Handicare Freecurve Curved Stairlift: Planning Guide

What is the Handicare Freecurve, and where does it fit?

The Freecurve is a battery-powered curved stairlift with a custom single-tube rail, fabricated from a dealer photo survey of the stair.

The Freecurve is a curved stairlift: a seat on a carriage that travels along a rail fixed to the staircase. Handicare calls it a "Single-Tube Curved Stairlift". The rail is one tube, custom made to follow the curves and turns of the stair. Savaria Corporation owns the Handicare brand; the Freecurve's documents are on savaria.com.

How the rail is made. The dealer measures the staircase with Savaria's PS4D photo-measuring system. Savaria's engineers create a computer-aided drawing from that survey, and the rail is fabricated in Savaria's North American factory. The PS4D system can also show the lift on the stairs in 3D before the order is placed. Savaria publishes no CAD drawing for the Freecurve.

Where it fits.

• Indoor stairs in a home that turn, curve or have pie-shaped treads (winders).
• Steep stairs. The published incline range is 0 to 61 degrees, and Savaria says the Freecurve "handles steep staircases well."
• Narrow or spiral stairs, usually with the optional two-way power swivel. It turns the seat as the lift travels, which gives the rider's knees room.
• Stairs with an intermediate landing. The owner's manual describes intermediate stops ("Tap 2 Floor"), but Handicare's US product page and brochure do not list them as standard or optional; confirm with the dealer that the ordered unit includes them.

Where it does not fit.

• Outdoor stairs (section 06).
• Public or commercial buildings. The application is residential, and the comparison chart shows no commercial option.
• A stair shared by more than one dwelling unit, until the manufacturer confirms in writing that the Freecurve meets the A18.1 requirements the AHJ enforces there. Handicare names no A18.1 section (section 07).
• A rider over 275 lb, or two people at once. The owner's manual says never to use the lift with more than one person sitting on it.
• A person who must stay in a wheelchair. A stairlift requires transfer to a seat. Plan a platform lift or a home elevator instead, such as a vertical platform lift.
• Stairs with very tight turns. Savaria says these "may be better suited to the Handicare 4000 twin-rail system." The dealer survey decides.

What it is confused with. Savaria sells two other curved stairlifts, the Handicare 4000 and the Stairfriend 23, both with double rails. The "seat measurements" link on Savaria's Freecurve web page opens a table titled "Handicare 4000/Freecurve Measurements". It lists Handicare 4000 seats (Simplicity, Style, Smart and Perch), not the Freecurve's, and its values differ from the brochure. Use the brochure values in section 03.

Which seat and options should you choose?

The Freecurve comes in three seat styles, Classic, Elegance and Alliance, with swivel, folding and rail-end options chosen before the order.

The Freecurve is one product with three seat styles: Classic, Elegance and Alliance.

The Elegance armrests adjust for extra width (brochure p. 2).

Parking, overrun, the folding hinge and the drop nose rail change what happens at the landings. The rail is made to order, so decide them with the architect before the order is placed.

What are the Freecurve's published dimensions and ratings?

Handicare publishes rated capacity, speed, incline range and fold depths for the Freecurve, but not rail length, stops or clear-width figures.

Handicare does not say what the fold-up and fold-out depths are measured from (the wall, the rail or the stair). Confirm the reference point with the dealer before using them for a clear-width check.

Seat dimensions

The brochure's drawing gives six lettered dimensions for each seat without naming them; page 2 says they include the armrest width, which as drawn is C. In the side view, A runs from the rear line of the unit to the front of the backrest, and B from the backrest to the front edge of the seat.

In the front view, C is horizontal, measured at the armrests; D runs from the top of the backrest to the seat, E from the seat to the top of the footrest, and F from the top of the footrest to the floor line.

Handicare notes that "all dimensions can vary slightly due to specific site installations and adjustments." C is not the overall width of the chair: the drawing shows parts of the armrests outside it.

Not published. Handicare publishes no Freecurve value for the rail's distance from the wall, the minimum stair width, the clear width left on the stair, the swivel clearance at the top landing, the landing depth, the headroom along the rail, the overall chair width, the chair's weight, or the maximum rail length and number of stops.

The dealer's PS4D survey and the manufacturer's drawing made from it settle these for each stair. Ask the dealer for the values the design depends on.

What the survey should record for the design team.

• The stair plan, including turns, winders, landings and where the rail starts and ends.
• The clear width at the narrowest point and at each turn, with the chair folded, and the handrails and newel posts on the rail side.
• Both landings: room to swivel and step off at the top, and doors or traffic paths near the rail end at the bottom.
• Tread and stringer construction where the stanchions will stand, and the outlets near the charging stations.

What do the stair, the structure and each landing need?

A stairlift needs no pit or hoistway; the rail is carried on floor stanchions standing on the stair treads.

A stairlift needs no pit, hoistway or floor opening. The Freecurve rail is carried on floor stanchions (posts that stand on the stairs), and the chair runs along the rail.

Structure. The owner's manual states: "The strength and the suitability in general of wall, staircases, terraces, upper floors, banisters, plinths etc. which are to support or surround the installation have been verified and ensured by the customer, who therefore accepts all relative responsibilities."

Before the survey, repair loose treads or damaged nosings, settle the treads, carpet, nosings and railings, and tell the dealer what the treads and stringers are made of. The rail is fabricated to the measured stair, so complete the finishes before installation.

Lighting and the track. The owner's manual asks for lighting of at least 50 lux at the boarding points while the stairlift is in use, a well-lit environment with the entire track visible from the stopping places, and a track free of obstacles.

What power and controls does the Freecurve need?

The Freecurve runs on 24 V DC batteries that charge from household power at the top and bottom of the rail.

The Freecurve runs on batteries. The brochure lists the motor as "0.5 hp, 24V (DC) power that charges on standard household power."

• Charging stations. The rail has charge points at the top and bottom, and there may be more. The lift must be parked at one to charge, and it does not work when the batteries are flat.
• Receptacle. The charger plugs into a wall socket, and the owner's manual says never to remove the lift plug from it. Plan a receptacle that stays energized, where the dealer directs.
• Circuit. Handicare's public US documents give no supply voltage, amperage, circuit, receptacle location or GFCI requirement. These are available from the manufacturer or a dealer on request. The electrician sizes and protects the circuit under the National Electrical Code (NEC 2023 in New Jersey) and the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
• Service lighting. The owner's manual asks for an electrical outlet at the stairlift for local lighting during inspection and servicing.
• The manual's specification table. The only Freecurve owner's manual (11P00404_K) is a multi-market edition. Its technical specification table (p. 19) lists a 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 1 A supply with 30 A fuses and a 0.15 m/s maximum speed. These do not match Handicare's US documents, so do not design the circuit from it.
• Power outage. The lift can make several trips on battery during a power failure. Handicare's US documents give no number of trips, battery type or charger rating.
• Emergency travel. The Freecurve has an electronically assisted emergency manual travel device that only a qualified technician may use. The owner's manual says a rider must be able to get off on their own, or call a caregiver or emergency personnel, if the lift fails. It recommends keeping a communication device at hand. Handicare does not publish the emergency lowering procedure. Ask the dealer how a rider is recovered if the lift stops between landings.

The owner's manual says the wall buttons work by radio; Handicare's public documents show no wired call stations.

Can the Freecurve go outdoors or in an unheated space?

No. The Freecurve is for indoor residential use only, and Handicare warns against damp or extreme-sunlight locations.

Not outdoors. The application is "Residential, indoor". Savaria's comparison chart shows no outdoor package, and its home accessibility guide lists the Freecurve as not for outdoor use. The owner's manual says not to expose the lift to damp or extreme sunlight.

The multi-market owner's manual (11P00404_K, p. 19) lists an ambient temperature of 32 to 104 °F (0 to 40 °C), 20 to 80 % relative humidity and a use pattern of 15 rides per 24 hours (10 rides continuous). These values sit in the same table as its non-US 230 V supply values.

Confirm them with the manufacturer before placing the lift on an unheated stair or in a busy household. Savaria's warranty adds that products installed in harsh environments, such as temperature extremes, need additional maintenance to keep the warranty.

What codes apply in New Jersey and Pennsylvania?

Permit and inspection requirements for stairlifts vary by state and building type; confirm them with the AHJ before installation.

What Handicare states. The EC Declaration of Conformity in the owner's manual, dated 28 March 2019, says the stairlift "has been designed and manufactured in accordance with" a list of standards that includes "ASME A18.1, CSA B-355". It names no edition or section, and the US product page and brochure name no standard.

The declaration page also shows an Intertek ETL mark, with no listing statement or file number. The declaration predates A18.1-2023. Get in writing from the manufacturer the A18.1 edition and section the current Freecurve meets.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Permit and inspection requirements for stairlifts vary by state, building type and local code office. Confirm them with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) before installation. Stairlifts in commercial buildings and in the common areas of apartment buildings need a permit and yearly inspection.

The U.S. Access Board says stairway chairlifts cannot be used where the ADA permits platform lifts (206.7). The AHJ decides which code requirements apply; the design professional decides whether an accessible route is needed. Everything else is on NJ and PA code requirements.

Who does what on a Freecurve project?

The owner, architect, contractor, electrician, dealer and manufacturer each carry a defined task, listed in the process steps and table below.

1. Step 01

   Check the rider and the stair

   One seated rider, within 275 lb, who can transfer to a seat. An indoor stair in a home. Note turns, winders, steep or narrow sections, and both landings.

2. Step 02

   Dealer survey

   The dealer photo-measures the stair with PS4D and can show the lift on the stair in 3D. Choose the seat, the swivel, and any hinge, drop nose rail, parking or overrun.

3. Step 03

   Review before order

   The architect and owner review the rail path, the landings and any conflict with doors or traffic paths. The rail is fabricated from the survey, so changes after the order can affect the fit.

4. Step 04

   Prepare the site

   Finish the stair and landings, close off open stair rails if the installer requires it, provide the receptacles the dealer specifies, and light the boarding points.

5. Step 05

   Install and instruct

   The dealer installs the lift and instructs the users; the owner's manual limits use to adults who have signed the instructed person's declaration.

What mistakes should planners avoid?

Most mistakes come from using the wrong seat measurements, changing the stair after the survey, or missing the required annual service.

• Using Handicare 4000 seat measurements (section 01). Clearances drawn from them can be wrong.
• Designing the circuit from the owner's manual table. Its 230 V supply values do not match the US documents. Get the US requirement from the manufacturer or dealer.
• Changing the stair after the survey. The rail is fabricated to the measured stair. New treads, carpet, nosings or railings can change the fit.
• Specifying for a rider over 275 lb. Savaria lists no optional higher capacity for the Freecurve.
• Leaving the rail end in a doorway or hallway. The rail can become a tripping hazard. Plan a power folding hinge, a drop nose rail or parking.
• Putting the charger on a switched outlet or unplugging it. The batteries do not recharge, and the lift does not work when they are flat.
• Treating the stairlift as a way out in a fire. The owner's manual says it must not be used in a fire or as a means of escape.
• Missing annual service. The warranty is void without regular dealer maintenance (section 11).

Checklists

Confirm these architect, general contractor and electrician items before the Freecurve is ordered and before construction proceeds.

What warranty and maintenance does Handicare publish?

Handicare stairlifts carry a 24-month parts warranty from shipment, with a 10-year lifetime warranty on the motor and gearbox indoors.

Savaria's "Manufacturer's Limited Product Warranty - North America" (Part No. 000599, Rev February 2025) covers Handicare stairlifts sold in North America. It states that it "supersedes all other published warranties in Owner's and Installation Manuals."

• Term: "Handicare stairlifts: 24 months warranty with additional conditions detailed herein."
• Start: the date the product ships from a Savaria or Savaria subsidiary factory or distribution center, not the installation date. Time between shipment and installation counts against the 24 months.
• Coverage: parts, repaired or replaced at the manufacturer's option, for failures due to defective material or workmanship. The manufacturer may supply factory reconditioned parts.
• Motor and gearbox: "covered by a lifetime warranty specified as 10 years for units installed indoors".
• Labor: not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
• Transfer: original purchaser only; not transferable.
• Conditions: the product must be purchased, installed, serviced and maintained by an Authorized Savaria Dealer in conformance with all applicable local and national codes. The warranty is void if regular inspection and maintenance are not carried out by an Authorized Savaria Dealer as the owner's manual recommends. The owner keeps the service records.
• Exclusions: consumables, including batteries; wear items, including buttons, switches and upholstery; and damage from accident, misuse, improper installation, the structural condition of the building, overloading and similar causes.
• Parts bought later: "All parts purchased outside of the warranty period have a 90-day warranty."

The brochure describes "24 months parts and limited lifetime on rail and powertrain" and refers to the dealer for details. The published North American warranty defines lifetime coverage for the motor and gearbox only, as 10 years indoors. Plan on the published warranty terms.

Maintenance. The owner's manual says the stairlift "must be serviced at least once a year" by a qualified person, and needs at least two services a year if it "runs over more than 2 floors and/or has more than 2 users". Installation and servicing may be carried out only under the responsibility of dealers or installers authorized by the manufacturer.

Savaria's service page adds that while a product is under warranty, only the dealer who sold it can service it, and that Savaria gives technical support and sells parts to authorized Savaria dealers only.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and revision history