What sets a high-quality ladder apart from the competition?
Quality is a fundamentally important characteristic in many things we use and interact with daily. But when it comes to tools and equipment, quality is even more important than usual. Just like everything else, ladders come in many shapes and sizes, and quality can vary drastically. If you’ve ever considered buying a cheap ladder which hasn’t received thorough safety certification, there’s a long list of reasons you shouldn’t. Below we’ll run through a few of them to help convince you that high-quality ladders really are better than the competition.
Materials
The first thing that sets high-quality ladders apart from the rest is the materials used to construct them. Most modern ladders are made from aluminium because it is lightweight and strong. Being lightweight is a great attribute when it comes to being able to carry and transport a ladder easily, but strength is the most important attribute when a ladder is in use. If a ladder is constructed from low quality aluminium or wood etc., there is a much higher likelihood of defects which could result in failure. If the ladder structure fails it could easily result in severe injury or even death. When a worker is working on a ladder at significant height, a fall could be enough to kill them and injure bystanders. High quality ladders are properly safety certified to ensure they have no structural defects.
Alongside the actual materials used to construct ladders, the components themselves also have to be of a certain quality to protect against failure. A loose or damaged bolt, for example, could result in a ladder rung coming lose which could in turn result in serious injury to users. Again, components like these will be much less likely to fail if a ladder and manufacturer and its processes have been properly safety certified.
Design
Although all ladders may look the same to the untrained eye, their design is a very important part of the equation. There are many different types of ladder, which vary significantly depending on what they are used for. But even the same type of ladder can vary depending on its manufacturer. Certain manufacturers ensure their ladders are designed to be as strong and dependable as possible, whereas others will try to cut corners on design in order to save money. Visually, a high-quality ladder usually stands out from the crowd due to a combination of its design and the materials it is made from. You may be tempted to pass these factors off as superficial, but more often than not they are indicative of superior quality when in use.
Alongside the actual design process, rigorous testing of the finished product is also very important to ensure it is safe for use. Quality products will have been tested in real-world use scenarios before hitting the market, whereas lower quality ones are less likely to have been tested thoroughly.
Vendor
The vendor selling a ladder is another good indicator of the quality of the ladder itself. Reputable sellers, whether they’re selling ladders or power tools, will often have many years’ experience selling their products to professionals. Throughout this time they will have built up a detailed knowledge of the best products on the market, how they have changed over the years and what their customers need. All these factors combine to act as an accurate sign of the kind of product you can expect to buy.
A quality vendor should be able to tell you all you need to know about a product, whether it’s branded or one of their own. Additionally, quality vendors will usually offer significant warranties on products as a sign of faith in the product. Any brand-new ladder offered without warranty is an immediate red flag which means you should avoid buying the product.
Reviews
Unfortunately, online reviews are nowadays often faked in order to make products seem more trustworthy or better than they actually are. Some big websites are notorious for the hundreds of fake reviews and fake feedback which makes it hard to tell whether products are genuine or not. This also applies to ladders bought on these websites, so its important you know what to look out for when trying to tell genuine reviews from fake ones. Firstly, websites should be accredited by some form of user review trust body which certifies reviews to make sure they are real.
Ultimately there are many different factors at play when it comes to telling a high-quality ladder apart from a low-quality ladder. The most important thing is the materials the ladder is made from, but to the untrained eye it can be hard to tell the difference. As a result, buying from a reputable vendor is probably the most important priority, as they can provide expert advice on which ladders are most suitable for any given situation.
At BPS Access Solutions we sell many different kinds of ladder for both home and professional users. If you would like more information about the range of products we sell, please get in touch with our team of experts today.
