Step Ladder

Step Ladder is one of those plain household tools that becomes indispensable whenever a bulb, shelf, or curtain rail sits just out of reach. By our assessment, its strength is the obvious one: a self-supporting platform with steps that gets a person up and keeps both hands freer than balancing on a chair. The downside is equally plain, because it takes floor space, needs stable ground, and is only as safe as the surface and the user’s balance allow. In practice, a step ladder feels reassuring when it is opened properly, but it is not something to hurry with or use on uneven spots. Compared with a straight ladder, it is the safer and easier choice for indoor jobs, while still stopping well short of a scaffold or lift. Step Ladder is for short, ordinary reach jobs, and that is exactly where it earns its place.