Rental Guides
How to Choose the Right Manlift for Your Project
Six specifications decide whether a manlift will actually reach your work face. Get them right before you book.
Aerial Spider Access Company Technical Team · 9 May 2026 · 7 min read
1. Working height, not platform height
Working height is platform height plus roughly two metres for a standing worker. Specify the height of the actual work, then add contingency for obstacles and platform positioning.
2. Horizontal outreach
Outreach determines whether you can reach across a landscaped strip, canopy or live traffic lane. Telescopic booms give maximum outreach; articulating booms trade some reach for up-and-over flexibility.
3. Platform capacity and power type
Count workers, tools and materials. Then choose electric for indoor and emission-sensitive work, or diesel four-wheel drive for open construction ground.
4. Access route and ground conditions
Measure gate widths, ramp gradients and turning circles. Confirm whether the ground is compacted, sandy or a structural slab — this often decides between a boom lift and a spider lift.