifting at home and can take it wherever you go.

Bariatric and ceiling lifts

Two special cases: higher weight, and rooms that are tight or busy.

Higher weight (bariatric)

If your loved one needs heavy-duty weight support, a standard lift won’t do: you need a bariatric model. The Dynarex Bariatric HD Electric Patient Lift is built for up to 1,000 lb. It has a reinforced steel frame, a four-point spreader bar that spreads the weight better, and a manual emergency release. It’s fully electric and very sturdy, made for larger patients when safety is non-negotiable.

Not every bariatric lift goes that high, and stand assists come in bariatric models too, like the Protekt 500 Electric Sit-to-Stand Lift, which supports up to 500 lb.

Tight spaces or many transfers a day (ceiling lifts)

If you’re doing transfers dozens of times a day in one care room, or the bedroom and bathroom are too tight for a lift on wheels, consider an overhead ceiling track lift. It runs on a rail mounted permanently to the ceiling, which makes it the most hands-free, space-saving option there is. Ceiling lifts need professional installation into the ceiling joists, so they’re definitely not a DIY project.

We don’t carry ceiling lifts in stock right now, but contact us and we’ll personally help you through buying one.

Five safety rules before you lift

Before you buy or use any patient lift, know these five rules.

  1. Check the rated weight capacity. Read the exact label on the lift and on the sling, and never estimate the person’s weight: even guessing a few pounds wrong can be dangerous. Going over the limit can cause mechanical failure, tipping or a broken frame, and puts you both in harm’s way.
  2. Match the sling to the lift. A sling that’s too big, or not made for your lift, is a serious fall risk. Make sure the sling style and the lift frame are designed to work together, and ask us if you ever need help.
  3. Lock and widen the base. Before lifting anyone off a bed or chair, open the base legs fully for stability and lock the wheels. Uneven floors and narrow bases can cause tipping.
  4. Inspect before you lift. Check fabric slings for fraying and hydraulic lifts for leaks. On a powered lift, check the battery before every transfer so you never run out of power halfway through, even though there’s usually a manual mode. Our lift care guide covers the rest.
  5. Consider two caregivers. Even when a lift says one-person operation, heavier or less cooperative patients often need two people to be safe.

Cost, insurance and a second opinion

Patient lifts typically cost from about $500 to over $3,000, so it’s a real investment. You may have been making do with transfer sheets or several people lifting by hand, but once transfers by hand become unsafe, a dedicated lift is worth every cent.

Some private insurance companies cover patient lifts as durable medical equipment (DME) when you have a doctor’s prescription and proper documentation of medical necessity, so check with your provider. On our website you can also pay in installments with Affirm financing.

In the end, choosing a patient lift is a clinical call. Use this guide as your blueprint, then review your choice with a physical therapist (PT) or occupational therapist (OT). They can assess mobility in person and train you to use the equipment safely the first time.

Questions about patient lifts

What are the different types of patient lifts?

There are three, and leg strength decides which one fits. A standing aid is for someone with decent strength and balance who needs something sturdy to pull up on; it has no motor or pump. A stand assist (sit-to-stand lift) is for partial strength: a strap goes around the torso and the machine helps them up while they push with their legs. A full-body patient lift is for someone who can’t bear any weight: a sling holds them from the shoulders to the thighs and the machine does all of the lifting.

Is a Hoyer lift the same as a patient lift?

People often call any full-body patient lift a Hoyer lift. Hoyer is a brand name; the kind of lift people mean holds the person in a soft sling while the machine does all of the lifting.

Should I get a hydraulic or an electric patient lift?

A hydraulic lift (H) is simpler and easier on the budget: no batteries, motors or electronics, and it keeps working in a power outage. The trade-off is the pumping, which adds up for the caregiver with daily transfers. An electric lift (E) lifts at the push of a button and greatly reduces caregiver fatigue, and most have a manual mode on the actuator in case of an electrical problem.

Can I turn a hydraulic lift into an electric one?

Often, yes. Many hydraulic lifts offer an electric upgrade kit. The Bestcare PL400H has one, so you can switch to powered lifting later without buying a new lift.

Which patient lifts fold for car travel?

The Bestcare PL350CT is made for car transfers and folds into a trunk or back seat. The Bestcare PL400EF is fully electric and folds flat to fit the trunk of a standard sedan or SUV.

What if the person weighs more than 350 lb?

Start with the lift’s weight limit: in most model names it’s the number, so a PL350 holds up to 350 lb. Bariatric lifts go higher, like the Dynarex Bariatric HD at up to 1,000 lb, or the Protekt 500 Sit-to-Stand at up to 500 lb. Always check the rated capacity on both the lift and the sling.

How much does a patient lift cost?

Typically from about $500 to over $3,000. Some private insurers cover patient lifts as durable medical equipment with a doctor’s prescription, and Affirm financing on our site lets you pay in installments.

Does insurance cover a patient lift?

Some private insurance companies cover patient lifts as durable medical equipment (DME) when you have a doctor’s prescription and proper documentation of medical necessity. Check with your provider before you buy.

Do you sell ceiling lifts?

Not from stock right now. Contact us and we’ll personally help you through buying one. Keep in mind that a ceiling lift needs professional installation into the ceiling joists.

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