We researched the top fire escape ladders available online, evaluating sturdiness, stability, and ease of use and storage. Our best overall pick, the First Alert Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder, is long enough to use from a second story, has a weight load of over 1,100 pounds, and features anti-slip rungs. Here are the best fire escape ladders. The First Alert Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder comes fully assembled and folds down for easy storage in a closet or under your bed. The 14-foot ladder is made of nylon strapping for increased stability and has sturdy, steel, and anti-slip rungs. It can hold up to 375 pounds at a time and fits a standard window sill between 6 and 10 inches wide. Practicing an at-home fire drill probably isn’t at the top of your list of fun things to do on the weekend, but when you consider that seven people die and an additional 36 people are injured in home fires each day as reported by the American Red Cross, you’ll understand why you must to make time for them. “Having a home fire escape plan and practicing it twice a year with everyone is one of the most important steps you can take to keep your household safe,” says Steve Jensen of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. “Fire escape ladders may be necessary to provide two ways to exit every room in a multi-story home should a fire block the main stairs,” Jensen says. “Because of this, fire ladders must be accessible and easy to use.” Price at time of publish: $68 The ladder deploys immediately once it’s hooked in place over a windowsill and it features anti-slip, zinc-plated steel rungs that are one-foot wide. Each ladder can support up to 1,000 pounds at a time. One word of caution: This ladder can only be used once, so when you’re practicing those fire drills, you’ll have to simulate climbing down it. Price at time of publish: $50 This ladder is made of thick rope and can hold up to 2,000 pounds at one time. You’ll need to buy the hooks separately and install them onto the side of your home before using this ladder. You’ll also want to practice attaching the carabiners to them, so should disaster strike, you (and everyone in your family) will know how to readily attach them. Live in an apartment? You can buy two or three of these ladders and attach them to each other via the carabiners for a safe emergency escape over 16 feet. Price at time of publish: $73 The self-deploying ladder is made of a combo of aluminum and nylon, which makes it as lightweight as it is durable. It has 12 rungs and can handle a total of 1,200 pounds at a time. Note that you’ll need to cut out the wall under the window to install this ladder, so depending on your comfort level with drywall, you may need to call in a handyman. Price at time of publish: $106 The ladder hangs onto a windowsill from the inside; if you don’t have one, you can hang it off a piece of sturdy furniture or install hooks by the window inside your home. Reviewers note that the ladder is tangle free and easy to repack after a trial run. The device holds up to 75 pounds and one reviewer notes it’s large enough for a German shepherd in an emergency situation (however, this isn’t intended to be used as an everyday dog carrier). Price at time of publish: $46
Ease of Use
While permanent fire escape ladders are a fixture on many urban apartment buildings, homeowners are required to buy their own fire escape ladders that will allow them to safely climb down from rooms located on upper stories of their homes in the event that other escape options fail. This is easier said than done. Make sure that you choose a fire escape ladder that is as straightforward to use as possible. Hold a semi-annual practice drill that allows everyone in your home to learn how to hook the ladder to the window, deploy the rungs, and climb down, ideally from a first floor window for safety purposes, so that they know what to do if the worst happens.
Storage
It’s important to store your fire escape ladder in an easily accessible location. Choose a temporary fire escape ladder that folds up easily into a small bundle that can be stored in a nearby closet or under the bed. You want to be able to effortlessly grab and deploy it in an emergency, when every second counts.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This roundup was edited by Anne Fritz, who has edited home safety product stories for The Spruce. She fondly remembers her parents running at-home fire drills complete with a fire escape ladder when she was a child. Today, she uses the First Alert Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder (our pick for Best Overall) as insurance that she’s keeping her own family safe.
For this piece, we interviewed Steve Jensen of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council for background information on what to look for when buying a fire escape ladder, what to know when using a ladder, and best practices for using your fire escape ladder.
