Last updated: August 2026
Warehouse space in Ireland is expensive and increasingly hard to find. Whether you’re operating from a logistics park in Baldonnell, an industrial estate in Cork or Galway, or a unit in one of the Northern Ireland enterprise zones near Portadown or Belfast, the cost of space means every square metre counts.
Narrow aisle racking is one of the most effective ways for Irish businesses to get more out of the space they already have without moving premises or taking on additional rent. The trade-off is that standard counterbalance forklifts can’t operate in narrow aisles. You need the right machine.
At Clearlift, we supply the EP Equipment range of stackers and reach trucks specifically designed for narrow aisle operations and we have them available to test at our Navan demo centre.
What Is a Narrow Aisle Forklift?
A narrow aisle forklift is a machine specifically designed to operate in aisles of 2.5 metres or less, compared to the 3.5–4 metre aisles required by a standard counterbalance forklift. Narrow aisle machines achieve this through compact chassis design, articulating forks, or reach mechanisms that extend to pick and place pallets without the machine needing to turn into the racking.
The result is that you can fit more racking rows into the same floor space and typically increasing storage density by 20–40%.
Standard Counterbalance vs Narrow Aisle — Which Do You Need?
Not every operation needs a narrow aisle machine. Here’s the key question: what’s your primary storage challenge?
- Running out of racking space within your current footprint? Narrow aisle is likely the answer.
- Operating in a large, open-plan facility where turning radius isn’t a constraint? A standard counterbalance forklift will suit you fine.
- Working in a multi-level mezzanine or high-bay racking environment? A reach truck or order picker is almost certainly the right tool.
- Operating across both outdoor yard and indoor storage? A combination approach — counterbalance for the yard, stacker or reach truck for the internal aisles — is common.
The EP Equipment Narrow Aisle Range
At Clearlift, we supply a complete range of narrow aisle solutions from EP Equipment:
EP ES16-RS — Electric Stacker
Ideal for small to medium-sized warehouses looking to maximise aisle density. Compact chassis, excellent manoeuvrability, and a reach mechanism that extends into the racking without the machine entering the aisle. Perfect for businesses getting started with narrow aisle or looking to replace an ageing stacker.
See the ES16-RS.
EP CQD16L / CQD20L — Reach Truck
For medium to large warehouse operations where racking height, throughput, and operator comfort matter. The CQD series is EP’s core reach truck range — lithium-ion powered, with excellent lift height capability and designed for extended shift operation. The Li-Ion version supports opportunity charging, making it ideal for operations that run two or more shifts.
EP CQE Series — Reach Truck for Diverse Pallet Types
For warehouses handling a variety of pallet sizes, non-standard loads, or limited-space environments where flexibility is the priority.
How Narrow Aisle Pays for Itself
The investment in narrow aisle equipment pays back through two routes: space savings and operational efficiency.
- Space saving: converting a 3.5-metre aisle warehouse to 2.5-metre aisles typically adds 1–2 additional racking rows per bay — a 20–40% storage increase in the same footprint
- Rent saving: if the alternative is taking on a larger unit, even one additional year of deferred lease is likely to pay for the equipment change
- Productivity: reach trucks are faster in racking-dense environments than counterbalance forklifts — shorter travel distances, faster cycle times
- Energy cost: all EP reach trucks and stackers run on lithium-ion, with low energy consumption and no servicing overhead of diesel
Come and See Them Working — Free Demo at Our Navan Centre
The best way to understand which machine suits your warehouse is to see them operating. At our Navan demo centre in Co. Meath, you can put the ES16-RS and the CQD reach trucks through a real operating cycle — in racking, on our demo floor, with your load type if you want to bring samples.
We’ll show you what aisle width each machine needs, how they perform at height, and how the charging cycle fits your shift pattern.
Book a free visit: Contact Us
Ireland: 01 5267 411 | Northern Ireland: 028 3833 7038
Clearlift Material Handling — Navan, Co. Meath and Portadown, Northern Ireland — Ireland’s only EP Equipment dealer.
