In this article we discuss the best work pants with knee pads or knee pad pockets. If you are looking for work pants with knee pads already built-in, your options are limited mainly to tactical pants.
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- I’d recommend these pants if you need work pants with knee pads built in (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Instead, for more selection, you’ll likely need to consider buying work pants with knee pad pockets, and then purchasing knee pad inserts to go with it. Buying work pants with knee pad pockets instead of work pants with knee pads built-in is going to give you a much wider selection of pants to choose from.
Here’s the 8 Best Work Pants with Knee Pad Pockets (knee pads will need to be purchased separately):
- Caterpillar Men’s Trademark Pants (click here to view)
- Carhartt Made in USA Firm Duck Dungaree Pants (click here to view)
- Dickies Double Knee Relaxed Fit Pants (click here to view)
- Walls Ditchdigger Stretch Duck Work Pants (click here to view)
- Filson C.C.F. Utility Canvas Work Pants (click here to view)
- Carhartt Men’s Rugged Flex Multi Pocket Pants (click here to view)
- Timberland PRO Men’s Bender Utility Work Pant (click here to view)
- Burson Work Pants w/ Built-in Removable Knee Pads (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Dickies Women’s Stretch Duck Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Dovetail Workwear Women’s Utility Work Pants (click here to view)
***Please note that in the list above, most pants do not come with knee pads. You will need to buy knee pad inserts to go with these pants. The Burson pants are the exception – they come with removable knee pads.
In this article we will take a closer look at the best work pants with knee pad pockets. Which knee pad pants are best for you will likely come down to your specific job requirements.
For denim, visit our article about the best double front jeans.
8 Best Work Pants with Knee Pads & Pockets
Again, as we discussed above, it is hard to find quality work pants with knee pads already built-in. It is much easier to find quality work pants with knee pad pockets, and then buy knee pad inserts to go with it.
- These are the knee pad inserts that I would recommend (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). But just make sure that they will be compatible with whatever pair of pants you choose.
The Burson work pants that we feature at the bottom of this article do come with built-in, removable knee pads. Some types of tactical pants also have knee pads built in – here is an example of tactical pants with knee pads built in (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
But again, my recommendation is to buy a pair of work pants that has knee pad pockets, and buy inserts to go with it. If you go this route you have a much larger selection, and can find a brand you like and trust.
Below we take a closer look at the 8 best work pants with knee pad pockets. If you prefer 100% cotton, visit our article about the best 100% cotton work pants.
Carhartt USA Firm Duck Double-Front Work Dungaree Pants
These Carhartt Firm Duck Double-Front pants (style B01) are heavy-duty work pants that have knee pad pockets. One thing that stands out about these pants, and makes them so popular, is they are made in the USA (not all Carhartt pants are made in the USA).
Click here to view these Carhartt B01 Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). They have a roomy, relaxed fit.
These Carhartt pants are heavyweight pants made with 12-ounce cotton. They have knee pad pockets with easy clean-out. Here is a close-up look at what Carhartt’s firm duck cotton looks like:
There are two front pockets, two back pockets, two side utility pockets, and a hammer loop on these pants. The back pockets are reinforced to help them hold up over the long term.
- Fit – These pants have a roomy, relaxed fit and will not hug tight in any way. Expect a true-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Carhartt B01 Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, expect a true-to-size fit. These pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately.
Caterpillar Men’s Trademark Pants
These Caterpillar Men’s Trademark Pants are heavy-duty work pants with knee pad pockets. This is a popular pair of work pants, for many reasons, but in large part due to the amount of storage pockets.
Click here to view these Caterpillar Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants come in many colors, including hi-vis colors.
These Caterpillar Trademark pants have two front holster pockets that give you a convenient place to store tools and other essentials while you work. They also have side cargo pockets and a rear tool pocket.
These pants are made with an 8.8 ounce cotton/poly blend. They have a gusseted crotch for ease of movement.
If you are looking for pants to wear while painting, I’d personally stick with the Dickies Painting Pants we feature down the list. These pants are best for outdoor construction types of trades, or for those doing handy work around the house, laying carpet, etc.
- Fit – These pants have a standard fit that isn’t too loose or too tight. As we discussed above, the crotch is gusseted so you have freedom of movement. Expect a true-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Caterpillar Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, expect a true-to-size fit. These pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately.
***If you prefer work pants with pockets, visit our article about the Best Cargo Work Pants.
Walls Ditchdigger Stretch Duck Work Pants
Walls is a well-known name in workwear and a brand that has a long history of producing high quality bibs, work pants, and work jackets. Their popular Ditchdigger pants come with built-in knee pad pockets.
Click here to view these Walls Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true-to-size.
These Walls pants are a bit different than the Caterpillar pants we covered first. These pants are more minimalistic, meaning they don’t have as many pockets.
These Walls Ditchdigger pants have standard front and rear pockets, then have one side utility cell-phone pocket (and also, of course, have the knee pad pockets). Overall, these pants aren’t as bulky as the Caterpillar pants we covered first.
These pants are made with a cotton/spandex blend, which means they will have some stretch to them. This stretch fabric will help while you are bending, stooping, and working on your knees.
- Fit – These pants have a standard relaxed fit that isn’t too loose or too tight. The crotch is gusseted so you have freedom of movement. Expect a true-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Walls Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, expect a true-to-size fit. These pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately.
Dickies Double Knee Painter Pants
Dickies is a well-known workwear brand that makes clothing for a wide variety of jobs. If you are looking for painter pants with knee pad pockets, I would suggest trying these pants.
Click here to view these Dickies Painter’s Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true-to-size.
These pants also work well for other types of jobs, like handy work, laying carpert etc. They have multiple tool pockets and tool loops. These are 100% cotton pants.
- Fit – These pants have a standard fit. Remember, these are 100% cotton so expect a little shrinking. True-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Dickies Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to soften and break in after you wear them a few times. These double knee pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately.
Carhartt Men’s Rugged Flex Multi Pocket Pants
If you prefer Carhartt for workwear, you do have a few options to choose from when looking for pants with knee pad pockets. The first pair of Carhartt pants we covered were firm duck cotton. These pants are a bit lighter in weight, and use a material blend.
Click here to view these Carhartt Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These Carhartt Rugged Flex pants have knee pad pockets, a side tool loop, and a side utility pocket.
These pants are made with a cotton/poly/spandex blend that makes them flexible and easy to move around in. The knee pad pockets close at the top to help keep the knee pads secured.
- Fit – These pants have a standard fit. They are built with extra room in the seat and thigh. Overall, a very classic fit, with a flex blend material. True-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Carhartt Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately. To read more about how these pants fit, visit our article about Carhartt Pants Sizing.
Caterpillar Men’s H2o Defender Pant
This is part of Caterpillar’s H2o Series. These pants are water-resistant stretch-fabric pants that have knee pad pockets. Perfect for those of you who work outside in a wet environment.
Click here to view these Caterpillar Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true-to-size.
These pants are made with a cotton/poly/elastane blend that makes them flexible and easy to move around in. They have reflective piping at front and back knees.
Just like the first pair of Caterpillar pants we covered on this list, these pants have plenty of storage space. They have a lot of multi-purpose pockets, including snap-off holster tool pockets.
- Fit – These pants have a standard relaxed fit. They do not hug tight against your legs. True-to-size fit.
Click here to buy these Caterpillar Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants do not come with knee pads – knee pads must be bought separately.
Timberland PRO Work Bender Utility Pants
These Timberland Pro Utility Pants are a little heavier than some of the other pants on this list. They are made with a cotton/elastane blend, so they will have some fleixbility.
Click here to view these Timberland Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true-to-size.
- Fit – These pants have a standard original fit. They do not hug tight against your legs. Expect a true-to-size fit. Remember, these pants also have a flex fabric for comfort.
As I stated above, these pants will be a little bit heavier than some of the other pants on this list. These pants use a 10.4 ounce material blend.
Click here to buy these Timberland PRO Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect true-to-size fit.
Burson Work Pants w/ Built-in Removable Knee Pads
These Burson pants actually come with built-in removable knee pads. These pants have a cotton/poly blend and have a side utility pocket.
Click here to view these Burson Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true-to-size.
As I said earlier in the article, my personal recommendation is to stick with work pants with knee pad pockets, and buy knee pad inserts to go with them. But if you want pants that come with knee pads, these might be a good option for you.
Again, personally I would probably stick with one of the major brands listed higher on this list, but these Burson pants do give you an option if you prefer pads to come with the pants.
Click here to buy these Burson Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect true-to-size fit.
***We also have an article about summer work pants, visit: Best Summer Work Pants. And we also have an article that covers the Best Work Shorts for Hot Weather.