One of the easiest ways to improve your truck’s looks is by installing fender flares.
They are multi-purpose accessories. Besides looks, they also protect your truck’s body and paint from the elements like mud, flying rocks and other debris.
Fender flares also help to hide the rust and corrosion that usually form around the wheel wells of vehicles.
There are a variety of fender flares in terms of designs, finishes, material, brand, and so on.
Choosing the one that fully meets your needs can be challenging – there are a lot of options out there.
To save you some hassle, we are going to check some of the best options, based on the styles.
But before diving into that, let’s explain each style of fender flares available.
Fender Flare Styles
Our Top Picks
What to check for before you purchase a set
Fender Flares Styles
Fender flare styles are mainly divided into two main categories. This is based on whether they have bolts or not; hence bolt-on and no bolt fender flares.
Generally speaking, the bolt-on flares are just for looks – they make the flares look “bolted” on and a little more aggressive, but usually do not require any actual drilling.
No Bolt Fender Flares
OE Style Fender Flares
Unique feature: Match seamlessly with the truck’s color and design like an original factory accessory
This is the most basic style of fender flares available.
Though not made by the original manufacturers of the vehicles, they are designed to match seamlessly with your truck.
OE-style flares are very sleek and designed to resemble the “just rolled off the showroom floor” look, which is what most people are looking for.
Street-Style Fender Flares
Unique feature: low profile
The signature look for all street-style fender flares is their low profile designs. Street-style fender flares are more like OEM-style flares, except generally they have a lower profile.
They blend seamlessly with almost all trucks and SUVs – they are sleeker and less rugged.
The fender flares offer more truck body protection and tire coverage and are not very bold.
This is a good choice for people that want a little extra accent around the wheel wells, but don’t necessarily need to provide coverage for larger tires.
Extended Fender Flares
Unique feature: Extensive tire coverage and clearance
Extended fender flares are very bold and pronounced and pretty much the biggest fender flares.
They take the smooth and sleek finish of OE-style fenders, only that they are wider, bolder, and more aggressive. They extend farther from the vehicle than any other fender flare.
While they do not have decorative bolts, their wide clearance and tire coverage gives them an aggressive and off-road look.
This is the fender flare for you if you need a rugged look but without the bolts. They are the perfect blend of sleek and bold.
Bolt-On Fender Flares
Regular Bolt-On Fender Flares
Unique feature: regular recessed bolts
Bolt-on fender flares are designed with bolts that go along the upper edge. Almost all the time, these bolts are more for the looks rather than functionality.
They give the impression of being real bolts used to install the fender flares, but in the actual sense, they are only decorative.
Pocket-Style Fender Flares
Unique feature: deeply recessed bolts
These fall in the same category as the regular bolt-on since they also have decorative bolts.
The only distinguishing feature is that their bolts are more recessed into the fender flares.
They also have a bit more tire coverage than the regular bolt-on fenders. This allows them to give a much more rugged and off-road look.
Cut-Out Fender Flares
Unique feature: extremely recessed bolts
If you are a lover of extremely rugged and aggressive looks, then cut-out fender flares are the ones for you.
Compared to pocket-style fender flares, the bolts on cut-out fender flares are recessed more deeply into the fenders.
They are also nearer to the sidewalls of the vehicle than the ones on pocket or regular bolt-on fender flares.
These fender flares take the bolt-on game to the extreme level.
Their coverage and clearance are also extreme and this gives them the perfect off-road look.
Take these as a version of the extended fender flares but with bolts. This style is only made by a few manufacturers like Bushwacker.
Flat Fender Flares
Unique feature: Flat surface instead of curved
These are distinct from the others since instead of being curved, they are flat and extend outward.
They are designed to fit on Jeeps, most notable the Jeep Wrangler.
Flat fenders can either have bolts or lack them, but both give a bold and off-road look.
Best Fender Flares
Best OE Style: TrueEdge Sportz Fender Flares
Features
- Made of tough ABS plastic
- Clean and sleek OEM style
- Perfectly follows factory contours and lines of the vehicle’s wheel well
- Available in matte smooth and painted finishes
- Sold in complete sets for all four wheels
- Easy to install with no drilling necessary
- 30-day warranty
OEM-style flares are best known for their uncompromising fit on almost all vehicle models and make.
TrueEdge Sportz fender flares depict this in the most perfect way. They line seamlessly along the contours of your truck.
The fender flare is constructed from tough ABS plastic and has UV, warp, and chalk resistance properties.
The available options are the painted fender flares and matte smooth. Both of these options are designed to blend perfectly with your factory finish.
Matte smooth is a universal finish, while the painted fender flares are customized to match your specific vehicle color.
OE-style fender flares are also very affordable and easy to install.
Best Street-Style: Lund SX Sport Style
Main Features
- Constructed from OE-style Tri-Flex ABS thermoplastic
- Low profile design for a sleek appearance
- UV resistant to reduce fading
- Available in a textured finish and smooth black
- Paintable finish to match your truck
- Suitable for regular sized tires
- Drill-free installation
- Made in the USA and backed by a lifetime warranty
Like all street-style fender flares, Lund SX comes in a smooth low profile design.
It is available in smooth black or textured finish. If these finishes do not match your taste or truck, you can always paint a (smooth) set of flares to a color you prefer.
The fender flare is designed to give your truck or SUV a perfect sleek appearance while also fighting off the flying rocks, mud and debris.
Its Tri-Flex ABS thermoplastic construction is tough and built to survive the test of time. The material does not get affected by ponding water, road salts, brake fluid, engine oil, and other chemicals.
It is also embedded with a UV-protectant that helps it maintain its color by preventing fading and warping.
Lund SX is best suitable for anyone looking to add a sleek and neat look to their truck, but still get better coverage and protection than what the OEM-style fenders offer.
The fender flare is available for Chevy Silverado, Toyota Tundra, GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram, and Ford trucks.
Best Rivet/Bolt-On Style: EGR Bolt-On Look Fender Flares
Main features
- Made of textured heavy-duty ABS plastic construction
- UV-resistant
- CAD designed for an exact match and fit along the lines and contours of your truck
- Made for vehicles with big tires
- Stainless steel bolts on standard black flares
- Powder-coated black bolts on matte black flares
- Easy no-drill installation
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
EGR Bolt-On Fender Flares are a perfect compliment to big-tire vehicles as they make them look even more rugged and hardcore.
Having been custom-made and robotically measured, the fenders will have a perfect fit along your truck’s wheel well lines and contours.
You can purchase the fenders in standard black or matte black finish. For each of these, there are matching bolts to improve the looks and give an off-road accent.
The installation is with a double-sided adhesive and it will not require any drilling whatsoever.
EGR Bolt-On Fender Flares give a good-enough coverage to oversize tires and is a good choice for frequent off-roaders.
Best Pocket Style: Bushwacker Pocket Style Flares
Main Features
- Made of Dura-Flex 2000 ABS material
- Suitable for oversized tires
- Recessed stainless steel bolts
- Built-in sun protection filters prevent fading and chalking
- A matte black finish which is paintable
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
As mentioned earlier, pocket-style fender flares are an improvement of regular-bolt-on fender flares, with their bolts deeply recessed into the flares.
Bushwacker Pocket-style fender flares are a true reflection of that.
Their bolts are more pronounced and noticeable, giving them a more aggressive look.
The installation of the fenders is very easy and consumes less time.
And, like most bolt-on fender flares, the bolts are for decoration only and so you will not have to drill through your vehicle.
The high-impact Dura-Flex ABS is not only unique but also among the strongest materials in the industry as far as fender flares go.
It possesses high-impact resistance properties, making it tough against debris and rocks as well as to temperature changes
This is the perfect set of fender flares for all your off-road adventures.
Best Cut-Out: Bushwacker Cut-Out Fender Flares
- Constructed from Dura-Flex 2000 ABS thermoplastic
- Suitable for vehicles with extra-large and oversized tires
- Extremely deep recessed stainless steel bolts
- Wide clearance and coverage
- CAD designed to give a custom-fit look
- UV, crack, and warp resistant
- Paintable matte black finish
- Easy to install with no drilling
- Limited Lifetime warranty
If you thought that EGR Bolt-On and Bushwacker pocket-style flares are hardcore and rugged enough, then Bushwacker cut-out fender flares are going to blow out your mind.
They come in extremely recessed bolts that give a massive presence and off-road look.
With their wide coverage and clearance, they will be able to protect your truck’s body against elements like flying rocks and mud.
Like all Bushwacker fender flares, they are made of the high-impact Dura-Flex ABS Thermoplastic.
This type of thermoplastic is designed to remain flexible even in extreme conditions. It also has high resistance to impact, UV rays, warping, and cracking.
These fender flares are made for extra large oversized tires, perfect for off-road performance.
Best Extended: Bushwacker Extend A Fender Flares
- Long-lasting Dura-Flex ABS construction
- Premium coverage for extremely oversized tires
- Paintable matte black finish
- Built-in sun protection filters
- Fast and easy installation with no drilling
- Limited Lifetime warranty
Bushwacker Extend A Fender Flares is also another set built for extreme off-road performance.
They are one of the few fender flares made without bolts yet pass for an off-road look. This is because they are big, wide, and bold with an aggressive appearance.
What stands out most about the fender flares is how they extend further from the vehicle.
This earns them more clearance, making them the best fender flares for big and oversized tires. At the same time, their smooth finish maintains a sleek profile.
Their Dura-Flex Construction is also very tough. It is capable of surviving the harsh off-road conditions while remaining flexible in different temperatures.
Are you a lover of bold and aggressive looks but not necessarily the bolts? This is the fender flare set for you.
Checking points before you purchase a fender flare
Construction material
With many companies manufacturing almost similar design fender flares, telling the best among them can be tricky.
But the construction material can always help you decide. This is a factor that is most important if you do a lot of off-roading. As usual, when you go off-road, the number of elements and amount of physical impact on your fender flares increases.
You drive through a lot more mud, rocks, and debris. This means the material for construction should be very sturdy and resilient. A good example is Bushwacker’s dura-flex 2000 thermoplastic which is both flexible and tough.
Tri-flex ABS and other ABS materials are also very sturdy and durable, just make sure the quality is top-notch.
Coverage and clearance
The purpose of a fender flare is to protect your truck’s body, enhance your looks and also protect your truck from rust and corrosion.
The bigger the coverage your fender flares have, the more your truck will be protected.
So if you have large tires, then you should go for the fender flares with bigger coverage.
Sleek or rugged
This depends on your taste, and sometimes on your vehicle model. For instance, small trucks like Toyota Tacoma go well with sleek and small size fender flares.
The big and rugged fender flares on the other hand, are a perfect match with trucks, SUVs, and jeep wranglers.
But this is for you to decide, whether you want an aggressive and off-road look, or a sleek, classy, and OE-like look.
Paintable or non-paintable
Fender flares come in two different finishes: textured or smooth. Generally speaking, textured flares cannot be painted, so if you are looking for painted flares, be sure to buy a pre-painted set. Or, purchase a smooth set that is paintable by your local body shop.
The textured flares give a more aggressive look, but are very difficult to paint, and generally considered non-paintable.
Price against value
Some fender flares come at high prices, but it is deservedly so – pricier flares are usually due to better engineering and/or materials.
This is especially important if you are shopping just by price — you may pay the price for “cheap flares” in a year or two, when they look chalky or start cracking.
At PartCatalog, we only partner with known and trusted fender flare companies that have a proven track record. We sell a variety of fender flares in all price ranges, and will refuse to work with any company that doesn’t meet our high standards.
Custom-fit
Custom-fit design fender flares are the easiest to install and they line perfectly well with your truck’s contours.
This is because they are specifically tailored for your vehicle make and model. They do not need any further modification and you can have them installed on your truck in minutes.
All of our vehicle-specific fender flares are custom made to your truck, so you can be sure of a good fit.