The 7 Best Ladders of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Bauer Corporation 6-Foot Fiberglass Folding Step Ladder

$270 At Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Features
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

The Bauer Corporation 6-Foot Fiberglass Folding Step Ladder impressed us during testing for its stability, sturdiness, and relatively light weight—we think it's the best option for most household needs, indoors and outside. At an overall height of 6 feet, you can safely stand on the fourth rung up from the bottom, giving you roughly 10 feet of reach. That’s enough for most people to easily change ceiling light bulbs, paint walls, or reach lower tree branches for trimming. 

The ladder’s sturdy locking mechanism prevents the ladder from swaying or closing while you’re above the ground. 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, so you don’t have to climb up and down to access them. 

We felt secure while climbing this ladder; the deep, slip-resistant treads provided excellent foot support, even with one of our team members who wears size 11 shoes. Plus, the feet of the ladder are capped with non-marring rubber “boots” that provide an extra layer of stability. We did find that this ladder may be more difficult to store given its height, but it could easily be stored in an outdoor storage shed or larger crawl space, too. 

After six months of regular use, we're still impressed by this ladder's sturdy, yet lightweight design. It's our go-to tool for most projects around our home and hasn't shown any signs of wear. While some ladders can be unwieldy, this model is always easy to pull out and set up.

_{Type: Stepladder | Duty Rating: Type 1AA (Extra Heavy Duty) 375 pounds | Max. Reach Height: 10 feet | Ladder Weight: 25 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Fiberglass}

Best Space-Saving

HBTower 5-Foot Wide-Step Folding Step Ladder

$77 At Amazon

Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Features
  4/5
• Value
  3/5

The HBTower 5-Foot Wide-Step Folding Step Ladder is ideal for inside tasks in apartments and smaller homes thanks to its sturdiness on slightly uneven ground, and easy-to-climb wider-than-typical rungs. We also found that the rubber feet and non-slip threads helped prevent slipping or sliding.

The ladder is a bit over 5 feet tall when closed and has 8.5-inch deep, strong plastic rungs, which perfectly fit a men’s size 9.5 shoes during testing. The ladder folds down to quite impressive thinness—1.6 inches, the thinnest on our list—making it easy to store next to an appliance, or in a tight closet. At the very top of the ladder is a strong plastic platform designed to hold a 1-gallon paint can and a few tools, but it can be removed if needed. 

As for weight, we could easily tote the ladder with one hand and found it a breeze to open and close. The padded handle at the top also helped make it comfortable to carry or hold on to while climbing. The weight capacity of this ladder is 330 pounds according to the manufacturer—although the Duty Rating is not listed online—so it’s comparable to most ladders on our list.

_{Type: Stepladder | Duty Rating: Not listed | Max. Reach Height: 9 feet | Ladder Weight: 18.5 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Steel} 

Best Multi-Position

Little Giant Ladders Velocity 17-Foot Multi-Position Ladder

$272 At Amazon $218 At Walmart $220 At Lowe's

Our Ratings

• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Portability
  3/5
• Features
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

If you are tackling a big home renovation, or have many DIY projects on your to-do list, the M17 Velocity from Little Giant is the only ladder you need. It’s a stepladder, staircase ladder, extension ladder, 90-degree ladder, all in one. The big advantage of this ladder is its adjustment system that lets you reconfigure it.

During testing, changing the configurations was a quick and easy process. We also found it very sturdy and easily supported our team member's weight in any of the configurations.

The ratcheting leg levelers allow you to safely position the ladder, even on ground that’s not level. We also found that the ladder folds to a reasonable size when not in use, with wheels that make it easy to maneuver wherever you need it. However, this is the heaviest ladder on our list and you may need help carrying it between locations and into storage. It doesn't have a holder or tray for tools or other supplies.

How It Performed Long-Term

We've found that this ladder can be used to help with any need in and outside the house. We also think it's easier to store than a typical extension ladder, and it's been convenient only having to move one ladder, instead of needing to carry an A-frame and an extension ladder for some tasks. It still performs just as well after six months of use, and we never question whether it's locked in place. The one change we'd make to this ladder is to make all four feet have ratcheting capabilities for even more stability and versatility.

_{Type: Multi-position | Duty Rating: Type 1A (Extra Heavy Duty) 300 pounds | Max. Reach Height: 18.1 feet | Ladder Weight: 35 pounds | Wheels: Yes | Material: Aluminum}

Best with Handrails

HBTower 3 Step Ladder with Handrails

$80 At Amazon View On Hbtowershop.com

Our Ratings

• Design
  5/5
• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Features
  1/5
• Value
  4/5

Sometimes you don’t need a tall ladder—you just need a little boost. And for those times, the HBTower 3-Step Ladder with Handrails is perfect for your needs. During testing, we found that it was the perfect size for a variety of tasks, including reaching high kitchen cabinets, hanging outdoor lights, and organizing garage storage.

We felt very stable while climbing up and down during our testing process. It has a steel frame and three heavy-duty plastic rungs, which at 8.3 inches deep, give plenty of support for your feet. Metal handrails on both sides of the rungs as well as at the top of the ladder are covered with a cushiony foam to provide even more safety and stability. It also has the highest Duty Rating of IAA (Extra Heavy Duty) on our list, although the manufacturer lists that it can hold up to 500 pounds.

This ladder also includes a handy detachable tool bag with four pockets to hold paint brushes, screwdrivers, hammers, or other small tools. However, it does not have built-in storage. 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 like trimming hedges, but not high enough for painting the tops of the walls.

In our experience, this ladder is lightweight and very easy to carry and maneuver all around the house. We found it easy to open, but it does require a hard yank to close. We just recommend being mindful of hand placement to avoid pinched fingers. Still, this is a useful ladder for around-the-house use, particularly for a user who isn’t very tall.

_{Type: Stepladder | Duty Rating: Type 1AA (Extra Heavy Duty) 375 pounds | Max. Reach Height: 7 feet | Ladder Weight: 16.1 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Steel}

Best Step

Cosco 6-Foot Signature Series Step Ladder

$146 At Amazon

Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Features
  5/5
• Value
  3/5

For a platform-style stepladder that stands out for its stability, we love this 6-foot option from Cosco. We felt very secure and never felt the ladder shift while climbing and standing on the platform, thanks to the extended frame for support. It was also very easy to carry, open, and collapse, and even with a fully loaded tray, it remained steady. 

The ladder has three regular rungs, but the fourth, top rung is a large platform that is wide and deep enough to place your whole foot on (it’s 13.5 inches deep). The platform is 45 inches above the ground, but the frame extends 24 inches higher, providing a secure grip should you need one. The reach height of this ladder is around 8 feet, making it a good choice for many projects. 

If you have upcoming painting projects, you’ll especially love the large tray for holding a can of paint, paint brushes, or other tools. We especially loved the attachment for holding a roll of paper towels, so we could keep them handy for quick cleanups of paint drips or similar messes.

_{Type: Stepladder | Duty Rating: Type 1A (Extra Heavy Duty) 300 pounds | Max. Reach Height: 8 feet | Ladder Weight: 17.6 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Aluminum}

Best Fiberglass

DeWalt 4-Foot Fiberglass Step Ladder

$140 At Amazon $104 At Home Depot $127 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  5/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Features
  3/5
• Value
  4/5

If you just need a sturdy fiberglass stepladder for tackling household tasks, including electrical, this Dewalt Step Ladder will serve you well. We especially liked the ladder’s wide feet and sturdy base, which provided excellent stability, even when reaching overhead. The rungs are also wider than typical rungs, making them feel a little more comfortable to stand on, even during long work sessions. Plus, the wide braces help keep it locked into position.

This 4-foot ladder offers an approximate 8.5-foot maximum reach, which is enough in most homes to paint walls, clean ceiling fan blades, change ceiling light bulbs, and access the highest cupboards. 

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. It doesn’t have wheels, but we found it's still light enough for most people to easily carry (it is the lightest ladder on our list) at just under 15 pounds. 

We found the hinges were a bit sticky when opening and closing the ladder, so be mindful of where your hands are when closing it. However, we still think this is a great, heavy-duty option at a reasonable price.

_{Type: Stepladder |  Duty Rating: Type 1A (Extra Heavy Duty) 300 pounds | Max. Reach Height: 8.5 feet | Ladder Weight: 14.9 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Fiberglass}

Best Extension

Louisville 16-Foot Fiberglass Extension Ladder

$299 At Amazon $304 At Home Depot $279 At Lowe's

Our Ratings

• Design
  4/5
• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Features
  1/5
• Value
  4/5

If you need a ladder to access the rain gutters or roof of a typical 1-story home, then the Louisville 16-Foot Fiberglass Extension Ladder is a great option. This model might not be the right choice if you have an exceptionally high roof, but for most 10-foot roofs, the ladder’s 16-foot length will do the trick. During testing, we found it sturdy and solid, with a minimal wobble, even on the upper rungs. 

This 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. 

We found it was easy to extend and retract, but we did experience a slight learning curve to do so. Because of its design, this ladder is the second heaviest on our list (slightly lighter than our best splurge pick), but it isn't too difficult to maneuver with someone's help, and feels lightweight, for an extension ladder. While it is a bit difficult to store, we've found that is a common problem with all extension ladders.

_{Type: Extension | Duty Rating: Type 1A (Extra Heavy Duty) 300 pounds  | Max. Reach Height: 15.1 feet | Ladder Weight: 31 pounds | Wheels: No | Material: Fiberglass}