Hausse Retractable 3 Story Fire Escape Ladder, 25 Feet

I keep an escape ladder in every upstairs bedroom in my home. After recently moving my office to a third floor, I added the Hausse 25-foot fire escape ladder to that room and ran several practice drills. It’s not a fancy tool; it’s a purpose-built device you hope never to use. But across deployment, climbing feel, and storage, this ladder mostly gets the fundamentals right—with a few quirks to plan around.

Design and build

The ladder arrives ready to go in a bright red canvas bag meant for under-bed or near-window storage. Inside, the ladder is a steel-and-strap design with slip-resistant rungs and retractable steel hooks. Those hooks are the heart of the system: they extend to grab the interior window sill or frame and anchor the ladder during use. The manufacturer rates it to 25 feet for third-story egress and lists a test load of up to 1,000 pounds. While I would never advise more than one person on a household escape ladder at a time, the generous rating does inspire confidence in the overall build.

One detail worth noting: the rungs sit off the wall thanks to small extensions at each end. That standoff creates the toe room you need to place your foot squarely, and it keeps your shoe from scraping down the siding. It’s a small but important design choice that makes the climb feel more controlled than flat-against-the-wall ladders.

The overall construction feels solid and functional rather than delicate. There’s a bit of heft to it (as you’d expect from a 25-foot steel ladder), and the hardware doesn’t flex or chatter when under load. The finish and edge quality are acceptable for an emergency tool, though I did find some sharp corners on the rung extensions that are worth addressing before you store it for the long term.

Setup and deployment

No tools, no assembly. That’s a genuine advantage in an emergency context. The practical steps look like this:

• Pull the red bag from its storage spot and unzip.
• Extend the retractable hooks fully—make sure both ends are fully deployed.
• Seat the hooks over the interior sill or frame with the ladder hanging outside.
• Hold the top section with one hand and feed the bundle outward so it drops cleanly down the wall.

From my third-floor double-hung window with a standard wood sill, the hooks seated securely and the ladder fed out without snags. It’s manageable for most adults to lift and position, but it does have enough mass that very young kids or anyone with limited strength may struggle to move it from a low shelf to a window under stress. If this is going in a child’s room, practice drills matter, and you’ll want to stash it within easy reach at sill height.

Two practical tips from testing:
- Do a dry fit now. Check that the hook geometry actually fits your window and that you can fully open the window to deploy the ladder. Deep sills, crank-out casements, or unusually thick trim can complicate things.
- Stage it with the correct orientation in the bag. You want to pull it out so the hooks are immediately accessible and the ladder feeds outward, not inward.

Climbing feel and stability

On the wall, the ladder felt secure. The hooks didn’t creep under load, and the slip-resistant rungs gave me a predictable foothold even with slightly dusty shoes. The standoff extensions created just enough clearance to plant my foot and look down the route without scraping knuckles or toes against the siding.

As with most chain-and-rung emergency ladders, there’s some side-to-side movement if you sway your hips away from the wall. Keep your center of gravity close, descend one person at a time, and maintain three points of contact. The ladder didn’t translate twists into unsettling bounce; instead, it settled quickly as I moved down at a moderate pace. That’s what I want from a tool like this: uncomplicated hardware that behaves predictably.

If you’re new to escape ladders, plan a controlled practice run from the first or second floor onto a soft surface. Wear sturdy shoes and gloves for the first drill. You’ll get a feel for how the rungs load and how to keep the ladder tracking straight down the wall.

Storage and maintenance

The included red bag is compact enough to slide under a bed or sit on a closet shelf by the window. It’s good for keeping the ladder organized and visible, though it’s a snug fit when you repack after practice. I could repack it neatly, but it took patience to lay the rungs flat and feed the straps back into the original shape. The bag itself is fine, but I wouldn’t rely on it as a grab handle while moving the full weight any great distance—move the ladder with two hands at the frame.

A few maintenance notes:
- Mark a replacement date. The manufacturer recommends replacing every three years. That’s a reasonable interval for webbing and metal that may live in temperature swings and humidity.
- After practice, check for burrs, bent hooks, or fraying straps. Let it dry completely before repacking if it touched rain or morning dew.
- Consider adding a simple window-side checklist card: open window fully, extend hooks completely, verify seating, descent one at a time.

Fit and compatibility

The hooks worked well on my painted wood sill and an unpainted oak test sill. On a narrow vinyl sill, they still seated, but I added a small strip of non-slip shelf liner to protect the finish and improve grip during practice. On casement windows that open outward, you’ll typically hook to the interior sill; ensure there’s enough clearance to lift and seat the hooks without the sash interfering.

Exterior surfaces matter, too. Over shingle siding, the standoffs found a stable bearing; over smooth stucco, they planted without skittering. If you have deep trim pieces or ledges under the window, test that the ladder feeds cleanly without catching.

What could be improved

• Edge finishing: Some corners on the rung extensions were sharper than I’d like. I lightly dressed them with a fine file and added small stick-on bumpers where they contact the siding. It took five minutes and made me more comfortable about accidental scrapes in a hurry.
• Bag ergonomics: The bag is serviceable but snug. A slightly looser cut or a stiffer mouth would make repacking after drills easier. A wider strap would help with quick grabs under a bed.
• Orientation cues: Color-coded marks on the hook end and the top two rungs would make it foolproof to deploy in poor lighting. I added my own with bright tape.

None of these are deal-breakers, but they’re worth noting if you’re setting up multiple ladders throughout a home.

Safety tips from real-world use

• One person on the ladder at a time, even with a high test rating.
• Shoes on. Bare feet and socks slip on any metal rung.
• Gloves help the first time you practice and in cold weather.
• Keep hair, cords, and loose clothing clear; avoid carrying bags—lower items by rope if needed.
• If you have young children, teach them to open the window and position the hooks; an adult should control the drop of the ladder bundle.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners or renters with bedrooms on the third floor or over walk-out basements.
• Anyone who needs a non-permanent solution that can be stored out of sight.
• Households that will actually run a quick drill and stage the ladder near the intended window.

Who might look elsewhere:
- If your windows are unusually deep, narrow, or obstructed, a fixed-mount escape ladder may be a better fit.
- If you can’t stage the ladder near the window at sill height, consider a lighter, shorter model for a second-floor route instead.

Verdict

The Hausse 25-foot fire escape ladder is a straightforward, capable tool that prioritizes the essentials: secure hooks, stable rungs with real foot clearance, quick deployment, and compact storage. It felt trustworthy under load and behaved predictably during practice. The downsides are manageable—a few sharp edges to smooth out, a snug storage bag, and the reality that the ladder’s weight demands forethought about where and how you store it.

I recommend this ladder for anyone who needs third-story egress without permanent hardware. It’s sturdy, simple to deploy, and thoughtfully designed where it counts. Do a test fit now, stage it properly, and mark a three-year replacement date. With those steps, you’ll have a reliable, ready-to-use exit plan if the day ever demands it.