What are Work Knee Pads?
Generally, knee pads are known as a form of protective gear that you wear on the knees. In that regard, work knee pads refer to those products that are worn to withstand the wear and tear that you experience on a daily basis due to your job. They are specially designed to protect your knee joints from the impact that you experience from kneeling on different types of surfaces.
If your work requires you to kneel down, then your knees will be subjected to constant impact against various surfaces, such as tiles, flooring, concrete, etc.
Why is it Important to Have Work Knee Pads?
Most professions involve people standing for a long period of time, which deals a lot of pressure on their knees. Standing for 8-12 hours every day causes excessive wear and tear on the knees, which leads to many serious injuries. Most jobs also require you to kneel down for a long time, which furthers the injuries.
Therefore, you can reduce the likelihood of injury and also provide proper support and comfort to your knees by getting a good pair of work knee pads for yourself. They protect your knee joints from wear and tear, as well as impact against sharp or hard surfaces. Moreover, they are also beneficial in improving your productivity and performance in the workplace.
Things to Consider Before Buying Work Knee Pads
If your daily routine involves a lot of standing or kneeling, then your knees will wear out much faster and you can suffer from osteoarthritis at a younger age than people normally do. Therefore, you need to find suitable work knee pads for yourself. Here are a couple of factors that come into play when you are considering the best option for your knees.
Shell Design
The shell that is present inside work knee pads is responsible for absorbing the impact from various surfaces when you are kneeling down to perform your work. You can choose between hard and soft shells. Hard shells provide proper support to your knees when you are working on concrete or other hard surfaces.
On the other hand, soft shells are more suitable for tiles or wooden flooring, because your knees may start to hurt if you have a hard shell. Moreover, the hard shell may also slip and slide on such surfaces.
Comfort
The primary purpose of work knee pads is to provide proper support and comfort to your knees. Since you will have to wear them for the entire day, you need to ensure that the knee pads you buy are comfortable and fully support your knee joints. If it isn’t comfortable in any way, then you will find it difficult to perform your daily tasks properly.
All work knee pads that you come across are advertised as comfortable, but you shouldn’t take them on their word. Rather, a wise thing to do is to read the customer reviews below each product, so that you can read whether other customers found them to be comfortable or not.
Make sure to find reviews that come from customers who bought the knee pads for the same purposes or work as you need them for.
Durability
Above everything else, work knee pads should have a durable construction, for which they should be made from high-quality materials. Therefore, you should look for the materials from which the knee pads are made, and also read customer reviews that address their durability. If you settle for less durable work knee pads, they may buckle under the slightest pressure and break easily.
When it comes to work knee pads, their shells and straps are the most important components. Therefore, you should ensure that these components are made from the best materials and can withstand excessive wear and tear.
Flexibility
Flexibility is another important factor that you should keep in mind while choosing the best work knee pads for your work. Since you will have to walk around while wearing them, and also bend over numerous times throughout the day while you perform different tasks, having knee pads with a rigid construction can cause your joints to ache and become sore, and extended usage will also lead to further problems down the line.
Compression
Compression refers to the heating or cooling effect produced by work knee pads, and it helps you manage the pain caused by kneeling for a long time. When it comes to work knee pads, you should opt for ones that provide you with gentle or medium compression. Anything more than that may put too much pressure on your knee joints and may make it uncomfortable for you to wear the knee pads throughout the day.
Application
As you may have seen from the options mentioned in our product review, most work knee pads are specially designed for certain professions, such as construction workers, roofers, plumbers, joiners, fitters, and many others. You can find out which work knee pads are more suited to your profession by reading the product descriptions and customer reviews.
FitFor work knee pads to be effective in alleviating knee joint pain and other problems, they should fit around your knees properly. If you have a work knee pad that is too tight, it would cause too much compression and make it uncomfortable for you to wear them for a long time. On the other hand, having loose work knee pads would also be detrimental for your productivity, as they will keep slipping off as you walk or kneel down.
Most work knee pads have adjustable straps that enable you to tailor the fitting according to your comfort, which makes them more suitable for you.
FAQs
Q: How tight should work knee pads be?
A: Work knee pads should be tight enough to provide gentle to medium compression, and also to fit properly around your knee. They shouldn’t be too tight as well, otherwise you would feel a lot of pressure on your joints.
Q: How do you wear work knee pads?
A: Depending on their design, work knee pads can either be slipped on like a brace, or they can be placed on the knees and tightened using the straps. If you have the adjustable type, make sure that you fit it perfectly on your knees, and it isn’t too loose or too tight.
Q: Can knee pads be worn over pants or shorts?
A: Although you can wear your work knee pads above your pants or work trousers, this isn't really advisable. The main reason for this is because they will restrict your movement and also have a greater chance of slipping off.