Fire hazards are definitely something you need to safeguard your family from. Every year, thousands of US citizens die from fire hazards of some kind. And the sad part is that many of these could have been avoided if those citizens had fire escape ladders in their homes, and knew how to use those properly. Do not make the same mistake as them. Unless you live on the ground floor of your home, be sure to keep a fire escape ladder in a room on every floor, so that you can at least get out of the building in an emergency.

However, purchasing a fire escape ladder is far from easy. There are so many brands available that it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of choices. Besides, the quality of fire escape ladders varies widely between brands. Here are some tips that may make the task of choosing the best ladder a bit easier, though:

1. Always measure the length of the ladder before you buy it. For best results, measure the distance between the window (from which you wish to deploy the ladder) and the ground below. That way, you will be sure that you are buying a long enough ladder. Also, remember that the distance between the ground and the windows on every floor will be different. Keep track of the measurements for each floor when you are deploying the ladders.

2. Make sure that the ladder is wide enough to match the width of the window from which you are deploying it. However, the ladder should not be wider than the window under any circumstances. For best results, measure the inner width of the windows in your home before you go shopping for ladders. Once again, this might be different for each floor, so keep track of measurements of windows accordingly.

3. The ladder should be easy to deploy and use, even for kids. Do not buy a ladder that features a complex mechanism for attaching it to the window. You can never guess whether you would be able to keep a cool head when you are trying to escape from a house on fire.

Always try to buy fire escape ladders online, in order to find the best products without much hassle. Simply check out the reviews posted by customers about the ladders you are buying, and you should be able to get the best products available.