Best Caving Knee Pads (2021 Buyers Guide)

To hike up steep mountains and cave in long narrow caves, you need to use your limbs roughly and extensively. There are chances that you might end up with tore and wounded knees after a caving experience. People think that it’s quite obvious; we say it’s because your knee pads aren’t good enough.

My list of the best knee pads for caving will keep your knees smooth and protected.

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DEWALT DG5217 All-Terrain Kneepads

If you are doing a tough job, such as caving that involves your knees and you do not want bruises and calluses, then these knee pads are a perfect match for you. DEWALT DG5217 contains a layered Gel with thick foam pads, which protects your knees over rough surfaces. Especially, when you are out on an adventure to mountains or in gloomy deep caves, these knee pads are a blessing for your knees.

These knee pads do not restrict the movement of your knees as it happens with other knee pads. The accordion-style upper knee cover on these DEWALT gel knee pads keeps the knee in place without restricting any movement.

You might have felt itching and irritation due to sweating on your knees when wearing your knee pads. Most knee pads do not have absorbers. It is not the case with DEWALT DG5217. The neoprene fabric liner on these gel knee pads helps keep knees in the best comfort throughout your caving experience.

Full-size, all-terrain cap design engineered with air cushion chambers provides stability and protection even over rough surfaces. The outer part comes with a thick rubber, which increases friction when you are in a bent position. It increases your stability when bent. In a nutshell, these knee pads are comfortable, durable, protective, and at the same time are best in terms of price.

Tough Built KP-G3 Gel Fit

On a hot day, when climbing up a mountain or caving, Tough built KP-G3 Thigh Stabilization knee pads will help you stay upright and move with confidence. KP-G3 is comfortable, Gelfit, and ergonomically shaped to embrace the knee, upper shin, and thigh.

When you move through a narrow cave, there are high chances that your knee pads will dislocate because of the rough surface. The thigh strap added in KP-G3 is not merely for the sake of style. It keeps the things in place, thus not allowing the knee pad to shift right or left. The tough built comes with an Abrasion Resistant 1680D and neoprene fabric. Therefore, there is no chance of wearing off even if you skid on a heavily rough surface.

Most of the AWP pads have very non-uniform gel spread in the pads. But, in the case of Tough Built the gel is evenly distributed throughout the pad. If you, unfortunately, fell on your knees on a rocky surface, you will not feel pain. You will feel the soft and delicate feeling of the gel pressing your knees like a cushion. This feature is what makes them fit for hill climbers and cave dwellers.

One important feature in these pads is that although being larger than casual knee pads, they are much lighter. They are only 2.6 pounds (1.2 Kilogram), and when walking or running, you will forget that you wore any pads. In addition to being lighter, they are also thick, thus covering your knees like a cloud.

Thunderbolt Knee Pads

Have you ever faced the problem of knee pads sliding down to the shin while you are running? Well, it happens many times, and you have to adjust them on your knees again. Thunderbolt is designed in such a way that it sticks to your knees, and there is little chance that it will slide off. Next time, whenever you are traversing a rough path inside some gloomy cave, do not forget to wear thunderbolts because they will protect your knees and will hardly trickle.

Its thick fabric prevents abrasion to surfaces and protects from nails, glass, and debris. The fabric is made up of nylon, neoprene, and PVC coating. These materials have high tensile strength and are very resistant to wearing off. The material used is lightweight, and it hardly feels wearing them on knees. So you can easily walk, run, or even crouch with full comfort and flexibility.

The extended velcro feature in the latest thunderbolt release makes it even more comfortable and durable to use. In the previous one, the velcro was short of a length. It was an undesirable feature, especially for hill climbers and cave explorers, as they do not find time to snug it up again and again. This problem is solved! In the pro feature, which gives you a secure close-fitting all day long.

BLACKHAWK Advanced Tactical Knee Pads V.2

The lightweight, hardwearing advanced tactical knee pads provide excellent shock resistance because of their closed-cell foam padding. Its outer 600 denier nylon shell makes it even further durable and prone to abrasion. The outer covering is a non-slip, flexible, molded polyurethane cup.

The best thing about Advanced tactical kneepads is that they stay in place even while trespassing a rough terrain. They contain a Contoured interior ledge that prevents pad slippage. The Hook & loop elastic straps keep the pad in place. They will not move around and the straps will adhere the pads to your knees without sliding down.

Another important feature in these kneepads is that there is no moisture retention while wearing them. So, you will not feel any discomfort or itching due to sweating or moisture on your knees. The six small vents on the hardcover prevent dampness on your knees.

What We Looked At

Material type

These best kneepads are made up of tough fabric that is resistant to abrasion and cannot wear off easily. So if you buy one, your bucks will last for years. The inner gel will make you feel as if you have couched your knees on a mattress. The plastic used in the outer covering is a polymer of nylon, neoprene, and PVC. These fibers have good tensile strength and are durable. It will provide you support and stability when reclining on your knees in a cave or some other creepy, adventurous place.

Comfort and fit

When you are on an arduous adventure, like exploring a cave, the foremost thing is to have a comfortable and fit caving gear. While searching for the best knee pads, comfort, and fitness was the first thing we looked for: all these knee pads are best because they were very comfortable as the reviews suggest. They are easy to use, easy to wear because of straps, allow free movement of limbs and knees, and are light in weight. You will hardly feel any pressure on your knees when bent. The straps and the extensible velcros keep the pad in place, thus not allowing it to slide away. Anyone can wear them as the velcro are adjustable.

Price and value

We always say that nothing can be considered best until it is price effective. These kneepads are worth your thirty to fifty dollar bucks. The only expensive one, in comparison to others, is the Toughbuilt KP-G3 Gelfit Thigh support, which is around fifty-four dollars. The other ones are cheap and much durable than ordinary knee pads. You only have to pay the price once and then relish the benefits of these kneepads for years to come.

Closure type

Closure types differ with different kneepads. Each closure type has pros and cons. Velcro, for example, are quick to wear, but they are ineffective when dirty. Button style connectors are also durable, but they are hard to get on and off, especially with cold fingers. One can also use slip buckle fasteners even with caving gloves, but they are not recommended for a tough task as they can dig into the skin and cause rash. All these closure types are suitable, depending upon the type of job you are undertaking. For mountain climbers and cave explorers, velcro and button style connectors are best you can get because they are durable and do not cause a rash.