I've been searching for some knee pads that I like and have never found any. Went through most of the ones the local big box store carries, from the cheapest to the most expensive and every single one I tried had some deal killer problem or defect that I hated. Most of them just refuse to stay in place on my knee, or if they did, they were extremely uncomfortable. Saw these and thought I'd give them a try. When they arrived, I was completely unimpressed. They look extremely cheap and my first thought was that even if they did work, they'd probably fall apart halfway through the first job, but they surprised me. I've now taken these through 3 complete home rehabs which included new flooring and new baseboards, so a ton of time on my knees and these are still in the exact same condition as when I bought them, functionally speaking of course. These guys have managed to strike a great balance. The knee pads aren't the most comfortable or "cushiest" I've ever worn, but they are comfortable enough to keep my knees from hurting. They are extremely light, some of the lightest kneepads I've worn, which is nice. I've tried out some really expensive knee pads that were so heavy they felt like you were wearing leg weights! In addition to being light, they fit well and being hinged with 2 straps means they stay in place most of the time, and when they do slip, they are relatively easy to reposition. Speaking of the straps, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to whomever decided to go with latching straps instead of velcro. Why these idiot manufacturers keep using velcro for kneepads is beyond me. I've never had the velcro last more than a job or two, always wears out and you ultimately end up spending half your day just reattaching the velcro over and over. These straps clip in place and are easily adjustable. Finally, they also struck a great balance with the skid guards, or whatever you call them, the little wear spot (the orange colored pieces on the grey colored pads) that contacts the floor. I've had kneepads that the manufacturer thought would be a great idea to make super sticky, meaning when you kneel, you are stuck in that one position and the pads actually grip the floor. I've had this cause damage to delicate laminate underlayment as I scoot around on my knees. These slide nicely on hard surfaces, like concrete pads and laminate and so forth, making it easier to "slide" around on your knees but they are just grippy enough to keep you from sliding when you don't want to and I haven't had them damage or dent delicate laminate underlayment. I've also had some expensive knee pads that "wobble", as in the part that contacts the floor is rounded instead of flat. I assume the manufacturer did that to make it easy to pivot around on your knees, but having to balance on your knees all the time, all day long was exhausting. Far better to have a flat, stable foundation to kneel on and these provide that nicely. I did knock them down from 5 stars to 4 because there is a bit of room for improvement. The plastic casing is very hard and has sharp edges, meaning that occasionally they can dig in, especially, like, if you put your arm across your knee to brace yourself that hard plastic can really dig into your skin. I'd love to see them put some rubber edging or something around those spots to make them a little more comfortable. I'd love to see them be a little "cushier". The foam pad is adequate to keep my knees from hurting, but a little gel in there would be nice and would make them more comfortable. Finally, they are fairly hot, but most kneepads are. I dunno if there's a solution for this, perhaps some cooling gel or something, or air vents, I dunno, but while these aren't any hotter than other's I've used, and actually cooler than some, I've also worn knee pads where I barely sweated at all.All in all, super happy and satisfied with these pads. Would (and have) recommended them to friends and relatives.
