EN 14404 Knee Pads Explained: What the Standard Means for Kneeling Work
If you've ever spent an afternoon kneeling on a concrete floor, you know how quickly the knees complain. Now imagine doing that every working day, year after year. Tilers, roofers, plumbers, electricians and floor layers all put serious time on their knees, and the damage builds slowly: bursitis, worn cartilage, joints that ache long after the job is done.
EN 14404 is the European standard for knee protection in kneeling work. It was rewritten in 2024, and the changes matter to buyers. The old single document is now a six-part series, the labels carry different information, and trousers with knee pad pockets have to be tested too. If you're buying knee pads for a team, it's worth knowing what the new marking tells you.
When does knee protection become PPE?
The law doesn't start with knee pads. Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, employers must control risks by other means first, and only then issue PPE. But you can't easily lay floor tiles standing up, or fit a sink trap while upright. Kneeling is built into whole trades.
So for anyone whose job regularly means kneeling on hard, wet or uneven ground, knee protection is the control. The HSE links prolonged kneeling to knee disorders such as prepatellar bursitis, better known as tiler's knee, and employers have a duty to protect against it, not just treat it once it shows up.
What changed in 2024
EN 14404:2004+A1:2010 was a single document covering everything. The new EN 14404:2024 series splits it into six parts:
- Part 1: test methods
- Part 2: wearable knee protectors (Type 1)
- Part 3: individual combinations of knee pads and garments (Type 2)
- Part 4: interoperable knee pads and garments (Type 2)
- Part 5: knee mats (Type 3)
- Part 6: kneeling systems (Type 4)
The series was harmonised under the PPE Regulation in May 2025. New CE certifications must now be made against the 2024 version, and the 2004 standard no longer counts for certification. Existing stock can still be sold, but anything new should carry the updated marking.
There's one change that affects workwear buyers directly: garments sold with knee pad pockets now have to be tested and certified as part of the system. If the pad and the trousers weren't tested together, the manufacturer can't claim the combination meets EN 14404.
Types 1 to 4: the different ways to protect a knee
The type tells you how the protection is worn, and it's the first thing to settle on.
Type 1 pads strap straight onto the leg. They work with any clothing, and you can adjust them to sit where you need them.
Type 2 covers knee pads that go into pockets in work trousers. Under the 2024 series these split into individual combinations, where a specific pad is certified with a specific garment, and interoperable combinations, where a universal pad fits a range of certified trousers. Most pocket inserts on the market fall into the second category now.
Type 3 is the knee mat, a separate pad you kneel on. Handy for gardeners and short jobs where straps are overkill.
Type 4 is the kneeling system, the wheeled trolleys and moving platforms that let a worker glide along a floor while kneeling. A lot of commercial fitters use them instead of pads.
Most of our customers choose between Type 1 and Type 2. Trousers with knee pad pockets are now the default in workwear, for good reason: the pad stays where it should and nothing pinches or slips.
Levels 0, 1, 1U and 2
Alongside the type, the label shows a performance level. This is about penetration resistance and pressure distribution: how well the pad stops a sharp object driving into your knee, and how evenly it spreads your weight.
- Level 0: no penetration resistance claimed. The pad spreads pressure but offers nothing against sharp points. Fine on clean, flat floors.
- Level 1: resists penetration above 100 newtons, tested on a flat even surface.
- Level 1U: the same 100-newton resistance, but tested on an uneven surface. The U stands for uneven.
- Level 2: resists penetration above 250 newtons, tested on uneven ground. This is the level for rubble, screed, tarmac and anything with sharp edges.
A rough rule of thumb: someone tiling a smooth warehouse floor can get away with a lower level. A roofer or groundworker kneeling on debris should be looking at Level 1U or Level 2. The cheapest pads are often Level 0, and they're fine for clean, flat floors, but not for rough ground.
The 2024 series also added small and large sizing for Type 1 pads, based on kneecap width rather than one size fits all.
What to check before you buy
First, match the system. If your team wears trousers with knee pad pockets, the pads need to fit those pockets and the combination should carry the EN 14404 marking. Buying pads for existing trousers? Check the maker's guidance on which pads are certified for them. We covered the trouser side in our Snickers work trousers guide, and the same logic applies to most brands.
Second, think about material. Gel spreads load and absorbs shock, which suits people kneeling on hard floors all day. EVA foam is light and cheap, fine for lighter work. A hard shell over a soft insert suits sharp debris, because the shell spreads the point load before the cushion takes over.
Third, plan for wear. Pads get hammered. Check them regularly for cracks, flattened foam or straps that have stretched, and replace them when the cushioning has gone. Take inserts out of trousers before washing, because the foam degrades in the machine.
Knee pads we stock at Colbrook
If you're equipping a team, we sell both main styles. The Portwest PW102 knee pads are Type 2 inserts at £10.50 a pair, EN 14404 Type 2 Level 0, and they drop straight into Portwest trousers with knee pad pockets. The KP30 Super Gel knee pad straps over the knee at £15.00, with a hard shell over a silicone gel cushion: a solid choice for concrete and screed, and it works with any trousers you already own.
We also carry the rest of our PPE range, and if you're not sure which level your work actually needs, call us on +44(0)1236 755544. We'd rather talk through the job than sell you a pad that's either overkill or not enough.
REF: en-14404-knee-pads-explained
