The Best Knee Pads for Home Projects: A Review For 2021
A lot of people carry out home upkeep by themselves instead of relying on professional help every time to get things done. While this type of self independence is great, it might involve being on your knees a lot.
This can cause long term damage to your knees in the form of pain and chronic health conditions. Whether it’s at home or for work, kneeling a lot can damage your knees. For this reason, this article talks about the best knee pads you can buy today to protect your legs.
In a hurry ? here is our top picks
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kneeling While Working: What You Need to Know
If your work involves woodworking, working on floors, gardening, construction, or something similar, you know that this requires being on your knees for extended periods of time.
You might have heard of the condition called Housemaid’s Knee. In this condition, the small fluid filled sack in the front of your knee gets inflamed because of long periods of kneeling. While this can be cured easily, some conditions like Osteoarthritis might not go away that easily and be more chronic in nature.
What Does Kneeling For Long Periods Do to Your Knees?
There are multiple ways in which your knees can worsen and cause pain, inflammation, and discomfort. Some of the reasons why this happens are mentioned below.
Knee Stress: The cartilage around your kneecaps gets irritated when you sit on your knees on hard surfaces.
Ankle Stress: While this position affects your entire lower leg, the two points of impact are your knee and your ankle. This can cause pain and discomfort in your ankle joints, as well.
Blood Circulation: Sitting on your knees puts the entire weight of your body on the lower parts of your leg. This causes reduced blood circulation, which means that enough oxygen will not reach the muscles of your lower leg. While this can be taken care of by getting up and stretching, doing this for longer periods of time can cause irreversible damage.
Existing Problems: We all know that getting older means back and knee pain that creeps up on you out of nowhere. If you already have some pain affecting your knees, sitting on them can make it much worse.
How Should I Sit to Avoid This Problem?
If you’re worried about knee pain, there are some positions you can sit in that will help you avoid these problems.
Crossed Legs: Crossing your legs is an easy and healthy way to sit, as it doesn’t put any weight on your knees and balances your weight out properly throughout the muscles in your lower body instead of putting pressure on your joints.
Bent Knees: There are two ways to do this. One, you can squat down with your feet on the ground and your knees bent. This will mean that your knees are suspended above the ground and there’s no stress on them. Another way is to bend your knees and sit down with your legs on one side.
Legs Stretched: This is another way in which you can make sure that the weight of your upper body is properly balanced throughout your lower body. In this position, your legs are perpendicular to your torso. You can lean back and use your arms for support for an even more comfortable position.
However, we all know that this isn’t exactly possible when we’re working. Sometimes, there’s just no option but to kneel down on your knees.
This is where our knee pad review comes into the picture. There are a wide range of knee pads available on the market that claim to help you avoid knee pain. For your benefit, we’ve reviewed a lot of these options and come up with the best knee pads to choose from.
1. NoCry Professional Knee Pads
This product from NoCry comes with a heavy duty poly shield protection on the outer side and EVA foam padding on the inner side of the pads. This ensures that your knees are protected from the outside and are comfortable on the inside when you’re kneeling down.
The pads come with an adjustable neoprene strap that locks them in place, making them comfortable and giving you a tight fit that won’t slip off during work. There’s also a quick release buckle on the straps that makes putting them on and taking them off easier.
The pads are also well ventilated and breathable to ensure that your knees don’t get sweaty while you’re working. If you have large legs, these might be a bit tight on the bottom.
Specifications
- Brand: NoCry
- Color: Black
- Outer material: Poly shield
- Inner material: EVA foam
- Package dimensions: 3.75 x 7 x 9 inches
- Item weight: 1.19 pounds
Pros:
- Heavy duty poly outer shield for external protection
- Soft and comfortable eva foam padding for internal protection
- Quick release straps for ease of use
Cons:
- Might need a larger lip if your legs are bigger
- The button on the side might not be of the highest quality
2. Carib Gear Pro Knee Pads
The durability of these knee pads can be easily verified by the lifetime warranty that they come with. Unlike the knee pads from NoCry, these pads come with extra equipment like gloves and safety goggles included in the package. This makes the package a great fit for people who work in construction, gardening, carpentry, or tactical work.
The outer material is made of thermoplastic rubber, giving you both flexibility and toughness when you’re working on your knees. Paired with this is a foam-encased double gel on the inner side of the pads that fit around the contour of your knees and give you a comfortable experience.
The knee pads come with strap extenders for both sides. Some reviews suggested that the straps are not long enough. The straps, however, can be slightly short if your legs are thick or you’re wearing thick pants. In our opinion, longer straps would’ve made this a better choice.
Specifications
- Brand: Carib Gear Pro
- Color: Black and yellow
- Outer material: Thermoplastic rubber
- Inner material: Foam encased double gel
- Package dimensions: 11.26 x 8.23 x 5.31 inches
- Item weight: 2.27 pounds
Pros:
- Inner material comes in a foam encased double gel design that not only provides comfort but a more natural resting place for your knees
- Safety glasses and leather gloves included with the package
- Strap extenders included with the package
Cons:
- Straps may be too short
- Might have some problem staying centred on your knees
3. Rexbeti Knee Pads
These knee pads from Rexbeti have a high elastic strap on them that makes them fit better around your knees. The inner of the pads is made out of high density foam cushion, while the outer layer is made out of thermoplastic rubber. This gives it both protection and traction to your kneecaps when they’re against hard surfaces.
The construction of this pair of knee pads is made in a way that houses a heavy duty thick shield on the outside, a soft gel core in the middle, and a high density thickened foam at the back. These knee pads, unlike the previous options, also come with a thigh attachment that makes them more stable while wearing.
If you’re wearing these knee pads for a few hours, you should be good to go, but any longer and you may find your knees getting sweaty and uncomfortable. You should keep this in mind if you’re planning on wearing these pads for extended periods of time.
Specifications
- Brand: Rexbeti
- Color: Black and orange
- Outer material: Thermoplastic rubber
- Inner material: Foam and gel
- Package dimensions: 10.71 x 8.35 x 5.63 inches
- Item weight: 1.72 pounds
Pros:
- Thick and strong stretchable and adjustable strap with a hook and loop feature for firm fitting
- Thigh support design for more support to your legs while kneeling
- Thick foam padding within heavy duty shells for hard surfaces
Cons:
- Velcro design on straps might loosen up over time
- Can get uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time
4. Cogurd Professional Gel Knee Pads
Similar to the last product from Rexbeti, this pair of knee pads comes with hook and loop style straps that help you get a tight fit around your legs. They’ll also stay securely in place on your knees no matter how much you kneel or crawl.
The product comes in a 3-layer padding system that includes gel and foam that helps protect your knees against scraping and pain associated with kneeling. If you’re working in construction, woodworking, gardening, or house repairs, these pads can be an excellent choice for you.
The shield included on the top of this pair of knee pads is also waterproof, which means that you don’t have to worry about getting your clothes wet if you’re working in a wet area.
However, this pair of knee pads might face some problems if you’re wearing shorts. With pants they work perfectly, but they seem to have a problem when you have fabric on one side and the lower strap fits directly on your leg.
Specifications
- Brand: Cogurd
- Color: Black and red
- Outer material: Thermoplastic rubber
- Inner material: Foam and gel
- Package dimensions: 10.7 x 8.6 x 5.4 inches
- Item weight: 1.67 pounds
Pros:
- Triple layer construction for sturdiness, durability, and comfort
- Waterproof design for working in moist and wet places
- Reinforced stitching and stabilizing cap for long life
Cons:
- Hook and loop style bands might not work well after long periods of use. However, extra tapes with an adjustable strap are provided with the package.
- You might need to wear pants for the best experience, as wearing them with shorts causes some adjustment issues and may rub your skin.
5. Thunderbolt Knee Pads
The last best knee pads on our list, these Thunderbolt Knee Pads come with a non-slip design on the outer side that can be useful while working in construction sites or uneven ground. The smooth finish will also ensure that there are no abrasions on surfaces.
The straps and attachments on the knee pads give you proper support for not just your knees but also your thighs and the tendons below your knee. Extra extension straps are also included with the straps for a more convenient user experience.
Specifications
- Brand: Thunderbolt
- Color: Black
- Outer material: Synthetic Rubber
- Inner material: Foam and double gel
- Package dimensions: 22 x 2 x 12 inches
- Item weight: 1.75 pounds
Pros:
- Synthetic rubber outer layer to ensure grip and no abrasions
- Dual support for both the thigh and the tendons along with the knees
- Extra 7 inch straps included with the package
Cons:
- Velcro straps may not be long enough for some wearers
- More for the casual worker than a professional one
Buyer’s Guide
Your knees are one of the most important joints of your body, and kneeling for long periods on floors, construction sites, or gardens impacts them in quite a detrimental way. A pair of comfortable knee pads can offer a level of protection while also offering a range of motion for your knee caps while you work.
Before we wrap up, check out this guide on our best picks based on the top characteristics of each of the options on our list.
Best Overall: Carib Gear Pro Knee Pads
“The flat rubber surface also helps with leverage when I have to really torque on something in a kneeling position. When I do need another set I will be looking for these again.”
Best Budget: NoCry PRofessional Knee Pads
“These are the best knee pads I have ever used, for sure. Nice and soft feeling. They allow me to stay on my knees for an extended period of time without getting uncomfortable.”
Best for Versatile Use: Rexbeti Knee Pads
“If you are currently using knee pads that fall down constantly and require you to pull them up over and over, toss them and get these!! I use these all day at work and they never slide down.”
Best Fitting: Cogurd Professional Gel Knee Pads
“The double strap holds them on the knee and I had no problem with it migrating off center. They also have a gel core so they are comfortable.”
Best for casual work: Thunderbolt Knee Pads
“These knee pads from Thunderbolt are absolutely awesome. They are very comfortable and the knee pad is very sturdy but enables freedom of movement.”
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re used to working on smooth surfaces or rough surfaces, a good set of knee pads will give you an advanced level of comfort and maximum protection. We hope that this article has helped you pick out the best knee pads according to your requirements.
If you’re interested in similar topics, feel free to check out our other articles, as well!
Last Updated on August 28, 2021 by Tom Bradly