The Bottom Line: Both ladders fold into the same positions and are very useful. We did find the Gorilla to be better in its sturdiness as a scaffold, safety mechanisms, included tools and weight. (And its cheaper!)
Reviewed by: Meir ReizReviewed on: 2/9/2009 12:00:00 AM
What they claim: Both the Gorilla and Little Giant Ladder claim to be the only ladder you'll ever need. Both boast to be an impressive number of ladders all in one (Gorilla claims to have 18 positions, Little Giant claims 24), and advertise themselves as sturdy and safe. What we found: These ladders are clearly both very useful and handy. As advertised, they bend and extend into numerous useful positions - A-frame ladders, step ladders, extension ladders and scaffolding trusses. On initial glance, the most apparent difference between these two ladders is the presence of orange-colored accents on the Little Giant that are not present on the Gorilla Ladder. These accents are as functional as they are aesthetic - they help keep the Little Giant Ladder supported when it is converted into the scaffolding truss position. The absence of these accents does not seem to harm the Gorilla, however. It's unique, patented static hinges make the Gorilla scaffolding position much sturdier feeling than the Little Giant's. The Gorilla also has an added feature that is not found in the Little Giant Ladder - color safety tabs. These tabs are visible only until the joints are safely locked in place. This bonus feature prevents you from using the ladder before it is properly set into place. Nice. The Little Giant is a USA manufactured product and the Gorilla comes from China. The Gorilla is slightly lighter than the Little Giant - 34.5 lbs in contrast to the Little Giant's 36. One thing that made a difference to me - the Little Giant advertised 24 positions - a number they got by counting the right-angle positions twice - because each position can be used as a right-angle ladder or staircase ladder. We found 18. That is not the kind of honest advertising I'd look for. Though we only found 18 positions for the Gorilla when they advertised 20, that's because they counted the scaffolding trusses as 3 separate positions - since you can place the platform at any of the 3 heights. The bottom line: Both ladders meet their claims of being terrific all-in-one ladders. The Gorilla has a sturdier scaffolding position, and is less deceptive in their advertising. The Gorilla also has safety tabs that we thought were a nice feature. The Little Giant is USA produced, while the Gorilla is manufactured in China. Our personal favorite? The Gorilla. And its cheaper.