Access BDD
Access Flow X
stairlift
The seat turns while the lift is moving. That one idea is why the Flow X fits staircases as narrow as 24 inches.
Straight or curved, up to 72 degrees of incline, and fixed to the staircase rather than your walls. If you have been told your stairs are too narrow or too steep, this is the lift to ask about.
It turns as it goes, and stays level the whole way.
The orientation the seat holds through a turn is what sets the minimum width of staircase a lift can be fitted to. Several lifts offer a powered swivel that works in travel; the Flow X is built around it rather than offering it as an option.
ASL rotates the seat continuously as the Flow X travels, and keeps it perfectly level the whole time. What Access BDD adds here is the levelling, and the 24 inch rating that comes with it.
The footrest swivels with the seat rather than staying square to the rail, so your legs and feet keep a natural position through the turn instead of being twisted across the steps.
If you have been told no before, read this part.
Two numbers decide whether a staircase can take a lift at all: how wide it is, and how steeply it climbs. On incline the Flow X goes further than anything else we install, and on width further than any lift we hold a published figure for.
24 in
Access BDD rates the Flow X down to 610 mm between the walls. The HomeGlide, the next narrowest we hold a published figure for, needs 29 inches. For the Handicare and Savaria models we measure your staircase rather than quote a number, so bring us the difficult one.
72°
A staircase steeper than about 55 degrees rules out most stairlifts on the market. The Flow X takes 72, which covers the tight cottage flights and converted lofts that other suppliers turn down.
Will the Flow X fit your staircase?
Access BDD's drawings for the Flow X, reproduced as supplied. The spec sheet names one dimension in words - seat height, 515 to 585 mm floor to top of seat, across four positions - so that is the one we can label. The remaining callouts are printed on the drawings as numbers only, and are listed below as printed rather than guessed at. We measure your staircase at the assessment regardless.
The parts you touch every single day.
A stairlift is used two or three times an hour for years. These are the details that decide whether that is pleasant or a chore.
It unfolds itself. You press one button.
Most stairlifts need the seat lowered by hand, the armrests dropped and the footrest kicked down. That is three separate movements, and for anyone with a bad shoulder or a stiff back it is the part of the day they dread.
Access BDD gives the Flow X complete automatic unfolding at the push of a button, and markets that as unique to this lift. How much of it is powered is your choice, and the three configurations are priced differently.
Fully automatic folding seat
Seat, armrests and footrest all fold and unfold on their own. Nothing to lift, nothing to bend for.
Automatic folding footrest
The footrest alone is powered, which covers the movement most people find difficult while keeping the cost down.
Manual folding
Access BDD builds an integrated gas spring into the seat, hidden from view, so folding it by hand takes very little effort.
The footrest, in detail
Five pre-adjustable positions, set to your height at installation, with an anti-slip surface. It swivels with the seat under ASL, so your feet arrive where your body does.
The chair comes to whoever needs it.
A remote sits at the top of the stairs and another at the bottom. Press call and the lift comes to you; press park and it takes itself to its parking point, off the walking line.
Each handset carries a status indicator that mirrors the one on the lift itself, so you can see from the landing whether it is charging, ready or in use without walking down to check.
A call button for three people who matter.
The integrated call device dials up to three programmed numbers directly from the stairlift. Not a monitored medical alarm, and we will not pretend it is one, but a way to reach a daughter, a neighbour or a son without finding a phone first.
Worth asking about if the person using the lift lives alone. It is specified with the lift, so raise it at the assessment.
Controls and safety, one at a time
None of this is decoration. Each one removes a specific way a stairlift journey can go wrong.
Angular armrest detection
Patented, and standard. The lift stays put until both armrests are correctly positioned, so it cannot set off with an arm hanging over the edge.
Seatbelt detection
The retractable belt fastens with one hand, and the Flow X checks it is done up before it will travel. Not an optional extra.
Anti-entrapment sensor
Detects clothing or small objects caught in the mechanism and stops, which matters most on the return journey when nobody is watching the lift.
Foldaway joystick
A soft-touch grip that folds neatly into the armrest when you are not using it, so there is nothing protruding to catch a sleeve on.
Dual status lights
Set into the armrest, telling you at a glance whether the lift is charged, ready and safe to move.
Call device
Up to three telephone numbers can be programmed and dialled directly from the stairlift, so help is reachable without getting up.
Three decisions, and none of them are cosmetic.
How the rail ends at the bottom step, which armrest shape suits the person riding it, and what the whole thing looks like in your hallway. We walk through all three at the measure, but it helps to arrive with an opinion.
Four ways to finish at the bottom step
A door, a hallway or a radiator at the foot of the stairs is the detail that decides most installations. The Flow X has four answers, and the difference between the first two is 75 millimetres.
The default. The rail curves down to the floor at the bottom step, keeping the last part of the run clear of a nearby door or hallway.
For when even 175 mm is not there. It drops almost vertically, and it is often the difference between the Flow X fitting and not.
Where there is room at the foot of the stairs, the rail runs on so the chair parks off the bottom step entirely.
The rail turns away from the staircase so the lift sits out of the walking line completely. The tidiest answer when the floor allows it.
Three shapes, and this is how you get in and out
The shape matters more than it looks, because it is what you push against when you stand. Try all three at the assessment before deciding.
The standard shape. A clean line and the smallest footprint, which suits the narrowest staircases.
Wrap slightly around you, giving more to hold on to and a more enclosed feel through the turns.
Open at the front, so you can step in and out from the side rather than over the arm. Worth asking about if hips or knees make swinging your legs difficult.
Ten colours, three materials
Three Firenze leathers, four woven fabrics and three coated vinyls. Leather wipes cleanest, vinyl wears hardest, fabric is the warmest to sit on in a cold hallway. A Grey Oak wood finish is also available for the armrests. Choose against the wall behind the staircase rather than the carpet, because the seat is at eye level from the hallway and the carpet is not. We bring samples to the assessment.
Firenze Grey
Firenze Caramel
Firenze Smoke
Mountain Grey
Mineral Blue
Coral Orange
Pearl Blue
Natural Beige
Basalt Grey
Deep Red
And the rail, by RAL code
The rail runs the whole length of your staircase, so this choice decides how much the lift is noticed. Match it to the wall, not the carpet.
White
RAL 9002
Stone Grey
RAL 7030
Pale Brown
RAL 8025
Dark Brown
RAL 8019
Everything Access BDD publishes, in one place.
Figures from the technical specification sheet for the curved Flow X. Anything that depends on your staircase, we confirm in writing with your quote.
Standard on every Flow X
Model code RP00-CU. Dimensions can vary slightly with the installation. Warranty terms are confirmed in writing with your quote.
Three curved lifts. Which one is yours?
The Flow X wins on difficult staircases. The 4000 wins on weight and outdoor use. The Freecurve sits between them. Here they are side by side.
| Access Flow X | Handicare Freecurve | Handicare 4000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrowest staircase | 24 in | Confirmed at survey | Confirmed at survey |
| Maximum incline | 72° | 61° | 56° |
| Weight capacity | 275 lb | 275 lb | 300 lb, 350 lb optional |
| Swivels while moving | Yes, ASL | Two-way power swivel, optional | Not offered |
| Stays level while turning | Yes, ASL | Not stated | Not stated |
| Automatic unfolding | Yes, one button | Not offered | Not offered |
| Straight staircases too | Yes | Curved only | Curved only |
| Outdoor version | Ask us | Not offered | Yes, moderate climates |
| Rail | Fixed to the staircase | Single tube | Twin rail |
Read the others: Handicare Freecurve → Handicare 4000 →
What actually helps, and what does not
Stairlifts are not covered by Ontario's Assistive Devices Program, whatever you may have read elsewhere. What often does apply is the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit when CRA eligibility rules fit, and in some cases March of Dimes Canada, WSIB, ODSP, IFHP or Veterans Affairs.
We tell you honestly at the assessment which of these you are likely to qualify for, and we complete and file the paperwork for the ones that apply.
See the funding programs we work withQuestions we get asked about the Flow X
If yours is not here, call us on 905 451-7743. A person answers during business hours.
What is the narrowest staircase a stairlift can fit on?
The Access Flow X can be fitted on staircases as narrow as 610 mm, or 24 inches. That is the narrowest of any lift we install, and it is possible because ASL rotates the seat while the lift is travelling rather than only at the landings.
What is ASL technology, and why does it matter?
Advanced Swivel and Levelling is unique to the Flow X. The seat rotates and stays perfectly level while the lift is in motion, instead of swivelling only once it has stopped. Turning as it travels lets the chair present its narrowest profile exactly where the staircase is tightest, and the footrest swivels with the seat so your legs stay in a natural position.
My staircase is very steep. Can anything be fitted?
The Flow X handles inclines up to 72 degrees, which is steeper than any other lift we install and well beyond what most stairlifts on the market manage. If a previous supplier told you your stairs were too steep, this is the model to ask us about.
What is the weight capacity of the Access Flow X?
275 lb, or 125 kg. If you need more, the Handicare 4000 is rated to 300 lb as standard with a 350 lb option, and we will tell you at the assessment which is right for you rather than selling you the wrong lift.
Is the Flow X for straight or curved staircases?
Both. Access BDD builds it for straight and curved stairs alike, and the rail is manufactured to your survey either way. That makes it worth considering whether your stairs turn or not.
Does the stairlift attach to my wall?
No. The Flow X rail fixes to the staircase itself, which is why installation is quick and causes little disruption. There is no structural work on your walls, and on removal the only trace is small bolt holes in the treads.
How much does an Access Flow X cost in Ontario?
It depends on the staircase. A straight run prices differently from a curved rail with turns, and the upholstery, armrests and landing solution all change the figure. We give you a written price at the free in-home assessment, with no obligation.
Is there funding for a stairlift in Ontario?
No. Stairlifts are not covered by Ontario's Assistive Devices Program, whatever you may have read elsewhere. The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit may apply when CRA eligibility rules fit, and in some cases March of Dimes Canada, WSIB, ODSP, IFHP or Veterans Affairs. We tell you honestly which you are likely to qualify for and file the paperwork for the ones that apply.
What if there is a door at the bottom of the stairs?
The Flow X has four rail endings for exactly this. The standard drop nose needs 175 mm from the bottom step, the vertical short-start drop nose only 100 mm, a horizontal overrun parks the chair away from the bottom step where there is room, and a 90 or 180 degree parking curve takes the lift out of the walking line entirely.
Does it work during a power outage?
Yes. It runs on two 12 volt batteries giving 24 volts, charged from an ordinary household outlet, and includes an emergency lowering function. No special electrical work is needed, and no new circuit.
Can I call for help from the stairlift?
Yes. The call device can be programmed with up to three telephone numbers, dialled directly from the lift, so a family member or neighbour is reachable without getting up.
Will it damage my staircase if I move house?
Very little. Because the Flow X bolts to the stair treads rather than the wall, the only evidence after removal is small holes in the treads. They are barely visible under carpet, and can be filled and stained on a solid surface.
How long does installation take?
Because the rail fixes to the staircase rather than the wall, Access BDD designs the Flow X to go in quickly and with minimal disruption. A curved rail has to be manufactured to your survey first, so allow build time before the installation date. We confirm the schedule in writing with your quote.
Three curved lifts. Which one is yours?
The Flow X wins on difficult staircases. The 4000 wins on weight and outdoor use. The Freecurve sits between them. Here they are side by side.
Other lifts we install
Book a free Flow X measure
If your staircase is narrow, steep or unusually shaped, bring it to us. We measure, tell you honestly whether the Flow X is the right answer, and leave you a written price. No charge for the visit.