I changed a lightbulb standing on a dining room chair once. The chair wobbled. I wobbled. The lightbulb survived. My dignity did not. That was the day I admitted I needed a step ladder.

The problem: I live in a house with limited storage. A full-size folding ladder would live in the garage, and I would never walk to the garage to get it. I needed something that could live inside without being an eyesore. After testing three compact options, here is what I found.

What matters in a home step ladder

Height and reach: A two-step ladder gives you about two feet of extra height. A three-step gives you about three feet. For most homes with eight-foot ceilings, two steps is enough to reach ceiling fixtures, change smoke detector batteries, and access the top shelf of kitchen cabinets. Three steps is better if you have nine-foot ceilings or are on the shorter side.

Storage footprint: The best home step ladders fold completely flat — under four inches deep — and can slide between the refrigerator and the wall or hang on a closet hook. If it does not fold flat, you will never put it away, and it will live in the middle of a room.

Best overall: HBTower 3-Step with Handrail

About sixty-five dollars. Three steps with a wide platform on the top step and a handrail that extends above it. The handrail makes a huge difference in stability — you feel secure even on the top step. Folds to three inches deep and weighs about thirteen pounds. The locking mechanism is metal, not plastic, which matters for long-term durability.

The downside: at thirteen pounds, it is not light. If you need to carry it up and down stairs frequently, a lighter model might be better. For single-floor use, the weight is actually reassuring — it feels planted.

Best ultra-compact: Delxo 2-Step Folding

About thirty-five dollars. Folds to two inches deep. Weighs under eight pounds. This is the one I slide between my fridge and the counter. It disappears completely. Two steps gives enough height for most tasks, though at five-foot-eight I still need to stretch for ceiling fixtures. If you are under five-foot-four, get the three-step version.

The steps have a non-slip rubber surface. The locking bar clicks satisfyingly into place. It feels more stable than its light weight suggests. For an apartment, this is the one.

Skip: hollow plastic step stools

Those ten-dollar folding plastic stools at every hardware store are tempting because they are cheap and light. But they flex under weight and the hinge pins are plastic — they crack after about a year of regular use. I had one collapse under me while painting a ceiling corner. I caught myself on the wall, but the lesson was learned. Spend at least thirty dollars and buy one with metal hinges.