I own a great pair of knee pads. I lent them out to my father so I cannot tell you what brand they are, but they are very cushiony, durable, and attach above and below the knee for comfort and greater mobility.
Knee pads are great for when you’ll be working on the floor for an extended period of time, especially if it’s outside or on a hard floor. But there’s a downside. If you only need knee protection for a quick task or project, or cannot compromise your flexibility or mobility even a little bit, then you might not put them on.
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A kneeling pad serves the same purpose as knee pads – to protect your knees from hard surfaces – and is more useful for certain types of work, and especially those times when you might not want to bother with knee pads.
I recently purchased a medium Custom Leathercraft foam kneeling pad, and can heartily recommend it. It’s 21″ x 14″ x 1″ thick and is very comfortable to rest on.
There are other sizes, but I find that the “medium” size offers a good balance between size and portability. The larger sizes might be a little more unwieldy to move around.
I have used the CLC kneeling pad for things I probably wouldn’t have worn knee pads for, but there’s no reason why there cannot be some overlap.
In addition to using the CLC pad for when assembling cabinets and workbenches on the floor, repairing a ball bearing drawer, and working on an electrical project beneath my desk, I’ve also used the pad for things like giving our baby a bath. That’s the kind of thing I wouldn’t wear knee pads for, as they would restrict my movement too much, and a rolled up towel just wasn’t doing it. As a bonus, the kneeling pad doesn’t slide as much on the tiled floor as a towel would.
The CLC kneeling pads are made from oil-resistant NBR (aka Buna-N and nitrile butadiene rubber) foam. It seems to respond fairly well to moisture (as in a bathroom environment), although Buna-N is usually NOT particularly resistant to water.
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I’m very happy with the purchase, and don’t really see a downside to the kneeling pad. I wish that there was also a water-resistant version, just in case this one degrades, but its oil resistance is a greater advantage.
I ordered the kneeling pad from Amazon, and was a little worried as to how firm the foam would be. It’s an inch thick and I would say of “soft to medium” firmness, which makes it exceptionally cushiony. The handle makes it easy to tote and throw around without sticking out or taking away from the useful cushion part.
Sizes
- Small (301): 8″ x 18″
- Medium (302): 14″ x 21″
- Large (303): 16″ x 28″
- Extra Large (305): 18″ x 36″
Buy Now(Medium via Amazon)
Buy Now(Other Sizes via Amazon)
As mentioned, I bought the medium size (302) because I felt it was large enough for my needs while still being portable and easy to store.
The medium size is currently priced at $29, and was about $26 when I bought it 4 months ago. As you would expect, larger sizes are pricier, and the smaller size is cheaper.
You could theoretically cut a larger one down to a custom size, but 1-inch-thick rubber foam is not that easy to cut, at least not neatly, without specialty tools.
SteveR
Stuart–I have the same size (medium), and I use it all the time. It’s the right size for most of my needs, and is easily portable. I use it for working around the pool, under cabinets, on the garage floor (concrete) when working on the car, etc. It’s great, and I would recommend everybody buy one to save their knees and back. Your body will thank you in 30 years for having used it.
To improve on it, I’d have the sides slope off to flat to ease the transition, as is done on shop floor mats and kitchen mats in front of the sink (to minimize tripping). The perimeter hash stripe alerts you when you’re at the edge. Other than that small gripe, it’s a must-have.
SteveR
Updated comments: Some prefer knee pads that strap on to your legs vs. using a kneeling pad. That’s fine if you can tolerate them (see Stuart’s comments in the post), but it gets tougher as you age. The straps are restrictive on your legs, reducing blood flow. They also tighten around your pant legs so that you sweat excessively, which is uncomfortable after an hour or so. Another issue is that some knee pads have hard plastic shells, which tend to slip on many surfaces. I find the kneeling pads aren’t restrictive and just make more sense.
M
Wouldn’t it be a lot more cost effective to get some foam mats like these and cut it to shape if desired? Double them up for thickness if desired.
http://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Equipment-12-Piece-Puzzle-2-Inch/dp/B004X165F6
Wow they’ve gotten cheap, 8 tiles 12 x 12 x 1/2″ for less than $12.
Sure, they’re probably not fire/chemical resistant…
Stuart
Not really.
Workout mats, like this Harbinger one I used to own are soft and cushiony, but they’re thinner. They’re softer and thinner than the kneeling pad, and don’t do as well with focused pressure.
Equipment and gym mats and pads, like the Cap ones you linked to, are a lot firmer. A couple of sheets of corrugated cardboard folded over and taped together would probably be more comfortable.
If you look at McMaster, what looks to be similar NBR foam costs close to $450 for a 40″ x 68″ x 1″ sheet. That’s 16.4 cents per square inch. The CRC mat I ordered is currently $29, which comes down to 9.86 cents per square inch.
You could make do with a thinner pad, but why compromise your comfort to save a few cents? Thinner pads might be okay when gardening or working on softer ground or floor surfaces, but I really like the 1″ padding of the CRC kneeling mat.
tim
I find these mats useful for automotive work but anything more serious needs these. http://www.benojgundlachco.com/catalog/product/209/
From my flooring days. 8 to 16 hours a day on my knees. These are the best knee pads on the market.
I also wear these daily now. Its the only place I even buy pants now. https://www.kneedz.com/products.php
both products definitely worth a review. Lol
fred
My wife really like one (about 13.5 x 20 inch), for gardening, that she bought in Lowes for less than $8:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_259976-51834-8181_0__?productId=3084671
firefly
That look neat, can you hose it down if it get a bit dirty?
fred
It was meant for use by mason’s who might slop it up with concrete – so it can be hosed off.
firefly
Thanks fred,
My wife love to work in the garden, this would suit her well.
Joseph
I use foam pads all the time (I use those multicolored interlocking ones), and if I’m working on hardwood, laminate or tile floors I find it helpful to set an extra one beside me for the tools I will need to set down but have available.
firefly
The price sound reasonable. I thought about picking up one of those antifatigue mat for this very purposed.
chad
They sell a cheaper version of these at lowes in the gardening section. I have one it works well. At work we have the brand http://www.amazon.com/ErgoKneel-Handy-Mats-Mat-II/dp/B00IWZ89UI/
They hold up very very well to oil and even welding. So i can highly recomend them, we use them for everything and they are very nice. You can proably find them cheaper somewhere.
Tim K
Every “kneeling pad” i have every bought has been garbage. on your knees for hours days at a time, one inch think pads are a joke. i have tried over ten ranging in price from 10 to over 50 dollars. here is what i use and is most comfortable and is a great price at 24 dollars, not even sold as a kneeling pad,
http://www.amazon.com/Large-Blue-Balance-Pad-15-5×13-5×2/dp/B00AWWTRZA/