Tower Lifts
Tower Lifts
Choosing The Right Type of Lift
How to Choose the Right Type of Lift for Your Building
You’re most likely aware of the many types of lifts available to you—from passenger and platform lifts to heavy-duty goods lifts. But choosing the right type of lift for your building requires a plan. It’s a decision which isn’t just to do with price – it’s about matching the lift type to your building’s design, your users’ needs, and the relevant safety regulations.
This guide gives you the blueprint for making your choice. For over a decade, the Tower Lifts designers and installers have worked on everything from heavy goods lifts in warehouses to luxury passenger lifts in some of London’s most famous hotels.
In this post, we’ll move beyond defining lift types to giving you a clear, practical comparison to help you make your decision.
Basic Lift Classifications
We find it helps our clients to start out with a clear definition of the three core lift classifications. This demonstrates clearly that each lift type is engineered for a very different purpose.
1. Passenger Lifts – These are the standard for any multi-storey building. Their job is to move people quickly and efficiently between the floors. They’re found in offices, hotels, and apartment blocks. They are fully enclosed cabins that run in a dedicated lift shaft.
Platform Lifts – These are an accessibility solution. They are perfect for, schools, or for fitting lifts into existing buildings (2-4 floors) to make them compliant with the Equality Act 2010. They are cost-effective and require very little building work—often no deep pit or shaft required.
Goods Lifts – These are commercial workhorses. From a small dumbwaiter lift moving plated food in a restaurant to a heavy duty lift moving pallets in a warehouse, these are built purely for durability and safety, not for passengers.
Matching the Right Lift to Your Application
The first step for our lift designers and installers is always to understand the application. The scenarios listed below cover the vast majority of all lift installations. Find the one that matches your project to see our expert recommendation.
1. High-Traffic Passenger Movement
Our Recommendation – Passenger Lift
Why it’s the right fit – For any multi-storey building with regular footfall—like an office, hotel, or apartment block—a passenger lift is the industry standard. It’s designed to handle a high volume of use safely and efficiently, guaranteeing that your building’s ‘traffic’ flows smoothly and comfortably for users.
- Learn More – Read about the technical specifications on our main Types of Passenger Lifts page.
2. Accessibility Compliance & Low-Rise Access
Our Recommendation – Platform Lift
Why it’s the right fit – If your aim is to make your building accessible, a platform lift is almost always the best solution. They are the most flexible option available. Platform lifts can be installed with minimal building work—no deep pit or shaft is required—making them the cost-effective choice for retrofitting into existing or heritage buildings.
- Learn More – We explain the different accessibility models in our Types of Platform Lifts guide.
3. Moving Stock, Food or Materials
Our Recommendation – Goods Lift / Dumbwaiter
Why it’s the right fit – These lifts are engineered specifically for moving materials, not people. They are built for safety and durability, from a small dumbwaiter that improves service in a restaurant to a heavy-duty goods lift that can move pallets in a warehouse. This enhances staff safety and protects whatever it is you need to move.
- Learn More – See our full range of material-handling lifts on the Types of Goods Lifts page.
Key Questions to Consider When Designing Your Lift
Now we have the application clear, we need to focus on the technical details. These are the questions our designers will ask to move from a “lift type” to a bespoke solution that serves your building.
This is often the most important technical factor. A traditional passenger lift requires a “pit” at the bottom of the shaft and “headroom” at the top for its machinery. If your building wasn’t designed with these, creating them can be complex. This is where a platform lift becomes an alternative option, as it requires minimal pit depth and headroom, making it perfect for existing buildings.
We don’t just look at who will use the lift, but how and when. Is the lift serving a residential block with a “peak rush” in the morning and evening? Is it a hospital with steady, 24/7 use? Understanding your building’s traffic flow helps us to specify the right motor, speed, and door-opening times to give you peak efficiency and prevent queues for users.
As a building owner, you are responsible for both accessibility and safety. Your lift must meet Equality Act standards which require it to be accessible to all. It must also comply with LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998), which requires regular, documented inspections. Working with a certified, experienced installer like Tower Lifts ensures you are fully compliant right from the start.
A lift isn’t just a function; it’s part of your building’s design. Do you need a panoramic glass lift for a modern reception area? Or, if you have a listed heritage building, do you need a lift that will integrate perfectly with the architecture surrounding it? The finish, materials, and lighting can all be tailored to your plans.
Get an Expert Recommendation for Your Project
Choosing the right lift is a balance of user needs, building constraints, and budget. While we hope our guide gives you a good starting point, the next step is a professional site survey.
Our team can assess your space and recommend the most practical, compliant, and cost-effective solution for you. Let us help you get it right the first time.
To speak with a lift specialist, call us on 01525 601099 or fill in our contact form.
Tower Lifts London lift team can design and install a varied range of lifts throughout the UK including:
Domestic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts • low-Headroom Lifts