Review Mobility Winner 2026
Invacare Birdie EVO
Our verdict
The Birdie EVO is the safest general choice here for a person up to 180 kg, provided the room allows its 1400 mm turning diameter and a carer is trained to use it.
Best for: people who cannot bear weight and need carer-assisted transfers at home, including from the floor.
Not for: small bedrooms or tight bathrooms, since it needs a 1400 mm turning diameter and the base alone weighs 21 kg; and anyone over 180 kg including sling and spreader bar.
Based on the maker's published documents. We have not physically tested this product.
Specifications
Shown as printed in the source, last checked 18 September 2026. Where a figure is missing, the maker did not publish it or we did not record it.
| Safe working load | 180 kg (includes sling and spreader bar) |
|---|---|
| Total weight | 40 kg excluding spreader bar |
| Heaviest part | Base 21 kg; mast with battery 19 kg |
| Lifting range | 1240 mm |
| Inside width, legs open | 1020 mm (product page) |
| Width, legs closed | 640 mm |
| Turning diameter | 1400 mm |
| Lifts per charge | 40 full lifts (battery 100% to 50%) |
| Slings | Loop slings for a coat-hanger spreader bar with hooks |
| Service | At least every 12 months (manual) |
Price on Amazon today
| Photo | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invacare Birdie EVO 180 Patient Lifting Hoist 180 kg Limit |
|
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Where the maker’s own documents disagree
We have not listed a contradiction for the Birdie EVO. The UK product page gives “Base length 1220 mm” and “Inside width legs opened 1020 mm”; the user manual (60128520-F) prints separate columns for the EVO and EVO PLUS, and we could not confirm from the PDF text which figures belong to which, so we use the product page’s 1020 mm opening and suggest you measure the chair or bed base against it. One dealer we checked, John Preston Healthcare, lists minimum and maximum heights of 645 mm and 1,885 mm, which do not match the sling hook-up heights on Invacare’s product page.
Where these figures come from
We read the maker's documents for this product when we wrote Best Mobility Hoists and Lifting Aids for Home: 6 Checked Against Their Makers’ Documents, where it is ranked number 1. The guide names each document and explains how the products were ranked.
Specifications are shown as the maker prints them in its own product page, leaflet or manual, read on the date given. Where a price is shown it names the seller and the date. We have not physically tested these products, and no maker or retailer can pay to be listed or placed higher. Not sure what suits you? An occupational therapist or your local wheelchair service can advise.
Spotted a figure that has changed? Email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk and we will check it against the maker's current documents.
Other hoists
on Amazon, paid link (opens in a new tab)Invacare Birdie EVO Compact
The Birdie EVO Compact is the lighter hoist to fold and carry, but its 150 kg limit includes the sling and spreader bar, and the manual’s 1210 mm turning diameter is 140 mm more than the product page says.
- Safe working load
- 150 kg (patient + spreader bar + sling)
- Total weight
- 31 kg excluding spreader bar
- Heaviest part
- Manual base 17 kg; mast with battery 14 kg
- on Amazon, paid link (opens in a new tab)
Mangar Camel
The Camel is the choice for repeat falls at home, with a 320 kg user limit and a 6.5 kg cushion, but the maker says the fallen person’s medical state must be assessed before every lift.
- Max user weight
- 320 kg
- Seat height
- Flat to 56 cm
- Cushion weight
- 6.5 kg including hand control
- on Amazon, paid link (opens in a new tab)
Mangar Raiser
The Raiser helps someone up to 190 kg rise 23 cm from an armchair, but it only works in that one chair and the maker’s documents give its weight as both 2.8 kg and 0.60kg.
- Max user weight
- 190 kg
- Lift
- 23 cm inflated height
- Size
- 43 x 43 cm
