| Passenger Lift | Offices, hotels, apartments, healthcare buildings, and retail premises. | 630–2,000 kg
Approximately 8–26 passengers, depending on configuration. | 1.0–3.5 m/s in low- to mid-rise commercial buildings. | Door obstruction protection, emergency alarm and two-way communication, overload protection, controlled stopping accuracy, fire-service operation where required, and routine safety inspections. | Provide an accessible route to served floors. A common European reference configuration is a 1,100 × 1,400 mm car with a 630 kg rated load; door width and controls must follow the applicable accessibility category. | Gearless permanent-magnet traction machines, LED lighting, standby mode, efficient door operators, automatic fan shutdown, and regenerative drives where traffic and operating hours justify them. | EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 for European lift safety design and testing; ASME A17.1/CSA B44 in North America; local accessibility and fire codes. | Balanced choice
Suitable for most general commercial projects when correctly sized for traffic demand. |
| High-Speed Passenger Lift | High-rise offices, hotels, mixed-use towers, and large residential developments. | 1,000–2,500 kg
Approximately 13–33 passengers. | 3.5–10 m/s, subject to building height, travel distance, and traffic analysis. | Enhanced motion control, overspeed protection, emergency evacuation planning, ride-quality testing, fire recall systems, seismic measures where applicable, and careful shaft-pressure management. | Accessible cars should provide sufficient turning space, reachable controls, audible and visual floor information, level landings, and door timing suitable for users with mobility, vision, or hearing needs. | Regenerative braking, destination-control optimization, low-loss traction systems, intelligent dispatching, and reduced standby power during low-demand periods. | EN 81-20/50, EN 81-70 for accessibility, ISO 25745-2 for lift energy performance, and applicable high-rise fire and structural codes. | Best for high-rise traffic
Appropriate when waiting time and handling capacity are more important than the lowest initial cost. |
| Service or Goods Lift | Hospitals, hotels, warehouses, kitchens, logistics areas, and commercial back-of-house operations. | 1,000–5,000 kg
Higher capacities may require specialized freight equipment. | 0.5–1.6 m/s for many goods-handling applications. | Robust landing doors, impact-resistant finishes, load control, protection against unbalanced loading, durable floor construction, restricted access, and clearly defined loading procedures. | Where staff or members of the public use the lift, controls, thresholds, door openings, signage, and car dimensions should also meet the applicable accessibility requirements. | Efficient traction drives, automatic sleep modes, durable low-maintenance components, LED lighting, and traffic scheduling to avoid unnecessary empty trips. | EN 81-20/50 or ASME A17.1/CSA B44, depending on jurisdiction; additional workplace, fire, loading, and accessibility regulations may apply. | Best for heavy loads
Recommended where reliability, durability, and load protection are primary requirements. |
| Hospital or Bed Lift | Hospitals, clinics, care facilities, and medical campuses. | 1,600–2,500 kg
Typically configured for beds, medical teams, and equipment. | 1.0–2.5 m/s, depending on building height and clinical workflow. | Smooth acceleration and deceleration, accurate leveling, emergency power strategy, infection-control materials, reliable two-way communication, fire-service operation, and high availability. | Larger cars and doors should accommodate beds, wheelchairs, attendants, and medical devices. Controls should be reachable, clearly marked, and usable during assisted transfers. | Regenerative drives, efficient ventilation control, LED lighting, standby modes, and traffic programming based on clinical demand without compromising response times. | EN 81-20/50, relevant accessibility requirements such as EN 81-70, healthcare facility guidance, fire codes, and local infection-control specifications. | Best for healthcare
Prioritizes ride comfort, space, hygiene, resilience, and dependable emergency operation. |
| Machine-Room-Less Traction Lift | Commercial buildings where roof space is limited and a conventional machine room is undesirable. | 450–1,600 kg
Commonly used for low- and mid-rise buildings. | 0.6–2.5 m/s. | Standard traction-lift safety systems, accessible maintenance provisions, emergency rescue procedures, heat management, and compliance with shaft, pit, and overhead requirements. | Can provide the same accessible car features as other passenger lifts, including adequate clear door width, reachable controls, level landings, handrails where required, and audible or visual announcements. | Compact gearless machines, variable-voltage variable-frequency control, LED lighting, standby settings, and regenerative operation for suitable traffic patterns. | EN 81-20/50, EN 81-70, ISO 25745-2, or ASME A17.1/CSA B44, according to location. | Best for space efficiency
Often a strong option when the building design cannot accommodate a separate machine room. |
| Hydraulic Lift | Low-rise commercial buildings, small retail premises, garages, and locations with modest travel distances. | 450–3,000 kg. | 0.15–1.0 m/s. | Protection against unintended movement, emergency lowering, hydraulic leakage control, pressure protection, safe access to the pit and machinery, and regular fluid and component inspections. | Suitable accessible layouts are possible, but door width, car size, leveling accuracy, control height, and landing approach must be checked carefully because performance depends on the specific installation. | Efficient pump control, variable-speed hydraulic units, automatic standby modes, low-energy lighting, and correct system sizing. Energy use can be higher for frequent upward travel than with efficient traction systems. | Applicable hydraulic-lift safety standards, including relevant parts of EN 81 or ASME A17.1/CSA B44, plus local environmental and accessibility rules. | Best for low-rise use
Practical for short travel distances, particularly where installation conditions favor hydraulic equipment. |
| Platform Lift | Small public buildings, offices, schools, shops, and retrofit projects with limited vertical travel. | 225–500 kg
Usually intended for a wheelchair user and an attendant, depending on the model and code classification. | Approximately 0.15–0.3 m/s. | Safety edges or pressure-sensitive controls, emergency lowering, platform barriers, interlocked gates, anti-entrapment protection, and clear operating instructions. | Designed specifically to improve step-free access. The platform size, ramp or threshold, handrails, controls, door clear width, and approach space must comply with the local accessibility standard. | Low travel frequency and modest motor power can reduce operating energy; automatic lighting and standby controls further reduce idle consumption. | Relevant platform-lift standards, accessibility regulations, machinery or lift regulations, and local building and fire codes. Requirements vary significantly by jurisdiction. | Best for accessibility retrofits
Useful where a full passenger lift is impractical, especially for short vertical travel. |
