The Best Telescopic Ladders For Lofts And DIY Jobs

The WolfWise is a straightforward telescopic ladder made from corrosion-resistant aluminium alloy, and at 8.3kg it's light enough to carry up the stairs without a struggle. It's sold in 3.2, 3.8 and 4.7 metre lengths, so you can match it to a loft hatch, a stairwell or an outside job, and it comes in black or red.

Each rung self-locks as you extend it, and there's an anti-slip foot board plus anti-slip feet to stop it skating on a hard floor. A ratchet strap holds it closed once it's packed away.

One thing we noticed in testing is that the rungs retract quickly. We nearly caught our hands twice, so keep your fingers clear of the tubes as you bring it down and lower it one section at a time.

The WORHAN works as both a straight ladder and an A-frame. Fully extended it reaches 5 metres, and in the A position it stands at 2.4 metres, which is a comfortable height for painting a ceiling, fitting a light or reaching the top of a wall.

WORHAN says the ladder is made in Germany, backed by a UK support team and manufactured to the EN131 safety standard. It has a 150kg weight limit, and there's an optional case for storing it.

It's one of the dearer ladders in this list. What you get for the money is a ladder that covers two jobs, so you won't need a separate stepladder for indoor decorating.

The Finether's strength is choice. It comes in 3.2, 3.8, 4.1 or 5 metre lengths, and every one is made to meet the EN131 safety standard, which gives reassurance that the locks and rungs have been tested to a recognised level. The aluminium alloy frame takes a maximum load of 150kg.

Every rung has double couplings, which adds strength where the tubes join. A carrying bag comes in the box, along with a pair of gloves, so you can keep the ladder clean in the car and protect your hands when you're sliding the sections.

The finish isn't quite up to the WORHAN, but for a straight telescopic ladder that covers most jobs around a house, it's a sensible middle choice.

The AutoBaBa is a cheaper way to get a telescopic ladder that also folds into an A-frame. It has an aluminium frame, height-locking latches that the brand describes as industrial grade, and solid-tipped feet to keep it steady on the floor.

Lengths run from 2.6 metres through 3.2, 3.9 and 4.7 up to 5 metres, so there's a size for a hallway or the side of a house. It has two sets of 8 rungs spaced 30cm apart, and AutoBaBa says it reduces to a fifth of its extended height and comes with a safety certification.

The trade-off is weight. At 18.2kg it's more than twice as heavy as the WolfWise, which you'll feel carrying it up the stairs. It's best kept for domestic jobs rather than daily trade use.

The ParkerBrand is one of the cheapest telescopic ladders around, and at 3.2 metres it's sized for indoor work. It collapses to 84cm, so it'll tuck behind a door or into a narrow cupboard once the job's done.

It's made from corrosion-resistant aluminium with a 150kg load capacity, and ParkerBrand says it meets the EN131 and GPSG safety standards and is CE approved. Slide latches secure each section, non-slip rubber feet grip the floor, and soft close slows the rungs as they retract, which helps with the finger-trapping problem we had on the WolfWise.

At 3.2 metres it won't reach as high as the longer ladders here, and the build isn't up to the premium models, but for loft hatches and indoor jobs it does what's needed.