Best Portable Hoyer Lifts for Home Use (2026 Guide)
What is the best portable Hoyer lift for home use? For most homes, the Bestcare PL400EF: a battery-powered 400 lb lift that also folds for storage or the car. Whichever you buy, it should be rated at least 50 lb above the person's weight and fit under your bed.
Our top picks for 2026
Shop all Hoyer lifts →
Quick answer
- Choose a lift rated at least 50 lb above the person's weight. Your real limit is whichever is lower: the lift's rating or the sling's.
- Battery-powered lifts cost about $1,250–$1,800; a hydraulic one is about $626 but tiring for daily use.
- Folding doesn't make a lift light: expect close to 90 lb, so getting it into a trunk is a two-person job.
- Measure three things before you buy: the gap under the bed, your narrowest door and the person's weight.
What does "portable" actually mean here?
Almost every home Hoyer lift is portable in the plain sense: it sits on casters, so you can wheel it from bedroom to bathroom, unlike a ceiling lift bolted to a track. Only some lifts also fold for a closet or a car trunk.
At Selected Comfort, we help families pick a lift for their own room sizes and transfers, and every floor model on our Hoyer lifts page rolls this way. The folding ones are those you can stand in a closet between transfers or take to your daughter's house for the weekend.
So ask one thing first: will this lift ever leave the house? If not, don't pay for a folding frame. If it will, or the room is too small to park a lift all day, folding is worth it.
Quick comparison
The PL400EF and Hoyer Advance are the two that fold; the rest are fixed-frame electric lifts suited to staying in one home.
| Model | Good choice if… | Capacity | Folds | Base height | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bestcare PL400EF | You travel or need to store it | 400 lb | Yes | 4.7" | $1,342 |
| Hoyer Advance | Wide chairs get in the way | 340 lb | Yes | 4.5" | $2,518 |
| Bestcare PL400HE | You want electric for less | 400 lb | No | See maker's chart | $1,250 |
| Bestcare PL182 / PL228 | The room is small or the bed is low | 400 / 500 lb | No | 4.5" | $1,297 / $1,439 |
| Lumex LF1050 | You want a manual lowering backup | 400 lb | No | 4.7" | $1,735 |
Swipe the table sideways on mobile. Specs from manufacturer listings; prices from selectedcomfort.com as of October 2026.
Our picks, and who each one suits
Start with the Bestcare PL400EF unless furniture, budget, room size or battery worries point you to one of the others below.
1. Bestcare PL400EF: the one I suggest first
The Bestcare PL400EF folds in three steps and fits in a car trunk. Unfolded, it's an ordinary electric floor lift: 400 lb safe working load, 6-point spreader bar, push-button lifting. With the legs closed, the base measures 25.6" across, narrow enough for a standard 28" to 30" interior door.
Most families I talk to should start with a home electric lift rather than a professional one, and this is the model I usually point them to. The fold earns its keep in apartments and shared bedrooms.
Two cautions. At 89.7 lb, lifting it into a car is a two-person job. And measure your trunk against Bestcare's dimension chart before planning trips.
2. Hoyer Advance: when furniture blocks other lifts
The Hoyer Advance is Joerns' aluminum electric lift, and it also folds without tools. Its curved, tapered legs get in closer around a wide recliner, bulky commode or wheelchair than straight legs can. It also lifts from the floor, and it's tested to EN ISO 10535, the international standard for patient hoists.
The catch is a 340 lb rating.
Quick math
Subtract the 50 lb safety margin from the lift's rating: 340 lb − 50 lb = about 290 lb. If your loved one is heavier than that, look at a 400 lb or 500 lb lift instead.
3. Bestcare PL400HE: electric lifting on a tighter budget
The Bestcare PL400HE is the battery version of Bestcare's hydraulic PL400H. Same 400 lb rating, same 6-point bar, but you press a button instead of pumping a handle. It doesn't fold. If the lift is staying in one house, though, it's the cheapest way we have to go electric.
4. Bestcare PL182 or PL228: small bedrooms and low beds
The PL182 and PL228 share one compact frame: a 4.5" base height, a 44.9" base length, dual front casters and legs you open by hand. The only real difference is capacity, 400 lb versus 500 lb. I'd look at these when the bed sits low or there's barely room to swing a lift around it. The PL228 is the safer bet for a heavier user in the same small space.
Bestcare PL228 Full Body Patient Lift$1,439
500 lb capacity on the same compact 4.5" base, for a heavier user in a small bedroom. The 400 lb PL182 is $1,297.
View product
5. Lumex LF1050: peace of mind if the battery dies
The Lumex LF1050 has an emergency stop and a manual lowering mechanism. If the battery goes flat halfway through a transfer, you can still bring the person down safely. A foot pedal opens the legs, so both hands stay free, and the 360° rotating cradle takes 2-, 4- or 6-point slings. Its 4.7" clearance gets under most bed frames.
Lumex LF1050 Electric Patient Lift$1,735
Manual lowering backup and foot-pedal legs, so a flat battery never leaves someone stuck mid-transfer.
View product
What about a hydraulic lift?
A hydraulic lift is fine for occasional transfers with a strong caregiver, but it's a false economy for daily use. A manual lift like the Bestcare PL400H costs about $626 and never needs charging.
Used several times a day, though, the pumping wears people down, and it takes one hand away from the person in the sling.
Bestcare PL400H Hydraulic Patient Lift$626
No battery to charge, 400 lb rating. Best for occasional transfers with a capable caregiver.
View productFive things to check before you buy
Ten minutes with a tape measure prevents most buying mistakes. Check these five things in order:
- Weight capacity. Add at least 50 lb to the person's weight. Then check the sling too, because a 500 lb lift with a 400 lb sling is really a 400 lb lift.
- The gap under the bed. Measure from the floor to the bed frame and compare it with the base or caster height. Platform beds often have no gap at all and need risers.
- Doors and corners. Check your narrowest doorway against the closed base width. Don't forget the turn into the bathroom.
- Who does the moving. Pushing a lift across carpet is one job. Lifting a folded one into a car is another. Be honest about who will handle each.
- Batteries. They wear out before anything else. Bestcare covers frames for three years but batteries for one, so a spare is worth having, especially if you travel.
Watch out
The mistakes we see most are simple: a lift rated barely above the person's weight, a base that won't fit under the bed, a sling that doesn't clip onto the spreader bar, or a powered base nobody uses.
How much should you budget?
Most families spend between $1,250 and $1,800 on a battery-powered portable Hoyer lift. With us, prices run from $626 for a hydraulic model to $2,518 for the Hoyer Advance. Our Hoyer lift cost guide breaks down each tier.
HydraulicAbout $626
Hand-pumped, no charging. Fine for occasional use with a strong caregiver.
Home electric$1,250–$1,800
Push-button lifting; where most families land. Includes folding and compact models.
Professional foldingAbout $2,518
Aluminum, tapered legs, floor lifts, tested to EN ISO 10535.
Then add the things that aren't in the box:
- A sling in the right size for the person and the right fit for your spreader bar, plus a second one for laundry day
- A spare battery
- A scale, but only if someone will actually use it
If you only need a lift for a few weeks, say after surgery, renting can work out cheaper. One more thing to know: Selected Comfort isn't a Medicare-enrolled supplier. Medicare Part B can cover a prescribed lift bought through an enrolled supplier, and you'd usually pay 20% of the approved amount after the deductible. If you're paying yourself, monthly financing is available on most orders.
When you need something else
A full-body portable lift isn't always the right tool. Look elsewhere in these three cases:
- The person can stand a little. A sit-to-stand lift is usually quicker, especially for toileting. Our guide to sit-to-stand vs full-body patient lifts walks through the difference.
- The person weighs over roughly 450 lb. Skip straight to bariatric patient lifts and measure the room first, because the bases are bigger.
- Getting into the car is the real problem. The Bestcare PL350CT car transfer lift is made for exactly that.
Bestcare PL350CT Car Transfer Lift$1,534
Built for moving someone in and out of a vehicle, which a folding floor lift can't do.
View productThe bottom line
If the lift will ever leave the house or needs to be stored, buy the folding Bestcare PL400EF. If it will stay in one home, a fixed electric lift like the PL400HE saves money, and the PL182 or PL228 suits small rooms and low beds.
Whatever you choose, size it 50 lb above the person's weight, match the sling, and measure the bed gap and doors first. You can compare every model on our Hoyer lifts page or browse all patient lifts.
Not sure which lift fits your home?
Send us three numbers: the person's weight, the gap under the bed and your narrowest door width. We'll reply with a shortlist. Fixed-rate monthly financing is available on most orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best portable Hoyer lift for home use?
For most homes, the Bestcare PL400EF is the best portable Hoyer lift. It is battery-powered, rated for 400 lb and folds for storage or travel. Whichever lift you choose, make sure it is rated at least 50 lb above the person's weight and that its base fits under your bed.
Which portable Hoyer lift is the lightest?
Of the folding lifts we carry, the Bestcare PL400EF weighs 89.7 lb without a load. That's manageable to store and wheel around, but too heavy for most people to lift into a car alone.
What's the best portable Hoyer lift for seniors?
Go electric. A portable Hoyer lift for seniors should lift at the push of a button and have a manual lowering backup, like the Lumex LF1050, since older caregivers are the ones who struggle most with a hydraulic pump.
Can one person use a Hoyer lift?
Most home lifts are built for one trained caregiver, but follow what the manufacturer's manual says. The FDA's patient lift guidance is a quick, useful read before your first transfer.
Is a sling included with a Hoyer lift?
Usually not. Check the product page, and ask us which sling size fits before you order. The sling's weight rating must also match or exceed the person's weight.
Does Medicare cover a portable Hoyer lift?
Medicare Part B can cover a prescribed patient lift bought through a Medicare-enrolled supplier, and you usually pay 20% of the approved amount after the deductible. Selected Comfort isn't a Medicare-enrolled supplier, but monthly financing is available if you're paying yourself.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Patient lifts coverage
- U.S. FDA: Patient lifts
- ISO 10535: Assistive products — Hoists for the transfer of persons
- Manufacturer specifications and dimension charts from Bestcare, Joerns (Hoyer) and Lumex product listings, October 2026