Review : 2.9m Telescopic Ladder from Maplin

Ladders are a necessity in this house as we have very high ceilings.  Also, being an end terrace means that we get the brunt of the weather so outside touch-ups are an annual activity.  We have a huge set of metal ladders that reside outside, chained to the fence for security.  This review will compare the use and build of a telescopic ladder in comparison to our existing metal ladder.

The ladder can be found in the Home & DIY section of the Maplin website.

The Review

The ladder is extremely light and portable.  The specifications say that it weighs only 8kg (the equivalent of eight bags of sugar).  When closed down it easily fitted under my arm and could be carried all over the house and the garden.

What stands out immediately is that the ladder does not need to be extended to its full reach; it can be opened to any convenient height for the job that you are doing and it is still really sturdy.  For this, I'd advise extending the ladder from the top so that the weight of the unopened rungs is at the bottom.   We've had the ladder out in the garden reaching right up to our upper window (painting the windowsills) and up to the loft (as you can see in the pictures).

The plastic clips that trigger the spring mechanism for closing the ladder felt a bit fiddly at first but you get used to the way they work after using them a few times.  Also, the retraction is quite quick because of the weight of the ladder sections so I'd advise caution the first few times you use the ladder so that you don't get your finger trapped like I did (I'm ok, don't worry)!

As you can see from the pictures, when in the closed position the ladder is secured by a strap (velco fastening) and can be stored in a waterproof bag (supplied).

Overall, we're really impressed with the ladder.  We had our reservations at first but I would really recommend this as a purchase for both indoor and outdoor use.  It's also a great size for throwing in the boot of our car for use up at the allotment.

Additional Specificiations

• Weighs only 8kg
• Height when closed: 79cm
• 10 steps
• Maximum load: 150kg
• Tested to European Safety Standard EN131
• Available from Maplin stores and online priced at £99.99.  At the time of writing the ladder was reduced to £59.99 - a huge saving of £40! 

I was provided with a set of ladders for the purpose of this review.  Please view my disclosure page for more details