Side by Side Comparison of: Little Giant Ladders vs Rubbermaid

Very versatile, solid construction, on balance a great value . The Little Giant is the "ONE" ladder for your lifetime.

Awesome ladder. It's a bit heavy especially compared to the fiberglass models but the compact storage more than makes up for this.

This ladder system is awesome!You can stably go up either side.I also purchased the shelf can hold a person, and doubles to allow the ladder function as scaffolding. I haven't scaffolded to do any painting just yet, but I can verify the utility of having a heavy duty weight bearing shelf that expands my standing surface and holds tools well.I am a petite flower of a girl, but the wheels allow me to drag this around the hard freely since the ground bears most of the weight. Adjusting ladder height was also very easy, and since you customize the height to whatever is needed for the situation, the flexibility is unparalleled. (Just don't use an aluminum ladder where serious voltage might be a concern.)Great versatile product, well worth the money.

This ladder is no joke. It's got a reassuring amount of weight to it, which some may consider to be an inconvenience. Personally, I don't like feeling ladder movement as I ascend, so the added sturdiness is worth the weight.The adjustments make it perfect for any space inside or outside of my home. I recommend that you find an open space (e.g., driveway) and practice using the adjustment levers to get a feel for maneuvering the ladder up and down.

I have owned a #26 Little Giant for over 25 years. It is still good as new. We recently moved to a different state, therefore a different church. I used it there to change bulbs in their cove lighting. When they saw its' versatility they had me order one for them. They are well pleased with the purchase. It is a great ladder. Well worth the cost.

Best ladder I ever bought. Have had 2 other ladders from other companies. The Little Giant is easy to operate. Very intuitive. I purchased the 26 ' ladder. It is somewhat heavy to maneuver around. May need two people for set-up. But the weight assists in making the ladder very sturdy.I suggest watching the YouTube video on how to set up and break down the ladder for further visuals. I found the video helpful.

This stool is sturdy and easy to use, making climbing a step stool much safer than my old rickety one. I bought this on recommendation of my son. Although it is just a bit heavy, that is OK, because it is well made and strong.I also love that it fits perfectly in a narrow space.

Good sturdy little stepstool . I bought two now . The first one was for my daughter I now I got one call my wife . Although my daughter and my wife are much smaller than I am and i'm not for sure what it's rated for, but I weigh 350 pounds and I've stood on it with no problem

At 4' 8" just about everything it too high for me to reach. This now lives in my kitchen, and it gets me up to my highest cabinet. It also opens and closes easily. I feel safer on this than on my ladder because of the wider step and the non-slip rubber one the steps.

I can no longer reach the top shelves in my kitchen or in the bedroom. That was the purpose of my purchase and I'm certainly lucky to have gotten the right one the first time. It is not too heavy for me to carry, I put it over my shoulder. Up front was too clumsy for me because of my back. Each step is a comfortable rise. The stool is steady and solid . I have never felt uneasy but I have never been foolish as to where I place it. It needs to be on a even,solid base. I certainly would recommend this product.

We just bought a fixer-upper house which means lots of projects and lots of painting. As a shorter woman, this little ladder comes in handy almost daily! It's very sturdy and easy to climb up and down on. The rubber steps, rubber grips on the feet, and the rubber handle on top all contribute to the sense of security this ladder gives you. It's a little heavier than other stepladders that I've owned, but that's due to the quality. It folds away and stores easily, too!

My girlfriend is well under 5 foot tall and just moved into my place. Within hours she expressed an interest in a step stool to reach the top shelves on cupboards and in the closets. This step ladder has expanded her horizons and now allows her to reach anything with ease, and it locks into place when opened so she doesn't worry about it falling. It folds flat enough for us to store it in the kitchen between the wall and refrigerator (2.5" ish).

It's so well built you'll need a buddy to help manhandle this beast when fully extended. And yet it still wobbles in the middle. I use my smaller and lighter 22' version far more and in hindsight would have just purchased and good quality extension ladder for two jobs instead.

Great ladder! I've used this more than I ever thought I would. It's great for those things that you may be able to do with an 8 foot ladder but this thing makes it so much easier AND safer. It is much more stable than similar knock-off ladders. It's very sturdy but in turn it is very heavy as well. The only negatives I can think of is it's a little pricey for a ladder (but I think it'll earn its keep), it is heavy, and the rungs are thin. By that I mean they aren't as wide as a normal step ladder. If you are in bare feet or socks (i.e. inside decorating the Christmas tree) it hurts after a while. Otherwise, I'm happy with the purchase.

Got the 26 ft ladder.Pros: Great ladder, high reach, comes with wheels for easy transport, less bow/flex than the similar Werner ladderCons: Heavy, need two people to stand up when fully extendedI tried both, the little giant and the Werner ladder and there is no question tha the Little Giant is the better Ladder! Less flex, lighter (still heavy though) and wheels included!

Ladder got here ASAP and was packaged well. Amazon had a lot better service than Little Giant itself. In "A" frame it's great and solid. In far extension mode it's a little wobbly and un-nerving but never did it slide out. Just nature of the beast at that length

The two main foldable ladders seem to be the Werner and the Little Giant. I got the LG. It's a great ladder. The only caution: This ladder weighs 50 lbs, and when fully extended is 26 feet (312 in.). That means if you are 6 ft tall, and holding the ladder near your eye level while the ladder is fully extended, you have to manage roughly 700 ft-lbs of torque as you manhandle the thing into position.

This is a very diverse ladder. It is hefty, but it sure feels safe being at the top when it is fully extended. It is a good workout just hoisting it against the house when fully extended. Having an extra person would help greatly. I can fit this ladder in my SUV, so I don't have to load it on the roof. This is one of the main reason why I purchased this ladder.

Works as you might expect; I can climb up and reach things that are high. Having three steps vs two works great in my house since we have slightly taller ceilings and higher cabinets.I will say, though, that the ladder is heavier than I had anticipated. I wouldn't call it "heavy" by any means, but it's definitely not as lightweight as other step ladders I've owned.

So far it looks good and I could get on it easily. I had polio when I was a child and my stepper (foot) doesn't flex much. I do weigh 298 lbs. so I need to be careful. Too tired to return it. I have already lost 40 lbs. so I might just keep it until the extra weight comes off...105 lbs. to go (I'm 6' 2" tall)Packaging also in bad shape. Ripped on one end. The centering plastic clips came off and I only found one.I took photos but can't seem to locate where to add them.

Fantastic and sturdy. It's lightweight and easy to carry but I've never worried about it not supporting my weight or tipping over. If you have a tendency to lean forward a bit against the top step like I do be careful because there is nothing securing the top step from being pushed up and it does have a little bit of play. Nothing dangerous but it would have been nice to know the first time I used it.

Perfect for addressing a crowd of minions or torch- and pitchfork-bearing villagers who fail to understand the scientific value of your work.

ProsA potential lifesaver if you avoid a serious fall by using an unsuitable alternativeAllows me to reach the ceiling of my apartment, which I have to do to change batteries in the smoke detectors, change light bulbs in overhead lights, etc., etc.ConsFairly bulky and heavy.The large label was stuck to the top step with blobs of adhesive. The label came off fine but the adhesive that stuck the label to the stairs didn't. It took 15 minutes of scraping with a plastic knife to remove it - not exactly frustration-free packaging.I got caught flat-footed by a cold snap. I had a moment of clarity as I was standing on a cheap plastic lawn chair, trying to put plastic insulation sheets on my windows. As a part of my continuing program to avoid killing myself, I stopped what I was doing and ordered this three-step Rubbermaid kitchen ladder from Amazon. That also avoids another strategy designed to kill myself, toting a ladder home from Lowe's on a bike, which is bad enough by itself but with snow and ice on the roads... Even with free shipping it arrived at my doorstep the next day, which goes to show you why Amazon is hard to beat, even without drones.The ladder is something I should have gotten years ago since I have high kitchen cabinets, and clambering onto the kitchen counter to get to the space above them is another surefire recipe for skull cracking. I also have to reach the ceiling to change the fluorescents in the kitchen which is no picnic on a chair. I have a step stool which is useful for lower levels but no help when it comes to reaching the space above the cabinets.

When I blew my ACL in 2000 (by turning over a rickety stool I was climbing), my brother showed up with a Rubbermaid 3-step steel stool, which has served my partner and me tirelessly ever since. This year we realized that we really wanted a second one for the shop and for shows. I went all over town looking for a really sturdy stepstool, and did not find anything, regardless of weight rating, that was really *stable*. So I went online and found that Amazon seemed to be carrying the last of the Rubbermaid 3-step steel stools in existence.It looked identical, but the description was sketchy. When it arrived, we discovered there had been one change in materials that we weren't totally happy with--the steel steps of our first one had been phased out in favor of hard plastic or rubber, which we do not expect to wear as well or last as long. Who knows, maybe it will surprise us and last as long as our first one. We have no other criticisms of this stool; it is as stable as our other one, and we are very happy to have found it, as there seems to be nothing out there with ratings up to three hundred pounds that are as stable as this one which is rated for 225, if I remember correctly. Nicely overbuilt; I wish more stuff was.

This item arrived damaged. There was a big dent in it.

Very well made. Very heavy duty. Also very heavy. But its a safe way to get up 20+ feet.Also as someone else mentioned, it seems VERY possible to hurt yourself when collapsing this ladder. Since its heavy & there are pinch points between the sections, it could result in a visit to the ER. A finger, hand or arm in the wrong place will probably result in a broken bone.There should be some sort of safety latch of some sort to control the movement.As a side note, I received mine damaged. Someone else obviously had it and dropped it. One of the rungs had a pretty significant dent in it. It was returned with no issues.

It is heavy and difficult to operate. It is almost a two-man job to get it into place, extended, etc. It does work, though, and it is very stable. It is expensive, and it does replace five ladders (or how many ever ladders the manufacturer claims), but you are also effectively lugging all of those ladders to each job with this one ladder.

very heavy ladder

Like others have said, the ladder is very heavy. I also got the Wall Standoff and with that on the ladder, moving it around the house was very difficult. Lost control of it a couple of times while moving it in the extended position. This has never happened before, even with my neighbor's 32-foot extension ladder. The ladder was also "springy" in the extension configuration even with it only extended to about 17'. Nice in the step configuration. A bit easier to move, but still heavy.

I inherited the 22' version of this after my dad died. I always had considered these to be somewhat of a gimmick, but I have found that I really like this ladder. Sure, at 45 pounds it's about twice as heavy as a standard 6' stepladder, but it really is a lot more versatile.The key to carrying it is to put your arm through the rungs while vertical, reach down grabbing a lower rung, then lift with your shoulder. They demonstrate this in their infomercials and it makes it pretty easy to handle. It's also fairly easy to reconfigure for various stepladder tasks if you watch the instructional videos and follow the instructions.The downside to this ladder is that it makes for a lousy extension ladder. There are several reasons for this. It's very annoying and difficult to get fully extended and into position. Imagine trying to use a standard extension ladder without the rope and you'll get some idea. The center hinge has some play in it making for a flimsy ladder when fully extended. But worst of all, the rounded(!) feet do not make good contact with the ground and are completely unsuitable for smooth surfaces. They also lack any sort of flip down spur plates to dig into the earth. In my opinion this ladder is unsafe to use in extension mode without stabilizing the base with something like staked tie-offs or sandbags to prevent kick-out. The wide bases do help with side-to-side stability but this is still a bouncy extension ladder when you are on it and does not instill confidence. The center section does seem to be a bit narrow but that is just a perception thing, I measured the width between the rails and it is the same as the narrower upper section of my 24' Werner standard extension ladder.It's also rather expensive for what it is. The patents have expired on this and there are good quality knock-offs available. Since this model is apparently now made in China just like the knockoffs, I'm not sure there is much reason to buy one from Wing anymore unless you need a specific size or fiberglass. It is slightly better quality but not overly so. On the Little Giant the rungs are welded rather than riveted and the tolerances seem a bit tighter making for smooth changes. Accessories are interchangeable between brands. The Werner MT-22 is more widely available, meaning you can buy it locally and return it to the store if there are problems.All in all this makes for a great, if heavy, stepladder and it can serve as an extension ladder in a pinch if and only if you follow basic safety precautions. It has replaced my stepladder and 24' extension ladder, but only because I rarely need an extension ladder. I wouldn't want to paint an entire house with it in extension mode. It surprised me as being the first infomercial product I've seen that lives up to most of its claims and actually being better quality than its competitors.

I'm a very short lady so instead of dragging over a dining room chair over to reach the top cabinets, I decided to buy this 3-step folding ladder so I can easily store it away in my pantry.Pros: Very well made and will last a really long time. Tall enough to reach the highest part of my kitchen cabinets.Cons: Heavy for a really petite woman and really bulky when collapsed. Has a big footprint and took too much room in my pantry so I have to stow it away in my hallway closet.

I just received my Rubbermaid RM-3W Folding 3-Step Steel Frame Stool with Hand Grip and Plastic Steps, 200-Pound Capacity, Silver Finish. It seems to be good sturdy ladder although the plastic steps cave a little when I step on them...I'm 155#. I purchased this as a Xmas gift for my mother to use in her bathroom. If she doesn't feel secure, it's going back. There was a dent in the frame of the ladder. Disappointing. I hope this does not affect the security or effectiveness of the ladder.

Heavy ladder with square tubes. Has a lock on the back to lock the 1st step down when open. I prefer the little aluminum ladders with round tubes, but this has good base and is a good height. Did not like the square tubes when handling... but get it is part of the design for strength.

OOPS!Sturdy, well-made, folds up very nicely, but...Top step does not lock and just bucked me off backwards; over headboard onto matress, thankfully, with step stool hanging off my foot.It doesn't take much when you're reaching overhead and your foot rocks back, even an inch or two. Be Careful!Steps need to LOCK!

great in every way except that the top step isn't far enough forward of the bottom one. this creates two problems: first, when you step up, you will likely catch your toe on the top step cause you don't expect it to be right above the other step. second, and the one that's most dangerous, is that when you step down from the top to the bottom step, you will likely miss that step altogether, cause it isn't as far back as your brain automatically thinks it should be. only giving it 3 stars for this safety related reason

This was a bad purchase for me. I needed something light weight and this is too heavy for me, as I am no spring chicken anymore . When using the first and second step , the remaining steps dig into the shin of the leg,(when one has to linger a bit to clean a shelf etc., the edge is too sharp, a pain I do not like to experience. It would come in handy to have some fat on one's shin , instead of on the hips, lol! . I should have purchased a ladder made out of fiberglass, so far I have been unable to find one with 3 steps.The product is of good quality . I kept the ladder as packing it up would have given me more grey hair!

Much to heavy to handle for one person. Very difficult to lift at full extension and set up against a wall.

This ladder is indestructible! Way too indestructible, actually. It's just way too heavy to handle on a daily basis. At over 50 lbs, it's just way too awkward and nowhere near as easy to manage as seen on the infomercial or as demonstrated at Costco. Those models are the much smaller than this one. I lent my ladder to my neighbor so he could clean his gutters. The two of us (who are both able-bodied men) just could not handle it in the fully extended mode! However, with practice and more overall confidence with how to handle it, it gets a little better. The fully extended "A Frame" mode to get those pesky halogen lights on vaulted ceilings is where this ladder really works well, though. Just make sure you're not prone to back strain! If so, get a smaller one or one of their newer, lighter weight models.

Great step stool, just much heavier than I expected. I should return it

Heavy and unwieldy. Difficult to collapse. Very unsatisfactory product compared with most similar stepstools.

Very sturdy but angle of back and step sides when opened makes it very awkward to descend from top step (backwards). Also it is quite heavy and stiff which would be OK for a stronger and younger person to use. Quality is very good but I would recommend it for the younger stronger market - not for older less strong and not too agile.

Too heavy for me...maybe I need to workout. Cosco aluminum ladder was much better.

much to heavy for me to carry around the house.I returned it and got an aluminum stepladder which I love.the aluminum one is very light weight, the same size, but maybe narrower to store in a tight place

Sturdy. I use it, but the stairs would be much more comfortable and of better use if the stairs were a bit wider from front to back. The stairs do not allow a better range of motion when climbing. You are not stable when standing on the stairs because the stairs do not provide enough room from one stair to the next. Only the front to middle part of your foot is on the stair. From the middle to back of your foot hangs off the stairs. I would prefer to stand flush (full foot) on each step.

Received a damaged ladder

First on came broken so we had to sen it back. Second one came worked for about a week then broke where you lock the ladder into place. So no more Little Giants for us will keep looking for a better multi purpose ladder.

I purchases this ladder directly from littlegiantladders.comI am writing a review here to let anyone know that if they are purchasing this ladder to get a product Made in USA, they will be sorely disappointed.The website states that it is Made in USA with domestic and foreign parts. I figured that is not that big of a deal breaker. US workers are still getting paid and high quality materials are being used. The web site advertised free shipping via Fed Ex.The ladder arrived in about 5 business days. I received that package and removed the ladder from the box. Before I purchased this, I had a Werner M13 ladder from Home Depot selling for $99.I examined the ladder and tested it and found it to operate the same was the Werner knock off (seriously, it is an obvious copycat). I began to feel as though I had been cheated some what. The build quality was honestly about the same. The joints still flexed slightly when used as an extension ladder and the sharp edges at the top can still cut your hand. The main difference was the LG used orange plastic, had different rubber feet, and the bottom piece had beveled edges. The Werner had blue plastic, flat rubber feet, and no beveled edges. Other than those differences they were identical in function.I thought to myself, well at least it is made in USA. Well ,when I looked at the label it said Designed, Engineered, and Assembled in USA. I had to pause for a moment and read it again. I felt very disappointed when I read this. I don't know what Assembled really means. For all I know they could just take to top half and the bottom half out of boxes to just slide them together. I feel very cheated at this point as I could have the same thing (these ladders are unsafe anyway) at a store for less money. The more annoying part is that I as responsible for the return shipping, which is $60! I paid $179.99 for the ladder and my net total is 119.99! So I just threw $60 away to try out a product.I just wanted to share my experience and let people know what my experience was. Hopefully your experience was better. Honestly, just get a real ladder from Bauer ladder if you want a ladder Made in USA. Traditional ladders will be much safer than these convertible and collapsible ladders. Keep in mind that this is my opinion.Please have a good day.

I ordered this ladder directly from Little Giant and used it one time. When reducing the ladder to the storing position, I noticed some difficulty securing the Lock tab and could see the rod was bent. I compared it to the 3 other rods on the ladder and they did not have this bend (making it difficult to secure into the rung slot. Either it came shipped that way or got bent somehow by my 205 lb weight. The ladder was not transported nor fell and was only used by myself. I contact Little Giant and all they offer is to inspect the ladder section but I have to pay the packaging, shipping (both ways) and even insurance. I start adding things up and I may be out-of-pocket $100 or more (it's a gigantic sized package of significant weight). I did some research and find replacement Lock Tabs (apparently a very fragile part of this ladder) on Ebay (which are probably knock-offs) and the replacement looks easy enough and I'm willing to do it. They write back and basically refuse to send me the part leaving me with the $100 packaging/shipping/insuring option. I am sorry I ever bought from this company cause they are fakers hiding behind their "lifetime" warranty (yea if the customer is willing to fork out 50% of the original costs just to replace a defective $10 part on a one day old ladder). They have no local service centers other than their factory in UT. I am currently fighting with them and may (out of principle) ship the POS back to them for a full refund. But that burns me up as it will be an incredible hassle and will still cost me $100+ cause it's enormous and heavy. I foolishly didn't save the original box because I didn't think there was a chance I'd have any problems with a ladder. Go figure, the first use and it's a $10 piece of scrap. If you're considering this ladder (or really any Little Giant product), do yourself a BIG favor and avoid dealing with this company. I would've been so much better off buying a Werner unit at Home Depot as they (although not perfect) treat their customers with some respect (unlike Little Giant). I'll update this post if LG happens to step-up their customer service (not betting on it).Update 10/3/14: Round and Round with LG and the end result is I have to pay them $12.24 for a replacement Lock Tab that may or may not have been bent on delivery. What a crazy way to do business. So glad I didn't also buy the $100 accessory package. When ordering the 22', I was thinking that I may later buy a smaller unit to replace my 4', 6' and 8' Werner fiberglass step ladders. These ladders are inconvenient to store but are indestructible (my 6' is probably 25 years old). Not a chance now that I have seen the LG quality and their product backing. Once repaired, my LG is heading for Craigslist where I'll consider myself lucky to recover $0.50 on the dollar.

December 2012 , Now all Little Giant Ladders are made proudly in CHINA. Quality is down and BBB complaints are up. Company is soon to be out of business and unloading ladders for cheap. Good luck with the warranty.

It was way too heavy for an older person. I had to return it.

The rubber bottom shattered as soon as we took it out of the box. Cheap materials may have been used for the product. Stay safe!

Too heavy for my wife to use. Not well balanced

This is one of those things that I will never buy online again. Of course you read the product specs and you imagine how high and heavy the product will but I just find it a bit too clunky to handle and to carry up and down stairs. I agree with other reviews that the stool is too heavy for use inside the house.Also, probably a minor point, but still very irritating to me is the fact that I still have not been able to remove the blobs of superglue on the top stair which were used to hold the product label in place. Very disappointed, Rubbermaid! I saw another reviewer complain about this so if anyone else has got any idea how to remove this please let me know.

Steps are too narrow. Love the 3steps and handle at the too. But returning because or it's narrow steps.

The item came and was not in any package so it was damaged upon arrival. One of the rubber stops on the bottom was missing. There was also scratches and scuff marks on the whole ladder. I am returning the item.