Lionladder 12.5FT EN131-6 Telescoping Ladder, One-Button Retraction, Pro Aluminum Ladder, 330 Lbs Capacity

As a home inspector, I need to be able to travel light and having a big bulky ladder makes that extremely difficult. Having this telescoping ladder allows me to fit it in my SUV w/o having to buy ladder racks or have a big truck. It also allows me to carry it in apartment buildings, condos, townhomes, etc where spaces are tight and I am loaded up with other tools. I've carried big heavy & long aluminum ladders working construction and it's miserable, very difficult to maneuver. This ladder has made work so much more easier! I've been using this for at least 2 years and haven't had any issues, everything has held up to the abuse. My only real worry is that if it fails it will be at a bad time, making it very unsafe but I make sure to do my best to check for safe operation every time I get on the ladder. So far, it's worked flawlessly. I get more compliments and inquiries about this thing more than any other tool I use, sometimes more than the work I am actually performing! Everyone that sees this thing loves it and wants one so maybe LionLadder should send me a free ladder for promotional compensation! :D

I purchased the 25.5’ Lion Telescoping ladder and it works very well. The retraction feature has a slow cascading process that minimizes the possibility of catching your hand between the rungs. The collapsed ladder is only 30 lbs and easy to carry and transport. However, mine did fail to retract after a couple of months of usage. I contacted their [email protected] email address and I was sent a brand new replacement in one week at no cost to me. I have not had any problems with the new ladder. I definitely recommend the Lion Ladder due to its small storage footprint, easy to transport, simple to extend and collapse, and excellent replacement warrantee.

I just received and unpacked my 12.5' telescoping LionLadder. Unfortunately, I can't use it because there was an issue with one of the packing screws that secures the rotating yellow stabilizer feet at the bottom of the ladder. It was free spinning in place when I tried to remove it. It turns out that it was over-torqued and it broke the black rocker switch that locks/unlocks the stabilizer foot. The rocker switch broke along a circular boundary an 1/8" or so larger than the diameter of the screw capturing the screw within the rocker switch. I was able to remove the screw by pulling on the head while unscrewing. The problem now is that the donut shaped piece of the rocker switch is now loosely trapped inside the rocker switch and mostly preventing me from depressing the rocker switch to unlock the stabilizer foot. I can shake the ladder and sometimes get the broken piece to move to get the switch to depress. At >30 lbs it's not fun nor acceptable. I'm confident this is a manufacturing issue as the packaging in which the ladder arrived was in good shape. I've included a couple pictures of the issue. It's unfortunate a minor mistake of over-torquing a packaging screw has rendered the ladder mostly unusable. I've gIven the ladder a 2 star for the moment and reached out to LionLadder about the issue and will update the review after seeing how they address it. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but this looks to be a quality ladder. It's beefy, somewhat heavy, and feels like a tank... qualities that would instill confidence when using a ladder. I'm hoping to have this issue resolved by LionLadder in a timely manner so that I can try it out. *Update: 1/17/21* It turns out the way the ladder is packaged is partly responsible fo the damage. The screws face the outside of the box without enough cushioning to safeguard the screw from breaking the plastic when the box bumps into something hard. I ended up having to drill a bigger hole to extract the broken plastic so that the switch can be pushed in to release the stabilzer. Obviously this is not ideal but at least the ladder is now workable. The ladder stabilizer switch needs to be redesigned or the ladder packaging changed so that the screws are more protected. At any rate, the ladder is solid and well built, the stabilizer issue notwithstanding, and works very well. I was very impressed with LionLadder customer service. They were very responsive in dealing with this situation and the matter has been resolved to my satisfaction. Accordingly, I have updated my rating to 4 stars.

I got the Yvan 10.5’, the Lionladder 9.5’, and the Lionladder 12.5’ for comparison. The Lionladder locking mechanism is a bit sturdier. I am keeping the 12.5’ because I like the additional length, rotating stabilizing feet and the top bumper hooks. You can use all of the ladders at a shorter length by lifting starting at the bottom 2nd rung and lifting each rung up. None of them lock the top rungs when you do this. See the picture. So the bumper hooks will hold the top rung but if the ladder is pulled out from the bottom or slides out the collapsed top rings will extend telescoping out to length. Just a safety issue to be considered when the ladder is not at full length. The other inconvenience with the top bumper hooks and the rotating stabilizing feet is that you need a Phillips screwdriver(included) to safely lock them in position. I just leave them rotated out. The Lion 8.5’ has the top bumper hooks and is a bit sturdier than the Yvan, but if cost and the extra foot are a consideration the Yvan is good enough. The Lionladder 12.5’ is the best and most expensive. YMMV

Generally I only post a review if something is either exceptional or a total failure...the latter (pun intended) is the case here. I bought this ladder as a portable solution to get on the roof of my RV. To use this ladder you have to carry a screwdriver to swivel the heads or reposition the feet (who ever heard of having to carry a tool to use a tool). Even in doing so, swiveling the feet is counter intuitive as the directions say press the button but what you really have to do is press the loosen screw (crazy). This ladder is not very portable, it is heavy and cumbersome to carry and extend. It might be a good fit for a tradesman but not your average homeowner. Also once you extend the ladder, in my case 12ft, to close it up and retract it you have to push in two buttons on the second to lowest rung while trying to manage the full length of the extension wobbling back in forth. IMO dangerous unless you have a second person. I would return this but the weight and size make it difficult so hoping I can find someone local to take off my hands. My recommendation - DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM.

I really needed a ladder that would fit in the trunk of my tiny Scion FR-S and allow me to get onto the roof of my rental house. I shouldn't have to drive my huge truck around just so that I can carry a ladder. This solves that problem. It has a nice handle under the bottom rung for your hand that makes it easy to carry this comfortably for quite some distance. It takes about 30 seconds longer to set up than a normal ladder and it extends and retracts with ease. Obviously, you do have to be careful when using one of these to make sure it's locked properly before climbing. This one has nice lock indicators for quick inspection. In use, it does flex a bit compared to a rigid ladder as expected -- but it still feels very solid and safe. The weight limit is high enough for me to go up it with a pack of shingles with no problem. I like the supports that extend out on the feet for stability. It's a nice product, and I'm very happy with the purchase.

So there are several things I love about this ladder. Love the auto retract. It’s not really necessary but it’s super cool. Also really like the bumpers at the top because it reduces the risk of scratching walls and paint. It’s not super light but it’s manageable. One thing I don’t like and maybe there’s a work around for it but the fact you can only raise it from the bottom drives me nuts. I use this for work and typically for climbing in attics that don’t have a pull down ladder. I’m only 5’11 so I I can only get it to about 8 feet without having to lay it over to get that extra foot or two I need to get in the attic. Other than that it does exactly what I expected so not quite 5 stars but still a really handy purchase.

What can I really say other than I LOVE THIS LADDER! I think this is one of the best inventions created. It’s collapses but yet gets as tall as 15ft when needed. I have used this thing a ton; outside, inside, etc. You name it and I’ve done it with this ladder. It’s so easy to transport and feel extremely stable when in use. It’s one of the only ladders if it’s kind that I was able to find with not only feet stabilizers, but ones that can be fully adjusted. I think I may have overused mine though bc one of the steps would not collapse as it once did without using some force. So I emailed support and they responded within an hour on how I can fix it, including images and a video! Now that’s customer service. But being the dummy I am, even though the instructions were super easy and instructed step by step, I ended up hurting my finger and gave up. I emailed them and they immediately processed a replacement for me. I’ll be purchasing a couple for friends and family for sure!