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Products like all-weather floor mats protect a vehicle’s interior, because stock carpeted mats are better at collecting grime than preventing buildup. Once a car’s carpet has caked in dirt, getting out that soil takes a lot of work. On top of that, a car with pristine carpeting holds its value, yielding you higher resale. 3W TPE Healthy Car Mats
All-weather floor mats come in a variety of shapes, colors and materials. Some manufacturers work with automakers to measure vehicle interiors for a tailored fit—though this style is more expensive. However, they also bring the best protection and, as the name would imply, look the best inside your car because they conform to every curve and angle in the car’s footwells.
Depending on where you live, floor mats have to capture snow, salt, sand, water and debris. Mats with deep grooves to trap moisture are a good idea for people living in snowy or rainy areas, too, while a cheaper mat with carpeted sections might be good for someone living in milder weather.
Motor Trend FlexTough Floor Mats
Rubberised nibs, deep grooves for water channeling, waterproof
Motor Trend FlexTough Floor Mats
BDK All Weather Rubber Floor Mats
Traction grips, trim-to-fit feature, waterproof, weatherproof
BDK All Weather Rubber Floor Mats
Customisable fit, rubberised nibs, simple installation, waterproof, weatherproof
Best For Keeping Your Carpet Clean
Best For Keeping Your Carpet Clean
3D Maxpider Kagu Floor Liners
Maxpider Kagu Floor Liners come in two- and three-row systems, so they’ll fit most cars and SUVs, and we especially like that they’re laser cut for the specific floor pattern of your car. The contoured shape also protects the inside and outside edge of your carpeting in each foot well (think of a cafeteria tray that’s raised at the outside to prevent contents from spilling over), so that you can more easily clean your car interior just by removing these at the car wash and dusting or hosing them off. Plus, the lightly textured surface provides more grip for wet shoes, but the pattern is tight, so it won’t trap dirt. You can also get them in a post-mount style, if your car has small pegs that anchor its factory mats.
Like custom-fit WeatherTech mats, but somewhat more affordable, the Husky system is overbuilt, with SUV customers especially in mind. The heavier, rubberized material is designed to retain grip, even if you clamber into a sub-freezing cab first thing in the morning, and grooved surfaces catch grit and also offer more traction for muddy or wet footwear. These are also pre-cut for your vehicle, with pronounced, raised edges, to keep dirt on the mat, not spilling onto your carpeting.
The underside of the mats are lined with small nibs (tiny plastic teeth) to fix these in place, and depending on your car, also use anchor pegs, especially for the driver’s mat. Husky also bleeds the mat over to the door jamb edge, protecting the outer rim of carpeting.
Husky Liners Uni-Fit All-Weather Floor Mats
This four-piece set is a solid choice for any car owner with kids or pets—although the latter have more hair to contain, likely, and the smooth surface of these won’t trap fur the way carpeting will. These burly mats also offer sturdiness beneath heavy foot and paw traffic. With a 3-inch height and more than 14 pounds of material weight, plus the underside retention system, they also stay in place. The perimeter is raised but the ridges throughout help trap mud, water and dirt before it reaches the edges. The front mats are 28 by 18 inches and the rear mats are 21 by 17 inches. These are universal floor mats, but the manufacturer also has the ability to match mats to a specific vehicle.
It’s easy to think that heavier mats are better, but especially if you’re picking a universal mat, cutting a thin one will be easier and you’ll have a more accurate fit that way. That’s the BDK ProLiner in a nutshell, which offer ridges and grooves to capture moisture, but their thinner construction also makes them more likely to lay flat over various floor shapes, and with a non-custom liner, that’s important to consider, too. At the same time, the mats are available in three colors and can be had in an even cheaper two-piece design for coupes or people who only need front-passenger protection.
Best For Extreme Weather Conditions
Best For Extreme Weather Conditions
WeatherTech Trim to Fit Floor Mats
WeatherTech mats are the gold standard for many consumers, but the brand’s custom-fitted versions cost a lot more. Luckily, the company also makes a more affordable product that’s just as well made. These uncut 5/8-inch thick mats are rugged and made from a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that maintains traction even in winter. The deeply sculpted channels catch debris, mud, sand, snow, road salt or water.
Of course, you can go with their custom-cut mats and these work with a range of vehicles—from a Toyota Tacoma to a Ford Explorer—though it can be harder to find these for older cars. They are made from a rubber-like, proprietary compound that is manufacturer-certified and contains no lead, cadmium or toxic plastics. The material also is 100% recyclable and latex-free, and the custom-made mats are manufactured in the U.S.
For this guide we chose a mix of custom and non-custom options, to provide the most accessible products possible. We’ve included a wide range of features, prices and types to cover the broadest number of vehicles.
Through testing and research, we evaluate all-weather floor mats (including liners you must cut yourself) based on these weighted metrics:
All-weather floor mats are generally thicker and heavier than all-weather floor liners. Liners have a sleeker appearance with less prolific and flatter grooves. Most offer a more customized fit and comprehensive protection in hard-to-reach spots, which is why they are a pricier investment. Comparatively, there’s a larger variety of lower-cost mats with a more generic fit.
Both all-weather floor mats and liners are made of rubber instead of carpet. In this way, they’re easier to clean without the possibility of permanently staining or soiling the threads in a carpet. Floor mats will cover the floors of the footwells all the way to the edges. Floor liners go further by lining the upper sides of your vehicle’s carpet with an inch or more of rubber surface. They cover more area, fit more securely and generally are more expensive since they must be custom-fitted to every vehicle.
A variety of all-weather floor mats exist for a variety of applications and budgets. There’s some happy medium you have to strike between your budget and the protection you need to protect your car’s interior. Generally, a higher price reflects greater durability and more material for protection in rigorous conditions.
WeatherTech mats are a higher-end product that costs more to manufacture. Comparable mat brands include Husky Liners, Intro-Tech and Rugged Ridge.
All-weather floor mats are great for vehicles that are exposed to a range of rain and snow conditions. They offer floor protection against natural and workplace elements including rocks, sand, mud, grass and clay. They’re much easier to clean than carpet, prevent stains and odor build-up in the floor fibers and extend the life of a vehicle’s interior. They’re a good investment if your work, kids or pets expose your car’s cabin to everyday messes.
Mazda 6 Mats WeatherTech mats and similar higher-end products are worth the cost if you deal with wet weather or have kids or a job that exposes your car’s interior to a lot of daily spills—all the more so if your vehicle is new. These mats are one of the most environmentally friendly options, made without harsh chemicals and materials. While they cost double or more than other options, they tend to last longer.