Best Manual Patient Lifts In 2023

Patient lifts are used by caregivers to help ease the burden of transferring a loved one or patient from one room or area of a room to another.  There are powered and manual lifts.  Manual lifts are typically more cost-effective and do not require access to power to use.  The best manual patient lifts can really help with moving a loved one with less stress.  Below we will explain our top choices among manual lifts and what to look for before purchase.

For anyone with limited mobility, it can be really hard to move them in and out of bed or other areas of a home.  Using a manual hydraulic patient lift can be the ideal aid for lifting and transferring patients or a loved one from the bed to chair, chair to bed, or from floor to anywhere else in the home.  Let’s take a look at some of the top manual patient lifts.

What is a manual patient lift

Unlike a powered patient lift, a manual patient lift does not use power but is designed to be used by hand and typically has a feature hydraulic assists.   These manual lifts help the caregiver and the patient from injury and ease the work of the caregiver.  When choosing a manual patient lift it is important to choose the right lift and sling combination that the particular application that is needed. 

A manual patient lift uses a hydraulic pump that is used to lower and raise the patient for transfers between seated surfaces, beds, and other areas a lift is needed.  It can also be used to lift someone from the floor.

There is a small lever that is located on the hydraulic pump that is used by turning the lever to slowly lower or raise the patient.  

What is a manual lift sling?

The slink of a manual patient lift is a crucial part that is placed under and around the patient to cradle and help to assist in moving and transferring them safely from a bed, wheelchair, toilet, or shower.  There are different types of slings you can choose from.  

Full body sling:

Slings come in a number of sizes and shapes and are designed with the patient’s requirements in mind.  With that said the most common type of slip is the square-shaped sling.  This type of sling allows the patient to lie when the lifting happens.  Another name for this type of sling is the full-body sling. 

Universal sling: 

This type of sling crosses under the person’s legs when lifting  This helps with stability issues and also will help to reduce the amount of pressure on the person’s body that may happen in one area by distributing weight.

U-Shape:

This is like a Universal sling as it uses the same type of cross under the person’s legs.  This type of sling can work with many different types of users.  There are some shortcomings however with this type of sling. 

One glaring one is if you or a loved one needs head support this sling will not work for you.  For anyone who needs head support, we suggest that you use a full-body design sling. 

Split-leg sling:  This type of sling will keep the person using the sling legs separated and this design can also help distribute weight making the trip more comfortable. 

Who should use a manual patient lift sling?

Manual patient lifts should be used by the caregiver that needs help from a lift to make transfers of a loved one or patient easier, and safer from one location to another.   The person who suffers from mobility issues may be:

• Elder 
• Mobility issues
• Injuries and cannot freely move
• Paralysis
• Or anyone who cannot freely move and needs the help of a caregiver to be transferred from the floor, a wheelchair, the bathroom, or any other place within the home. 

Top Manual Patient Lifts Comparison Charts

Key Specifications	Medline Hydraulic Patient Lift with sling	Hoyer Manual Lift With Floor pick-up	Hoyer Manual Hydraulic lift	Drive Hydraulic Deluxe Silver Vein Patient Lift	Drive Heavy Duty Trapeze Bar
Weight capacity:	400 lbs.	400 lbs.	400 lbs.	450 lbs.	650 lbs.
Max lifting range:	73″	80″	77″	71″, 72″	N/A
Min lifting range:	28″	29″	28″	16.5″, 17.5″	N/A
Lifts patient from floor:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	NO
Base width (open)	31.5″	39.5″	40.5″	42″	31″
Sling type:	4 & 6 point	6 point	4-point	2-point, 4-point	N/A

Top 5 Best Manual Patient Lifts

Our Rank	Patient Lift	Our Score
1.	Medline Hydraulic Patient Lift From Best Care	4.7/5
2.	Hoyer Manual Hydraulic Lift With Floor Pick-Up	4.6/5
3.	Hoyer Manual Hydraulic Lift	4.5/5
4.	Drive Hydraulic Deluxe Silver Vein Patient Lift	4.5/5
5.	Drive Heavy Duty Trapeze Bar	4.5/5

1. Medline Hydraulic Patient Lift From Best Care

This Manual patient lift is our best choice for the top manual patient lift from the dozens we looked at.  It is able to lift a patient from the floor easily, uses a 4-point or 6-point sling type, is easy to clean and use, and is priced right in terms of a home or been office manual lift.

The easy-roll casters make moving the sling easy on wood floors, carpet, or tile.  And the base width is adjustable to open wide for wheelchairs and it can then close back so it can even fit through smaller doorways. 

2. Hoyer Manual Hydraulic Lift With Floor Pick-Up

The Hoyer manual hydraulic lift is an excellent option that has an extended reach for the ability to pick up a patient from the floor.  The way the cradle is designed helps to minimize sway while the patient is in the sling.

This lift is easy to travel with because it can be separated into two pieces.  The mast and base come apart.  

The 4-inch casters wheels make moving this around home or facility very easy.   Optional accessories like a Hoyer one-piece commode sling with positioning straps or a Hoyer nylon mesh bath sling with optional headrest make this a fantastic choice.

3. Hoyer Manual Hydraulic Lift

Hoyer is a great name in manual hydraulic lifts and the Hoyer Manual Hydraulic Lift offers a great way to easily lift a patient from the floor to a bed, toilet, or chair. 

The ergonomically placed pump handle is easy to use and we love that the handle can rotate to either side of the lifter.

This patient lift can easily disassemble so it can be stored or moved for travel.  It has a good weight capacity of 400 lbs. 

Accessories can be added like U-slings that can support from 55 pounds up to 500 pounds.  You can also get a commode sling if you choose.

4. Drive Hydraulic Deluxe Silver Vein patient Lift

This is a great hydraulic lift for patients because of its 6 point swivel bar that can either accommodate a 2 or 4 sling strap.  It also has 2 chain connections.  Hydraulics is what raises up and down the person in the sling and this lift uses a high-performance hydraulic system that safely and smoothly lifts the person easily. 

Additional safety measures in place like an easy-to-operate break on the casters help to provide security.  The adjustable width base can also be adjusted to get the right fit depending on the user using the lift.

We love that you can also upgrade accessories if you like.  Get a drive-padded U-sling, full-body sling, or full body sling with commode opening. 

5. Drive Heavy Duty Trapeze Bar

For those that require extra weight capacity in a manual lift, the Drive Heavy Duty Trapeze Bar might be the choice for you or a loved one. 

This model can support a weight of up to 650 pounds.  This device is made to help larger individuals to move positions in bed or transfer that person to a chair to bed or bed to a chair.

While this device is easy to assemble because it’s tool-free it does not use a hydraulic pump.  

Best Manual Patient Sling Buying Guide

Here are some important things you should understand when making a purchase of a manual patient sling.  While some of these may be more important to you than others always try and purchase a mobility device that fits your needs closely.  

Parts of a manual patient sling

Below are the different parts of a manual patient sling.

Understanding Sling materials

You should know what materials the sling is made from because its type of martial may provide negatives or positives to the user.

• Padded slings:  These will be better for users that suffer from sensitive skin.  Do not use this type of material if you plan on using this to get in and out of the shower where it can get wet.  Padded slings are not the best choice for getting wet. 
• Padded polyester:  These are used in most commercial settings like hospitals and other types of business that require a sling.  They are easy to take care of and clean. 
• Polyester mesh:  These are the types of material you want to use if getting wet out of the shower will be the main objective.  This type of fabric dries quicker.

Weight capacity of the Sling and Manual Patient lift

Lift weight capacity: Different models of lifts will have different max weight capacities.  The ones we listed above all have weight capacities that are either 400 lbs. or 650 lbs.  If you have a loved one that may be concerned about weight limits with the models we lifted we suggest looking into a bariatric size lift and sling.  

Speaking of sling they are also rated for weights and should not be confused with the patient lift weight capacity and the sling capacity as they may be different. 

Sling weight capacity is different than the actual lift.  These slings are also rated for weight limits.

Optional features to think about on a patient lift

Depending on your needs or the needs of a loved one you may find optional features something you want or need.  Optional features might be headrests, hand grips, commode spaces, and more.

Related Questions

Does Medicare cover the cost of a patient lift sling?  Like all other durable medical equipment, Medicate Part B might cover the cost of a manual patient lift.  And just like other medical durable equipment, you may need a written prescription from a physician.

What about private insurance?  Will they cover a manual patient lift sling?   It is not uncommon for a private insurance policy to cover or not cover the cost of a sling lift.  Each private insurance policy can differ.   It is best to check with your insurance policy.

Final Verdict

After hours of research, we have made our decision on the best manual patient lifts is the Hydraulic Patient Lift From Best Care.  This lift has a great weight capacity, uses either a 4 or 6 sling-type point.  Priced right this manual sling will help any caregiver safely and comfortably help moves a loved one or patient.