Heavy Duty Step Stool

Have you ever wondered what makes a step stool a “heavy duty step stool”? Can you look at a step and tell if it’s heavy duty? If you’ve ever bought a cheap one and used it moving heavy loads you probably found out very quickly that all step stools are not created equal.

What to look for…

The very first thing to consider is the construction of your step stool. Is it one solid piece or does it fold? Solid constructed stools are going to hold more weight and remain stable during use more so than others that fold. Folding step stools are designed for easy storage.

The next thing you want to know is what material is it made of; Wood, metal, plastic?


Does it have wheels? Wheels are nice if the step stool is heavy and you have to move it often. But, in general wheels are dangerous because they allow the step stool to slide easily – the opposite of what a safe step is supposed to do.

Is it home-made? If it is, be careful, very careful when using it. The person that made this step does not necessarily know what a safe step stool design is.

Does the step stool have a load rating? Please, please, please check for a load rating. Any mammoth corporation that purchases a step stool of any make and model requires a 500 pound load rating by their Risk Management Dept. So should you!!!

What is the intended use of the step stool? You wouldn’t want to use a kid’s step stool to help a large adult step up to reach a high shelf, would you? So try to imagine yourself on the step stool, using it. Is it tall enough for your purpose, does it have handrails (required on any step stool over the height of 24 inches according to OSHA).

This should give you a pretty good checklist for your next step stool purchase.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for 13 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.shurestep.com.

CLICK HERE to order Shure-Steps

Anti-Slip Step Stools

What makes a step stool safe and sturdy? One of the qualities is the step stool’s ability to stay put and not slip or slide with a load on it. How can this be accomplished? There are several methods that step stool manufacturers use depending on the intended use of the step stool. If the step stool is going to be used in a clean environment such as a warehouse with smooth concrete floors or at a car wash where the surface might be wet, most step stool manufacturers use non-slip rubber pads on the bottom of their steps to prevent slipping. But, all rubber non-slip pads are not created equal. And if you’re not paying attention, some of these pads are not very big or attached very securely. So what should you inspect the step stool for?

Check the non-slip pads for being attached securely by pulling on the pad and see if it comes off easily. If it does, please understand that it will come off easily while you are using the step stool. If the pad comes off, you no longer have anything to keep the step stool from sliding on a smooth floor. So, first check the non-slip pads for being attached securely. Next you’ll want to check the size and note how many of the non-slip pads are present on the bottom of the step stool. If you have a large step stool, you should have an adequate number of pads large enough to keep the step from sliding. The last thing to check is contact with the floor. Make sure that the non-slip pads are touching the floor when the step stool is set on it. You can do this by simply putting the step stool on a counter top and inspect where the non-slip pads contact the counter. The step stools with spring loaded wheels add danger to a step stool by making you apply enough weight for the non-slip pads to touch the floor. If you have a child or small person that tries to stand on this type of rolling step stool, their weight might not be enough to push on the step stool to make the non-slip pads touch the floor.

David C. DuPont invented the safest step stool after his own unfortunate fate in using the unstable and unsafe step stool when he's working on their family's repair shop. That incident got him bleeding and bruised. His invention has been awarded by various organizations for it's excellence. You can check all types of step stool for your own usage on his site at www.ShureStep.com. Or you may want to watch his videos here.

CLICK HERE to order Shure-Steps