The best ladders

You know that old adage about using the right tool for the job? Well that's true with more than just hammers, screwdrivers, or monkey wrenches. You need to use the right ladder for the task at hand, too. Fortunately, the Little Giant 22-Foot Velocity Multi-Use Ladder is essentially four different ladders in one, so this one tool can be just right for everything from painting the walls of a stairwell to cleaning the gutters of a two-story home to refinishing a ceiling.

At its full extension, the Little Giant Velocity offers you 22 feet of added height, perfect for reaching the roofline of most homes or smaller commercial facilities. It can also be folded into a freestanding A-frame configuration for use beneath trees or when you're working on walls or ceilings. With its sections adjusted to disparate lengths, you can use this ladder on a staircase and feel as stable as you would on flat ground.

The Little Giant 22-Foot Velocity Multi-Use Ladder exceeds all ANSI and OSHA safety standards, and if it's good enough for the professionals, it's probably good enough for your home. It supports up to 300 pounds, so go ahead and haul some hardware up there with you.

Pros: Versatile configurations, good weight capacity, stable and durable

Cons: Expensive option, proper use requires patience and practice

Most homes built in the last twenty years have a minimum ceiling height of nine feet. Many newer homes have ten and twelve-foot ceilings, too. With the eight-foot-tall Louisville Ladder FS1508 Fiberglass Ladder, it will be easy for you to reach the ceilings and of course all the wall space in almost any home, or in most commercial locations, too.

Painting requires an A-frame-style ladder. You can't very well lean the top rung of a ladder against the wall you intend to paint, after all, and if you're working on a ceiling, there might not even be any walls nearby that could offer support.

While projects like as changing out a light fixture or swapping an air filter might last only a matter of minutes, painting a room (or exterior) means spending a lot of time on that ladder, so you need to choose one that's stable and sturdy, which this ladder is. Each step is secured with six rugged tubular steel rivets, while the feet consist of thick rubber pads with multiple squares in a waffle iron pattern that allows for excellent stability on all sorts of surfaces.

What sets this ladder away from the herd of other A-frame painting ladders is what you'll find up top. The plastic molded top of this unit features slots perfect for paintbrushes and other tools, a wide cup-holder space suitable for smaller cans of paint or stain (or a cup), a hook for a paint can, and nooks for screws, nails, and other hardware. Why climb up and down all the time when you can stash the stuff you need close at hand?

This ladder comes in multiple height options, though we recommend the 8- or 10-foot option.

Pros: Lightweight and sturdy, convenient tool organization, stable foot design

Cons: Quality control issues see some "new" ladders arrive with damage

The right tool for the right job doesn't always mean the best choice is the biggest, fanciest option out there. This beloved little stepladder weighs in at a mere 13.2 pounds, yet it can safely accommodate up to 200 pounds of weight. For quick tasks like dusting the door frames, wiping down the windows, or grabbing a can of soup from a top shelf in the pantry, it's hard to beat the classic Rubbermaid RMA-3 Folding 3-Step Stepladder.

This handy ladder locks in place in about one second, offering you a top standing height of 27.25 inches above the ground. In most homes, that's enough added elevation for most people to touch the ceiling. When you're finished with this or that little task or project, the stepladder folds flat enough to slide behind any door, to tuck away under a bed or dresser, or even to slip between an appliance and the wall.

You probably won't mind that comfort grip handle on top of the stepladder, either, which helps provide stability during use and easy carrying around the home. The textured steps also help prevent slips.

Pros: Good price for good quality, folds flat for storage, easy to move around house

Cons: Not suitable for outdoor use

The first time I saw one of these ladders, it was slung under the arm of the inspector coming to look over, under, and through my house. He was a burly guy, easily 6'2" and 250 pounds, yet he clambered up and down his telescopic Ohuhu ladder a dozen times in the next few hours, folding it down to move it around the house and yard multiple times during the process. When he was done, he collapsed it back into a compact enough package to grab with one hand and casually carry out through the door and into the back seat of a car. I was impressed, to say the least.

The Ohuhu EN131 Telescopic Extension Ladder has a maximum extension of 12.5-feet, which means a person of average height can use it to reach surfaces about fifteen feet off the ground, which is more than enough height for myriad residential and commercial applications.

While this ladder is indeed solid enough for commercial use — and especially for an inspector or contractor on the move — it's ideal for the home where storage space is at a premium. The ladder is just 40.2 inches tall when collapsed down small, and it weighs only a few ounces more than 25 pounds, so most people can move it around with ease.

Pros: Highly portable, compact and easy storage, anti-pinch safety features

Cons: Extending and collapsing can require force and jiggling

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