Folding Step Stool

One Step Up for Utility

• What: Acko Super Strong Folding Step Stool
• When: Two years and up
• Why: Affordable, compact, good for kids and adults
• Where: Amazon

Living in a small space with four other people and lots of pets, I obsess over anything that offers lots of use but stores compactly, like the ball pit or tunnel. This folding step stool tops the list in usefulness and compact size.

It folds flat by simply lifting the handle. I don’t even know why we got it originally, but we started using it with my eldest because of his train obsession. We attended multiple model train shows, and got tired of lifting him up to the counter height tracks to watch for hours on end. Even at age two, he could carry, set up, and fold this stool himself. With the addition of a Toogli hook on the stroller, we could keep it handy and move through crowds as needed.

Now that my youngest child can help out in the kitchen, we use it there as well. At 13 inches high, it offers just the right boost to put him at counter height, yet it’s not so tall it needs an additional step. He can climb on all by himself with one big step up, and move it around easily. When not in use, I can tuck it in between cabinets and the fridge or behind the trash can for easy access without taking up much space.

My son loves it so much he now has it set up in his bedroom. He uses it to launch himself over the railing of his toddler bed, and won’t let anyone else touch it or move it without express permission.

The wide base makes the entire set up super stable. Our 13 inch high version holds 250 pounds. Since it works for adults, I have no concerns about my kids going over the weight limit. It has never collapsed with them, nor toppled over unexpectedly. It won’t set up incorrectly, so even if a young child opens it, it folds into the correct flat stepping surface without a hitch. The rubber-type spots on both the standing surface and the feet of the stool keep kids from slipping off, and the stool from moving around unexpectedly.

It comes in 13, 16, and 18 inch versions to fit a variety of heights and uses for indoors, outdoors, and on the go. The stool weighs about six pounds, making it easy to take along as well as move around. The surface itself unfolds to about the size of a standard sheet of paper, and the folded 13 inch stool reaches about 16 inches when flattened.