7 Best Ladders For Painting: Reviews For Stairs & More

If you’re going to invest in a ladder for home use, take a look at the Velocity M22 by Little Giant Ladders. With 33 unique configurations covering A-Frame, staircase, 90-degree, extension, and scaffolding, this is our top pick for the best overall ladder for painting. You’ll work every corner of your house with ease, and even with a partner! I love that this ladder is truly a two-person ladder, rated at 300 lbs per side when set up in an A-frame style.

My favorite feature, though, is how portable and easy to store this ladder is. When folded down, it only needs a space that is 5'7" in height and 9" deep. And thanks to its unique aircraft-alloy aluminum build, it’s only 39.5 lbs – 20% lighter than other ladders on the market of this same size.

When you purchase this ladder from Amazon, it conveniently comes with the Little Giant Aluminum Work Platform, which can be used at any safe height on the ladder, and itself is rated for 375 lbs. You can stand on the platform or use it to hold all of your painting supplies. A second work platform can also be added if you wish. 

The Velocity M22 can reach 18 feet as an extension ladder, making it the best ladder for painting high ceilings. There isn’t much that this ladder can’t do.

If you’re not in the market for a tall ladder like our top pick from Little Giant above, then the Flip-N-Lite step ladder from the same company might be ideal. This aluminum 6-foot step ladder is the best step ladder for painting because the top standing platform promises “full foot coverage” for full support. And at only 14 lbs, it’s light enough and slim enough to store almost anywhere, from a broom closet to under your bed.

I believe the Little Giant Flip-N-Lite is the best ladder for interior painting because this 6-foot model is just right for painting walls and trim in rooms with standard ceiling heights. I’m 5'4" and can reach everywhere I need with ease, including the pantry's top shelf when I'm finished painting, and I need to reach my favorite snacks!

On the Little Giant website, customer Barbara tells us, “Best ladder ever. We have had some contractors here working, and they all want to take this ladder home with them.”

The only downside to this ladder is that there currently isn’t a paint tray or caddy that is specifically compatible with it (though some may work with a little tweaking). If you need a shorter step ladder, this same model also comes in both a 4-foot and 5-foot version.

The Louisville Ladder FE3216 is a fiberglass extension ladder that is best for painting high walls. It can safely reach 13 feet high at full length, giving you the extra boost you need in rooms with extra tall ceilings.

Louisville Ladder’s motto is, “Because work ain’t play.” What does that mean? It means that you can expect their ladders to be of the highest quality and offer the utmost stability. My favorite feature is the ladder’s swivel shoe adaptors. These little “feet” on the bottom of the ladder ensure that the ladder completely grips to the ground, even if it’s slightly unlevel, making it a great choice for painting home exteriors as well.

The company prides itself on its patented MaxLock extension system, saying that it is "the strongest, toughest, lightest rung lock ever made.” It’s even been tested in weather extremes of -40F all the way up to 122F, so you don’t need to worry about how it will hold up in your shed or garage.

And if you’re a contractor looking for a new ladder to have on the job, you can rest assured that the FE3216 meets all the safety expectations and regulations put in place by ANAI, CSI, and OSHA. In many cases, it surpasses these standards. While we reviewed the 16 foot ladder, if you need more height, you can find this model in varying sizes up to a 40 foot extension ladder.

Cosco is a company that has been trusted for over 80 years for their high-quality home products, and the Cosco Three Step Max Steel Work Platform is no exception. This is the best ladder for painting stairs because when it’s paired with a stair platform, it offers superior durability and accessibility. We love that the unique workstation includes handy slots for your tools, paint, and other project materials. When shopping online, just make sure that you search for the “Max Steel Work Platform” version. The company also sells the same ladder without workstation for slightly less, but we think you'll be disappointed without it because it's the platform that makes this ladder so special. 

A review on Sam’s Club website says, “I love this study step stool and the fact that the steps are nice and wide to help with your balance. It is not too heavy for me to move around the house and I love having the tray to put tools, light bulbs paint etc without having to hold onto them as you climb up the steps.”

This ladder only comes with a one year limited warranty, but we can’t find many instances in which customers actually needed to use it.

This safety rule suggests that the base of the ladder is placed 1 foot away from the building for every 4 feet of height. For example, a 12 foot ladder should be placed 3 feet away from the building at the base.

In general, we find that the safest ladders for working on your stairs are stepladders like the Cosco Three Step found above. Some stairways are wide enough to accommodate these ladders, but if your stairs are more narrow, you can also use a staircase ladder platform like this one.

OSHA requires fall protections to be put in place on fixed ladders that are more than 24 feet. However, there are no standards in place for portable ladders. Most ladders are clearly labeled with their safest working points, and we recommend always listening to these guidelines.