Think about it. It only takes seconds for your car floor to turn from neat to messy.
It’s a Monday morning, and you’re on your way to work. The traffic is slow, so it’s the perfect opportunity to steal a few sips from your ten-dollar coffee. All is good until suddenly, traffic opens up, and your phone starts to ring relentlessly.
For a moment there, you’re distracted trying to quickly place down the coffee, answer the phone, and drive fast because Stella behind you is already late for work and can’t stop honking.
But sadly, you only have two hands, and there’s only so much you can do at the same time.
The next thing you know, your coffee is on the floor, and you’re scrambling to save your phone from falling too. All in under four seconds.
It sounds like something straight from a movie, but where’s the lie?
If your car floor is fitted with the proper floor mats that are easy to clean and moisture-resistant, then a single spill isn’t the worst thing.
However, if you have the wrong ones or have none at all, then you know it’s the beginning of a long day.
Choosing the best floor mats for your car requires a fair bit of research. That’s why we’re providing you with a comprehensive checklist to ease your search:
Let’s get started!
Material of the floor mat
Car floor mats are made from different materials to suit the varying needs of the car and the owner. The popular materials include:
- Carpet
- Rubber
- Vinyl
Carpet Floor Mats
Carpet car floor mats are often made from synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and fiber.
They’re soft and provide a lush feel for your feet and heels.
Their advantages include:
- Offer a variety of styles, colors, and designs – they can easily be matched to your car’s interior decor.
- Allow personalization, meaning you can brand them with a personal message or name.
They also have some challenges:
- Not easy to clean – they accumulate dirt and grit over time that’s not easily removed by a simple wet washcloth.
- Not highly water-proof – they have a plush quality, which means they soak in moisture.
If you’re a frequent outdoor junkie, have little ones, or happen to be a clumsy human being, these aren’t for you.
Rubber Floor Mats
Rubber car floor mats are popular among cars and trucks.
This is because they’re:
- Easy to clean – Rubber is water-proof, so all you need is a few swipes to clean up a mess using a washcloth.
- High durability – They’re made from strong heavy-duty rubber to withstand scratches from heels and endure harsh weather conditions.
- Deep grooves – Have deep grooves that trap spills and prevent them from overflowing onto your car’s flooring.
However, there’s a catch or two:
- They’re expensive compared to carpet floor mats.
- They’re limited to a few designs and colors, like black and grey.
Rubber mats are best suited for trucks, work, and family cars such as SUVs. They’re also a great option when you live in a wet climate area where muddy shoes are inevitable.
Vinyl Floor Mats
Vinyl is a material that’s made from synthetic plastic polymers.
It’s also quite popular since it’s cheap and tough, like rubber.
Other advantages of vinyl include:
- Resistant to chemicals – vinyl is highly resistant to chemicals and doesn’t corrode when in contact with corrosive spills.
- Offered in a clear color – vinyl mats are also offered in a more subtle semi-clear / opaque color, which is good for showroom cars.
Size of a Floor Mat
An ideal car floor mat should cover every inch from one edge to the other of your car’s floor to protect it from spillage and other messes. You’ll need to choose one that covers as much area as possible.
However, avoid picking a mat that’s not sized properly for your floor. This includes not forcing a floor mat that isn’t designed specifically for your vehicle.
Oversized or undersized floor mats tend to curl around the edges, and this can be a hazard when driving.
Car’s Interior Decor
Have you ever seen a beautiful sleek car on the outside but when you peeked inside your mind was blown because none of the car’s features were in harmony with each other?
This shouldn’t be the experience other people have when getting in your car.
Try to get proper floor mats that gently blend in with your car’s interior decor, including color.
Also, the car’s inside features, such as the number of seats, will determine whether you need a set of mats or only one or two for individual seats.
Universal Fit or Custom-fit
When choosing the right floor mats for your car, another factor to consider is whether you’re looking for:
- Universal fit
- Custom-fit
Universal Fit
There are thousands of different vehicles on the road, which makes it difficult to make a custom fit mat set for every vehicle.
As a compromise, some manufacturers such as WeatherTech makes mats that fit practically any ride you’ve got.
As the mats aren’t customized, you might notice there’s a little space on your car’s floor that’s not been covered.
There are a few different sizes to choose from. Since they have the trim-to-apply feature, you can easily trim them along the cut lines to adjust the size.
If you feel universal mats are the most suitable for your car, we recommend you check out WeatherTech All-Vehicle Floor Mats.
Custom Fit
Custom mats are specifically designed to cover every inch of your car’s floor regardless of the shape and size of the car’s interior.
Manufacturers take the exact measurements of a car’s model and produce perfectly sized mats using laser technology.
This guarantees full protection for your car’s floor from all spills and messes that may occur.
If you’re looking for mats that look as though they’re part of the car, they’re an excellent choice.
WeatherTech Universal Mats
WeatherTech Custom Mats
- Trim to fit and readjust the size. Some space may be left exposed
- Mold-in support nibs to keep the mat in place
- Rugged outer ribbing to trap spills and dirt
- No curling, cracking, or hardening in extremely cold weather
- Cheaper price
- Latex and PVC free
- 100% recyclable
- No factory smell
- Perfectly fitting and no space is left exposed
- Use factory retention devices to stay in place
- High-wall design to keep messes within the mat
- No curling, cracking, or hardening in extreme weather conditions
- TechGrip retention device installed to enhance grip to the floor
- More expensive price
- Latex and PVC free
- No factory smell
Cost of the Car Floor Mats
It all boils down to the state of your pockets.
Ideally, you want car floor mats that won’t burn a hole through your wallet without compromising much on quality.
In the long run, you want to preserve the value of the car despite the years passing.
A custom mat is more expensive compared to a universal mat because it covers every nook and contour of the floor. This ensures the floor’s architecture of the vehicle remains new for the longest time.
More specifically, you’ll find custom rubber mats to be more expensive than those made from carpet and vinyl due to rubber’s higher durability.