The best car floor mats are designed to protect the floor in your vehicle from regular wear, dirt, dust, moisture, and salt damage. They should also fit properly and not get in the way of the pedals while you’re driving.
Like with most automotive accessories, floor mats for cars are held to strict regulatory standards set by the government. These standards specify the design and manufacturing style that car floor mats need to follow.
This is great for stock, OEM floor mats. However, not all aftermarket and non-OEM car mat brands follow these standards. This can make it difficult to find the best car floor mats for your vehicle.
To help make it easier to find the best floor mats for cars, we put together this post. Our recommendations adhere to government regulations while providing you with the floor mat benefits you’re looking for. Let’s jump right into it!
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The Best Floor Mats for Cars
Armor All 4-Piece All Season Rubber Floor Mat (Best Floor Mats Overall)
The Armor All 4-Piece Black All Season Rubber Floor Mat is the industry-leader when it comes to the best floor mats for cars, trucks, and other vehicles. These are the best choice for most people looking to protect the floor in their vehicle from regular use through all seasons.
The Armor All Floor Mat boasts a heavy duty, universal design. Installing it is simple. The mats can be trimmed, using scissors, to provide a better fit for the floor in your vehicle.
As for durability, these mats take advantage of a heavy duty rubber construction. They’re able to hold up quite well to the rigors of daily driving use, especially during the winter months. The thick, wide construction helps to contain dust, dirt, moisture, and debris while shielding your car floor from the damaging outdoor elements.
On the bottom of these mats is a helpful carpet claw. This helps to keep the mats in place and prevents them from slipping around when you’re driving. They’re also available in a few different colors if you’re looking for something to match the color of your vehicle.
Overall, the Armor All 4-Piece Black All Season Rubber Floor Mat set are the best car floor mats for most drivers. They’re durable, practically designed, and ideal for keeping moisture and debris from the floor of your vehicle.
AmazonBasics 3-Piece All-Season Heavy Duty Rubber Floor Mats
The AmazonBasics 3-Piece All-Season Heavy Duty Rubber Floor Mat Set is another great choice. This set is an affordable alternative to our top recommendation. Depending on your preferences, there’s also a 4-piece set available if it would fit your vehicle better.
When it comes to durability, this car floor mat set is made from a heavy duty, thick, BPA-free rubber. It’s non-toxic, fade resistant, and designed to withstand the harsh conditions of daily, regular use from driving.
Installation is simple. Using scissors, these mats can be trimmed to better fit the interior of your vehicle. This helps to prevent dust, dirt, moisture, and debris from further getting into the carpets.
On the top of the mats are ergonomic, non-slip grooves. This helps to provide better traction while driving. It also channels the dust, moisture, and debris away from your shoes.
On the bottom of these mats are anti-slip, rubberized spikes. These spikes help to keep the mats in place. They also help to prevent them from sliding around while you’re driving.
Overall, the AmazonBasics 3-Piece All-Season Heavy Duty Rubber Floor Mat Set is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable set of car floor mats. They’re easy to clean, durable for regular use, and simple to install. If you’re a fan of the AmazonBasics brand, you’ll be happy with this set of mats.
FH Group Floor Mat Set (4-Piece)
The FH Group Floor Mat Set is another great choice if you’re looking for durable floor mats for your vehicle. What makes these different is the two-tone design, giving them a more premium appearance. These are available in a 4-piece set, which is more practical for most vehicles.
The FH Group Floor Mats are made from a durable, heavy-duty rubber. They’re waterproof, stain resistant, and able to withstand the rigors of daily driving use through each season.
Installation is simple, just like with the other floor mats for cars we’ve recommended. Using scissors, it’s possible to trim the mats for a better fit. Once trimmed, the mats are better able to protect your vehicle floor from dust, debris, and moisture that gets collected.
When it comes to design, these mats have various channels on top to help direct the flow of moisture and debris. This keeps it away from your shoes and carpet while you’re driving. On the bottom you’ll find a heavy nibbed backing that helps to keep the mats in place and prevents them from slipping.
What makes the FH Group Floor Mat Set different is the two-tone design. This way you can choose a set that matches your vehicle color and style preferences. Overall, the FH Group Floor Mat Set is a durable, easy to clean, and practical set of floor mats for most vehicles.
Cooper Tires Discoverer STT Pro Floor Mats
The Cooper Tires Discoverer STT Pro Floor Mats are rugged, well-designed, and suitable for most cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs. These come with an interesting high-traffic and slush zone feature that makes them great for winter use.
When it comes to design, these mats are made from a heavy duty, thermoplastic rubber. It’s odorless and designed to withstand the rigors of daily use during the cold and wet winter months. There’s even an extra thick heel pad which helps with both comfort and durability.
For the fit, these mats can be trimmed to fit a wide range of different vehicle Interiors. Once installed, they’re kept in place thanks to the anti-slip backing. This backing takes advantage of sharp back rib nibs to help prevent the mats from sliding around while you’re driving.
On the top you’ll find a deep tread pattern as well as a slush zone. This helps to keep dirt, moisture, and debris channeled into a specific area. Once it starts getting full and dirty, simply remove the mats to shake them out for a cleaner driving experience.
Overall, the Cooper Tires Discoverer STT Pro Floor Mats are a strong Contender for the best car floor mats for winter driving. The durable design and slush zone makes these ideal if you’re doing a lot of driving during the cold and wet winter months. This is a 4-piece set designed to fit into most vehicles.
BDK MT654PLUS Floor Mats
The BDK MT654PLUS Floor Mats are an affordable and low-cost alternative to our recommendations so far. These are available in a 4-piece set, made from rubber, and designed for all-weather use. If you’re looking for a set of cheap floor mats for cars, it’s these that I would recommend.
The BDK MT654PLUS Floor Mats are basic, yet they provide suitable protection against moisture, dirt, and debris. These are designed using a heavy-duty rubber built to protect against the harmful weather elements.
When it comes to fit, these mats can be easily trimmed to fit the interior of most vehicles. On the bottom are rubberized nibs that helped to keep the mats in place while you’re driving. On the top you’ll find grooves as well as a comfort pad.
Overall, if you’re looking for a set of affordable car mats, it’s the BDK MT654PLUS Floor Mats that I would recommend. While they don’t come with as many features as our other recommendations, they’re still a great choice for protecting your car during the cold and wet months.
Best Floor Mats For Cars Buying Guide
Tips For Buying Car Floor Mats
There are some helpful things to be aware of if you’re shopping for the best car floor mats. These tips will make it easier for you to find the right set of mats for your vehicle. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy your driving experience in all weather conditions.
Design
The first thing to consider is the overall design of the floor mats are interested in. Those that have higher edges or ridges that make up the perimeter of the mat are ideal.
These edges and ridges helps to contain the moisture, excessive liquid, dirt, and debris that you might track into your vehicle from your footwear. This design prevents all of this stuff from spilling onto your floor and getting rubbed into the carpet. once it’s full, or getting dirty with debris, it’s easy to lift out the mat and give it a shake to clean it off.
Another design feature to look for are grooves and different channels on the top of the mat. These help to channel water and moisture towards the bottom of the mat, into the catch basin area. The water will pool here and be kept away from your feet and shoes while you’re driving.
Mounting or Locking System
Next, look at the underneath, or bottom, of any floor mat you’re interested in. There should be a mounting or a locking system visible. The best system are the tiny claws, or rigid teeth, that help to keep the mat in place while you’re driving.
Another popular system are the mats that come equipped with holes. These holes are meant to be mounted onto the floor hooks in your vehicle. Not every vehicle comes with this mounting setup, and it’s the rigid claws that provide a more practical placement.
Avoid using any mats that don’t have a placement system. Without one, the mats can slide around or shift underneath your feet. This could cause a hazard while you’re driving.
Size
It’s also a good idea to avoid using thin, seemingly flimsy mats. They might seem like a better choice, but they’re not as practical for keeping moisture and debris out of your vehicle. The thinner mats typically aren’t as durable either.
There are a number of benefits to using thick car floor mats. For starters, they’ll be heavier, which better helps keep them in place while you’re driving. Secondly, they’re better able to handle are amounts of moisture, debris, mud, snow, and gravel.
Finally, thicker auto floor mats aren’t as likely to crack, dry out, or curl through regular use. It’s going to take you longer to wear a hole through the mat as well. When given the choice, I’d always recommend going with a thicker set of mats.
Materials
It’s a good idea to go with the floor mats that use odorless materials. It can be distracting, and even harmful, using cheap car floor mats that emit unpleasant and unwanted odors.
Another thing to consider when it comes to materials, is using rubber. This is a thick and durable material that’s typically able to withstand the rigors of regular use. Rubber is also easier to maintain and keep clean.
Type of Floor Mat
The final consideration is the type of vehicle floor you’re interested in or that’s necessary for your driving style. The two most common types are standard or all-weather (all-season) floor mats. You can also find carpeted floor mats, which are a good choice during the dry, warm summer months.
During the winter, consider picking up the best car floor mats for winter driving that you can find. These are typically made from rubber and will boast an “all-season” rating.
During the dryer months, you could get away with standard mats or even the carpeted ones. Just remember to regular use your car vacuum for keeping the interior of your vehicle clean.
What’s the Difference Between All-Weather Floor Mats and Carpet Floor Mats?
Since I just mentioned it, I thought it’d be a good idea to take a further look at the difference between all-weather and standard carpet floor mats. These are the two most common types and the mats you’re most likely to use.
Carpet floor mats are the ones that typically come with your vehicle. They’re made from carpet using either nylon or polyester fabrics. While they look good inside your vehicle, they don’t provide the best protection against spills, debris, moisture, or regular use in a range of different weather conditions.
The problem with carpeted mats is that they soak up spills and are easily stained. They’ll also eventually wear out, which doesn’t look great. On the other hand, they do look better inside your vehicle compared to the large, rubber, all-weather floor mats.
Speaking of all-weather floor mats, these are your best choice to use outside of the warmer and dry summer months. They offer the best protection for your vehicle’s floor. They’re thicker, heavier, and designed for mitigating the effects of cold and wet weather.
All-weather floor mats are equipped with suitable water resistance and waterproofing. Instead of getting the snow, rain, and other debris caked into your carpet, it’s all managed on top of the all-weather floor mats. These make it easier to keep the inside of your vehicle clean and are ideal during the seasons where it’s raining or snowing a lot.
Floor Mats FAQ
Will New Mats Fit the Same As OEM Floor Mats?
This really depends on the design and brand of the aftermarket car mats you’re using. For the most part, most mats have a universal fit. This means they’ll fit into your vehicle just like the OEM ones.
Keep an eye out for vehicle specific floor mats that are designed for your exact vehicle. These are specifically designed to perfectly fit the floor space and specific vehicles.
The alternative is going with a set of universal automotive floor mats. What’s great about these is that they can be easily trimmed or cut to fit the space on your vehicle floor. It’s a good idea to measure the floor in your vehicle so you can find something that will fit perfectly.
How Do You Find Rubber Car Floor Mats That Fit Your Car?
Like I just mentioned, it’s important that you measure the dimensions of the floor in your vehicle. This will give you the most accurate idea of the size of floor mats you need to fit your car.
Most of the manufacturers will provide a guide on how to properly measure to floor in your vehicle. Start by measuring the width of the space, from the edge of the door to the center divider. Next, measure the length, or the space from front to back.
Don’t forget to measure the area around the pedals and how far forward your driver seat is. You can get really specific with the measurements considering how many different floor mats there are to choose from.
Generally speaking, the best universal floor mats for cars and other vehicles are likely to fit. They might require some trimming and adjusting. Avoid using any mats that get in the way of your pedals or that are constantly shifting around while you’re driving.
Another great idea is to look for model and vehicle-specific car mats. These are designed to perfectly fit your car. If you can find them, these are a great choice for most people.
Are Floor Mats Dangerous?
When properly installed, floor mats are completely safe to use. Sometimes, it’s possible that the mat can get stuck underneath the gas or brake pedal. This typically happens from a poor fit or improper installation.
You’re most likely to run into problems if you buy a poorly designed car floor mat. Always use mass that come with fasteners on the bottom or features that help to keep it in place. Double check the placement before driving to ensure the match isn’t getting stuck under the pedals.
Apart from buying a vehicle specific floor mat, you can always trim them down to the perfect size as well. So while they can be dangerous, they’re definitely safe when properly installed and fitted.
How Do You Clean Car Floor Mats?
Different car floor mats will have different requirements for cleaning. Double check the manual if you’re wondering about how to properly care and maintain the mats are using.
Overall, there are some basics when it comes to cleaning your vehicle’s floor mats. The best strategy is to regularly remove them from your vehicle and shake them out. This will get rid of any dust, dirt, and debris that has built up.
Alternatively, you can hose them down or clean the mats with a damp cloth if the weather permits. Dish soap or car washing soap is generally safe to use. Always leave the mats out to dry before putting them back in your vehicle.
Regularly cleaning the mats will help to extend their lifespan as well as keep the inside of your vehicle cleaner. This is one of those helpful car maintenance tips you don’t want to avoid.
How Often Do You Need to Replace Car Mats?
Typically, rubber car mats are designed using heavy-duty materials. They should last a few years of regular use, at the minimum. It depends on how you treat them and the conditions you’re driving in that will determine the lifespan of the mats you’re using.
Most of the best car floor mats are highly resistant against temperature swings. This means they won’t harden, crack, or deteriorate from regular use. As long as you take proper care of them, it’s easy for these mats to last the lifespan of your vehicle.
Do Floor Mats Stain?
For the most part, many car floor mats are resistant to staining. They might get dirty with regular use, but they can be easily cleaned and revived.
Those of you driving in areas with a lot of road salt use might see some salt staining. This can be avoided by regular cleaning. Better quality mats are more resistant to staining.
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