The Best Pads to Protect Your Knees While Installing Flooring
Choosing the best knee pads for working on your knees protects against injury and joint issues that could stop you from working. As a floor fitter, knee pads are your personal protective equipment (PPE), and they must be fit for purpose.
Why Knee Pads are Essential for Carpet Fitters
Fitting carpets and other types of flooring involves kneeling on the floor for long periods, often moving around on your knees to trim and tuck edges quickly. Without pads, these jobs put a lot of pressure on the knee joint, which could lead to weakened or pulled ligaments and damage to the joint.
Knee pads create a cushioned support for your knees that moves with you and prevents injury. Some designs distribute pressure across a wide surface area to reduce the impact.
Top Types of Knee Protection for Carpet Installation
Sponge/Foam-cushioned
Most types of work knee pads are padded with sponge or foam rubber, such as neoprene. You can buy super-soft models that are lightweight and extremely comfortable. These may not have the hard shell that can reduce pressure when working on hard surfaces like concrete subfloors.
Leather-faced Knee Pads
When you look after it well, leather is a sturdy material that lasts through a lot of wear and tear. It’s flexible enough to be comfortable, and won’t crack or degrade like hard plastic.
Hard-shell
Some types of kneepads have a plastic shell, lined with sponge. This hard outer layer means the pad holds its shape when you apply pressure through your knees. It offers greater protection and works well for working on harder surfaces or using a knee kicker.
5 Best Knee Pads for Flooring Work
Wohltat Nierhaus Medical Knee Pads – £59.50
If you suffer with your knees, for whatever reason, consider medical-grade knee pads. These are made from large foam blocks to distribute knee pressure across as wide a surface as possible, with minimal pinching or chafing.
- Designed by a German knee surgeon for ergonomic comfort
- The synthetic foam rubber moulds quickly to the shape of your knee.
- The square face prevents the pad from rolling to either side
These are well worth the expense as many customers claim they prevent and even heal existing knee problems.
FENTO 200 Pro Knee Protectors – £73.95
Co-designed by medical specialists, these work kneepads are so good they are recommended by Health and Safety professionals, and physiotherapists.
- The chunky foam inner lining is breathable and moulds to support the knee on both sides.
- The flat surface prevents rolling.
This design offers good pressure distribution, reducing the pressure on knee joints and preventing both knee and back pain.
Troxell Super Soft Knee Pads – £35.95
Troxell’s patented oval-shaped knee pads are strong, comfortable and adjustable. They’re made with premium-grade neoprene padding and straps for breathability.
- Wide neoprene strap sits below the knee to avoid bunching or pinching
- Velcro closure for easy adjustment
- Heavy-duty closed-cell foam cushion
They’re washable and durable, but lack the hard outer of more expensive models.
Buy Troxell Super Soft Knee Pads
Roberts Pro Knee Pads – £17.95
These are the best knee pads for knee kicking when installing carpet. They have an upper strap above the knee specifically designed so the pad doesn’t slide back when you stretch carpet.
- Soft shell knee cover
- Velcro closure on both straps
These are the most affordable kneepads of this quality and although they don’t have such a wide base for pressure distribution, they are very comfortable to wear.
Crain Neoprene Comfort Knee Pads – £45.95
Crain’s neoprene sponge rubber pads are heavy duty and thickly cushioned. They mould to the shape of the knee to provide comfortable support when fitting carpets.
- Extra wide straps to avoid pinching
- Conforms to knee motion when walking, standing or kneeling
- Machine-washable & replaceable inner liner
This model offers the best knee pads for comfort for quick application.
Tips for choosing the right knee pad for your needs
- Frequent users should choose machine-washable kneepads such as Crain Neoprene Knee Pads or Troxell Super Soft Knee Pads
- For Carpet installation, we recommend Roberts Pro Knee Pads as these do not slip when using a knee kicker.
- Those who already have joint problems should choose medical or ergonomic knee pads such as Wohltat Nierhaus Medical Knee Pads.
- If you prefer to take knee pads on and off quickly, any pads with velcro straps make this easier.
- A hard shell is best for those who experience pain when wearing soft sponge rubber pads.
Invest in your Knees
For professional floor-fitters, the right kneepads can be vital equipment. Wearing kneepads reduces the strain on the joints when kneeling for long periods. The loss of earnings caused by a knee injury from not wearing proper equipment could be catastrophic for your business. Investing in the best kneepads for floor fitting can improve your work, reducing back pain and knee pain.
