Protect Your Ride Inside and Out With These Expert-Approved Car Floor Mats

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

You can’t stop your kids’ muddy shoes or your dog’s wet paws from getting into your car, but protective floor mats, along with seat covers, can help keep your interior in good shape. Floor mats take the brunt of mud, dust, and snow so your carpet doesn’t have to, and they’re easy to clean. Automakers typically offer floor mats as a factory option, but going with third-party providers can often save you money.

Whether you’re looking for bargain mats for a quick makeover or want to spend a little more on an all-season set, here are our top recommendations for the best of what’s out there.

For other products to protect your vehicle, you may want to check out our suggestions for car covers, wiper blades, and UV sun shades.

The Best Car Floor Mats

• Best Overall: Motor Trend FlexTough Car Floor Mats

• Best Value: Armor All All-Season Car Floor Mats

• Best Premium: WeatherTech All-Weather Car Floor Mats

• Best for Trucks and SUV: Armor All Truck/SUV Rubber Car Floor Mat

• Best Heavy Duty: Cat ToughRide Heavy-Duty All Season Mats

What to Consider

Sizing

Some car floor mats come in universal sizes that can often be trimmed to fit, and there are also custom mats designed for a specific make, model, and year. Custom mats typically have to be special-ordered, or bought directly from the vehicle manufacturer. To accommodate a wide variety of cars, we’ll be recommending the universal type.

Materials

Most car floor mats on the market are either made out of decorative cloth and leather, or more heavy-duty rubber. Rubber mats are popular because they’re waterproof and more durable than carpet, with deep grooves and wells to prevent water, mud, and stains from ruining your car's footwell. Rubber mats are also easy to clean. Simply removing the mats and spraying them off with soapy water can be enough to return them to like-new condition, while fabric requires deeper cleaning.

Mat Features

Both typically have an anti-slip surface on the underside, and some go the extra mile with snaps or clasps to keep them in place. You'll find mats sold in sets, ranging from two to five pieces.

Two-set mats are great for coupes and convertibles, while larger sets are suited to four-door sedans and SUVs. The mats for some rear-seat areas are one large piece, allowing them to cover the entirety of the rear floor area, rather than just two small mats for the primary seating positions.

How We Selected

As an automotive writer, I have over five years of experience researching and reviewing various cars and auto products. Our selection includes universal-fit floor mats for cars, trucks, and SUVs, from practical, all-weather rubber mats to colorful options for jazzing up your footwell. This guide lists mats across price points, from inexpensive to higher end, and covers sets ranging from two to five pieces.

All-Season Car Floor Mats

If you’re looking for a basic high-quality, all-season car floor mat with a universal fit, these are an excellent choice, made from thick molded rubber. A few color options are available, with black, gray, and tan to match interior upholstery. A matching rear cargo liner is also available.

Made by Armor All, the mats feature deep treads, durable construction designed to prevent cracking and curling, and a trim-to-fit perimeter to customize fit. The mats are also available in two- and three-piece sets.

All-Weather Car Floor Mats

While WeatherTech offers plenty of custom fit options for floor mats, this universal version comes with integrated guide lines so that consumers can easily cut them to fit. There’s a lot to like about these tough, all-weather car floor mats, with a solid lineup of desirable features.

For starters, there’s a half-inch lip around the edges to prevent water, slush, and salt from damaging the footwell’s carpeting, plus deep, nonslip treads. They’re also made of PVC-free flexible rubber that won’t crack, and the front mats have separate designs for a better fit.

FlexTough Car Floor Mats

These floor mats from Motor Trend can handle mud, leaves, and other tough debris to keep stains and water off your car’s carpet. There are also plenty of color options, including blue, red, and dark brown.

The deep center section is designed to trap dirt and debris, and despite these mats’ heavy-duty construction, they’re made from soft rubber, so they’re still trim-to-fit. Rubber teeth on the underside will hold them in place. The optional rear mat also includes center coverage to protect the entire floor of the vehicle, including the middle position.

One thing: Although the manufacturer promises the mats to be odorless, some customers have noted a pungent rubber smell after purchasing. Giving mats a wash and dry before installation is a good practice to cut down on any unwanted odors.

Truck/SUV Rubber Car Floor Mat

If you have a truck or SUV, these rugged, all-weather floor mats from Armor All are specifically designed for larger vehicles and built to last. The heavy-duty rubber mats are trimmable and have deep treads, plus they’ll stay put in your footwells thanks to a large orange anti-slip claw on the underside.

Several customers report that they’re durable and easy to trim. The set is available in two to four pieces, and they come with a 60-day guarantee.

Heavy-Duty All Season Mats

Cat is known for professional grade tractor and construction equipment, and these all-weather floor mats are made to bring a similar standard to your car or truck. They feature a deep dish ridged design with thick rubber to trap water and snow, keeping it away from your carpets. Three and four-piece sets are available, with three color options to match your interior

Two-Tone Car Floor Mats

These Motor Trend mats feature a unique design with colored accents to add a little bit of flair to your interior. There are also plenty of guidelines to assist in cutting.

In addition to their style, they do a great job at keeping your car’s footwell clean, with rubberized nibs on the back to prevent them from sliding around, plus ergonomic grooves on top that trap water and other debris. Like the other Motor Trend mats listed in this guide, some customers report a distinct rubber smell when new.

Monster Eye Car Floor Mats

If you’re looking to customize your ride, these colorful rubber car floor mats will do the trick. The set includes two mats for the front and two for the back. The mats are mostly black, with two center panels offered in an accent color. Options with up to eight different accent colors are available.

Deep grooves around the edges trap water, and rubber teeth underneath keep them from slipping around. The driver and passenger mats are narrower than some others, but you can trim them to fit if they’re too large.

BPA-Free Car Floor Mats

While not completely odorless, these BPA-free car floor mats from Motor Trend are less noxious than that of some other brands on the market and a smart bet for anyone sensitive to chemical smells. Some customers note a lack of grip along the bottom, so they may slip around in the footwell. For any car, it’s best to select a mat that covers the full area of the floor surface.

The all-weather three-piece set is made from rubber with anti-slip nibbed backing and includes two front mats and a single mat that spans the backseat’s floor. It comes in beige and slate gray in addition to black, and works for cars, trucks, and SUVs.

You Might Also Like

• The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Painter’s Tape

• The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere

• Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?