The Best Fire Escape Ladders to Keep Your Family Safe in an Emergency

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Make sure your emergency preparedness plan includes one of the best fire escape ladders for your family to exit safely.

In the case of a house fire, an escape window might be the only safe route out of a home for those inside. For folks living in a 2- or 3-story home, exiting through an upstairs window can be a tricky proposition. To keep everyone safe, provide access to the best fire escape ladder in every upstairs room.

A collapsible emergency ladder is designed to be hung from windows and offers a safe escape if other exits aren’t accessible. Read on to learn how to choose a quality fire escape ladder, and see why these recommendations are among the best to rely on during an emergency.

1. BEST OVERALL: First Alert 24-Foot 3-Story Fire Escape Ladder
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Kidde 13-Foot 2-Story Fire Escape Ladder
3. BEST PORTABLE: Isop 16-Foot 2-Story Fire Escape Ladder
4. BEST WITH CARABINERS: Isop 32-Foot Rope Ladder Fire Escape
5. BEST 2-STORY: Hausse 13-Foot 2-Story Retractable Fire Escape Ladder
6. BEST 3-STORY: Kidde 25-Foot 3-Story Fire Escape Ladder
7. BEST FOR BALCONY: First Alert Steel 14-Foot 2-Story Escape Ladder
8. BEST SAFETY FEATURES: Isop 32-Foot 3- to 4-Story Evacuation Rope Ladder
9. BEST PERMANENT: X-It Fire Escape Ladder
10. BEST FOR BABIES AND PETS: Isop Emergency Escape Bag

How We Chose the Best Fire Escape Ladders 

We researched the most sought-after fire escape ladders in their respective categories and discovered that the best options are determined by their design and length, safety features, ease of setup, and other special features included by top brands.

After extensive product research, we included top fire emergency ladders made from various materials, including heavy-duty nylon, rope, resin, and steel. Our choices can hold multiple adults and children at a time, with a variety of weight capacities. Many of these fire emergency ladders also come in varying lengths, with most options ranging from 13 to 32 feet.

Regarding safety, some of our American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)-certified emergency ladders include nonslip rungs, safety strings, oversize hooks, carabiners, safety harnesses, and reflective materials. Because emergency escape ladders must be assembled quickly, we also included easy-to-set-up options, with some fully assembling in a minute.

We also reached out to fire department professionals for expert advice on these safety devices.  Bruce D. Bouch, MPIO, fire program specialist in the U.S. Fire Administration, says, “Fire escape ladders are an excellent tool when trapped on an upper floor and unable to use the stairs. It is important when choosing a fire escape ladder to ensure it will fit and latch properly onto the windowsill where it is planned for use.” Bouch also emphasizes that purchasing a fire escape ladder isn’t enough; it’s essential for people to practice using it “as part of your home escape planning in the event an incident were to occur.”

Our Top Picks

Adding fire escape ladders to a home emergency plan increases household members’ chances of surviving a dangerous scenario. This guide presents recommendations for reliable fire escape ladders that can improve a family’s fire safety plan.

Best overall

First Alert 24-Foot 3-Story Fire Escape Ladder

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Product Specs

• Length: 24 feet
• Materials: Nylon and steel
• Ease of setup: Easy

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to assemble quickly; can be stored under a bed or in a closet
• Ladder holds up to 375 pounds of weight; allows multiple people to climb down at once
• Standoffs built into rungs prevent slips; oversize hooks can attach to most railings or windows

Cons

• Pricey compared to similar emergency fire escape ladders on the market

Lightweight yet sturdy, the First Alert 24-foot 3-story fire escape ladder is an excellent choice to help household members safely exit an upper floor during a home emergency. This portable option weighs under 30 pounds and can hold up to 375 pounds at a time, allowing several people to climb down at once.

Two large hooks quickly and easily grab onto the window sill, and there’s a deployment strap that allows users to position the ladder correctly before dropping the rungs to the ground. Each rung has standoffs so climbers can find footing easily, even in dark, smoky conditions.

Get the First Alert 24-foot fire escape ladder at Amazon, Lowe’s, Walmart, or Max Warehouse.

Best Bang for the Buck

Kidde 13-Foot 2-Story Fire Escape Ladder

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Product Specs

• Length: 13 feet
• Materials: Zinc-plated steel and nylon
• Ease of setup: Easy

Pros

• Oversize hooks are easy to place on any balcony or window
• Sturdy; capable of holding up to 1,000 pounds of weight-bearing strength overall
• Slip-resistant rungs prevent unwanted slips; tangle-free design ensures quick, easy assembly

Cons

• Shorter than comparable options; may not be suitable for some homes

Don’t sacrifice family safety to stay on budget. The Kidde 2-story fire escape ladder provides enough strength and convenience to get household members to safety without a hefty price tag. This 13-foot-long ladder uses large hooks to hang from a window sill. It has zinc-plated metal rungs and a nylon strap rail, and it’s capable of holding up to 1,000 pounds of weight-bearing strength overall.

This ladder’s rungs are slip-resistant to help ensure that everyone gets to the ground safely—especially important in the middle of the night when folks might need to exit barefoot. The tangle-free design has a deployment strap, allowing users to position the ladder in the window before use. Another important plus: It weighs only 7.75 pounds and can be easily lifted. It does not include a storage bag or case, however, but it can be kept in the box.

Get the Kidde 13-foot fire escape ladder at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.

Best Portable

Isop 16-Foot 2-Story Fire Escape Ladder

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Product Specs

• Length: 16 feet
• Materials: Rope and steel
• Ease of setup: Easy

Pros

• Holds up to 2,000 pounds of weight; can be used by multiple people simultaneously
• At 8 pounds, this ladder is lightweight and easy to set up quickly
• Anti-slip rungs; reflective technology provides enhanced visibility from the ground

Cons

• Pricey compared to similar fire escape ladders on the market
• Some users report stiff construction; may not unroll entirely on its own

Lightweight, sturdy, and reliable, this 16-foot Isop fire escape ladder is fast to deploy, making it easy to use in a hurry. It weighs just 8 pounds, and this resin and thick rope ladder holds up to 2,000 pounds of weight, which allows multiple people to use it at the same time. Plus, the reflective technology provides ample visibility from the ground floor.

Each anti-slip rung has reinforced rung caps, and the heavy-duty carabiners can attach easily to any railing or balcony. This 2-story ladder also comes with a storage bag making it easy to pack or store, and there are multiple lengths offered depending upon the length required.

Get the Isop 16-foot fire escape ladder at Amazon or Walmart.

Best with Carabiners

Isop 32-Foot Rope Ladder Fire Escape

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Product Specs

• Length: 32 feet
• Materials: Rope, nylon, and steel
• Ease of setup: Moderate

Pros

• Longer escape ladder with heavy-duty rust-resistant carabiners, plus a full body harness
• With a weight capacity of 2,000 pounds, it should support 2 or more people simultaneously
• The rope for the safety harness has 11KN (2,400 pounds) breaking strength

Cons

• Setting up the ladder and getting into the harness quickly takes a little practice

This is another super-strong rope ladder from international safety specialists Isop, offering a 2,000-pound weight rating and fire-resistant nonslip rungs. Heavy-duty chrome-plated carabiners allow it to be securely fixed to a wide variety of balconies and railings. The 32-foot length makes it ideal for both homes and 2-story motels.

This model also benefits from a full-body safety harness with its own safety rope and carabiner so it can be hooked into the ladder for a safer descent. Setting up the ladder and putting on the harness is not difficult but takes a little longer than simpler versions.

It is certainly worth doing a few practice runs to acclimate everyone to the equipment.

Get the Isop 32-foot fire escape rope ladder at Amazon or Walmart.

Best 2-Story

Hausse 13-Foot 2-Story Retractable Fire Escape Ladder

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Product Specs

• Length: 13 feet
• Materials: Aluminum
• Ease of setup: Easy

Pros

• Supports up to 1,000 pounds; holds up to 3 people at a time
• Standoffs allow users to mount the ladder easily; deploys in seconds
• Includes a canvas storage bag that helps keep the ladder untangled

Cons

• It can be a little awkward to put away again once deployed

It’s essential that emergency escape ladders are easy to find and quick to deploy. This Hausse 2-story fire escape ladder checks both boxes with its intelligently designed storage bag. It’s made of bright red canvas, so users can spot it quickly, and it keeps the ladder stored neatly, avoiding tangles that could jeopardize safety.

This ladder weighs 11.3 pounds, making it easy to position before releasing the included deployment strap. The Hausse holds up to 1,000 pounds, and three people can use it safely at one time. It also has standoffs to make getting feet on the rungs as easy as possible.

Get the Hausse fire escape ladder at Amazon.

Best 3-Story

Kidde 25-Foot 3-Story Fire Escape Ladder

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Product Specs

• Length: 25 feet
• Materials: Zinc-plated steel and nylon
• Ease of setup: Easy

Pros

• 1,000-pound weight capacity; capable of holding 750 pounds per rung
• Nonslip rungs prevent accidental slips; built-in standoffs allow users to easily mount the ladder
• Affordable compared to similar fire escape ladders on the market

Cons

• This is a single-use ladder that must be discarded after initial use; cannot practice escape and reuse afterward
• Possible that this ladder may not be suitable for all balconies and railings

Bailing out of a 3-story window can be scary, especially for children and seniors. Give household members as much confidence as possible with this 3-story fire escape ladder from Kidde. It’s 25 feet long and has a weight capacity of 1,000 pounds due to the nylon strap rope and zinc-plated steel rungs, each of which has a 750-pound capacity.

The rungs also have a nonslip coating and built-in standoffs, helping climbers position and maintain sure footing on each rung during descent. The 12-pound ladder should set up quickly in an emergency as the hooks attach easily to a window.

Get the Kidde 25-foot fire escape ladder at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Walmart.

Best for Balcony

First Alert Steel 14-Foot 2-Story Escape Ladder