Larry Campbell, a licensed electrical contractor and member of The Spruce’s Home Improvement Review Board, notes that when choosing the right ladder for your purposes, keep safety in mind with regard to height. “Your stepladder should be tall enough so that you never need to stand with your knee higher than the top of the ladder.” He further cautions that when working with electrical wiring, it is safest to stick with a fiberglass ladder rather than an aluminum ladder, as aluminum is highly conductive to electricity. Our top choice, the Bauer Corporation 6-Foot Fiberglass Folding Step Ladder, won top marks for its stability, extra-deep rungs, easier climb than most other ladders, and handy top work tray for tool storage. Here are the best ladders according to our testers. You’ll feel secure while climbing this ladder; our tester commented that the deep treads provided excellent foot support, even with his size 11 shoes. Plus, the feet of the ladder are capped with non-marring rubber “boots” that provide an extra layer of stability—no wobbles here. The top of the ladder has a small tray and six tool holders to keep your hammer, nails, and other necessities right at hand while you work. And you’ll appreciate the ladder’s 20-degree angle when fully open, which is an easier climb than many similar brands’ offerings. With the ladder’s strong fiberglass frame, aluminum rivets, zinc-plated steel supports, cross braces, and reinforced spreader mounts, it’s no wonder that our tester felt this was an ideal choice for any homeowner who wanted a commercial-grade ladder for frequent tasks around the house or yard. The ladder is rated for up to 375 pounds. Price at time of publish: $250 The very top of the ladder is a strong plastic platform with molded compartments designed to hold a 1-gallon paint can and a few tools. The tray can be removed if desired. While not the most robust ladder, the steel frame holds up well to typical household use, and it has rubber feet to prevent slipping or sliding on smooth floors. The ladder folds down to quite impressive thinness, making it easy to store if your closet space is tight. As for weight, our tester commented that he could easily tote the ladder with one hand and added that it was very easy to open and close. Price at time of publish: $100 The big advantage of this multi-position ladder is its Rock Lock adjustment system that lets you reconfigure the ladder quickly and easily—our tester praised the ease of changing the ladder’s configurations and noted that it was very sturdy and easily supported his weight in any of the configurations. Ratcheting leg levelers allow the user to safely position the ladder, even on ground that’s not level. The ladder folds to a reasonable size when not in use, and the wheels make it easy to maneuver wherever you need it when duty calls, although our tester noted that it’s a heavy ladder. The M17 has a total height of 17 feet when fully extended, with a maximum standing level of 11.7 feet and a maximum reach of 18.1 feet. When used as a stepladder, you can adjust it to anywhere between 4 feet and 7 feet in height, depending on how you configure it. The ladder is rated 1A, which means it can hold up to 300 pounds and is made of aluminum. Price at time of publish: $320 The ladder includes a handy detachable tool bag with four pockets to hold paint brushes, screwdrivers, hammers, or other small tools. When fully open, the entire ladder, including the upper handrail, measures 55 inches high. The top rung is 27.6 inches above the floor, so you’ll have approximately a 7-foot reach height, which is enough for most small tasks around the house but not high enough for painting the tops of the walls. Our tester noted that the ladder is lightweight and easy to open but did take a hard yank to close. Still, this is a useful ladder for around-the-house use, particularly for a user who isn’t very tall. The maximum weight capacity stated by the manufacturer is 500 pounds. Price at time of publish: $100 Made of sturdy aluminum with large strong hinges, the ladder remains steady without too much sway. Our tester said that the rungs were somewhat narrow but felt strong, and although there was a bit of wobble in the fully extended position, he felt safe and secure while climbing up and down the ladder. Two wheels at the base make it easy to maneuver the ladder to your worksite. When used as a stepladder, there are three height settings, with the lowest at 3.5 feet and the highest at 5.5 feet for a reach height of around 9.4 feet. As an extension ladder, there are five height settings, with the lowest at 6.10 feet and the highest at 10.10 feet for a reach height of around 14.3 feet. Price at time of publish: $179 Despite its telescoping design, the ladder is very stable and steady. Our tester says, “The ladder felt very sturdy, even toward the top, and the rungs are solid and wide enough to be comfortable.” Collapsing the ladder is easy: Just depress the two red buttons simultaneously, and the ladder slowly retracts, making it less likely you’ll get a finger pinched. Our tester felt the ladder was easy to set up, extend, and collapse and very easy to carry when fully collapsed. All in all, this is a solid choice if you only need a basic ladder for occasional simple tasks around your home. Price at time of publish: $160 There’s also a large tray for holding your can of paint, paint brushes, or whatever other tools you need, and most handy of all, there’s an attachment for holding a roll of paper towels. Our tester especially appreciated that feature, which is perfect for quick cleanups of paint drips or similar messes. He also commented that the ladder was very easy to carry, open, and collapse, and even with a fully loaded tray, it remained steady. The ladder’s maximum weight capacity is 350 pounds. Price at time of publish: $165 The ladder has a tool tray at the top, providing an easy way to stash your paint can, drill, hammer, or other tools while you work. There’s also one oversize rung, which serves as a small standing platform in the extension configuration. Our tester noted that the ladder felt safe and sturdy, even when extended and leaning against a wall. This aluminum ladder adjusts to four different heights in the double-sided stepladder position, with a maximum reach height of 12.2 feet. There are seven adjustable heights in the extension configuration, with a maximum reach height of 19.1 feet, which is high enough to clean gutters, hang holiday lights, or paint fascia trim on a one-story house or even some two-story homes. Price at time of publish: $239 The ladder has a useful tray top with compartments designed to hold a paint can or paint tray, power or hand tools, and small parts such as screws or nails. This ladder doesn’t have wheels, but according to our tester, it’s light enough for most people to easily carry. Made of fiberglass, the ladder is constructed for heavy-duty use, with wide braces and an impact-absorption system. The maximum weight capacity is 300 pounds. Price at time of publish: $155 Made of aluminum, the ladder has wide-flare legs with rubber boots for extra stability, as well as two wheels for portability. The rungs are somewhat narrow, but the ladder is stable and without sway, especially when used as a stepladder. All in all, this is a good choice for general use, although not the best pick if you are looking for a heavy-duty ladder that’s going to see hours-long work sessions. The ladder has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds. Price at time of publish: $269 Made of fiberglass, the ladder has swivel safety feet that can compensate for slightly uneven ground, mar-resistant end caps so the ladder won’t scratch the surface it’s resting against, and smooth-performance outside glides so you won’t struggle to extend the ladder to its full height. Our tester said the ladder was easy to extend and retract, although it did have a slight learning curve to do so. This ladder’s maximum weight capacity is 300 pounds. Price at time of publish: $285 Testers then stepped onto the ladder’s first rung, noting how stable and sturdy the ladder felt, as well as whether or not the rung was wide enough for comfort and stability. They then climbed to the ladder’s highest rung as per safety regulations and then climbed back down. Each ladder was given points for its sturdiness during use, with points lost for wobbling or swaying. Testers also noted whether the ladder’s rungs were spaced appropriately to make the climb easier, as well as the steepness of the ladder when fully open. If the ladder had adjustable legs, the tester set the ladder on a slightly irregular surface, adjusted the legs to compensate, and then noted the effectiveness, ease, and speed of doing so. If the ladder had a tool tray, platform, or another work area, then the tester tried them out using buckets of paint, hand tools, and similar items that would be commonly used while standing on a ladder. Finally, the testers folded the ladders down fully, evaluating how easy or difficult it was to do so, as well as the effort required to move the ladder from place to place. Testers scored the ladders on a 1-to-5 scale, with 1 being the lowest possible for design, effectiveness, portability, features, and value. Once the results were in, the numbers were tallied, and the winners were declared.
What to Look for in a Ladder
Type
While a stepladder is the most common type of ladder for most around-the-house tasks, extension ladders, telescoping ladders, and multi-position ladders are popular options to consider if you need to reach higher up. Stepladders, such as our top choice the Bauer Corporation 6-Foot Fiberglass Folding Step Ladder, are defined by their A-shaped frames that self-support on four legs. Multi-position stepladders allow you to balance the ladder on a staircase or other uneven surfaces. Stepladder heights range between 6 feet and 20 feet, although most people find a ladder that’s 6 to 12 feet sufficient. Straight ladders are tall ladders that have to lean against something for support. They have only two legs. Extension ladders are basically straight ladders with adjustable heights. You’ll find extension ladders with maximum heights of up to 40 feet, although for most people not needing to access the roof of a multi-story home, 12 to 20 feet is more than sufficient. Our top choice of extension ladders, the Louisville Fiberglass Extension Ladder FE3216, is 16 feet tall when fully extended. Telescoping ladders are basically extension ladders that “collapse” when not in use for easier storage.
Height and Reach Height
Think about how high you’ll need to climb on your ladder—your answer to that will tell you what height you should be looking at. Ladders range from small step stools with just one rung to giant extension ladders that can reach the roofs of multi-story homes. By choosing a ladder that’s appropriately sized for your needs, you’ll avoid safety concerns, since a ladder that’s too short may tempt you to lean and sway on the top rung, while one that’s too long can become unsteady at the base. But the actual height of the ladder isn’t the most important number; you also need to consider reach height. It is not safe to stand on the top rung of a ladder, meaning you’ll be lower than the ladder’s full height. On a stepladder, you should avoid standing on the top two rungs. However, the length of your own arms and torso adds to how high you can safely reach. As a rough guideline, a stepladder’s reach height is 4 feet beyond its actual height, assuming that the user is an average height of 5 feet, 9 inches tall. So, for example, a 10-foot stepladder has a reach height of 14 feet. On an extension ladder, safety requirements are to avoid standing on the top four rungs. Also, because extension ladders must lean at an angle against a support rather than standing upright on their own, you lose some of the total height. That reduces your reach quite a bit, typically to around a foot lower than the extension ladder’s height. So, for example, if you have your extension ladder at 18 feet, your reach height will be 17 feet. These numbers are somewhat variable, but as the user’s height, the distance between ladder rungs, and the angle at which the ladder is set all influence reach height.
Weight
Lightweight ladders are much easier to move—plain and simple. Aluminum ladders are among the lightest options, with some weighing as little as 20 pounds. The HBTower 3-Step Ladder with Handrails weighs just a bit over 16 pounds, making it a lightweight option. Fiberglass options can tip the scale at around 50 pounds and may require a bit of heavy lifting. Many large, heavy stepladders and multi-position ladders have wheels at the base for improved portability.
Versatility
If you want the most bang for your buck, it might make sense to look for a versatile ladder with articulated joints. These special mechanisms allow the ladder to bend and lock in place to achieve different configurations. Some of the most popular multi-purpose ladders can do double duty as an A-frame ladder and extension ladder, while others are real multitaskers with up to seven different ladder positions available, including scaffolding ladder, 90-degree ladder, and staircase ladder.
Duty Rating
All ladders sold in the United States are required to have a safety specifications label affixed to the side that states the ladder’s duty rating. This safety guideline states the maximum weight capacity of the ladder, which includes not just your own weight but also the weight of all tools and supplies you set on the ladder or hold in your hands while standing on the ladder. The five categories of ladder duty ratings are:
Type 1AA (Extra Heavy Duty) 375 poundsType 1A (Extra Heavy Duty) 300 poundsType 1 (Heavy Duty) 250 poundsType 2 (Medium Duty) 225 poundsType 3 (Light Duty) 200 pounds
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article is edited and updated by Michelle Ullman, the tool expert for The Spruce. She has over a decade’s experience, not only in writing about all things related to the home but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs.
Store your ladder in a protected spot away from intense heat or freezing temperatures and where it won’t be subjected to excessive moisture or humidity. Fold your ladder for storage and retract any extensions. You can store your ladder by leaning it horizontally or vertically against a wall, but be sure it’s not extending into any area where it’s likely to be a tripping hazard.If you hang your ladder for storage, place a hook every 6 feet to prevent warping.
You’ll need to know the measurement of the ladder when fully extended. Keep in mind, however, that for safety, you should never stand on the top four rungs, nor should a ladder used to access a roof be more than three rungs higher than the height of the roof itself. For storage or transport purposes, you’ll also want to know the length of the ladder when fully retracted and folded. The width of the ladder’s base is also important when choosing a spot for storage. Finally, the distance between ladder rungs should be 10 to 14 inches, with the same distance between every rung.
Don’t climb a ladder if you are feeling dizzy, tired, or unwell. Don’t use an extension ladder in high winds, in severe storms, or when wet.Wear slip-resistant shoes when climbing a ladder.Climb the ladder slowly and carefully without sudden movements or swaying side-to-side.There should never be more than one person on a ladder at a time. Always set a ladder on even, solid ground. Avoid muddy spots, puddles, slopes, or loose ground, such as gravel or pebbles. When climbing a ladder, face forward, so your body is between the ladder’s side rails. Don’t lean to the side.Never move a ladder while it’s in use. Don’t place your ladder in front of a door that might be opened while the ladder is in use. Never stand on the top rung of a ladder. It’s best not to use the top two rungs of a stepladder. Stay off any ladder that is damaged, has loose rungs or sides, or is generally in poor condition.
Johnathan Brewer, a member of The Spruce’s Home Improvement Review Board adds, “Always ensure the ladder is properly footed prior to use. And tying the top of an extension ladder to the roof you are climbing is also smart safety precaution.” For this roundup, she received extensive input from ladder testers at The Lab in Des Moines, Iowa, where 23 ladders were put through their paces. She received extra insight from Larry Campbell, who is a licensed electrical contractor and a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.
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Here at The Spruce we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend, and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.
