Head to head · every published price re-read at source · 9 October 2026
Lifton publishes its starting price, £18,000 plus VAT. Wessex publishes none, but its home lifts page says a simple Wessex lift “will end up costing you around the same cost as a high specification stair lift”. The cheapest published Wessex figure, a dealer’s £13,000 installed, is £5,000 below Lifton’s own starting price. They are built for different people, and that matters more than the gap.
Plus VAT, with standard site preparation and installation.
A dealer’s figure, installed. Wessex prints no price.
The short answer
- Wessex is the cheaper route on published figures. The dealer 1st Choice lists the Wessex VM for one person from £13,000 installed with standard building works. Lifton starts from £18,000 plus VAT.
- Lifton plugs in; Wessex is hard-wired. Lifton runs from a 13 A socket. The Wessex VM needs a hard-wired supply on a 20 A double-pole switch.
- They suit different users. Lifton’s DUO carries one or two people standing; its TRIO takes a full-sized wheelchair. The Wessex VM is an open platform for one seated person, with wheelchair-rated sizes, and the VE is enclosed.
- Lifton publishes its warranty and its wait: 12 months parts and labour, six to eight weeks from order. Wessex publishes neither, though it sells three- and five-year extended warranties.
- Lifton is the Stiltz group’s premium brand. If you are looking at Lifton, see Stiltz vs Lifton too.
Lifton vs Wessex prices: every published figure, side by side
How this compares: see installed 2026 price bands for all nine UK brands side by side in our home lift price guide, or estimate your own installed cost.
Each figure below is quoted as its publisher wrote it, with its VAT basis where one is given, and was re-read at source on 9 October 2026. The last price row is different: it is our own installed band from each brand review, not a published price. Every lift is priced after a home survey, so use the table to test a quote, not to replace one.
| Lifton | Wessex | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker’s own price | “The Lifton Home Lift starts from £18,000 plus VAT. This includes all standard site preparation work and all standard installation costs.” Source ↗ | Not published Its home lifts page: “a simple home lift from Wessex will end up costing you around the same cost as a high specification stair lift”. Source ↗ |
| VAT basis | Plus VAT, printed beside the price. | Not applicable: no price published. |
| Lowest dealer or third-party price | The Disabled Living Foundation’s database: “Priced from £15,000.00”, no VAT basis. Source ↗ | 1st Choice Home Lifts: “Wessex VM through floor lift for one person From £13,000”, including installation and standard building works; larger or enclosed lifts “From £16,000+”. Source ↗ |
| Trades directory band | MyBuilder: £20,000 to £35,000 (VAT not stated). Source ↗ | Not listed by MyBuilder. |
| Our installed band | £16,000 to £25,000. Our estimate, from our Lifton review. | £13,000 to £20,000, the enclosed VE at the top. Our estimate, from our Wessex review. |
| Second-hand asking prices | None found. | A Wessex VM36 ex-council lift, three years old and never used, listed at £5,000 supply only. Listing read August 2026. |
| Finance terms published | None. | None. |
Prices re-read at source 9 October 2026. Second-hand figures are from listings read in August 2026. Where a maker publishes nothing we say so rather than estimate. Every figure we hold, with its source and exact wording, is in our home lift price tracker.
Lifton vs Wessex: the specifications
From each maker’s own UK pages. Gaps are left as “not published” on purpose.
| Lifton | Wessex | |
|---|---|---|
| Models | LiftonDUO (one or two people), LiftonTRIO (up to three people or a full-sized wheelchair) | VM (open platform), VE (enclosed car) |
| Drive | Wire rope hoists, drive in the lift roof, self-supporting rails | Hydraulic |
| Users and load | DUO: 170 kg (FAQ figure for “the Lifton Home Lift”); TRIO: full-sized wheelchair | VM: one seated person, 250 kg in its technical specification (its brochure says 250 to 300 kg); VE: 250 kg, 300 kg optional |
| Wheelchair | LiftonTRIO | VM31, VM36 and VM38 sizes; VE |
| Floors and travel | Two floors. Travel Not published on Lifton’s UK pages | Two stops, optional mid-floor stop; 3.0 or 3.5 m |
| Size | DUO: 1,040 × 760 mm including rails (the same page also says 1,047 × 810) | VM30: 1,090 × 1,031 mm to VM38: 1,695 × 1,636 mm |
| Power | Standard 13 A household socket | VM: hard-wired 220 to 240 V on a 20 A double-pole switch. VE: hard-wired, RCD-protected 230 V |
| Fitting time | “Usually have it operational in one day” once a builder has prepared the aperture | “1 or 2 days depending on model” |
| Order to fitted | Six to eight weeks | Not published |
| Warranty | “Comprehensive 12 months parts and labour warranty”; more can be bought | Standard term Not published. Extended three- and five-year warranties sold, on a page marked “current as of 2022” |
| Breakdown cover | “Around the clock, 365 days a year” | Engineers on call 24 hours, but “Response outside these hours will incur additional costs” |
Sources. Lifton: Source ↗ Source ↗ Source ↗ Source ↗ Wessex: Source ↗ Source ↗ Source ↗ Source ↗
What actually differs
Price: £5,000 apart before VAT
Lifton’s £18,000 is its own figure and is plus VAT. Wessex prints no price; it compares a simple Wessex lift with a high-specification stairlift instead. The figure you can hold a seller to is 1st Choice’s: a Wessex VM for one person from £13,000, installed with standard building works. If you qualify for 0% VAT the Lifton price stays at £18,000; if you do not, it becomes £21,600.
Built for different users
Lifton’s DUO is a small cabin for one or two people standing, and the TRIO takes a full-sized wheelchair. The Wessex VM is an open platform for one seated person, sized from the VM30 up to the wheelchair-rated VM38, and the VE adds an enclosed car. Wessex states the VM’s load two ways: 250 kg in its technical specification and 250 to 300 kg in its brochure. Get the figure for your model code in writing.
Power and fitting
A Lifton runs from an ordinary 13 A socket. Both Wessex models need a hard-wired supply, so an electrician’s visit belongs in the budget. Lifton says its lift is operational in a day once a builder has prepared the aperture; Wessex says one or two days, depending on the model.
VAT: check Lifton’s advice
Lifton’s VAT page, dated 2018, tells buyers over 60 they “may be able to apply for 5 per cent VAT relief”. HMRC’s 5% list for people over 60 covers stairlifts but not home lifts. If you are not disabled or chronically ill, expect 20% on a Lifton. Wessex publishes nothing on VAT relief. Our VAT relief guide explains who pays what.
Lifton or Wessex: which should you choose?
- The lowest price for a new lift: Wessex, from £13,000 through a dealer.
- One seated user, or a grant-funded adaptation: the Wessex VM, in a wheelchair-rated size if needed. Start with the Disabled Facilities Grant before you order.
- Two people standing, or a cabin that looks like furniture: the LiftonDUO.
- No electrical work: Lifton, on a 13 A socket.
- A published warranty and lead time: Lifton.
Get quotes for both and compare them line by line
Tell us about your home and the lift you need, and we’ll pass your details to installers who cover your area. Ask each one to show the lift, the building work and the VAT on separate lines, so the two quotes can be compared. It’s free, with no obligation.
Lifton vs Wessex: questions buyers ask
Is Lifton or Wessex cheaper?
Wessex, on published figures. Lifton starts from £18,000 plus VAT. Wessex publishes no price, but the dealer 1st Choice lists the Wessex VM for one person from £13,000 installed with standard building works, and larger or enclosed lifts from £16,000.
How much does a Wessex home lift cost?
Wessex does not publish a price. Its home lifts page says a simple Wessex lift costs around the same as a high-specification stairlift. The only published figure we found is 1st Choice’s: from £13,000 for a VM, and from £16,000 for larger or enclosed lifts. We re-read both on 9 October 2026.
Do Lifton and Wessex lifts plug into a normal socket?
Lifton lifts run from a standard 13 A socket. Wessex lifts do not: the VM needs a hard-wired supply on a 20 A double-pole switch and the VE a hard-wired, RCD-protected 230 V supply.
Can Lifton and Wessex lifts take a wheelchair?
Yes, in the right model. The LiftonTRIO takes a full-sized wheelchair. Wessex rates the VM31, VM36 and VM38 sizes and the enclosed VE for wheelchair use. The LiftonDUO and the smallest Wessex VM are not wheelchair lifts.
What warranty do Lifton and Wessex give?
Lifton gives a comprehensive 12 months parts and labour warranty and sells more. Wessex does not state its standard warranty on its website; it sells three- and five-year extended warranties that include scheduled services, call-outs and parts.
Is Lifton made by Stiltz?
Yes. Lifton is the premium home lift brand of the Stiltz group, built on the same through-floor design. Our Stiltz vs Lifton comparison covers what differs.
How we compared them. Every maker, dealer and directory price on this page was re-read at its source on 9 October 2026 and is quoted as written. Specifications come from each maker’s own UK pages, read for our specification research between August and October 2026; fitting times were read on 7 October 2026 and breakdown cover on 4 October 2026. Our installed bands are our own estimates from the brand reviews, not published prices, and are labelled as such.
We do not score brands. For owner reviews, the Lifton and Wessex reviews link to the independent review profiles we could verify.
More head-to-heads: Stiltz vs Stannah · Stiltz vs Terry · Aritco vs Cibes · Stiltz vs Lifton
Full reviews: Lifton · Wessex · all nine UK brands
The data behind it: home lift price tracker · specification comparison table · installation times · VAT relief
Prices checked 9 October 2026. We re-check this page with the monthly price tracker.
Comparing brands? Get matched with UK home lift installers and compare real quotes side by side.
Get a free quoteFree and no obligation. Takes about a minute.