When thinking about parking efficiency, both in commercial and residential use, the best approach is to think horizontally and vertically. Car stackers are marvels of mechanical engineering that safely provide vertically-minded methods of parking storage by creating parking spaces above and below one another.
There are many different car stacker options to optimize different parking situations. Some parking lifts are beneficial for residential use, whereas others are more practical for storing larger fleets or those where cars need to be moved in and out of parking spaces quickly.
Best Car Stackers for Residential Garages
Residential parking is much smaller than parking garages, usually built for only two or three vehicles at a time. The best car stackers for residential use work well in low-ceilinged garages and have parking lift mechanisms that don’t take a substantial amount of space.
Two-Level
Two-level car stackers are the most standard, basic form of car parking lift. These car stacker options are excellent for small spaces where only a few cars are being stored, making them popular for personal use. A two-level car stacker uses a simple hydraulic lift to raise and lower a car from one level to the next, lifting the car up to a second level to create space for another car underneath.
Angled Design
Low-ceilinged car storage may not have a lot of space to work with above the ground-level parking spot, but angled design car stackers provide an easy solution! Angled design car stackers store the upper-level car at an angle so it doesn’t require as much space. The main downside to angled design is that the top-level car cannot be removed while a vehicle is parked underneath it, making it preferable for long-term storage of a car that is used infrequently.
Subterranean
Since many residential garages don’t even have enough above-ground space for an angled design car stacker, one of our favorite car storage solutions for residential use is a subterranean (also known as “in-ground”) car stacker. These in-ground car stacker options are built beneath your garage floor. The car is driven onto the car stacker platform and lowered into a space underground, then the floor closes over top so another car can be parked above. Like with angled design lifts, this subterranean car stacker requires the main level car to be moved out of the way before the stored car can be accessed.
Best Car Stackers for Commercial Lots
You won’t typically see car stackers in commercial lots designed for public use, like self-serving parking garages, because they aren’t safe for untrained individuals to operate. However, other forms of commercial lots like rental car facilities, showroom floors, dealerships, and other commercial car storage facilities could significantly increase their vehicle storage capacity with the right car stacker options.
Multi-Level
Unlike the standard two-level car stacker, multi-level car stackers can store as many as four cars one on top of the other (sometimes even more!) Multi-level car stackers are useful for long-term storage facilities like dealerships or rental car facilities where everything from sedans to SUVs need to be safely stored in a space-optimizing way.
Turntable
Turntable car stackers have a rotating platform that makes maneuvering vehicles in and out easier. This makes them excellent for tight spaces like car maintenance garages, but they’re also useful for displaying cars on showroom floors.
Best Car Stackers for Valet Parking Facilities
Valet parking facilities need to be able to park a wide range of vehicles and move them in and out of storage quickly and efficiently when customers are ready to retrieve their cars. A valet parking facility needs flexible car stacker options that work with a variety of vehicle types and sizes and don’t require a lot of moving cars around to get to any given parked car.
Stack and Slide
When it comes to storing a larger fleet, stack and slide car stackers are the most popular choice. These unique car lift systems are comprised of multiple platforms for cars to be parked on, which then lift and slide the car into a storage position. This allows a lot of quick movement and flexibility with parking various vehicles and retrieving them as needed.
Suspended Platform
Since they’re integrated into the parking garage itself, suspended platform car stackers don’t use columns to secure the stacker in place, instead making use of the existing structure. This makes them ideal for valet parking facilities where multiple vehicles of different sizes are stored because the suspended platform doesn’t restrict the size of vehicles that can be parked underneath.
Mathews Mechanical Offers Custom Car Stacker Fabrication!
The best car stackers aren’t pre-built but rather custom-fabricated to perfectly fit your existing car parking facility. Whether you’re a homeowner interested in maximizing your personal parking efficiency or a commercial parking business needing to increase available vehicle space, Mathews Mechanical designs, installs, and services all available car stacker options.
