Written by Hulet Smith, OT
Sit-to-Stand lifts deliver stability and support for people who need assistance moving between sitting and standing. In addition to providing a safe vertical transition, these lifts can help users strengthen and train the muscles used for standing. This is especially useful for older people and those whose balance is compromised or who are recovering from an injury.
Another important role of the sit-to-stand lift is to protect caregivers from injury. The most common injuries caregivers experience are caused by overuse and repeating the same lifting or pulling motions, causing significant strain to the back, neck, and shoulders. In fact, transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair is one of the daily activities that expose caregivers to the greatest risk of injury.
Two popular high-quality sit-to-stand lifts are the Sara Stedy from Arjo and the Molift Raiser Pro by R82.
The Sara Stedy is a patient lift that can help maintain mobility for users who would otherwise be limited to using a wheelchair. This lift can make daily life activities, like moving around the house or making a meal, enjoyable and safe for users.
For simple sit-to-stand transfers, the Molift Raiser Pro is a great choice. It can turn within its own radius, which makes it easy for caregivers to maneuver it in confined spaces like bathrooms.
Let’s take a look at what each of these sit-to-stand lifts has to offer.
| Features | Sara Stedy | MoLift Raiser Pro |
| Sitting Space | Seat Pad | Optional Sling |
| Maneuverability | Highly maneuverable & easy to navigate in open spaces. Caregiver can push from the front or back. | One-way direction. Best for tight spaces. |
| Patient Autonomy | Combines the features of a sit-to-stand lift with a transport wheelchair. Brings the patient to eye-level with the caregiver, and perfect height for participating in daily activities. |
Designed for only simple transfers and nothing more. |
| Knee Support | Yes | Yes |
| Storage & Size | 25" wide. Overall larger than the Molift, but smaller than most patient transfer devices. | 21" wide. Can dissemble into two parts. |
| Who Needs It | Users that value its 2-in-1 design of lifting patients and transporting them. | Simple sit-to-stand transfers. |
Both of these lifts minimize the risk of stress injuries for caregivers who are assisting with the lifting process, and both are ergonomically designed for user and patient comfort. They both decrease the risk of a patient falling, which can cause a serious injury. In fact, falls among adults 65 and older are the leading cause of injury death for that age group. There are design features that differentiate the two, and these should be considered when deciding which sit-to-stand lift is best for you.
The Sara Stedy patient lift has a sturdy seat pad that can accommodate patients weighing up to 400 pounds. The seat pad is hinged with a pivoted seat opening to allow for easy on and off transfers. A patient can choose to sit and rest or relax on the Sara Stedy anywhere, using the lift to safely rise when they want to get back to their daily activities.
The Molift Raiser Pro can be deployed with or without your choice of slings. This lift has a weight capacity of 375 pounds. The sling provides support for the user, although it does not offer the same stability as a seat pad. This lift, especially when used without a sling, requires more strength and balance from the user during the lifting process.
When you need the versatility to move from room to room, the highly maneuverable Sara Stedy makes it easy to navigate larger spaces. With two main handles in the front and push points in the rear of the seat, a caregiver can move a patient from room to room from the front or the back of this lift. Two of its four casters lock for safety and its overall design greatly decreases the physical demands on a caregiver.
For simple transfers in small spaces, like getting a patient from a wheelchair to a toilet, the Molift Raiser Pro is a great choice. It can be pushed in one direction on its four small casters, two of them locking for safety and providing auditory feedback when the brake is engaged. It has a handle in the front of the lift with multiple handholds to choose from.
The Sara Stedy combines features of a sit-to-stand lift and a transport wheelchair, so it facilitates patients to participate more in activities of daily living. Although it is not designed to replace a wheelchair, the Sara Stedy does allow for transferring a user from room to room. One significant advantage over a transfer wheelchair is that it allows patients to remain at eye level with others. This increases the ability to participate in social interaction and daily life activities. For example, the Sara Stedy allows users to be transferred from a sitting position in another room then moved to the kitchen where they can step off the lift and participate in activities like making coffee or preparing a meal. The seat provides a handy place to rest should they need to take a break from the activity. This significantly increases a patient’s autonomy, as they can choose where they want to spend their time rather than being limited by immobility.
The Molift Raiser Pro is designed to work in small spaces, not to go from room to room, so it doesn’t give patients the option of going anywhere they want to be. Users do have more input into the lifting process with the Molift Raiser Pro, as it requires patients to rely on their own upper body strength to pull themselves up to a standing position on the lift platform.
The knee support pad on the Sara Steady has a large surface area but does not have much padding.
The Molift Raiser Pro’s knee support pad is smaller but it has more padding. It also is height adjustable, requiring only a quick one-handed motion to make sure it’s in the optimal position to support the patient while they are being raised to a standing position.
The Sara Stedy is 25 inches wide with its legs closed. Although its longer legs can be pushed under beds and chairs when a patient is transferring onto it, when not in use its size does make it a challenge to find a convenient place to store it.
At 21 inches wide, the Molift Raiser Pro is very compact, which is what makes it ideal in small spaces. It’s more portable, easily disassembling into two easy-to-store pieces when not in use. It can be reassembled quickly when needed.
If you’re shopping on price alone, the Molift Raiser Pro is about half the price with about half the features provided by the Sara Stedy. Both of these quality sit-to-stand lifts are competitively priced among other lifts with similar features.
 | Sara Stedy Patient Transfer Aid by ArjoHuntleigh (FULLY ASSEMBLED) View Product |
The Sara Stedy by Arjo is more than a sit-to-stand lift. It’s a multi-feature mobility aid that is highly maneuverable and can stand in for a transport wheelchair to move from room to room. It delivers the additional benefit of allowing the patient to be eye-level with others in a room. This supports socialization, which should not be underestimated as a contributor to overall wellbeing. Physical ailments and mobility challenges are some of the top obstacles seniors face in making and maintaining social bonds, and sitting in a wheelchair can leave patients feeling less involved in activities and less connected to others who are standing. Regular social interactions keep older people mentally, physically and emotionally fit. Connecting with others also helps defend against isolation and the depression it causes. The Sara Stedy promotes these social connections while also encouraging patients to maintain the highest level of mobility they can. Users actively participate in their sit-to-stand transfers, and are able to move around their home to participate in daily life activities like making coffee or preparing a meal.
There are two Sara Stedy models available. The standard model is for patients from 4’11’ to 6’6” tall, while the Sara Stedy Compact model is specifically designed for patients who are 4’ 6” to 5’ 8”. Both models can accommodate users weighing up to 400 pounds. Both models are manually operated and enable a single caregiver to safely and comfortably assist in multiple sit-to-stand transfers in the course of a day.
The Sara Stedy arrives fully assembled and is ready to use right out of the box!
 | Molift Raiser Pro Sit-to-Stand Patient Lift View Product |
The Molift Raiser Pro by R82 is a straightforward easy-to-operate patient sit-to-stand lift that’s a cost-effective choice for simple transfers. Its compact footprint is especially useful in very tight spaces, and it’s popular with people who need help getting from a wheelchair to a toilet and back again. The risk of caregiver injury is reduced by using a lift, and this one allows for quick and easy adjustments so it can be used by multiple patients, ensuring the lift is appropriately set up for each individual. Patients need to use their own muscles during a transfer, which stimulates a natural movement pattern to help maintain proper positioning and maximum mobility. It’s intuitive and easy to use.
When not in use, the Molift Raiser Pro breaks down easily into two pieces for convenient storage or easy transport. It has a low step-on height, a versatile handle with multiple handholds, a central brake, and easily accessible attachment points for support slings and straps.
The Sara Stedy and the Molift Raiser Pro are both high-quality sit-to-stand lifts. They each help a patient reach a natural standing posture, develop strength and balance, decrease muscle spasms, improve range of motion, and defend against getting pressure sores from spending too much time in one position. They also significantly decrease the risk of a patient falling and they protect caregivers from repetitive stress injuries. They differ in their list of features, maneuverability, and how much of an impact they have on a patient’s daily life activities. The more expensive Sara Stedy is highly maneuverable and can stand in for a transport wheelchair while the Molift Raiser Pro is a cost-effective mobility aid designed for safe transfers in tight spaces.
This article should help you decide whether the Sara Stedy or the Molift Raiser Pro will best meet your needs. Please visit Caregiver University for more helpful articles on choosing more Tools for the Job of Living!
Co-founder/CEO of Rehabmart, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, husband, and father. Passionate about connecting special needs kids with superb nutrition, sensory integration, and complementary health strategies. Excited about Rehabmart's mission to become the premier online educational platform which empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and interventions to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.
 "Sara Stedy Patient Transfer Aid by ArjoHuntleigh (FULLY ASSEMBLED)")
