Let’s be real. Staircases are the worst part of Minecraft. You spend hours mining deep into the bowels of the world at Y-level -59, your inventory is overflowing with diamonds and deepslate, and then you realize you have to jump up two hundred stone steps just to see the sun again. It's tedious. It's boring. Honestly, it’s a waste of your hunger bar. If you’re still using ladders or "water drops" to get around your mega-base in 2026, you're playing the game on hard mode for no reason.
Learning how to make an elevator in Minecraft is basically a rite of passage for any player moving from the "dirt hut" phase into the "industrial powerhouse" phase. There are about a dozen ways to do it. Some people swear by complex flying machines that use observers and pistons to physically push a platform through the air. They're cool, sure, but they’re also noisy and prone to breaking if you lag for even a second. If a stray block gets in the way? Boom. Your whole contraption is a mess of slime blocks and regret.
Most players just want something that works every single time. That’s why we’re going to focus on the gold standard: the Soul Sand and Magma Block bubble column. It’s fast. It’s cheap. It doesn't require a degree in Redstone engineering from a technical server like SciCraft.
The Physics of Bubbles and Why It Works
Minecraft physics are weird. Water usually just sits there or flows downward, but back in the Update Aquatic (version 1.13), Mojang added a mechanic where certain blocks create "bubble columns" when placed under source blocks of water. This changed the movement meta forever.
Soul Sand is the magic ingredient for going up. It produces upward-pushing bubbles that launch you toward the surface at a ridiculous speed. Seriously, it's faster than flying in Creative mode sometimes. On the flip side, Magma Blocks create a whirlpool effect. They pull you down. If you've ever been sucked into a trench in the middle of the ocean while riding a boat, you’ve felt the power of the Magma Block.
The catch? These columns only form in water source blocks. You can't just dump a bucket at the top of a long tube and expect it to work. If the water is flowing downward, the bubbles won't show up. You need every single block of height to be a stationary, "infinite" water source. This is where most people mess up and end up drowning in a plain old puddle.
Building Your First Vertical Shaft
First, pick a spot. You need a 1x1 hole that goes from your starting point all the way to your destination. Or a 2x2 if you want to feel fancy.
You'll need a stack of glass (or any solid block), a bucket of water, some kelp, and a single block of Soul Sand. Don't forget signs or fence gates. These are essential because they hold water back while letting players walk right through. It’s basically a magical invisible wall.
Step 1: The Frame
Build a tube. If you're going from your basement to a cliffside, just dig a straight hole. If you're building a tower, use glass so you can see the world whizzing by. Leave a two-block high opening at the bottom for your entrance.
Step 2: Preventing a Flood
Place two signs inside the entrance, one on top of the other. This keeps the water from spilling out into your living room and ruining your carpets. Use oak signs, cherry signs—doesn't matter. Just get them on the wall.
Step 3: The Kelp Trick (The Real Secret)
Fill the very top of the shaft with one bucket of water. It will flow all the way to the bottom. Now, here is the part that saves you hours: don't try to fill every layer with a bucket. That’s a nightmare. Instead, plant a piece of kelp at the bottom and grow it all the way to the top.
✨ Don't miss: Mario Kart World AI: Why the Blue Shell Isn't Actually Your Biggest Problem
Kelp has a unique property in Minecraft code. When it grows into a flowing water block, it converts that block into a source block. Once the kelp reaches the top, every single block in your elevator is now a source block.
Step 4: The Swap
Go back to the bottom. Break the kelp. Break the dirt or stone block the kelp was sitting on. Replace it with Soul Sand.
The moment you place that Soul Sand, you should see white bubbles screaming toward the ceiling. Step in. You’ll be at the top in roughly three seconds. It’s satisfying. It’s efficient. It's the only way to travel.
Switching Directions with Magma
Going up is only half the battle. Unless you want to jump into a "landing pad" of one-block-deep water (which is risky if you miss), you need a way down.
You can build a second tube right next to your "Up" elevator. Use the exact same kelp method, but instead of Soul Sand at the base, use a Magma Block. This creates the downward suction.
Pro Tip: Magma Blocks actually hurt you. If you stand on one at the bottom of your elevator, you'll slowly lose health. To avoid this, hold the sneak key (Shift) when you land, or better yet, replace the block right in front of the Magma Block with a hopper or a slab so you don't actually have to touch the hot stuff.
The Multi-Floor Redstone Challenge
Okay, maybe you aren't a beginner. Maybe you've got a skyscraper with ten different floors and you don't want to build ten different elevators. This is where things get "kinda" complicated, but it's totally doable.
To make a multi-floor elevator, you usually need a "swapping" mechanism at the bottom. This involves a piston that can push a Soul Sand block into place when you want to go up, and then pull it away to replace it with a Magma Block when you want to go down.
- Dig a small trench under the elevator floor.
- Place a Sticky Piston facing sideways.
- Put Soul Sand on one side and a Magma Block on the other.
- Run a redstone line to a button or lever at each floor.
Honestly? These are finicky. If you're on Bedrock Edition, redstone behaves differently than it does on Java Edition (the "quasi-connectivity" thing is a Java-only quirk). Most experts recommend sticking to two separate tubes. It’s just cleaner. Less "clunky."
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
If your elevator isn't working, it's almost always the water. Look closely at the bubbles. If there is a gap where the bubbles stop and then start again, you have a flowing water block instead of a source block. Break the blocks around it and re-place the water, or just do the kelp trick again. It's foolproof.
Another weird issue: Entities. If you leave a boat or a minecart in your bubble column, it will go flying. This can be used to make some pretty cool automated delivery systems, but for a personal elevator, it’s just a nuisance.
Also, watch out for your breath meter. Even though the bubbles look like air, you can still drown in an upward bubble column unless you are playing on a version that specifically changed this (like some recent snapshots). On most versions, Soul Sand bubbles actually provide air, but Magma bubbles do not. If your elevator is really tall—like, 200 blocks tall—and you’re going down the Magma side, you might run out of bubbles. Always keep an eye on those little blue icons above your hunger bar.
Alternative: The Redstone Flying Machine
If you really want to flex on your friends, you can build a physical platform that moves. This requires:
- 2 Observers
- 2 Sticky Pistons
- 4 Slime Blocks (or Honey Blocks if you don't want to stick to the walls)
- A "Station" at the top and bottom made of Obsidian (since Obsidian can't be moved by pistons).
You trigger the observer, which tells the piston to fire, which pulls the rest of the machine up. It's slow. It's loud. But it looks like a real-life elevator. The downside? If you walk off the edge while it's moving, you’re going to have a bad time.
Final Thoughts on Vertical Logistics
Minecraft is a game about efficiency. Once you learn how to make an elevator in Minecraft, your build style will probably change. You'll stop building wide, sprawling bases and start building vertically. It's a better use of chunks and it keeps your most important chests within reach.
Don't settle for a boring ladder. Go to the Nether, grab some Soul Sand, and find a beach with some kelp. Your Minecraft knees will thank you.
Next Steps for Your Build
- Gather Materials: You'll need at least one Soul Sand (from the Nether Soul Sand Valleys) and one Magma Block (found in the Nether or deep ocean ravines).
- Safety First: Always use glass for your elevator walls if you’re building high up; it prevents Endermen from teleporting into your shaft and scaring the life out of you.
- Aesthetic Touch: Try using tinted glass if you want a "dark" elevator vibe without letting light spill out into your base.
- Test the Column: Jump in without any gear the first time just in case you missed a water source block and end up falling.