Milwaukee has launched a new Packout-compatible kneeling pad, model 48-73-6110, featuring 1.5″ of NBR foam cushioning and a hard shell base plate.
The Milwaukee Packout kneeling pad is made with closed-cell foam that prevents liquid absorption and maintains its shape over time.
The Packout kneeling pad measures 18.7″ L x 13.7″ W x 2.2″ H, and weighs 3.26 lbs.
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The bottom has a non-slip base.
It can be attached to other Packout tool boxes and accessories for storage and transport.
As with other kneeling pads, it can be used indoors on flat floors, or on rough terrain outdoors.
Price: $90
ETA: Feb 2025
Milwaukee is also launching a standalone kneeling pad, measuring 18.4″ L x 12.9″ W x 2.2″ H, and weighing 1.55 lbs.
It features the same 1.5″ of closed-cell NBR foam as the Packout-compatible pad, and has a tear-resistant base.
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Price: $40
ETA: Feb 2025
Do You Really Need a Kneeling Pad?
Squatting is bad for your joints, and kneeling on a hard floor or rocks can be uncomfortable and fatiguing at the least.
Pads are good-to-have for those with younger knees, and essential for those who already have a bit of wear and tear. I tend to prefer kneeling pads over knee pads.
Milwaukee’s standalone and Packout kneeling pads seem to be competitively priced.
Other Kneeling Pad Options
I suppose you could also glue or fasten a different foam kneeling pad to the Packout customizable worktop, which currently retails for $55 (via Home Depot | Acme Tools). Or maybe just bungee-strap a kneeling pad to your Packout tower.
Here are some other kneeling pad options:
Custom Leathercraft – ~$30 at Amazon
Ergodyne (Klein) – $39 at Home Depot
Husky 1.5″ Closed Cell Foam – $15 at Home Depot
Jared
That’s not bad-looking! I like the idea of a rigid base with foam on top. Perfect for uneven surfaces.
I’m not going to switch for that, but I’d buy one of those for my Toughsystem boxes if it were available.
Jared
It would be nice if boxes could latch to the top too – but I suppose that would put the latches into the foam part where you don’t want them. Perhaps a Dewalt version could do that off on the sides.
fred
The hard plastic tray-bottom is useful. But the Packout price is rather steep.
I have other ones in the garage and in a shed out in the Garden.
My Kobalt one was $15.99 back in 2013. I paid about the same for one from Marshalltown a year later.
The Kobalt on is no longer available:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Plastic-Kneeler-Board/3084671
The Marshalltown one is now $22.18
https://www.homedepot.com/p/MARSHALLTOWN-Kneeler-Board-KB451/100318170
Josephus
I saw the price and immediately thought “Damn ouch what?” relative to other kneeling pads I’ve seen. I will say the Milwaukee knee pads are very nice, if you can get work to issue them.
Ginge
I purchased the kobalt last week 3/31/25 at Lowe’s. It truly does the job. I like the looks of the Milwaukee pack out and it’s lighter sibling. But those are dam expensive. Need to see some torture test reviews to see that they are worth that kind of money.
Alexander Barfield
Pricing is absurd for a kneeling pad
John
Agreed. We use the $7 harbor freight ones at work and they last a long time. This is total nonsense.
mark w
Aquamentor has a USA made kneeling pad with a handle cutout that looks pretty nice on Amazon ~$25.
That’s the one I’m buying next when my current one splits.
Says it’s made out of EVA. I’d wonder how that material compares to Nbr. My gut says Nbr is tougher but will shred on the corners with age, eva will just lose suppleness and cushion & get hard I think.. probably wear faster from abrasion. I’m just guessing.
JR Ramos
NBR is definitely tougher – more spongey, more resistant to permanent compression, and not super easy to tear. EVA can be great stuff, just depends what type you’re getting – it comes in several different densities. The typical stuff is lower grade and a bit easier to tear but still pretty decent overall (much tougher than like pool/kid toy poly foam anyway). NBR is similar to the good quality red rubber/synthetic grout floats if you have some of those around to peek at.
JR Ramos
This is the type of float I’m talking about…seems like many have moved to synthetic finer grained foam these days. You can also find NBR in larger weatherstripping foam but it’s a lighter density than what is likely on this Milwaukee pad (the red rubber is likely closer to the same).
https://www.amazon.com/RED-RUBBER-FLOAT-12-HDL/dp/B002SK2HSS/
Farmerguy
If used on soil, sand, or gravel, will the packout clear fill up with dirt and become problematic for the latching system?
fred
And on concrete – for finish trowelling – the raised Packout bits will leave an interesting dimple pattern. To be fair about price – some kneeboards are even pricier- but a plastic-backed board need not be:
https://www.amazon.com/MARSHALLTOWN-KB230-Stainless-Steel-Boards/dp/B001RJ0TCC
JoshtheFurnaceGuy
I’ve gotten mud on the bottom of my packout tool bag, latched it to boxes wet, and then was able to unlatch it when it dried with a little extra effort. The packout bottoms are easier to clean than the tops. Just don’t put them together wet and leave them to freeze together in a truck overnight.
Ezzy
Kneeling pads are great but that pricing is rediculous. I’ll go with the Husky kneeling pad from Home Depot for $15
Wayne R.
Yes, and, for portability, you can poke a length of paracord through it, and hang it off anything – not like it’s gonna bang into something and leave a dent.
Michael Killeen
Way overpriced I used Velcro and the pad was 20 dollars Milwaukee I use your packout system but 90.00 dollars for a knee pad come on!
Kevin W
The Husky thick pad is amazing. I love Milwaukee stuff, but some of there prices are crazy expensive. Although I would love to have a harder plastic underneath the pad when working over diffrent terrains. I don’t like getting the other side wet or covered in dirt or sand. I also like having a place to attach it so it dosen’t slide around or fall behind the pack out boxes I’m not using for that job. Even though I love this, I can’t justify paying $75 more. For now, I’ll stay with my reliable thick Husky pad.
PW
That pricing is wild. I have a couple of those Husky kneeling pads. I could see value in a rigid back, but not 500% more value – good grief.
Chris
Glue one to a piece of plywood.
Doresoom
I’ve had the Gorilla Grip kneeling pad for several years now, I think I paid $15 for it. I fail to see how the Milwaukee standalone version offers anything extra at nearly 3X the price…
Saulac
Would putting this on top of the Packout cart make a decent rolling knee pad that some flooring guy use, or that would be too high?
Chris
I’m going to try that with my kneepads and see if that works.
I have the tough built stabilizing ones that are flat on the bottom, so this might work well with those.
I like the idea, thanks.
Stuart
I thought the same, but I judged that it’ll be too tall to be practical. Even a pad thrown right on top of the dolly might be too tall. The casters are also smooth enough that you could roll around without intention.
fred
HF and others sell rolling kneepads
https://www.harborfreight.com/rolling-knee-pads-67406.html
Stuart
Yes, but notice how low to the ground the knee placements are. The caster base is elevated higher than the knee platforms, allowing the user to remain closer to the floor.
Packout and other 4-wheel carts have large caster wheels for mobility and strength, and for rolling over smaller obstacles. The height, coupled with the platform height, and then a pad on top of that would result in a height of 6-8″ off the ground, if not more.
fred
The more expensive ones may have slightly larger casters and more of them – but the idea is the same – with the surface of your knee set below the top of the carriage that holds the casters.
https://tiletools.com/products/rolling-knee-pads
There are even more complex styles that include seats and support for your chest to lean on:
https://www.contractorsdirect.com/products/rac-a-tac-chest-support-2in-casters
Derek
If the pad is not replaceable this is a no go. Those wear out and become stiff over time. I could see it making sense if someone already had the packout toolbag and this would allow having the pad at all times for things like service trades.
Chris
If you use it regularly, the plastic cleats on the bottom will wear out or break as well and those aren’t replaceable either.
Zack
Yeah this is a design fail. Little rubber feet won’t stop it from sliding on uneven surfaces. The simple husky pad is a fine product, no need for improvement at 5x the price.
Chris
Glue the Husky pad to a piece of plywood for the same effect. You can put a hook or some paracord to hang it from your packout stack.
Your welcome, I just saved you $70…
Joe H
I think I’ll just glue velcro to a plastic tray or lid and then glue some velcro to a foam pad and stick the two together and when the foam wears out I’ll just peel it from the velcro and get another foam pad and do the same.
Robert
Is the Packout aspect of this really that useful? Doesn’t seem hard to place your ordinary reasonably priced kneeling pad inside any large mobile storage container. And it could be used to cushion tools.
Jim
The closed cell foam is most important part of picture. Speaking as old guy who got bad infection in my knee traveled up ended up spending couple days in the doctor place. Old pad had absorbed coolant or hydraulic fluid and on hot summer day somehow got into open pores and took off. Just saying be safe.
Jared
Yikes. I wouldn’t have thought of that.
RzorroK
Might be nice for allowing you to sit on Packout boxes too.
JoshtheFurnaceGuy
My first thought was, I don’t know if a comfortable top to a tool box is worth $90. It does have me considering gluing a foam pad to my box that always lives on top.
A $5 garden kneeling pad would probably fit on this half width box perfectly.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/48-22-8422
Mopar
Harbor Freight – $7 each. For that price, buy a few. I find lots of uses for them besides the obvious floor work.
Dave
They were recently on sale for $4. I bought about 20. They are firmer than the Husky, so sometimes I’ll double up with HF on the bottom, Husky on top.
Dave
Packout has gone too far, with this as well as some others. And the pricing on this is insane.
Frank D
Interesting to carry one around, but an instant skip for me.
I am not going to ruin the nice tops of my packouts with the scratched, gouged … and dirty feet from a packout that is on rough ground, dirty worksites, outside in soil, stone, etc
Ken
About 15 years ago I bought a certain folding exercise mat. The outer layers are definitely not open cell because it is made to get sweaty and therefore can be wiped off. It is a very robust material and has not degraded at all in 15 years of use.
I discovered that this particular brand/style of mat makes a better kneeling pad than my dedicated kneeling pads. It folds in an accordion style. This means that I can use the full 3″ thick folded mat for kneeling if desired, but I can also unfold it in half and have a larger area that is 1.5″ thick. It has been very handy for plumbing work because I can unfold part of it to fit below a cabinet while the other part fits inside the cabinet, allowing me to lay on my back inside the cabinet and have my butt supported on the floor. I can also unfold it completely for working on my back on concrete etc (e.g., under a car or similar).
Mine is branded “Gold’s Gym” but it appears identical to this one sold by Cap Fitness:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/CAP-Fitness-Folding-Exercise-Mat/27137723
I linked to WalMart because their photos are better. It is in stock on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Cap-Fitness-6-ft-Folding-Exercise/dp/B004AKWFRM
JR Ramos
I think the pricing on these is obscene. Milwaukee is big enough that they can certainly do better…but they don’t, and aren’t, even where they easily could. The premium-perception price model hurts all of us and it has a trickle-up effect.
Personally I like the slightly firmer foam like the cheap HF pad but the NBR grout float type is pretty comfy. The cheap foam has a nice feature in that you can jam bits or pointy fasteners in it to keep them secure and at hand (and it’s inexpensive enough that if you go nuts with that idea you can replace the pad without shedding a tear).
Not sure about that packout bottom…seems like it could be a real hassle in a few ways with dirt and debris and abrasion. The plain pad…what’s the “tear resistant” layer material? Any pics of the bottom? The marketing, as usual for them, is missing details users like to know. It’s a good idea although most foam, I’ve found, doesn’t tear super easy in the thicknesses usually used for kneeling pads.
Had a guy that used to work for one of our vendors who used 3M 77 spray to affix a corrugated plastic (election/voting sign) to the bottom of a yoga pad…worked really well for him although the channels collapsed in spots. I thought about doing the same with some 1/8″ sintra (expanded pvc foam sheet).
But this pricing…sheesh.
Stuart
I couldn’t make out what it was made from. I found an image of the reverse side of the non-Packout kneeling pad, and still aren’t sure. Hard rubber? It doesn’t look like molded plastic.
JR Ramos
Considering molding and flexibility for purpose, I would suppose it’s polyethylene of some flavor. Seems pretty thick but that could be nice for some uses.
S
The closed cell foam is the biggest detractor for me in this deal. I’ve had a ton of the far cheaper husky, and flea market versions, and have difficulty with the closed cell foam lasting longer than about 6 months until it soaks up it’s environment (sweat, construction dust, rain, etc)and compresses to the point of being useless.
I can justify throwing away a $5-10 pad over that twice a year. It’s cheaper than knee surgery.
But a non-replaceable pad of the same construction for $40 is just far too steep for an expected 6 month life span, even If it clips into packout gear.
For that price, I can buy the stainless hardware to make my own packout replaceable pad version.
james
If used like it should be it won’t be long before the dimples designed to latch into the packout track will be deformed so much it won’t attach. I guess you could dress them with a file but that would be annoying. Big miss milwaukee. Put a lid on it that has the packout dimples and comes off. Then drop the price $40.
Luke
I don’t understand the price. You could buy the full-width Packout low-profile organizer for $45, take the bins/lid off, slap a normal knee pad in there, and you’ve matched the functionality.
If you find a way to put the lid back on or if you find it’s not in the way, you can even get MORE functionality by being able to stack Packout stuff on top again – not to mention protecting it from rain.
Mark S
That is a good idea, I was picturing taking the worktop packout and gluing a $10 normal knee pad to it….same basic idea, you’re idea is better and cheaper!
Wildly overpriced in any case for this nonetheless.
Goodie
Hard pass. Pricing is outrageous. Saying this as someone who purchased a Festool Domino, so I can be talked into spending $$$ on tools. I just don’t see how the Packout integration does much for value proposition over a $15 kneeling pad.
Pete
As much as I like this idea, Milwaukee would be wise to blow this one out at rock bottom price to secure the no-brainer brand ppe love. Not spending more than 20 bucks on this.
I am an hvac res sheet metal worker.
Pro tip: if you have the Milwaukee rigid backpack, the back zipper pocket (against your back) is designed to hold things like a laptop. The pocket is large enough to hold a cut down husky knee pad to 14×19 and slip in perfectly snug. For 13 bucks I turned one into two, and now on every job site on my knees I open my pack and pull out a lightweight knee saver, literally every customer is impressed. I wouldn’t trade that veto knockoff bag for anything, partly due to this little gem. Knees ain’t cheap!
alex
i use the snap on ones and even they are far cheaper than this. 5 pack for 156. price is ridiculous.
Chris
Do work trousers with built-in knee-pad pockets exist in the US?
They’re the best form of kneeling pad in my experience – you simply kneel whenever you want.
Yes, I also use separate kneeling pads if the ground is particularly muddy/wet or if I’m not wearing my work trousers, and I’ll use a closed-cell roll mat if I need to lie down to work. The separate mats tend to be supermarket specials that appear in the spring for gardening when they cost about $3-4. They seem to last forever. They’ve only been replaced when I’ve lost them or given them away.
Otherwise, it’s simply put on your work trousers and kneel whenever and wherever you want.
Stuart
Yes, but they don’t seem to be very popular.
I’ve found that knee pad and kneeling pad use is also lower than it should be.
JR Ramos
There are at least a half dozen brands/options out there and it’s a fantastic feature. Currently I only have an old pair of bibs that have the pocket (double duty as dual-layered knee fabric) but I was thinking of picking up a pair of the Truewerk with this feature. I slip in a 1/4″ piece of EVA foam and it’s just enough to make things comfortable. I prefer this a lot over knee pads or kneeling pads. Maybe the only drawback is how they stiffen the fabric for walking around but I suppose the right foam could be heat shaped a little (where relief cuts don’t solve the problem). I had some sheets of 3/8″ red foam rubber like the grout floats but that was too much for knee pads.
EVA is a nice buy-it-yourself foam. Softer than what they usually use in tool/garden/hunting pads but still firm enough and remarkably tear resistant (in the medium density buns)…and thinner than what I’ve ever seen in NBR (probably more supportive than typical NBR at the same thickness but that can be spec’d in what is ordered from suppliers).
Steven Phillips
Every Home Depot around me has stacks of those $15 Husky kneeling pads left over. Milwaukee is like, ‘hey, I know what will get them to sell, we’ll put our logo on it and charge $40! Make it Pack-Out and charge 6 times as much!’ Maybe it will sell because of the branding and the more durable layer on the top, I don’t know.