The pool steps nightmare

From sellers' contempt to deliverance: Crash test of the Confer Plastics pool steps.

Quick Verdict

The Story Behind My Pool Steps Search

I had just achieved a lifelong dream: I finally bought my first house. Bonus, it came with an above-ground pool. Living in an apartment, I hadn’t had access to a pool since I was a kid. It was winter, and everything in my yard was still frozen and covered in snow.

The previous owner had left the old pool steps lying around on the property. I didn’t know what brand the steps were, let alone if they’d be strong enough to support my weight. I watched them through the window with anxiety, waiting for spring to arrive.

I was so excited about the idea of finally swimming in my own pool, but my joy was ruined by fear. What if the moment I stepped on it, it started cracking or broke? What if I got hurt or ended up stuck in the water, unable to climb back onto my deck? And even if I managed to get out, I’d still feel the humiliation and frustration of being the one who broke the pool ladder.

Summer finally arrived, so we prepped the pool and installed the infamous steps. I took photos and tried to identify them on the net. The most likely model showed a weight limit of 250 pounds, while I weigh 400 pounds. I asked my partner if we could buy new steps.

The first answer: they were sturdy and I shouldn’t rely on the listed weight limit. "Come on, don't worry, there's no problem. You're worrying over nothing!" Followed by a demonstration, standing on a step and shaking the staircase to prove it to me.

I am sure that if you are my weight, you have already experienced this exact same scenario. People just don't trust our instinct. They don't realize the danger, or the limits that all standard products display. We often have to go through an humiliating experience for them to finally understand. And that’s exactly what happened to me.

I went down, and the thin plastic of the steps bent. Not just a little bit. It was terrifying. Once I was in the water, I absolutely loved my swim—that feeling of weightlessness—but when the time came to get out of the water, my stress levels shot back up to the absolute maximum.

As I was climbing up, the disaster happened. First, one of the two handrails completely popped out of its socket. Once I reached the top step, everything twisted. The plastic breathed its final breath. My love finally understood what I had been trying to say from the very beginning. It was time for new pool stairs.

If you think everything got sorted out easily from there, you are mistaken. After getting past the humiliation and making it clear that I deserve to be safe, the real obstacle course was only just beginning.

I spent hours and hours searching. All the local retailers displayed a huge range of ladders and steps that I went through one by one, looking through the descriptions for the weight limit of each. I had just hit that classic and unavoidable wall of standard products: either there was absolutely nothing written about it, or it was hidden deep inside a 100-page PDF file, or it was, yet again, a maximum limit of 250-300 pounds.

So I expanded my searches to AI, to random forums found here and there, and to YouTube searches. By dint of searching, I would find ladders that were supposed to support my weight, but once I visited the website and analyzed the technical sheet, it was ultimately still 300 pounds maximum. The algorithms were lying to get clicks. I didn't trust them anymore, summer was moving along, and I wasn't going to be able to swim. I was furious!

I called local retailers in my area to ask if they knew of a sturdier staircase. One salesman literally laughed in my face over the phone! He blurted out: "Ah! At that weight, there's no way I'm selling you anything. Call somewhere else." At the other big pool stores, same final result—they didn't really know, they didn't have that, and they didn't offer to do any research or special orders.

I turned to the United States. Through exploring the American market, I found two models that claimed to easily support my weight. Jackpot! The Merlin Aqua King brand steps (700 pounds) and some "wedding cake" steps. Since I couldn't find them in Canada, I ordered the Merlin steps from an American distributor.

Not only was it much more expensive than a standard staircase, but the exchange rate also cost me a lot. Another reality when you weigh more than the norm: the price. I was relieved to have finally found something and was trying to figure out a way to break it to my partner that I had spent 1,200.00$ CAD on a pool staircase.

But a few days later, I received a cold shower by email. Freight shipping to Canada was going to cost 1,000.00$ CAD. The staircase was molded as a single block, and it couldn't be shipped any other way. I had to cancel my order (a bit relieved anyway, considering the price).

Last hope: the "Wedding cake" models. I'll give you a thousand guesses, same scenario. This time, 750.00$ CAD in shipping fees. Clearly, my chances of swimming were flying away. I didn't give up though, and I started scouring discussion forums. One brand caught my attention: Confer Plastics.

Without specifying the weight limit, someone said it was the sturdiest they knew. So I looked up this company's website and saw that the technical sheet read: certified capacity of 400 pounds. I was right at the limit, but it was my single and last chance to swim this summer. It was a hell of a lot better than 250-300 pounds. A hell of a lot better than nothing. The price was lower, and maybe I could find it in Canada.

So I swallowed my pride and called the big stores around me again to ask if they had or could order a Confer staircase. Everyone told me, no sorry, we don't carry that brand. Until finally, someone told me: "I think Club Piscine has several products from that brand." Wow! Was I going to find my staircase right at a local store? And why hadn't they told me this brand existed and that they sold it?

Another classic. We aren't taken seriously, no one tries to help us. So I went to look at their site and finally found the Confer model for around $500.00 CAD / $360.00 USD with free shipping. A miracle! Unfortunately, it was Out of Stock in every single branch in Quebec. Decidedly, fate was mocking me! Looking closer, the purchase button was still active anyway. Desperate, I added the staircase to my cart and clicked buy.

I was obviously expecting to receive an email telling me the order couldn't be processed, that it was on backorder, or that free shipping didn't apply. Instead, I received the most beautiful email: "Your package has been shipped and is out for delivery."

I received my steps in just a few days. Assembly and putting it in the water were a breeze. And then came the big test. Drumroll, please!

Absolute sturdiness. You feel a natural flex, because without flexibility the plastic would snap. But the structure remains perfectly stable. I have gone up and down it countless times since, and I haven't felt absolutely any sign of fatigue. I have zero impression of danger, there are no cracks, no squeaking sounds.

I climbed out of the water with my head held high that day. I had beaten the system. I had bypassed the gigantic machine of the standard products.

Technical Specifications