Half step buying guide
Updated: October 2026
A half step is a low freestanding platform that splits one high UK door rise into two smaller ones. It helps only when those rises are close and the tread is deep enough for a stick, a frame, or two feet. This half step buying guide is the measurement order, before brand names. Shelf prices for twelve amazon.co.uk listings are on the [doorstep comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/doorstep). Peter F. checked those listings against public UK guidance in October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
A half step is a low freestanding platform that splits one high UK door rise into two smaller ones. It helps only when those rises are close and the tread is deep enough for a stick, a frame, or two feet.
A half step is a low freestanding platform that splits one high UK door rise into two smaller ones. It helps only when those rises are close and the tread is deep enough for a stick, a frame, or two feet. This half step buying guide is the measurement order, before brand names. Shelf prices for twelve amazon.co.uk listings are on the doorstep comparison. Peter F. checked those listings against public UK guidance in October 2026. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Platform height | User weight | Footprint | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Aukimo Aukimo GlowStep | Up to 12.7 cm | 600 lb; 250 kg | n/a | 9.4 | about £29.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Aidapt Aidapt outdoor half step | 9 cm | 135 kg | 39 × 48 cm | 9.2 | about £14.99 | View offer |
 NRS Healthcare NRS Mobility Care half step | 11 cm | 190 kg | 73 × 42.5 cm | 9.2 | about £79.99 | View offer |
On this page
Measure the rise and the clear space
Measure the rise from the ground you will stand on to the threshold, in millimetres. Living Made Easy says the two rises should be about equal. A 10 cm platform in front of a 12 cm threshold can leave a lip. The door, including a storm door, has to clear the platform. Nottinghamshire’s leaflet asks for a tread at least 300 mm deep. That is local guidance, not a statute. If a listing prints 10 mm, wait for the box. If the rises will not match, stop. Check both rises after delivery on the guide to placing a half step. Over 36 cm, Living Made Easy recommends handrails.
Match the platform to how you walk
The Independent Living Centre uses about 45 cm of depth with a stick, about 60 cm with a frame, and about 90 cm with a four-wheeled walker. Nottinghamshire’s leaflet also asks for about 800 mm by 800 mm if you use a frame. Most platforms here are about 39 to 50 cm: enough for two feet and a stick, tight for a frame, and not 90 cm. The NRS step, P22964, is 73 by 42.5 by 11 cm, still under 800 mm. If you use a wheelchair, leave this category. Step or slope is the half step or threshold ramp page.
Read the weight and the material
A user weight counts only when the listing states it once. Aidapt’s VR278B page and the amazon.co.uk listing both say 135 kg and 90 mm. The SI listing’s 100 kg and 220 lb agree. NRS states 190 kg once. Do not quote one figure from Top Home Solutions (135 kg and 199.58 kg), the Aukimo GlowStep (600 lb and 250 kg), Jobar, Yelyee or Janoon. The NRS step weighs 5.7 kg and shifts less than plastic under 2 kg.
When a half step is the wrong buy
A portable half step does not meet Approved Document M or K. An accessible threshold is level or, if raised, not more than 15 mm. Volume 1 allows up to 150 mm where a step is unavoidable, depending on M4(1), M4(2) or M4(3). HMRC Notice 701/7 does not let you take 20 percent off about £14.99 or about £79.99. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use their own guidance. If you use a wheelchair, the drop is more than one house step, or a rail must go into a wall, ask the council. The NHS says that assessment is free. Living Made Easy cites grant ceilings of up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland.
Common questions
How do I measure the door before I choose a height?
Measure from the ground you will stand on up to the threshold, in millimetres, then look for a platform close to half that figure so the two rises match. Include the storm door’s swing and a level patch deep enough for the step. A 10 cm step in front of a 12 cm threshold does little and can become a lip. Write the number down before you compare star ratings.
What if the two rises will not be equal?
If every platform you can buy leaves one rise much higher than the other, a half step is the wrong tool for that door. Uneven steps are harder, which is the point Living Made Easy makes. Look at a rebuilt threshold, a rail for a rise over 36 cm, or a council assessment, rather than forcing a 9 cm block under a much taller step.
How deep a platform do I need with a stick or a frame?
The Independent Living Centre uses about 45 cm with a stick, about 60 cm with a frame and about 90 cm with a four-wheeled walker. Nottinghamshire’s leaflet separately asks for a 300 mm tread and about 800 mm by 800 mm if you use a frame. Most steps in this set are nearer 40 to 50 cm, so a frame may not fit even when two feet do.
Which listings in this set have a user weight I can trust?
Trust a weight only when the same page does not contradict it. The Aidapt outdoor half step, the best value pick, states 135 kg. The SI listing’s 100 kg and 220 lb agree, and the NRS listing states 190 kg. Do not pick a figure from Top Home Solutions, the Aukimo GlowStep, Jobar, Yelyee or Janoon, because those pages print two capacities, a rejected height, or a size line that cannot be a platform.
Does a half step suit a wheelchair?
No listing in this set is a ramp, and a half step does not give a wheelchair a slope or a level threshold. If you use a wheelchair, start with a threshold ramp or a rebuilt entrance. Someone who walks, including with a stick, is the person a half step is meant for. A walking frame needs a large level tread, not a narrow stool.
Will VAT come off the amazon.co.uk price?
Not as a sum you deduct from these shelf prices. HMRC Notice 701/7 zero-rates goods designed solely for disabled people and supplied to an eligible person. These listings are sold for doors, cars, pets and bathrooms as well. A shop that displays VAT relief is showing that shop’s price. The Amazon prices here already include the VAT Amazon shows.
When should I ask the council instead of buying?
Ask for an assessment if you use a wheelchair, if the entrance is being rebuilt, if the drop is more than one ordinary house step, or if a rail has to be fixed into the wall. The NHS says that assessment is free and that smaller adaptations, often under £1,000, are frequently paid by the council. A step at about £15 does not replace that visit.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Last checked 21 October 2026.
- Approved Document K (England): protection from falling, collision and impact (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Approved Document M Volume 1: access to and use of dwellings (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- NHS: home adaptations (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Living Made Easy: adapting your home, access into and around your home (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Independent Living Centre: outdoor steps and rails (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HMRC VAT Notice 701/7: reliefs for disabled and older people (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: online and distance selling for businesses (retrieved 21 October 2026)