Advertiser Disclosure
I’ve driven a truck for years. It does everything I need it to. It gives me loads of practicality and still drives well enough that I don’t miss a regular car.
I never really minded climbing into it with dirty shoes. It was a workhorse and it got treated like one. But, the last time I switched trucks, I wanted to make an effort to keep it cleaner. So, I invested some money in some of the best all-weather floor mats and was amazed at the difference.
Trucks are a massive market in the US. They’re used as regular transport, contracting, hauling, etc. They’re the most popular type of vehicle. So, it stands to reason that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of accessories available for them.
Some are better than others. Some aren’t worth buying. And occasionally, there are products that get overlooked because they’re just not sexy. Floor mats are firmly in that camp.
Best All-Weather Floor Mats
I reached the point where beating my truck up during the week was fine. But, on the weekends when I wanted to use it for some normal family time, I’d have to spend an hour or two cleaning it out. Sometimes I too it to be cleaned at the local handwash. But, both cost time and money. I figured that I’d be better off spending some of that money in preventing it from getting so dirty in the first place.
Floor mats are never going to be at the top of someone’s Christmas list, especially the higher-end ones where you could be spending nearly 200 bucks on them. So, you have to make that choice, you have to decide that you really need them. Unless of course, you have huge stacks just waiting to be spent.
That’s how I found myself wondering what the best floor mats were.
Spending a few dollars on floor mats would save me time on the weekends, but you could just as easily justify it by looking at the bigger picture, something long term. A quality set of floor mats will help keep your truck (or SUV, sedan, or what have you) in better shape in the long run. This, of course, means that resale value won’t be hit quite as hard.
Looking at it that way, the mats will more than pay for themselves in resale alone. It will also save you the time and expense of weekend cleaning.
Trimmable vs. Custom
The term ‘custom fit’ is actually slightly incorrect, which implies that someone has taken your vehicle and made mats specifically for you. But what they mean is that the mats have been made specifically for a certain model using measurements taken from a standard production vehicle. So, there’s a degree of custom-fit, just not bespoke.
Mats that can be trimmed are usually a great (and much cheaper) alternative to custom mats. However, there is an issue with trimming them. What happens if you trim too much off? A slight mistake may not be the end of the world, but it’s annoying, to say the least.
Because of the different contours, you can’t really make any measurements with 100% accuracy. Some of it will be ‘best guess’ sizing. I’ve found that the simplest way of getting the most accuracy is by using the older floor mats that came out of the vehicle (if you have them.) I use them as a pattern and it makes all the difference.
So, here are three different sets. Two are custom-sized and one can be trimmed. Essentially, the choice comes down to how much money you want to spend.
These are my choices, in no particular order.
Husky Liners 99001 Black Weatherbeater Front & 2nd Seat Floor Liners
- Rating: 4.8 / 5
- Brand: Husky Liners
This is a kit that covers front and back, but doesn’t cover under the second row of seating – just the footwell, it’s the ‘Combo’ kit.
Everything about the Husky kit screams quality. They’ve been engineered to give the perfect fit, thanks to laser-equipped measuring tech. However, this does mean that they may need a bit of pushing and shoving to fit exactly as they’re intended to. It’s a double-edged sword.
They use ‘StayPut Cleats’ on the reverse to ensure they don’t move around once fitted. But, it’s these very cleats that make jostling them in to place just that little bit more awkward.
With that said, I’d rather have to spend the time and patience to fit them properly, knowing that they won’t move once in place, rather than having them sliding about all over the place once I’m done.
Along with the cleats, keeping them in place is made slightly easier because they’re such a good fit and literally cover the entire footwell. They go right up to the door jamb with the ‘FormFit Edge’. It has been made to fit without buckling, deforming, or lifting. It looks as factory-fit as possible.
The vehicle floor liners themselves are made from a patented rubberized material. They can withstand most chemicals (like gas, oil, and battery acid, for example.) They’ve been shaped with containment spaces (for spilled fluids) and tread channels for that little extra grip (or boot cleaning!)
Finally, Husky offers these with a no-quibble lifetime guarantee. They’ve been designed and manufactured in the USA. It’s a quality product that will give you years of service, definitely one of the best all-weather mats available.
Models available for most of the popular cars, SUVs, and trucks.
Motor Trend MT-923-BK FlexTough Contour Liners
- Rating: 4.6 / 5
- Brand: Motor Trend
If you’re not looking to spend $100+ on floor mats, then these Motor Trend car mats make a great alternative. They’re oversized so they can be trimmed (easily, with scissors) to fit your vehicle.
They don’t offer the same level of custom fit as the Husky or the Weathertech, but they’re in a completely different ballpark price-wise. The rubber itself is made from an advanced polymer formula for higher performance (heavier duty) applications.
They’ve been tested in all extreme conditions to guarantee that they won’t crack, split, or deform over time. Essentially what you’re getting here is a super high-quality floor mat. However, they haven’t been through a production process for laser measuring for a guaranteed and/or bespoke fit per individual model sold.
Best of all, Motor Trend MT-923-BK FlexTough mats still manage to incorporate a deep dish to hold liquids and various channels or treads to hold and trap mud and dirt. The difference is that these don’t completely cover the footwell area. It’s possible that you can still find yourself with some dirt in the footwell, but it’s minimal.
All in all, these are a great product that sits sort of halfway between custom fit and standard floor mats. So, unless it really is the ‘ultimate’ floor mat you want, these do everything that you’ll need, for a very cost-effective price.
Weathertech 444931-442862 FloorLiner DigitalFit
- Rating: 4.6 / 5
- Brand: Weathertech
They call these liners ‘digital fit’ because of the process used for measuring up the contours and sizes to make them fit like a glove. It’s all laser-controlled and measured, which means these liners fit like they were painted on. No saggy spots or warped edges.
Weathertech uses the existing anchor points that most manufacturers use now. So, there’s no slipping or movement. It just adds further credence to the whole ‘factory fit’ style. The material used for manufacture is a patented High-Density Tri-Extruded (HDTE) rubber that gives excellent life.
It incorporates channels to move fluid away into a lower reservoir. It has as a rigid core strength to give a degree of hard-wearing. Despite that, the liner is relatively thin and light, which I personally prefer.
These vehicle floor liners are the most expensive products on the list, but not by much. They justify that expense quite easily. Because of their overall quality, fitting, and style, I’d say that you’re getting a better product than official manufacturers. And perhaps even a better fit, for less money than you’d pay through the car dealer. And that has to be a good thing.
