Handicare, by Savaria
Handicare 1100
straight stairlift
There is no gear rack. A patented four-motor friction drive climbs a fully enclosed rail, so there are no openings for dust, dirt or grease and nothing toothed on show in your hallway.
Installed in 2 to 4 hours across Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and the GTA by our own technicians.
Four motors instead of a toothed rack.
Nearly every stairlift on the market climbs a rack: a strip of metal teeth bolted along the rail, with a pinion gear that walks up it. It works, and it is visible for the life of the lift.
Handicare took the rack out. The 1100 uses a patented friction drive with four motors gripping a smooth, sealed rail. Savaria describes the ride as smooth through starting and stopping, and the rail as fully closed with no openings for dust, dirt or grease.
Two practical consequences: less to clean along your staircase, and a lift that does not announce itself in a room you actually live in.
If a motor fails, three others still bring you down.
Most stairlifts have a single drive motor. If it stops, the lift stops, wherever it happens to be. Handicare built redundancy into the 1100 instead: four motors share the work, and any one of them failing leaves three to carry you to a landing.
An emergency stop button sits under the chair, and multiple safety sensors halt the lift the moment it meets an obstacle. EasyGlide brings you to a gentle stop at each landing rather than an abrupt one.
No grease on the rail. Ever.
A toothed rack needs grease, and grease holds dust and pet hair against a rail that runs the length of your staircase. With no rack there is nothing to grease, so the 1100 stays clean by design rather than by effort.
Four brush heads travel with the carriage and sweep the rail constantly as the chair moves. Handicare aims that squarely at households with pets, and it is the detail owners mention most.
When something does need attention
A fault display behind the power pack shows a code. Read it to us over the phone and we can tell you what it means before anyone drives out. Batteries generally last around three years depending on use.
A door at the bottom of the stairs is not a dealbreaker.
This is the most common reason people are told a stairlift will not work in their home. The rail has to run past the last step, and that puts it across a doorway or a hallway. The 1100 has three answers, and we choose between them with a tape measure at your assessment.
Slide track
The rail extends as the chair comes down and retracts away from the door as it goes back up. Nothing crosses the doorway when the lift is parked, and nobody has to remember to fold anything.
Zero intrusion brackets
Brackets secure the top of the rail to the top step itself, so the rail stops at the staircase instead of running out past it. The simplest fix when the door is at the top.
Easy hinge
A lightweight manual hinge on the bottom rail section, assisted by a gas strut so it lifts with one hand. The lower-cost option when someone is able to fold it.
What comes as standard
Every 1100 we install arrives configured this way. Nothing on this list is an upgrade.
Power options worth paying for
Both exist for one reason: to remove a movement that hurts. And unlike most lifts, either can be added after the 1100 is installed - so if a shoulder or a back gets worse in two years, you are not buying a new stairlift.
Power seat swivel
The seat turns itself at the top landing so you step off facing away from the stairs, onto level floor.
Worth it if turning the manual swivel handle is hard on your wrists or shoulders.
Power folding footrest
The footrest folds and unfolds with the chair instead of by hand, so nobody has to bend to floor level.
Worth it if bending down is painful or unsafe.
Will the 1100 fit your staircase?
Handicare's Style Seat dimensions. The three that usually decide it: 12.6 in folded, 22.6 in across the armrests, and 6.3 in of track intruding into the staircase.
Handicare 1100 specifications
Manufacturer figures, published by Savaria.
Figures from the Handicare 1100 brochure. Capacity steps down to 287 lb from 46° upward. Warranty terms run through your dealer and require regular maintenance; we confirm what applies to you in writing with your quote.
Safety, as built
Fitted on every 1100, not optional.
- Obstacle sensors on the footrest and carriage stop the lift if something is in the way
- The seat swivels and locks, so you step off onto level floor
- Non-skid footrest surface and a retractable seatbelt
- An overspeed governor holds the descent to its rated speed
Choose the 1100 if
- The lift will be visible from a room you live in
- A door or hallway meets the bottom or top step
- Turning a seat or bending to a footrest is painful
Look elsewhere if
- The steps are outdoors - the Handicare 1000 has an outdoor model
- You need more than 309 lb - see the K2 Plus
- Budget is the deciding factor - see the Savaria K2
The 1100 in real homes
Manufacturer photography of installed lifts, showing the options described above in place. Configurations vary by region.
What a Handicare 1100 costs, and who helps pay
Four things move the number: the length of your staircase, whether you add the power swivel or power footrest, which doorway solution your stairs need, and the seat you choose. That is why we quote after measuring, not before.
Stairlifts are not covered by Ontario's ADP. Any company that tells you otherwise is wrong, and we would rather you heard it from us. Here is what does apply.
Get my written priceMarch of Dimes Canada
The Home and Vehicle Modification Program is the most common route for a stairlift in Ontario.
Veterans Affairs Canada
Programs of Choice coverage for veterans and their families.
WSIB
Billed directly to your claim where the need follows a workplace injury.
Federal tax credit
The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit may offset part of an eligible enduring home renovation when CRA eligibility rules fit. It is not an Ontario credit.
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
ODSP may help with eligible disability-related needs. Eligibility and available benefits are confirmed by ODSP.
Private insurance and financing
Extended health plans sometimes contribute. Ask us about monthly payment options.
Handicare 1100 questions
What is the weight capacity of the Handicare 1100?
309 lb (140 kg) on staircases between 30° and 45°, and 287 lb (130 kg) between 46° and 50°. We measure your incline before confirming which figure applies to you.
How much does a Handicare 1100 stairlift cost in Ontario?
It depends on the length of your staircase and the options you choose - the power swivel, the power footrest and the slide track each add to the total. You get a written figure at the free in-home assessment, with no obligation. Call 905 451-7743 to book.
Does the Handicare 1100 have a gear rack?
No, and that is the main reason people choose it. A patented friction four-motor drive climbs a fully enclosed rail, so there are no openings for dust, dirt or grease and nothing toothed on display.
How steep a staircase can it handle?
The 1100 covers 30° to 50° of incline with up to 23 ft of travel, which takes in almost every residential straight staircase we see in the GTA.
There is a door at the bottom of my stairs. Can I still have a stairlift?
Almost certainly. The slide track retracts the rail automatically as the chair travels, the easy hinge folds the bottom section by hand with gas strut assistance, and zero intrusion brackets solve a door at the top. We measure and tell you which one fits.
How far does it fold back against the wall?
12⅝ inches (320 mm) folded, 21 inches (530 mm) with the seat and footrest out. Seat, arms and footrest all fold, so the stairs stay usable for the rest of the household.
Does it still work in a power cut?
Yes. It runs on a 24 VDC battery that charges continuously along the rail, and it provides several up and down trips during an outage.
Is the Handicare 1100 covered by ADP?
No. Stairlifts are not covered by Ontario's Assistive Devices Program, whatever you may read elsewhere. March of Dimes, Veterans Affairs, WSIB, ODSP, IFHP and the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit when CRA eligibility rules fit are the routes that do apply, and we are an authorized vendor who completes the paperwork with you.
What warranty comes with it?
Savaria includes a 24-month warranty against defective parts through your dealer, subject to regular maintenance. We are that dealer, so servicing and repairs come from the same technicians who installed it. The terms that apply to you are confirmed in writing with your quote.
What happens if a motor fails partway up?
The 1100 has four drive motors rather than one. If a motor develops a fault the remaining three carry you to a landing, which is not true of a single-motor stairlift. There is also an emergency stop button under the chair.
How often does a Handicare 1100 need servicing, and what does it cost to keep?
There is no gear rack, so there is no grease on the rail, and four brush heads clean the rail continuously as the chair travels - a real advantage in a house with pets. Batteries generally last around three years depending on use, and a fault display behind the power pack gives a code you can read to us over the phone.
Can the 1100 go outdoors?
No - it is rated for residential indoor use. For outdoor steps we fit the Handicare 1000 Outdoor or the Access HomeGlide Outdoor, built with weatherproofed rails, sealed controls and a locking seat cover.
Handicare 1100 installation across the GTA
We install and service the Handicare 1100 from our Brampton showroom at Unit 7, 15 Fisherman Drive. Same technicians for the assessment, the install and every service call afterwards.
If the 1100 is not the one
Five other straight models, or see all six compared side by side.
Look elsewhere if
Book a free Handicare 1100 assessment
We measure the rise, the incline and any doorway, confirm the 1100 fits, and leave you a written price. No charge for the visit, and no pressure afterwards.