Product Review: Little Giant Synergy Ladder
The Little Giant Synergy is the perfect combination of a standard A frame ladder and a multiuse or multi position ladder that really worked well under severe testing.
Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25
Look & Feel: 26/25
Features 23/25
How much I enjoy 24/25
Total: 96/100
I just bought a home, not a new home but a home built in 1904 or so and received the Little Giant Synergy about two weeks before moving. When we closed on our home we spent the better part of two weeks moving and then I got around to unpacking the Synergy and using it around the house for various projects.
The Little Giant Synergy has really been put through the ringer and then some over the last couple of months with jobs around the house. I’m not talking about hanging a picture or changing a light bulb, we have had serious work and remodeling to do and the Synergy has been a great ladder.
The Little Giant Synergy has performed well and done a better job at the work I have been doing than my Gorilla Ladder and a 2 in 1 step and extension ladder. The jobs included reroofing a garage, tearing out and replacing two walls of the garage and rewiring the garage to name a few.
Other jobs including going into the attic numerous times to replace boards over an old window with a sheet of Plexiglas and install vents in the attic meant plaing the ladder into the attic opening. I also used the ladder while reroofing and replacing the two walls of the garage which meant the ladder not only was hauled around often but had to deal with the weather and uneven footing.
Mud was no problem as the Synergy is made from aluminum and other rust resistant materials and when dried simply knocked right off. When the mud was wet the ladder was not slippery or hard to use and climbing on the rungs was no problem as they have ridges for foot traction.
I am really impressed with the Little Giant Synergy and have come to enjoy working with it over the past couple of months using it for several projects that required a sturdy and durable ladder that is quick to set up. I am so impressed with it that the ladder earns my Blue Ribbon for Excellence with a rating at 96 percent for the quality, features and performance that the ladder showed.
The Little Giant Synergy is an A frame and step ladder that is perfect for the do it yourselfer and home user with plenty of great features. The ladder goes from a 5 foot to an 8 foot ladder with the use of the two One-Touch RockLocks and the quarter turn handle on the other legs.
The RockLocks lock open to adjust the ladder on the working side and when adjusted to the appropriate height you can slap the lock down to lock the steps in place. I found this quick and simple use of locks and being able to lock them open while adjusting made for a quick and easy height change.
This worked really well when setting the ladder up to go into the attic as you could set the ladder under the opening and then extend the ladder straight upward. Once the ladder is in place I could lift the attic opening out of the way and then extend the ladder up into the opening to go into the attic.
The ladder features two different sides; I’ll call them the working side or the side you use regularly for standing or climbing and the support side. The main steps or working side is 14 inches wide and flairs out to a 27 inch wide stable stance starting with the lower 30 inches.
The support side with the quarter turn handle is a 14 inch wide stepped frame that has two feet that sit 16 inches wide at the bottom. The support side has U channel braces and ridged pieces of aluminum to hold the sides together while the working side has the triangular steps or flat steps above a round tube.
These two different and quite useful sides mean you can position the ladder in tight corners as the working end is wider but the other side of the a-frame is a bit narrower at the bottom. This was quite handy when working in a corner and needing to get close to the ceiling of my garage.
The larger side of the ladder has plastic tips to protect the aluminum ends as well as allow for better footing of the ladder and has wheels on the inner side for easier movement. Simply tilt the ladder down when collapsed and the wheels will contact the floor and you can roll it around.
To open or close the ladder into the A frame you simply use the handle between the legs that allows for a safe way to open or close the ladder. The handle allows you to not pinch or crush your hand as you open or close the ladder as your hand is safely out of the way from pinch points.
The construction is very sturdy with braces at the bottom of the working side to ensure the ends are not bent and the rungs you use to stand on are welded to the side frame. The other side has large rivets holding the rungs on but these rungs are not meant for regular use even though I often found they could easily support my weight and came in quite handy to stand on.
When the ladder is raised to the top two steps the smaller cross pieces on the support side are not lined up with the larger and sturdier cross pieces that are formed by a U channel. This means when using the ladder at the higher positions you need to watch what you’re standing on and using if you step on the support side instead of the working side.
Both sides use the two systems, the RockLocks and the quarter turn handle to unlock the sides from the lower leg pieces to extend the ladder into the higher positions. Changing the height of the ladder is a simple process and does not require much effort which is nice.
You can move and reposition the Synergy and change heights quickly while working and the ladder even allows for different heights on each side. You can use the same Little Giant concept of different heights on the sides to use the ladder on stairs or uneven surfaces which really came in handy when tearing out the ceiling in my back stairs.
Someone who owned our house previously had installed a low ceiling in our back stairs and I removed it so we don’t continue to hit our heads on the ceiling. Removing the parts of the ceiling and the platform that corresponds to the landing was simple using the sides at two different heights.
I easily placed one side of the ladder on a stair step or even inside a trench like when building the wall of my garage and needing the ladder close to the wall. Before I filled in the trench to install the concrete footing along the new wall I wanted to work on the ceiling and fix the one roof beam that was broken.
I had an easy time positioning the ladder at two different heights on the sides and having the support side in the trench while the main side was at the regular height. Using the Synergy while trying to heft those rolls of roofing onto the garage was useful because of the steady and firm foundation the feet gave the ladder.
I had carry rolls of roofing material that weighed something like 90 pounds and maneuver the roll up the ladder as I was climbing it. This was not difficult as the Synergy was rock steady even on the wet ground I was working on and having the steady footing of the ladder while I carried the seven rolls to the roof was easily accomplished.
Another nice feature of the ladder is more of an accessory but is really worth having as part of this ladder, it’s the Airdeck utility tray and handle. The Airdeck slides into the two slots on top of the ladder and creates not only a place to hold a paint can, tools and screws or nails but works as a handle.
The Airdeck goes into one set of two slots and locks down using spring loaded clips to lock in place with one position pointing directly out at a 90 degree angle and the other upward almost vertical to the ground. The Airdeck has an aluminum U shaped bar with a handle in the middle and a deck part that positions the utility tray level when using it to hold tools or items.
The Airdeck locks into the ladder and allows a steady place to hold onto when placed in the vertical position so you can have an extra safe place to grab onto when working at the top of the ladder. The utility tray has various holes and a place to set a one gallon or pint sized paint can or you can remove the cap in the center for those smaller cans.
The Airdeck comes with two bungee cords to hold large items or even paint cans using the handles which I found quite handy while painting. Using the bungees to hold a one gallon paint can may not hold it if you tip the ladder but it works well for a good way to steady the can while working on the ladder.
The utility tray also has a magnet under a tray near the end to help hold those nails, screws and bolts while working and allows for a convenient way not to lose those important metal parts. The Airdeck clips on securely to the support leg so it is ready for use quickly and out of the way when not in use between the legs of the ladder.
The Airdeck may just be icing on the cake but makes for a great addition to this excellent home tool that works very well and is well worth the cost. The Little Giant Synergy is one great ladder and really is worth the cost of about $229 that is available from the Little Giant website.
This is one ladder that I can whole heartedly recommend as a great all purpose ladder around the house for those simple jobs and more difficult home repair and remodeling tasks. I really like the Little Giant Synergy ladder and can see why the company has called it the Synergy as it does combine two great features for an excellent tool.
The Little Giant Synergy is a fantastic ladder and really does deserve my Blue Ribbon for Excellence award, check out the Synergy at the Little Giant website.