Do you need knee pads for work? A quick check
Do you need knee pads for work? Yes if you kneel for more than a few minutes at a time on hard floors. Here is how to choose a type and when to avoid it.
Samir Ouali2 min read
Do you need knee pads for work? Kneel more than a few minutes at a time on hard ground, and yes. Pads cut the pressure on the kneecap and the skin.
How to choose
- Hard shell with foam inside: rough ground, gravel, floors with debris.
- Soft foam: short jobs on clean flat floors.
- A kneeling mat: if you can put it down each time. It costs less and does not strap on.
Fit matters. Straps that are too tight cut off circulation, and straps that are too loose let the pad slide off the knee. Walk in them before you buy. Some pads are not made for walking.
The reason to think twice
A pad can make kneeling feel easy, so you kneel more. The best fix is often to raise the work. A low table, a stool or a long-handled tool means you skip the kneeling altogether. Ask whether a change in the task would remove the need.
The exception
Your workplace may supply knee pads or require a certain type. Ask your supervisor or safety officer. If your knees hurt after a shift, swell, lock or click, see a clinician. Pads are protection, not treatment.
For general lifting kit, see our note on back belts for lifting. The same rule applies: fix the task before you strap on a device.
What to check before you buy
- Where do you kneel? Gravel and metal need a hard shell. Clean flat floors can take soft foam.
- How long? For a minute or two, a mat is enough. For an hour, a pad with straps is better.
- How do you walk in them? Pads that slide down the shin will annoy you every time you stand.
- Can you wipe them clean? Dirt works into the strap and rubs the skin.
If you are not sure what suits your tasks, ask your supervisor what other workers use. They know the floor.
End of shift
- First to go: strap elastic and the foam.
- Friday check: look at the foam for a flat patch.
- Wipe: the pad. Dirt wears the strap and rubs the skin.
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