The best knee pads for DIY projects

Why you'll love them: The unique pivoting suspension system of the Recoil Knee Pads allows you to work while kneeling for hours on end in comfort.

Let's get this out of the way: Yes, Recoil Suspension System Knee Pads are very expensive. In fact, they cost about eight times more than our lowest cost choice. But they are also truly unique and impressive in design, and I'm not just saying that. I own a pair, I've used them on myriad surfaces, and they work.

Like any decent work knee pad, the Recoil pads have a rugged shield on the front. Unlike other knee pads, the shield is supported by six heavy duty springs. The result is shock absorption that increases comfort and reduces the chance of injury each time your knees contact the ground as well as more comfortable, natural motion as you kneel.

As you make the minute motions that come with work, shifting your body to use a hammer, turn a screw, or wield a paintbrush, the flat shield stays down in place on the ground while the rest of the knee pad shifts with you.

The result is more comfort in the short term as you don't have to move your body around the area in which you're working as frequently as well as in the longer term as your knees enjoy peerless protection against impact trauma.

I'd say those are both worth a few bucks, no?

A reviewer named Pete agreed with me, saying these knee pads help you work "smarter, not harder," and called them "well worth the price" thanks to their comfort. A reviewer named Emma said that while they "take a bit of getting used to," once mastered, the Recoil Knee Pads "extremely comfortable, and a great investment," and she loved how "you don't feel anything on your knees at all [thanks to] the spring system."

In his review, a professional flooring installer wrote that: "Moving at different angles in quick motion, the individual springs absorb the shifting load from my body through to my knees while the base of the pads stay planted."

Pros: Long term joint protection, allow user to stay comfortably in place, durable construction

Cons: Quite expensive, use takes brief period of adaptation

Buy a pair of Recoil Suspension System Knee Pads on Amazon for $79.95

Why you'll love them: There are actually several highlights worth noting about the TOUA Heavy Duty Knee Pads, but it's the less-than-$10 price tag that brought you here.

For knee pads that cost less than ten bucks, the TOUA Heavy Duty Knee Pads have a pretty good shield on the front that will protect you against solid surfaces and sharp objects alike.

For pads that cost less than ten dollars, their broad, easy-to-adjust single strap does an admirable job of keeping the knee pads in place as you work. The neoprene straps use large patches of Velcro to secure closed and rest just below the bend of your knee, staying in place even when you stand up and move around.

The 12-month warranty TOUA offers with each pair is both impressive and relieving. You go in knowing that while you're buying a low-cost item, it's not a product the brand considers low value.

So where's the problem? It's with the interior padding: It's not all that soft and pad-like. The interior uses a gel core and EVA foam cushioning — the stuff you know from many shoe insoles — to keep your knees stable, but each layer could be thicker. With extended use, your knees may still feel pretty sore.

That said, for lighter duty or for infrequent use, these are great pads for the price. With about a hundreds reviews on Amazon, most people agree: The TOUA Heavy Duty Knee Pads have a 4.1-star overall rating and plenty of rave reviews.

One owner calls them "thick, comfortable, and protective" and said they helped provide relief after a knee injury. Another reviewer said they were "sturdy but pretty lightweight."

Pros: Very low cost, broad and secure strap, good warranty

Cons: Lacking interior padding

Buy a pair of TOUA Heavy Duty Knee Pads on Amazon for $10.09

Why you'll love them: If you spend long hours at commercial grade worksites where comfort and safety are of equal importance, then a pair Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Knee Pads belongs in your toolbox.

There are knee pads that allow for lots of comfort as you stay in one place for long stretches of time. There are knee pads that are a great deal price wise. There are knee pads that won't scuff delicate surfaces. And then there are knee pads that are designed for use when you spend multiple hours each day, many days each week crawling around on concrete, wooden beams, brick, and other surfaces generally unpleasant when experienced by the unprotected patella.

If you work hard, good for you, but a least give your knees a break with a pair of Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Knee Pads. These pads have big, durable, impact resistant molded outer shells with a textured finish that prevents slipping, which you'll find convenient when working on tile and which you'll more than appreciate up on a roof. A thick single with a wide band and quick fasten buckle holds the pads in place but lets you pop them on or off quickly as needed.

But as tough and rugged as these knee pads are on the outer layers, it's the inner padding that you'll most appreciate. Your comfort (and injury prevention) comes thanks to a layer of polyurethane foam atop which sits an impact absorbing layer of gel, and over which a soft but resilient layer of neoprene rests against your knees.

With a couple dozen reviews posted on Amazon, the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Knee Pads have a 4.1-star averaged rating. An owner named Davie called noted their "excellent padding" and said he would "recommend them without any reservations." A reviewer named Harrison said they were the "most comfortable knee pad [he had] found."

A professional tiler who writes for TilersPlace.com called the Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Knee Pads "well padded with both gel inserts and polyurethane foam," but did note that they are "one of the more expensive knee pads on the market."

Pros: Rugged outer shell, three layers of interior padding, quick fasten buckle

Cons: Rather pricey

Buy a pair of Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Knee Pads on Amazon for $54.83 (originally $95.45)

Why you'll love them: Not only will the Troxell USA Supersoft Leatherhead Kneepads protect your joints from wear and tear, but they also won't damage any sensitive surfaces.

The primary job of a knee pad is, of course, to protect your knees. But in so doing, many work knee pads with hard, solid shields can accidentally cause damage to the very surface on which you're working. With a pair of Troxell USA Supersoft Leatherhead Kneepads, not only will your joints be protected and supported, but the materials on which you crouch won't be scratched, scuffed, or gouged.

The pads feature a broad single strap that secures with Velcro and can easily be trimmed to size with any extra material cut away so it doesn't get in the way. The interior padding is soft and comfortable even when all of your weight is bearing down on a single knee, yet the knee pads are light enough to where they won't annoy you even during long hours of use.

More to the point, however, is the softness of the exterior layer of these Troxell USA knee pads. The thick leather exterior is dense and durable enough to protect your knees against hard, rough surfaces, yet the pads won't scratch softer stone flooring, won't scuff textured tile, brick, or polished concrete, and won't gouge or scrape hardwood.

With more than 200 reviews posted on Amazon, the Troxell USA Supersoft Leatherhead Kneepads have a commendable 4.3-star overall rating.

One gentleman speaks for many reviewers when he says: "I have tried a dozen or so different types of knee pads over the last 3 decades kneeling on the edge of roofs installing gutters for a living, so good knee pads are essential in my work to be able to wear comfortably all day long... [and] no other knee pads compares to these for comfort with a light weight."

The reviewer from TilersPlace agrees, calling the Troxell USA Supersoft Leatherhead Kneepad "comfortable for all day use" and noting how the "nonmarking leather [is] perfect for delicate surfaces." He did also note the rather high price and the fact that the leather is more easily damaged than solid knee pad exteriors.

Pros: Nonmarking leather exterior won't cause damage, trim to fit strap, soft interior padding

Cons: Leather doesn't hold up as well as plastic shield, pricey

Buy a pair of Troxell USA Supersoft Leatherhead Kneepad on Amazon for $48.44 (originally $52.95)