5 Best Car Lifts for the Home Garage

When you do a lot of your own car repair, maintenance, or restoration, there’s nothing more helpful than investing in a good car lift. Unfortunately, most of the automotive lift reviews out there only cover commercial lifts so deciding on the best car lift for your home garage can be a challenge.

Below you’ll find vehicle lifts including 2-post, 4-post, and scissor lift varieties. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages including cost, lift height, weight capacity, versatility, and even portability.

Our 5 Favorite Home Garage Lifts

	Product	Type	Capacity
	APlusLift HW-10KOH-A	2 Post	10,000 lbs
	QuickJack 5000TL	Scissor	5,000 lbs
	Triumph NSS-8	4 Post	8,000 lbs
	Triumph NT-11	2 Post	11,000 lbs
	Xinkong L2900	2 Post	9,000 lbs

Garage Car Lift Reviews

#1 – APlusLift HW-10KOH-A Two Post Overhead Clear Floor Car Lift

One of the best car lifts we’ve seen in recent years, the HW-10KOH-A a true beast. It can safely support up to 10,000 pounds, lifting it as high as 75 inches in only 50 seconds. The two posts are spaced to give a 100-inch drive-through clearance.

The powder-coated frame is made with higher-grade Q355 steel and is robotically welded for superior durability. Its columns use a double S-shape, while the lift arms feature precision gears. An extensive three-year parts warranty helps ensure there are no faulty electrical or hydraulic components.

The amount of precision engineering that went into this lift goes above and beyond what most consumers expect. Both sides work in perfect unison to ensure a safe, even raise and lower of your vehicle. This quality doesn’t seem to fade over time, either, as there are customers with vehicles remaining hoisted for months at a time with zero slippage.

In fact, the only complaint is in the instructions. The lift’s design was altered slightly after the manual was printed, so the final steps don’t match up perfectly with current design. Hopefully they’ll update the manual, but most people were able to figure things out without calling customer support for clarification.

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#2 – QuickJack 5000TL Portable Car Lift

Portable lifts have come a long way, and QUICKJACK is leading the charge being the most widely used brand out there. If you simply don’t have the room (or budget) for a 2 or 4-post model, this is the next best thing. A standard 110-volt outlet is all you need as opposed to a dedicated 220v which any stationary lift requires.

Having a 5,000 pound lift capacity, this kit has everything you need, including different sizes of blocks which are stackable to give a maximum clearance of 24 inches. When lifting your vehicle to full height, a safety bar comes into position. By lowering slightly from full height, this bar locks securely in place, preventing any risk of slippage, even if there’s a hydraulic failure.

The frame itself is made of high-quality steel and there are a number of accessories available to suit an individual consumer’s needs. While safe, the frames are heavy; each comparable to an all-steel floor jack (around 100 lbs). Fortunately, wheels on one end make moving them a little easier and they’re positioned in a way that won’t affect the lift’s functionality.

While it can be difficult to haul the lift around due to its weight, it’s well worth it. In fact, most consumers accept the weight as a necessary evil due to this product’s durability. It’s easy to assemble and works like a charm for most users. The aforementioned safety bar is often mentioned as one of the most appreciated features of this list set.

There have been a few complaints about the jacks being too short for larger cars, as well as a few people who have issues with the hydraulics. However, in the latter case, it’s uncertain if the error was caused by the user or manufacturer. In most cases, the hydraulics have been free of leaks or other issues.

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#3 – Triumph NSS-8 4-Post Service Lift

Perhaps the best 4 post lift currently on the market, the NSS-8 can be the perfect answer to limited garage space. Its 8,000 pound weight limit means you can raise one car and park another underneath.

Drip trays help ensure no fluids leak onto the lower vehicle. Of course, the lift can also be used for maintenance work and even be wheeled around (similar to tire skates) using the included castor kit.

Ten automatic locking positions ensure the raised vehicle stays elevated until you decide otherwise.

Owners of this lift will warn you that 30 amps is necessary but it plugs into a normal 110v outlet. The power means a smooth, quiet ride up for your car. The castors are also highly touted, as they allow the NSS-8’s hefty (1,600 pounds on delivery) frame to be moved with ease.

Thanks to the locking mechanism and sheer strength of this lift, users have stored their elevated vehicles for long periods without any problems. While the stability of a 4-post lift can’t be beat, the disadvantage is that you won’t be able to work on anything wheel/brake related like you would a 2-post lift.

The biggest sticking point with the NSS-8 is documentation – or the lack thereof. As with the NT-9 above, the NSS-8 seems frequently to arrive without instructions. Some digging around online will help with this problem, although the extra work shouldn’t be necessary.

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#4 – Triumph NT-11 2-Post Car Lift

Triumph is well-known for their high-quality and durable lifts. The NT-11 continues this tradition with a maximum 11,000 pound lift capacity and included truck adaptors and floor anchors. At 116 inches tall, it’s the perfect size for most home garages and will lift your vehicle up to 72 inches for superior access.

Simple but effective, the included instructions aren’t the greatest (link). However, most people are able to figure things out after a moment and there are plenty of video guides out there for those who might be new to car lifts. Beyond that, this is almost universally acknowledged as a great product.

The build is sturdy, the included accessories allow you to get started on almost any vehicle right away, and the engineering means smooth lifting and lowering action every time.

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#5 – Xinkong L2900 2-Post Car Lift

This two post car lift provides affordable, high-quality function to any home garage or small commercial garage. The 70 inch max clearance provides plenty of room to get under your vehicle, and the combination of automatic arm locks and dual hydraulic chain cylinders ensure maximum safety.

When you’re looking for simple and efficient, the L2900 is a great choice. The screw-type pads are perfect for ensuring a precise fit. Meanwhile, the hydraulics provide smooth, even lifting and lowering. Rated for up to 9,000 pounds, users have had only positive experiences with this product, regardless of experience.

While everything is included and installation is easy, a few owners have suggested using different hardware to anchor the lift. However, using the included hardware has proven sufficient for the majority of owners.Also, it should be noted that the manual won’t win any awards, so it might be useful to look up an installation video if you’re new to car lifts.

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Home Vehicle Lift Buying Guide

Deciding whether or not a garage lift is a good fit for your garage is a big decision to make. You need to keep in mind that there are different types and sizes available, and install the one that best suits your purposes. Even small sized garages can benefit from some lifts.

If you do as much of your own automotive work as possible, a car lift may be good idea, but getting the wrong one could mean that you’re never able to realize the full potential of what this tool can do.

Making the Car Lift Decision

If the only work you do on your car is washing and detailing it every now and then, you may not need the expense and installation of a car lift. If you perform repairs such as oil changes, swapping out the alternator or starter and other light to medium jobs, a car lift could save you a lot of time and money in automotive repair costs.

If you perform serious auto work, you’ll quickly begin to wonder how you were ever able to do without one.

The Purpose of a Car Lift

The idea behind a vehicle lift is to assist you in lifting the entire vehicle up at one time. This provides you with a faster and more convenient method than the use of a floor jack and stands, and will get your vehicle up high enough to perform many types of repairs.

By contrast, using ordinary car ramps will only lift one side or one end at a time, forcing you to remove the car from the ramps and reposition them before moving on to the other side or end of the vehicle. Car ramps are fine for a quick oil change or when you don’t need a lot of clearance to work.

While jack stands and car ramps are generally very safe when used correctly, car lifts have a much lower possibility of user error which could result in injury or worse.

Another benefit is that a vehicle lift allows you to collect all of the necessary tools so that they’re conveniently available and placed exactly where you can reach the ones you need.

Choosing the Right Garage Lift

Installing a lift that is poorly made or manufactured for the wrong size vehicle introduces risks to you and your vehicle. It’s always a good idea to invest a little more for a top-rated product than to trust your life to a machine of questionable origins.

Similarly, it is not a good idea to scrimp on the weight rating of the lift. You will fare much better to buy a lift that is rated for heavier vehicles than to install one that cannot safely lift and hold the car you drive.

Scissor Car Lifts

A scissors lift, or one that has four “wings” which can be adjusted to fit the width and length of your vehicle, is often the least expensive type of garage car lift to buy and quite popular for the home garage. Since it can be adjusted for different vehicles, you eliminate some of the concerns over vehicle size and safety.

QuickJack is the most well-known brand of this portable lift type. Additionally, a scissors type lift provides lifting action to the vehicle frame, which means you can use it to more easily rotate tires, change brakes or other servicing that requires you to access all four wheels.

When not in use, the lift retracts into a low profile so can can park directly over it. The biggest disadvantage is that you can not work directly underneath the vehicle where the lift is.

Two-Post Car Lifts

More common in small mechanic shops, two-post car lifts are also seen in many garages of amateur mechanics.

They’re made up of two heavy duty posts (one on each side of the car) with a supportive stabilization arm on each side. The combination can easily lift and hold a lot of weight.

With a small footprint, they will fit in a variety of garages and allow easy access to all wheels and underneath the vehicle. Two-post lifts are recommended if they’ll be getting a lot of use throughout the day.

Four-Post Car Lifts

Four-post lifts offer many advantages over other types of lifts but at a higher cost. You’ll typically find these at those quick lube oil change places or shops that work on exhaust systems but more and more of these are seen in home garages these days.

With four heavy duty posts, they can lift and hold the heaviest of vehicles. Using one is as simply as driving on it and raising the lift.

One of the biggest benefits is the fact that a second vehicle can often be stored directly underneath the lifted vehicle so it is ideal for small garages. The biggest drawback is that you aren’t able to do any work with the wheels since they are in contact with the lift.

You should also be aware that lift manufacturers generally have disclaimers which absolve them of any obligation if the lift is not installed exactly as intended.

For your own protection, it is better to hire an established contractor who is experienced in lift installations, and make sure that you have a warranty in writing in case the unthinkable happens.