Milwaukee’s new knee pads, which were announced in Pipeline 2020 Episode 4, are now hitting stores.
Here, we’ll go over the 5 different styles and why you might want to choose one over the others.
Milwaukee Flexible Knee Pads (48-73-6000)
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Milwaukee’s flexible knee pads are the most inexpensive of the series, and are described as offering lightweight comfort.
They feature a water resistant cap, quick on-off adjustable leg strap, high density foam construction, and a debris guard at the top.
This knee pad, as well as all of the other Milwaukee knee pads discussed here, are one size fits most.
If you’re on a budget, you might want to start with these.
Price: $24.97
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Milwaukee Hard Gel Knee Pads (48-73-6010)
At just a couple of dollars more, these hard gel knee pads have an abrasion-resistant cap and the addition of an inner gel zone. There is also a thick foam pad between the gel and outer layers.
Milwaukee says that these knee pads are designed for extended wear and the hard cap contributes to longer life.
This style also has two leg straps. I tend to prefer dual-strap knee pads over single-strap pads. While putting them on and taking them off takes more time, I find dual straps to be more secure and comfortable.
Price: $29.97
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Milwaukee Performance Knee Pads (48-73-6030)
Milwaukee says that their high performance knee pads offer maximum comfort while also being the longest lasting.
The construction is a little more complex, with a textured cap and an additional strip of (red) ballistic nylon material. The inner cushioning is described as being a pressure-reducing foam material.
Price: $34.97
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Milwaukee Performance Non-Marring Knee Pads (48-73-6040)
This style is nearly identical to the high performance model, but with a non-marring white “colorless” cap.
Price: $34.97
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Milwaukee Stabilizing Knee Pads (48-73-6050)
Milwaukee describes their stabilizing knee pads as being their most secure and most comfortable knee pad, featuring a hinged thigh strap for better mobility.
In addition to featuring pressure-reducing foam and a gel zone, the other cap is large and flat for increased stability.
Price: $44.97
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Milwaukee Knee Pads Comparison
The Performance knee pads look to be Milwaukee’s flagship models, with black and non-marring cap options.
Compared to “lightweight foam,” I would assume that “thick foam” offers a little more padding.
Stepping up from the “thick foam” in the hard cap knee pads, Milwaukee says the more premium models’ “pressure reducing foam” maintains its shape for extended foam. (Sounds like a type of memory foam to me.)
It’s unclear as to what the differences are between the hard shell knee pads’ gel zone and the more premium models’ layered gel zone.
Which Ones to Buy?
Flexible Knee Pads – Single strap, least expensive.
Hard Shell Knee Pads – Dual straps, hard shell, gel, less expensive than performance knee pads.
Performance Knee Pads – Upgraded foam, more durable construction. This seems to be the best starting point for users seeking more featured general purpose knee pads.
Non-Marring Knee Pads – Performance knee pads with non-marring cap.
Stabilizing Knee Pads – Large flat cap, hinged strap for better mobility.
Most users might be steered towards the Performance knee pads or the hard shell and flexible knee pads if they’re looking to save money. I’d say skip the flexible knee pads unless you prefer single straps.
I haven’t tried any of these knee pads yet. Have you?
Which Would You Pick?
I’d go with the Performance knee pads, or the step-down hard shell knee pads if I was on a tighter budget or if there was a compelling promo.
Which would you pick?
Looking for Something Different?
Consider a kneeling pad instead. Buy the CLC pad via Amazon. There’s also a Klein pad at similar pricing.
Read More:
Nathan
my current knee pads are some brand and gell with a textured rubber face. So I’d probably try out the gel model first in the store
or go to the performace one with 2 straps if the gell didn’t work out for me.
also I don’t know what I paid for mine but it was less than 20.
Steven K.
I have some cheap one and have been looking at the Milwaukee one’s at my local Home Depot. The Performance knee pads have been catching my eye. Somethings I spend a little more money on for comfort and to protect parts of my body.
Rob
I’ve still not had good luck with knee pads. I better focus on finding a pair that works good for me because my daughter isn’t getting any lighter and she sure doesn’t care about what kind of terrain she has her “horsey” crawl through. 😂
Ex_dtw2003
I know we’re not into Amazon Basics tools, but they have a large number of knee pads with lots of different designs.
Milwaukee knee pads seems to me a bit excessive unless you’re in the trades and have had bad luck with other pads.
Gordon
Personally I find most 2 strap knee pads incredibly uncomfortable. That second strap is almost always finding its way into the backside of my knee and rubbing on those tendons. I think a pad is more comfortable overall. It’s rare that I need to move it much. I think mine is an old gardening one. I have been tempted to try the puzzle piece style “workout room” mats. They’re pretty thick EVA foam and can be made in to many sizes or shapes.
Justin
Try crossing the straps in a x behind your knee. That helps tremendously.
Frank D
Best knee pads are no knee pads, for me.
Just give me a large foam pad or a couple layers of cardboard.
All knee pads start to chafe and burn the back of my knee within ten minutes and are simply not worth the hassle.
I went from being able to spend hours on my knees as kid playing with toys, to completely unable to kneel on my knees as a teen … to tiling a whole house wall to wall miserably with knee pads as a young adult … to then discover with a large foam kneeling pad, I am AOK … for hours and now even bare knees.
Nikk
I’ve tried every kind of knee pad, all to uncomfortable or just a pain to put on and take off. Used big pads for a while. Recently tried catapillar pants with knee pad inserts, and for $90 they’re not cheap, but holy smokes I can’t say enough great things about them.
fred
Never having actually worked for any length of time doing flooring /tiling/masonry – I can’t say what I would like best if I were on my knees for extended periods. Many years ago I tried 2 strap knee pads for some home projects and was not enamored – as they cut into the backs of my legs. Like other have said – I prefer kneeling on foam pads or a mason’s kneeler.
I have run across some pretty pricey knee pads – but have no idea if they are worth the price ($259) and to whom:
https://www.tools4flooring.com/proknee-0714-custom-professional-knee-pads.html
Andy
I wear shorts most of the time, and 2 strap pads almost always seem to find a way to just tear into the back of my knees. That being said, more often than not my 51 year old knees require them. For 35 bucks I’m going to give the performance ones a try.
JoeM
Very interesting question… But I have my heart set on ToughBuilt kneepads… and even then… I’m not sure I’m capable of using them anymore… My knees have some mystery condition my Doctors haven’t got around to exploring yet… There’s no guarantee I can kneel anymore. And I don’t mean I have it worse than those older than me. I’m 39, my knees SHOULD function fine… They don’t… That’s why it’s a Mystery condition. Already need bilateral knee braces… always wondered if I could retrofit the design of them to integrate knee padding for moving around on the ground.
Y’know what I’d like to see? A weight-to-compression curve… That would be what solves what I buy… Otherwise it’s all buzz words to me.
Tom
I’ve got the Tough Built pads. Not to discourage their quality, but they don’t really outperform any other pads I’ve used. Pads are pads and the inherent issue is with the backstraps. They all dig into your tendons eventually. Try to loosen the straps for comfort and the pads slide around and offer unreliable protection.
I’ve also found the Tough Built to be a bit unstable due to their thickness.
I hope they work well for you, but they’re not the end-all be-all.
Bob
Same here for knee pads. Straps always cut into me and I have tried quite a few different brands and styles.
A few folks have said try the pants with knee pads built in. Never got around to it usually just use a foam pad. I should try out those CAT pants I guess. Just hope they are not too heavy.
Also alot of tradesmen in Europe seem to have pants/jumpsuits with knee protection built in. I should check those out too I guess.
Jesse
Black Diamond Telekneesis
Ross Franklin
I have tried using some mountain bike knee pads or work on flooring; I got some poc pads specifically. While they probably don’t offer quite as much cushioning, I found them having plenty of padding for me. But the main advantage for me is the fitting comfort, being a sort of compression sleeve or like a sock instead of straps, they don’t pinch or bite in places. They don’t feel uncomfortable to wear all day, even if I have a lunch break or switch away from kneeling work, I leave them on. They do take slightly longer to put on, you have to take boots off. I wear them underneath my pants or shorts.
TMedina
Huh, I must be in the minority then. I alternate between the $10 Husky-brand non-marking and hard cap knee pads, admittedly for short periods while working a call, but apart from sweat-soaked pants at the knee, I haven’t had any issues so far.
The next time I’m in HD, I’ll check out their “entry level” pads, but it’s going to be a hard sell for me.
Matt J.
I have a decent set of two strap AWPs, but like pretty much everyone else above, they always find a way to cut into my knee. The stabilized one is interesting as it may help prevent riding up, but I prefer pads and pants with knee pockets for pads to slot into (I have Duluth, Cat, and Filson pants that all have this and it works pretty well…I prefer the duluth ones as the pad moves very little in the fit I buy).
Leo B.
I’ve done flooring with a thin set of knee pads and could hardly move my legs after. It was pretty scary for a bit, and I had worn the same pair diligently for a while on non-flooring jobs on the off chance I had to take a knee for something, but it really taught me that you need padding, often at the expense of bulkiness. I moved on to a thicker set with straps top and bottom, and besides sweating through the pants behind them, they’ve been good. If I was doing a lot of flooring, I’d look at the Toughbuilts or the Milwaukee stabilizing knee pads. I’ve never tried a pair on, but it’s a cheaper investment to begin with than Pro Knees are. Thanks for the reminder about them!
PETE
I wore knee pads a TON last summer building my house- I have pretty bad scar tissue on my knees from when i was younger and dumber so working without knee pads while working on the floor or roof doesn’t work.
My knee caps were getting rubbed raw from the inside of the knee pad and the backs of my knees were also getting rubbed raw from the kneepad straps. I found these that helped a TON. Basically it’s a knee sock that helps prevent chaffing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KXS7P58/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Tom
Thanks for the heads up. Ordered a pair. If nothing else, maybe they’ll help my knees during workouts.
Paul C
Ok, I have a dumb question. Every set of knee pads I have used are comfortable until they start to slide down my leg. As I tighten them is when they start to dig in hurt as others here have mentioned here already. Is there a set or type that stays up? Or is there a trick to clipping them up? Would the the stabilizer type or toughbuilt variation be better? I would love to try the pants insert type but pads are easier to have in the tool box just in case. Plus I like short depending on the project. Does anyone have suggestions?
taras
For those that don’t find 2 strap pads comfortable, look at knee pads with a wide single strap, like ToughBuilt.https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07ZRZ1ZR9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_3ABKB67WYH9DE8KYCJ7D
Also, Lee Valley carries what they refer to as their Large Premium knee pad. It is a 2 strap design, but fits more like a shun pad. The upper strap is wide and goes over the upper calf, while the lower strap is narrower and goes below the calf. As a plumber, these are the pads I wear for extended use when my pant pads arent going to be enough.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/apparel-and-safety-gear/knee-pads/62585-large-premium-knee-pads?item=67K7435
Szymon
I Did not read all the comment but the link below is to my favorite knee pads.
I cannot say I have tried every knee pad on the market but these feel great when on and do not shift up or down the leg.
The single strap is right where your knee bends.
They are soft enough to kneel on any surface.
I have worn these for 8 hr straight and no complaints. Other than the area gets a little sweaty but I think that would be with any knee pad.
https://www.amazon.com/McGuire-Nicholas-1MN-350-Kneepads-Construction-Gardening/dp/B005QUUPJU/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mcguire+knee+pads&qid=1625017292&sr=8-2
Lowes used to have they under their AWP brand. That’s how I discovered them.
I think they discontinued them now. Too bad because they were half the price.
Paul C
Electrical service technician by trade so I tend to spend a lot of time either on concrete floors or even worse, steel grating right in front of a control panel. In some cases I can carry a mechanic’s stool with me or maybe try to just bend and kneel without being on my knees but the chair doesn’t let me get low enough for a lot of panels and after a while kneeling forces the tops of my boots into my ankles and puts a lot of stress on my knees. Kneeling pads are great IF you don’t mind hauling it around and don’t mind destroying a lot of them. So knee pads are just plain convenient if you can find a way to make them comfortable. You are in a good position for working, they tend to get dirty less for whatever reason, and you can quickly move around with them on and “carry” them with you everywhere.
That being said, I pretty much gave up on knee pads despite the fact that I love them for at least the first 5 minutes with them on. So I have tried a bunch of different brands, types, you name it. Working in industrial plants wearing shorts is simply not acceptable so I’ll ignore that option.
Have not used any of the Milwaukees yet but by far the most comfortable are knee pad INSERTS that go into either chap pants or into a pair of overalls. I have to mail order them which is a surprise but WOW. All I can say is that if it didn’t leave your pants/overalls looking like you have a giant growth on your knees, they are by far the best way to go. Once in you can’t really take them out so it’s a one shot deal. But the big thing is no back strap and they simply ride with the pants and never get misaligned or pinch you. And you can wear them as loose as possible with either suspenders on pants or the suspenders built into bibs. BUT there’s a big issue here. I also live in the Southeast and there is no way I’m going to wear even chap pants in July and August. Maybe that’s OK in Maine but not here. I’ve heard “technician pants” have built in pads and they do have tons of pockets but I just can’t bring myself to spend thousands on pants since each pair is over $100 and I’d need several to cover the week or more. I wear a clean pair every day.
The big thing is that your knee is like a hinge. So at least for my legs when I’m on my knees and I sit back on my knees, there is almost ZERO room right at that hinge. There is enough room for a pair of pants but that’s it. Anything else just pinches into the skin and tendons and I’ve actually been bruised and chafed badly by knee pads. Even with carpenter pants that I usually wear I’ve chafed the back of my legs several times when it’s hot and I sweat a lot in them. In winter time sometimes I can even get that just from wearing pants and insulated overalls but most of the time they are loose and bulky enough that it actually pads things and even without knee pads, I can be quite comfortable. So whatever I wear, having pretty much anything thicker than pants in the “zone” close to the knee is a bad thing.
Enter Toughbuilt 2 strap “thigh hugger” style knee pads, and several other similar brands including presumably the most expensive Milwaukee branded ones, No Crys, and most of the “professional flooring” knee pads. In this case there are two straps. The lower strap wraps around my calf and rides more or less on top of the “hump” of my muscle, holding most of the knee pad in place. But it’s not really enough to keep the knee pad from shifting around or staying with the upper edge covering my knee. The upper strap is hinged and hugs my thigh muscle just above it. It more or less just keeps the whole thing from slipping down too far and helps keep it in the right spot. Neither one is in the “zone” so it doesn’t pinch anything at all.
Now when I first put them on the first thing that happens is that it pulls my pants down a little because there’s extra weight down there. So after 5 minutes if I stand up, my pants are stretched down on my thighs and bunched up a little on top of my boots. At this point even with a belt cinched up, I probably have the classic “plumber crack” look. And the knee pads are hanging down so low they aren’t really hitting on my knees in the proper spot and guess where that upper strap is? Yep…it slid down to where it is aiming directly for the painful spot in the back of my legs. Normally my first reaction is to grab the pants or my belt and heave it back up to a comfortable above-the-waist position. RESIST THE TEMPTATION to do exactly that. If you are worried about what you look like, wear a longer shirt.
OK so now my pants are in the proper position. Again without disturbing this I reach down and actually REMOVE the knee pads entirely and reapply them in the proper position on my LEGS which is a couple inches higher on my PANTS. The pants are already stretched out so the knee pads aren’t going to drop down any further and I’m good to go the rest of the day.
This doesn’t work with the traditional one strap knee pads no matter how wide the strap is because they tend to move around too much and just ride up/down until they are right in the back of your knees where they won’t move anymore. If you try this with them, they seem to just push your pants back up until they pinch your legs again.
Now I’ll admit that everything I’m saying sounds like I’m a beefy guy with a big gut that probably feels most comfortable either in overalls or suspenders and wears the pants as loose as possible. I’m still in a size 36 waste, same size I’ve been wearing since I was just out of high school and I’m tall and a bit on the thin side. I’m not really into the “farmer look” but the fact is that the fat guys are really onto something here and if you can live with the look, it really is the more comfortable way to go. So on days where I know I’m going to be on my knees all day I’ll trade comfort for looks.