Platform step ladders are often used in warehouses, retail outlets and offices or schools where there are large archive rooms for paperwork and other records.  This type of step ladder is favoured over the type without a platform, as the platform provides a safer, more comfortable base on which to stand while carrying out the tasks at hand.  They are also ideal for painting and decorating – in fact any jobs that require you to be up a ladder for any extended period of time.

The Summit range of platform step ladders has been designed with the trade, commercial and retail sectors in mind and feature double handrails and a platform that is 50% larger than most other commercial platform step ladders.  The integrated tool tray on the top handrail can hold up to 12 kilos, perfect for a can of paint or for stock.  This handrail is higher than the standard handrail on other platform step-ladders, another clue that this equipment has been created with the user in mind.

The platform itself is 40 x 27 centimetres, which provides a safe, comfortable surface to work from, while the deeper, grooved treads (95mm) and handrails on either side make climbing this ladder very easy and comfortable, especially for those users who may not be familiar or comfortable working with ladders.  They are certified to EN131 and will take a maximum load of 150 kilos.  Non-slip feet and easy open/close action complete the attractive features list of this ladder system.

There are five models available, from three to seven treads.  The three-tread model weighs 5 kilos, has a platform height of 58 centimetres and is 1.42 metres tall when closed.  It costs £64 including VAT and delivery.  The four-tread model costs just £69 (£5 more than the shorter option) but has a platform height of 80 centimetres, giving you 22 cm more height for your money.  It weighs 6 kilos and is 1.66 metres tall when closed.  The five-tread model weighs just 500g more than the four-tread model and gives you a platform height of just over 1 metre, but will set you back £75.  The six-tread model costs £80, weighs 7.5 kilos and has a platform height of 1.25 metres, closing down to 2.14 metres tall.  The tallest, seven-tread model has a platform height of 1.48 metres, closes down to 2.38 metres and weighs 9 kilos.  It costs £90.

The taller models are more suitable for commercial and retail environments where higher ceilings will allow for the closed storage of the step ladders, whereas the four and five-tread models will fit better in domestic environments where they may be used in painting and decorating tasks.  In warehouses these steps allow you to reach shelves easily but you would need to invest in a few different heights to allow safe access to all shelving heights.  However, the design features make them perfect for stock picking jobs as the dual side handrails, top handrail and tool tray make going up and down and compiling orders a doddle.  Because they are all very lightweight ladders, they are easy to move around and should not pose a problem to most people.  These same features make them perfect for painting and decorating jobs.  They are competitively priced compared to other platform step-ladders, being more expensive than simple models without the user-friendly features, but significantly less than other designs that incorporate some of the same safety features.  These platform step ladders are a great buy, and should be your benchmark for comparing other models to.