What are the best knee pads for construction work?

I watched a tile setter in Albuquerque kneel directly on tile for three hours straight. No pads.

Asked him why. “They slow me down,” he said. “Can’t feel the surface.”

Six months later, I got a text from him. “Where do I buy knee pads?”

Too late. He’d already developed bursitis.

Why most guys don’t wear knee pads

The excuses are always the same:

• “They’re uncomfortable”
• “They slip down”
• “I can’t feel what I’m doing”
• “I’m only kneeling for a minute”

That last one is the lie we all tell ourselves. A minute becomes ten. Ten becomes an hour. Next thing you know, you’ve been kneeling on concrete for four hours.

Here’s the reality: Knee cartilage doesn’t regenerate. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Every minute without protection is a withdrawal from an account you can’t refill.

The three categories of knee pads

1. Flat foam pads ($5-15)

These are the pads you throw on the ground and kneel on. No straps.

Good for: Quick jobs, changing positions frequently, feeling the surface underneath you.

Bad for: Plumbers, electricians, anyone moving around a lot. You’ll leave them behind constantly.

Best brands: The ones you actually use. ToughBuilt makes decent ones with raised edges so your knees don’t roll off.

2. Strap-on foam/gel pads ($20-50)

The most common option. Straps go around your calf, pad sits over your knee.

Good for: Plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs—anyone kneeling in different spots all day.

Bad for: Your circulation if they’re too tight. They also slip down constantly on most designs.

What to look for: Gel is better than foam for hard surfaces. Look for non-slip straps. The single-strap designs are useless—get the double-strap kind.

Best brands: McGuire-Nicholas, Custom Leathercraft (their Gel Soft brand is solid). No-name brands from the hardware store usually disappoint.

3. Professional knee pad systems ($50-150)

These integrate with work pants or have rigid shell designs. The kind ironworkers and professional tile setters use.

Good for: All-day kneeling on brutal surfaces. Hot roofs. Steel beams.

Bad for: Your wallet. And they take some getting used to.

What to look for: Rigid outer shell, soft inner cushion, secure attachment system that doesn’t cut off circulation.

Best brands: ToughBuilt, Snickers Workwear (the integrated system), Ironside.

What about insert pads?

Some work pants have pockets for knee pad inserts. In theory, great idea. In practice, they’re usually too thin to matter.

Exception: If you’re already wearing knee pads over your pants, the inserts add a second layer of cushion. Overkill for most people, but tile setters and carpet installers swear by the combo.

What about supplements?

Knee pads protect from the outside. Anti-inflammatory supplements protect from the inside. Fish oil and turmeric reduce the inflammation that accumulates even with good pads.

Companies like Built Daily Supply make formulas for guys who are hard on their joints. Think of it as padding for the inside.

The bottom line

The best knee pads are the ones you actually wear. Buy quality—not the cheapest ones at the hardware store.

Your sixty-year-old self will either thank you or curse you. Choose now.