Best Ladder Tree Stand

What are the Most Comfortable Ladder Tree Stands for Deer Hunting?

Every hunter has a preference, and whether to hunt on the ground or from high points is one that we all make. If you prefer the latter, then it is probably because you have reaped the benefits that it has to offer, like a better view and concealment.

Are you thinking of getting a ladder tree stand for your next hunt? These stands are a worthy addition to a hunter’s equipment and may increase your chances of a successful hunt. From high up, you will be able to see and do more than ground hunting would offer.

There are plenty of factors that you may want to put into consideration when purchasing or looking for a ladder tree stand. Among them is the material used in its construction, which could affect both the safety of your system and its portability. 

You may also want to consider your desired height or size, which could determine how better you perform from high up and how comfortable you feel throughout your hunt. You may want to take your performance high, and comfort optimal. We will, nevertheless, discuss these among other factors.

Before that, however, why don’t we discuss some of the best ladder tree stands that you should expect? With plenty of brands available and offering great features, how do you determine what works best for you? Here are our top five products:

① Guide Gear 15′

 If you are looking for high functionality in a ladder stand, then you may find it in this model by Guide Gear. It comes in a desirable, high-quality design, which serves you well up to 15 feet in height. You should, therefore, get that great view and make more accurate shots.

You do not want to go out hunting with a heavy product at hand. This product’s 45 pounds of weight come lightweight, as compared to heavier models. You should, therefore, find its transportation to be easy. What more you may come to love about the product, is its steel construction.

It should, therefore, provide stability. Its storage is also easy, thanks to the pinned sections. You may also love the ease of use and safety that you get with its adjustable support bar. Additionally, the product comes with a full-body harness, two stability ropes, and a cam-lock strap.

A protocol-review DVD is added for more guarantees on safety. Generally, you may find the product easy to assemble, and a great value for its price. A notable setback is with its risk of rusting when exposed to outdoor conditions for long. 

Despite its ease of set up and use, you may not find the provided instruction manual to be detailed enough.

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② The Duke

Coming second, is a user-favorite for its impeccable design, and great features. The Duke features a height of 20 feet, which provides outstanding visibility. You may love it for its comfort, following that it comes with mesh cushioned Comfort-FleX seat.

You may come to find its adjustable seat design to be quite practical. All you have to do for a full platform is flip and fold the seat out of the way. You may love the level of comfort that you get from the foot and armrest padding. A plus on the padding is with the adjustable shooting rail.

The Duke is built for durability, with its solid steel construction. This build offers a sturdier and more stable ladder, coming at 79 pounds. What is more, is that it is Weather Defender-coated to help with withstanding outdoor conditions. Weather Defender also acts as a sound-proof, enhancing your hunt’s stealth.

For added safety, this ladder comes with a full-body harness. A notable setback is with its weight. At 79 pounds, you may not find it easy to carry, which may thus, affecting the ladder’s use. Other than that, The Duke provides impeccable quality.

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③ Guide Gear 16′ 

If you are looking for a ladder tree stand that will be a great option for your money, then you may want to consider the high-quality 16” swivel ladder by Guide Gear, which comes at a pocket-friendly price. At 16 feet, the ladder offers a great view and makes it easy to spot prey. But that is not all.

The swivel seat design makes hunting even more fun because it provides a great view through all angles, allowing you to turn swiftly. You should not worry about drawing attention since it swivels silently. You may also be glad about the wide platform, which easily accommodates standing postures. 

The 16” Guide Gear features solid steel construction. This means more durability and sturdiness. You can enjoy more stability with this piece and feel safe with its wrap-around rails that come padded. Additionally, you get two extra ropes, a support strap that is adjustable, pinned ladder sections, and a safety harness.

A notable setback with this product is that it may not be as easy to assemble. This may pose a challenge if time is not exactly on your side. You may also find that the provided instructions are not clear enough, so you may have to figure some if not most things on your own

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④ The Jayhawk

If you are thinking of getting a ladder stand that can accommodate at least two individuals, then you may find this model to be a great choice. It comes with the capacity to hold well up to 500 pounds, that is why an extra hunter is just okay. What is more to this ladder, is its solid steel construction.

You may find it to be comfortable, with its Comfort-FleX technology, and backrest which relieves strains and sores. To increase your platform space, you can simply flip and fold up the adjustable seat. Because of its wide space, both hunters may find it comfortable to move around and swing easily for shots.

For your safety, the JayHawk offers, along with four support points, two full-body harnesses. It can also withstand the harsh outdoors, thanks to its Weather-Defender coating. You may also love the added stealth silencers, which eliminate noise, which could spook away your game.

While you may find its 122 pounds of weight to be too much and above the average, the fact that it is ideal for use by two individuals sells The JayHawk more. It may also feel heavy to carry, thus less portable. You may, however, not come across as great a two-person model.

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⑤ Guide Gear Deluxe 16′

If you are looking for one of the most portable ladder stands, then the 16 feet Guide Gear Deluxe could just be it. While the other models by Guide Gear that we have looked at come lightweight, you may find this particular one to be easiest to transport.

70 pounds is a lot above the lightest model, but you may find this to be just great for having with you for long distances. You may love its steel construction and the comfort that a footrest offers. More on the comfort comes in the seats, which are padded. It comes along with an adjustable shooting rail.

Its support bar is also adjustable. When it comes to Guide Gear 16” Deluxe’ storage, you may come to appreciate the pinned sections, which make it quite easy. The safety harness that comes with this model helps with ensuring your security while all those feet high.

While this product provides a powdered coating, some users noted that it chips off. Another notable setback is the noise that it produces, which may not be great for stealth-hunting. This product, nevertheless, offers high-quality features that you may find useful.

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If you like hunting from a high point, then you probably know the advantages of an increased field of view, and the ariel view you will have of your game. If you have not tried it before, then a tree stand may serve you optimally—this is one of the ways to improve a hunting experience.

Why would you hunt from the trees or any high point for that matter? There is the camouflage that trees offer, which will always remain unbeatable—the powers of nature. You may also love the fact that you do not have to carry trees around, so you will just have your stand to think about.

As we have seen, a tree stand will give you an enhanced view. Most ladders are 15 to 20 feet high. This means that deer and other wildlife that pass throw lower heights may not spot you. Isn’t this a great hunting advantage? It also means higher chances of success.

What is more, is that you get the advantage of increased angle and area of view. From high up, you can turn swiftly and spot game from angles you would not get below. The flexibility also allows you to get desired shots and swing your bow or crossbow with ease.

Something else, which we have in a way discussed, is concealment. One of the features you should look for in a good ladder is noise elimination. For a healthy hunt, you may want to be as quiet as possible. We have also discussed the advantage that height gives you.

Do tree stands have any setbacks? Like everything else, you should expect a few. A notable one is that they come weighty. You may not find most tree stands to bear manageable weight. If it is heavy, then you may not be able to use comfortable or with ease.

You should consider getting lightweight models. These are more portable and can be used on a regular basis, which means that you will not have to constrict yourself to one hunting spot as heavier ladders would. Heavy models may force you to leave them in one desired and easily accessible spot.

Another setback is the assembly of tree ladders, which you may not find to be easy. Some products come with plenty of parts that should be brought together, and at some point, it can get confusing. You may either find them to be complex systems, or just tricky to work through.

Some products, however, feature instruction manuals. The challenge is when the instructions become confusing and as complicated as the systems. This, at the end of the day, will be sending more effort your way, which may not be desirable.

What are some of the factors that you should consider when purchasing a tree stand? With the available products, you may not be able to decide on what to settle for. The following are some important considerations that you should make before and in your next shopping:

The dominant materials in ladder tree stand making are aluminum and steel. It can always be confusing to choose between the two. This is because steel is heavy but more durable; aluminum is lighter but does not have as strong and stable a build.

When you are thinking of going up at least 15 feet, you will find safety to be a critical factor to consider. So, while steel is heavier, it is more preferred due to its build, which you can trust. All our reviewed products are made of steel.

We have mentioned safety. How can this affect your choice of a ladder tree stand? Consider how high you will be going. The higher, the less safe. Since you will also be climbing up that height, you may want to be assured of safety, in more ways than a strong build.

A good ladder stand, therefore, comes with a safety harness. You will find it to be quite a handy safety feature, that helps keep you from falling off. You can, therefore, enjoy the same confidence above as you would accord below.

We have discussed portability, but it would not hurt to find out how it will affect your choice of product. When going out hunting, you may want to move with speed, stealth, and save up enough juice for the hunt. Lightweight ladder tree stands are attractive due to their easy portability.

If you are strong enough to wield a heavier model or have reliable transportation, then why not go for what the heart desires?  A portable stand does not have to mean one that is lightweight, but rather, one that you can carry with ease. At the end of the day, you do not have to overstrain yourself.

You will come to find height and size to be quite critical to your choice of ladder stand. Remember that we are intending to go up; so, it really is a matter of how high you would like to go. Some people do not fancy much height, but some would appreciate a great boost on their angle of elevation.

Typically, you should find a height of up to 15 feet or more to about 20 to be adequate for higher views. You may feel that 5 feet is too little and may not be much a boost, but some hunters would still prefer to hunt from that low. So, how high would you like to go?

Besides height, you may want to consider the platform space that you will be getting. How much of it do you need? What is your body size? What weapon will you be using? These are some of the questions that you may want t answer when considering platform size.

A large enough space for both your body size, swing, and flexible movement is ideal for any hunter. You do not want to get into tight space, with not enough flexibility to make your shot. This could actually affect your accuracy and comfort.

One of the unique features that you may find with some ladder tree stands is the accommodation of more than one hunter. Coming at 500 pounds, the JayHawk, which came fourth in our list, is one of such products, with space enough for two hunters.

With adequate platform space, comfort, and security for the two, you may find such models to be priceless. Because of their heavyweight, however, you may not find them easy to transport. In such a case, you may have to make a choice of either space or portability.

Speaking of comfort, a good ladder stand should provide comfortable space. You should be able to sit for hours without feeling any strains or sustaining sores. Hunting calls for patience; the best models offer comfortable seats to see you through the long hours, which should not feel torturous.

Generally, for a high functionality ladder, the top product, Gear Guide 16” offers a great combination of features, with its sturdy & strong build, simple storage, safety harness, and ropes, among others. It is lightweight, easy to assemble, and a good value for its price.

For its amazing design and great features, The Duke is a worthy runner’s up. You may love that it is secure, with among other safety features, a harness. It also has a sturdy design, and a comfortable, practical seat. You may love the product’s climate versatility.

The best option for your money on our list may have to be the Guide Gear 15”. It features a comfortable, swivel seat and spacious platform. You should also get padded rails and among other safety features, a full-body harness.

Besides offering the unique feature of space for two hunters, the JayHawk is also good for its stealth silencers. You may also love its sturdy steel construction, and find it to be climate versatile. The adjustable seats are also comfortable.

The Guide Gear Deluxe 16” is one of the greatest ladder stands for portability. It also features easy storage and comfort. Its support bar is adjustable and among other safety features, it provides a safety harness.

A ladder stand ushers a new hunting experience. From a height of 15 to 20 feet, you will be able to spot your prey, without giving off your location. Shopping for the best ladder tree stand can be hectic and confusing; I hope you found this article helpful—happy shopping and hunting!

Bottom Line

Hunting can be fun when you have more control over certain conditions like your field of view. This means that you can spot your game from a distance. A ladder tree stand is one of the surest ways to get better views of game. They provide the height that you will need.

With height, comes the advantage of concealment. It may not be easy for prey or wildlife to spot you. There is more to ladder tree stands that we have discussed. Some factors, as we have seen, affect a ladder stand’s delivery of these benefits. Among them could be weight, your desired height, noise, and even safety.

With the available tree stand models, how do you determine the best? For its overall features, I would highly recommend the Guide Gear 15”. It comes in a desirable, high-quality design, which serves you well up to 15 feet in height. 

This product’s 45 pounds come lightweight, as compared to heavier models. It features solid steel construction and its storage is also easy. You may love the ease of use and safety with its adjustable support bar. Additionally, it comes with a full-body harness, two stability ropes, and a cam-lock strap.

A protocol-review DVD is also added for more guarantees on safety. Generally, you may find the product easy to assemble, and a great value for its price. There is no reason why you should not get the Guide Gear 15”; buy it today!