Description
Safety Features You Won’t Find on Every 450 lb Lift
Not all 450 lb electric patient lifts are built the same. The Invacare Reliant RPL450-1 stands out for what it includes as standard: total pinch-point protection on every moving part, an anti-entrapment system that stops the boom automatically if it meets resistance, two 24V batteries so the lift is never waiting on a recharge, and a free patient sling at checkout.
Built in an ISO 9001 certified facility with an 8-year expected service life, it’s the lift for caregivers who want institutional-grade safety features without stepping up to a power base. Part of our full lineup of electric patient lifts — and one of the few lifts in this class that combines pinch-point protection, anti-entrapment technology, and a dual-battery system as standard equipment.
See It in Action
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
Introduction to Invacare Lifts and Slings
[Picture with text read by a man]
Practice transfers often so that you become proficient at the task before you try to lift a resident.
Practice lifts from bed to wheelchair or chair, from chair to bed, and floor to bed. Read and understand the owner-operator’s manual.
Safety is most important when performing lifts, and that includes your safety. Always use good body mechanics. Keep your center of gravity low and use your leg muscles. Separate your legs to establish a broad base of support. Keep your spine in natural alignment and never twist while lifting.
Always inspect the resident’s sling before using it.
Check for wear, tears, and loose stitching. Bleached, torn, cut, frayed, or broken slings are unsafe and should not be used.
[Music and picture with title Powered Full Body Lifts]
[An old woman is lifted with the help of a sling and two caregivers are assisting.]
[An obese woman is lifted by a sling and again two different caregivers are assisting.]
Invacare’s Jasmine and Reliance series full-body lifts are valuable tools for lifting and transferring non-ambulatory, bedridden, or obese patients. These battery-powered designs make it easier to assist any patient within the weight capacity of the equipment.
They can lift a person from a bed, a stretcher, a wheelchair, a commode, even the floor. Depending on the model, the lifts can handle patients that weigh up to 600 pounds.
[A man dressed in blue shirt explaining lifts and slings]
To get a better understanding of a Reliant or Jasmine lift, it’s good to know the parts.
[The man tells about the parts of the lift by touching the different parts of the lift with his hand]
Basically, the lift is made of three assemblies: the base, the mast, and the boom. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up, beginning with the base.
[The man shows the base of the lift.]
The base rides over the floor on these four low friction casters. The rear ones are lockable; this is a feature that comes in handy when you’re adjusting the sling for initial setup on the patient, as you’ll see later.
Next are the legs. There are two of them, and they’re adjustable. With the legs closed, the lift can be maneuvered more easily through doors, around furniture, and in tight hallways.
[The man shows how the legs of the lift are opened with the help of a control.]
Jasmine lifts and some Reliant lifts have motorized legs that open and close with the touch of a button. Other Reliant lifts have manually operated legs.
To make adjustments on these, you have to use the padded shift handle.
[Man shows how to use the padded shift handle.]
It’s pretty simple to open the legs: grab the shifter handle with one hand and the steering handle with the other hand, pull back on the shifter handle, and move the handle to the right. The legs will open.
Make sure that the handle drops into this slot to lock the legs into place. To close the legs, just reverse the process. Grab the shifter handle with one hand and the steering handle with the other, pull back, and move the shifter handle to the left, and the legs will close again. Make sure that the handle drops into this slot to lock the legs into place.
We can’t emphasize enough the importance of making sure the legs are locked in the open position when lifting a patient. The lift is most stable when the legs are fully opened and locked; they must be fully open to ensure proper weight distribution and balance.
[Man shows different parts of the mast.]
The next assembly is the mast. Here you’ll find these ergonomically designed push handles, a hand pendant which houses the operator’s controls, the battery, a control box, and the actuator which actually lifts the patient.
Attached to the mast is the boom. The boom is the lifting arm, and at the end of it is the swivel bar. The sling attaches to the swivel bar, and it’s padded for safety. The boom is operated by using the controls on the hand pendant. With the push of a button, you can gently raise or lower the boom. It’s very smooth and quiet.
Power for these lifts comes from a 24-volt battery. Each unit comes with two and a wall-mountable battery charger, so you can have one battery powering the lift while the other battery is on the charger. It takes about four hours to fully charge a battery. You can make about 200 lifts before a battery needs charging, and you’ll know when it needs to be recharged because this alarm will go off when the battery is low.
[Man shows the charger and the control box.]
With Jasmine lifts, the charger is designed so that you can mount it on the wall or on the lift itself. The Jasmine control box has a visual battery indicator that’s like a fuel gauge, so you can know at a glance how much power is left.
On both units, replacing the battery is easy. First, squeeze the handle here on top; this will unlock the battery from the mount. Pull the battery towards you to clear the bracket, then lift the battery up and towards you. You might find it easier if you use two hands for this part.
[Man shows how to mount the battery.]
Mount a fresh battery by sliding it along the bracket until it rests in the cradle, then push it away from you until you hear it click into place. Place the drained battery on the battery charger the same way: slide it down and push it away until you hear it click.
[Man shows the on and charge lights.]
If the charger is plugged in, this green light will be on, and if you have properly installed the battery, this LED will light up to let you know that the battery is being charged. When the battery is fully charged, the LED will go out. It’s recommended that you leave the battery on the charger until you need to use it. The charger will trickle charge the battery to make sure that it’s always at full capacity, and daily charging will prolong the life of the batteries.
[Man shows the red stop button on the control box.]
If for some reason you need to shut off all power to the lift, you can deactivate it by pushing in the stop button on the control box. To restore the power, rotate the stop button to the right.
It’s very unlikely, but if you ever need to lower the lift and the power unit fails, you can safely lower the boom by activating the emergency release. Invacare lifts have two primary emergency release and a secondary emergency release.
To activate the primary release on Reliant models, insert a pen or similar object into this hole on the control box labeled “emergency down.” This will cause the actuator to retract and slowly lower the boom. If that doesn’t work or if you can’t get to it, you can use the secondary mechanical emergency release, which is located here near the base of the actuator. To activate the secondary release, pull up on the emergency tab and push down on the boom at the same time; this will slowly lower the boom. There must be weight on the boom for this mechanical release to function.
[Man shows the emergency up and down arrows on the control box with the help of a pen.]
The primary emergency releases on Jasmine lifts are more sophisticated. They’re here on the control box. There’s an emergency up and an emergency down release. Like the Reliant release, insert a pen or like object into the appropriate hole, up if you want to raise the lift or down if you want to lower it; this will move the actuator independently of the hand pendant controls. The secondary emergency release on the Jasmine lift is located on the actuator. Pull up on the red emergency sleeve; this will slowly lower the boom. There must be weight on the boom for this mechanical release to function.
Another safety feature built into all our battery-powered lifts is an anti-entrapment capability. An internal sensor will automatically stop the lift if it meets any kind of resistance while it’s lowering.
[Man now shows a blue colored sling.]
Invacare offers a wide selection of slings to meet most situations. They’re constructed of soft, durable mesh or solid fabric with padding for extra comfort.
[An obese woman in blue clothes is demonstrating how the sling is used.]
Although one sling works for multiple residents, it’s recommended that each resident be issued their own individual sling to meet their specific size, weight, medical condition, and transfer requirements. Always check with a physician before selecting a sling.
[Picture with three different sling categories is shown.]
Generally, slings fall into one of three categories: full-body, divided leg, or universal toileting slings. The full-body and divided leg slings have built-in headrests for patients with limited stability, and the full-body sling has an optional commode opening. The divided leg and toileting slings fit around a seated person and provide added comfort with padding under the thighs.
Always inspect the sling before use. Check for wear, tears, and loose stitching. Bleached, torn, cut, frayed, or broken slings are unsafe and shouldn’t be used.
You can adjust the slings for different body positions by using different combinations of color-coded loops that are sewn into each strap.
[Picture shows reclining position where a man is reclined in a sling.]
If you want to position the resident in a reclining position, attach the sling using the loops at the end of all four straps. If you want to position the resident in the seated position, for the head, use the loops closest to the resident, and for the legs, use the loops farthest away from the resident.
[Man shows the grab straps.]
Most slings have reinforced grab straps sewn into the back to assist you in guiding your resident. Although Invacare lifts and slings have been designed so they can be safely operated by one caregiver, it’s recommended that two caregivers perform all resident transfers.
Before you attempt any kind of lift, make sure that you understand the resident’s limitations and their ability to assist the transfer.
[An old woman on the bed is assisted by two caregivers.]
It’s a good idea to communicate with a resident throughout the process. If you explain each step as you work through it, your resident will learn the routine and become comfortable with it.
At a Glance
HCPCS Code E0635 — may be relevant for private insurance reimbursement. See insurance details in FAQs below.
They answered all my questions before I placed an order. Received my equipment within 48 hours and it works exactly as it’s supposed to. Would purchase again and have recommended to others.
Why We Like This Lift
We like the RPL450-1 because Invacare didn't treat safety as an optional upgrade — they built it in at every level. The pinch-point protection, the anti-entrapment system, the dual-battery setup, the 8-year service life commitment — these aren't marketing claims, they're engineering decisions that reflect what happens when a manufacturer designs equipment for institutional daily use and then makes it available for home care.
For families who want that level of build quality without stepping up to a power base, this is the lift we'd point to. If the power base matters, the RPL450-2 is the same lift with that upgrade. (FYI: On a standard manual base lift, the caregiver opens and closes the legs by hand using a foot pedal, lever, or padded shifter handle. On a power base lift, the legs open and close automatically at the press of a button on the hand pendant.)
Best for…
- Patients who cannot bear weight during transfers and need full-body lift support
- Families stepping down from institutional or facility care who want clinical-grade reliability at home
- Solo caregivers who need built-in safety features to compensate for working alone
- High-frequency transfer situations where the two-battery system eliminates downtime
- Long-term home care where equipment longevity matters — 8-year expected service life
- Caregivers who prioritize safety certifications and manufacturing standards
- Transfers from the floor, bed, wheelchair, commode, or bathing unit
Feature Highlights
Total Pinch-Point Protection — Every Moving Part Covered
Pinch points — places where a caregiver’s fingers or the patient’s body could become caught between moving parts — are one of the most common injury risks with patient lifts. The RPL450-1 covers all moving parts with total pinch-point protection, including between the boom and hanger bar and at the base of the lift. It’s a safety standard Invacare built into the Reliant series specifically, and one that not every lift at this price point offers.
Anti-Entrapment System — The Boom Stops if Something Gets in the Way
The anti-entrapment feature monitors resistance as the boom lowers. If it detects any obstruction — a limb, a piece of furniture, anything that shouldn’t be there — the boom stops automatically. For a caregiver managing a transfer alone, this automatic response provides meaningful protection without requiring a second set of eyes on every movement.
Two 24V Batteries and Charging Station — Always Ready
Most patient lifts include one battery. The RPL450-1 includes two, plus a wall-mounted charging station. One battery powers the lift while the other charges — so the lift is never out of commission waiting for a recharge. With 150–300 lifts per charge depending on lift range and load, two batteries means continuous operation through even the busiest care days.
24” to 74” Lifting Height — Floor to Elevated Surfaces
The RPL450-1 has a lifting height range of 24” to 74” at the sling hook-up — verified from the Invacare owner’s manual. The 24” minimum is low enough to support floor-level transfers, and the 74” maximum reaches elevated surfaces comfortably. The hand pendant cord extends up to 8 feet, giving the caregiver freedom to position and control the lift without being tethered close to the unit.
6-Point Padded Swivel Bar — Works With Chain-Free and Older Slings
The padded 6-point swivel bar rotates 360° and is compatible with Invacare’s chain-free sling system as well as older-style slings with chains or straps. If you’re transitioning from a facility that used an older sling system, you may be able to use existing slings while upgrading to the new chain-free style over time. All slings must be Invacare-approved — third-party slings are not recommended and void the warranty.
Low-Friction Casters — Easier to Roll, Safer for Caregivers
The RPL450-1’s low-friction casters reduce the physical effort required to maneuver the lift — particularly important when a 108 lb lift is carrying a patient. The rear 5” locking casters provide stability when needed; the front 3” swivel casters allow easy directional changes. Invacare specifically calls out caregiver safety as a benefit of this caster design, and it’s a detail that matters over the course of a long care day.
8-Year Expected Service Life — Built for the Long Haul
Invacare states an expected service life of eight years for the Reliant lift when used daily and maintained per the owner’s manual instructions. That’s a meaningful commitment for a piece of equipment that will be used multiple times every day. Combined with the 3-year warranty on the lift itself, it signals a manufacturer confident enough in their build quality to put longevity in writing.
Manufactured in an ISO 9001 Facility
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized quality management standard that requires consistent processes, documentation, and quality control throughout manufacturing. It’s the same standard used in medical device and aerospace manufacturing. For a lift that will be used daily in a care setting, knowing it was built in a certified facility is meaningful assurance of consistent quality.
Your Options at Checkout
Free Sling (Choose One)
Every RPL450-1 comes with one free Invacare patient lift sling. Choose the style that best fits your patient’s needs and transfer routine:
Which Sling Should You Buy?
| Patient need | Recommended sling type |
|---|---|
| General transfers | Full-body sling |
| Showering or bathing | Full-body mesh sling |
| Toileting transfers | Full-body commode sling |
| Easier wheelchair transfers | Divided-leg or U-style sling |
| Limited head or neck control | Padded sling with head support |
Invacare Sling Sizing Guide
Weight is a helpful starting point, but sling selection should also consider the patient’s height, body shape, hip width, posture, and support needs. Always consult your healthcare provider if you are unsure which sling size is appropriate.
| Sling size | Approximate patient weight |
|---|---|
| Small | Up to 100 lbs |
| Medium | 100–200 lbs |
| Large | 200–300 lbs |
| X-Large | 300–500 lbs |
| XX-Large | 500–600 lbs |
Not every Invacare sling style is available in every size. Check the sling options in the add-to-cart section for the sizes available with your selected sling.
If you’re not sure which size to choose, call or chat with us before ordering — proper fit is important for both safety and comfort. All slings must be Invacare-approved; third-party slings void the warranty.
Setup and Safety Notes
The RPL450-1 ships in one box weighing 140 lbs. Invacare recommends two people for unboxing and assembly. Assembly requires basic tools and should be completed in the room where the lift will primarily be used. Read the owner’s manual completely before the first transfer.
- Do not attempt any transfer without approval from the patient’s physician, nurse, or medical assistant
- Base legs must be in the maximum open and locked position before lifting the patient
- Keep hands and fingers clear of all moving parts at all times
- Check sling attachments every time the sling is removed and replaced before lifting
- The patient’s arms should be inside the sling straps during lifting
- Do not roll the lift over uneven surfaces while a patient is suspended — use the steering handle on the mast to push or pull
- Use only Invacare-approved slings — third-party slings are not safe and void the warranty
- Never exceed the 450 lb weight limit
- This lift is for transfer only — not for transporting a patient from one location to another while suspended
- If power fails while a patient is suspended, use the manual emergency lowering device
- Do not expose the lift to extreme temperatures (above 100°F or below 32°F) or high humidity before use
Invacare requires that all lifting procedures be observed by a trained team of experts first, then practiced several times with proper supervision and a capable individual acting as a patient before transferring a real patient. Consult your healthcare provider or physical therapist before establishing a lift routine at home. While one caregiver can operate this lift, Invacare recommends two assistants for all lifting preparation and transfer procedures.
Pair It With
- Additional Invacare patient lift slings — full body, divided leg, mesh bathing, and commode-opening styles in multiple sizes
- Hospital bed — adjustable height simplifies positioning the lift and reduces caregiver strain during setup
- Commode chair — pairs naturally with the commode-opening sling for bathroom transfers
This is the same type of lift used in hospitals and rehab facilities — built to the same standards, with the same safety features. It moves slowly and smoothly, the sling is designed to support you completely, and I’m in control the entire time. The lift does the work so neither of us has to strain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Hoyer lift?
Hoyer is a brand name that has become a widely used term for any full-body electric patient lift — similar to how Kleenex is used for tissue. The Invacare Reliant RPL450-1 is an Invacare battery-powered electric patient lift that does everything most people mean when they say Hoyer lift. Invacare is one of the most recognized names in clinical patient lifting equipment, and the Reliant series was designed to bring that institutional reliability into the home.
How does this compare to the RPL450-2?
The RPL450-1 and RPL450-2 are the same lift with one difference: the RPL450-2 has a power base, meaning the legs open and close from the hand pendant rather than with the manual padded shifter handle. If the caregiver has limited mobility, back or knee issues, or is doing many transfers daily, the power base upgrade in the RPL450-2 may be worth the additional cost. If the manual base works for your situation, the RPL450-1 is the more economical choice with the same safety features and performance.
Will insurance cover this lift?
Medicare covers manual hydraulic patient lifts as durable medical equipment, but not electric lifts. If you’re set on an electric lift, there’s a path worth knowing about: Medicare may reimburse you for what it would have paid toward a comparable manual lift, and you pay the difference. Any Medicare benefit requires the purchase to go through a Medicare-enrolled DMEPOS supplier — which ADHME is not. If maximizing your Medicare benefit is the priority, we’d recommend going that route instead.
Private insurance: Many private insurers cover electric patient lifts when prescribed as medically necessary by a physician. ADHME doesn’t bill insurance directly, but provides a detailed paid invoice with the HCPCS code that you can submit to your private insurer for reimbursement. Contact your insurer before ordering to confirm your coverage and any required documentation.
HSA and FSA: Patient lifts are generally eligible expenses under Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts. The paid invoice ADHME provides serves as your documentation for reimbursement.
Use HCPCS Code E0635 when submitting to your private insurer for reimbursement.
Owner’s Manual
For full assembly, sling attachment, and operating instructions: Invacare Reliant RPL450-1 Owner’s Manual
Why Buy From American Discount Home Medical Equipment?
We’ve been in the home medical equipment business for over 30 years — first in a brick-and-mortar store in San Jose, now online serving customers across the country. We don’t carry everything. We carry what we’d recommend to someone we know.
Every product ships free to the contiguous U.S. with no minimum, and we back our prices with a lowest-price guarantee. If you have questions about whether this lift is the right one for your situation, call us at 1-800-956-6616 or start a live chat. We know patient lifts, we know slings, and we’ll help you make a decision you feel confident about.
Financing is available through BreadPay — quick approval, payments starting as low as $33/month.
- FREE sling included
- Hand pendant operates boom height
- Emergency stop with manual lowering device
- Includes two batteries and charger
- Works with 2, 4 or 6 point slings
- Low base height for under bed clearance
- Lifts up to 450 lbs.
Specifications
| Height at Sling Hook-up: | 24" - 74" |
| Base Height (clearance): | 4.5" |
| Base Width: | Open: 41" Closed: 26.5" |
| Base Length: | 48" |
| Casters: | Front: 3" Rear: 5", locking |
| Product Weight: | Base w/ Casters: 54 lbs. Mast w/ Battery: 38 lbs. Boom w/ Hanger: 16 lbs. |
| Total Weight: | 108 lbs. |
| Shipping Dimensions: | 58" x 27" x 20" |
| Shipping Weight: | 140 lbs. |
| Batteries (2): | 24V DC |
| Battery Charger: | Input: 100V-240V AC Output: 29.5V DC |
| Charging Time: | Max. 6 hrs. |
| Lifts per Charge*: | 150-300* |
| Weight Capacity: | 450 lbs. |
| Limited Warranty | |
| Lift: | 3 years |
| Pump/Electronics: | 1 year |
| Battery: | 6 months |
| *varies with lift range and load | |
