I’ve been having a back-and-forth for about a half hour now about car and truck floor mats and custom-fit liners. I’ve worn through the driver’s side floor mat of our SUV. My heel always finds the hole, and it’s really uncomfortable, especially when grit and gravel collect there too.
So it’s time for a new floor mat. But wait… what about custom-fit liners?
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Winter is a while away, and semi-annual “these parts in your model year truck might be failing prematurely” notices from Chevy are really starting to bug me. I’ve been tempted to trade in for a new vehicle, but there’s plenty of mileage left on the truck – too much for me to seriously consider a new purchase or lease. That’s a debate for another time.
For now, I need a new mat, or a new liner. I’ve went the scissor-trimming route with universal-fit mats in the past, and it’s a pain in the butt. Even when trimmed to fit, universal mats never seem to fit perfectly well.
In the front, I would definitely appreciate the fluid and debris-catching abilities of a custom-fit liner. And, assuming I keep the car another couple of years, it’ll be great for catching ice, snow, grass, sand, and all kinds of stuff that normally just rub into the OEM carpeted mat. But will a liner or all-weather mat be as comfortable when driving?
In the back, the one-piece liner might help prevent movement of cargo that I have been placing on the floor with increasing frequency. I don’t think I really need new rear passenger mats, though.
Okay, so it’s settled – I’ll get a custom liner.
Husky or Weathertech? A Husky set will set me back $170, Weathertech front liners will set me back $130. Facepalm. And do I finally want to make the jump to a custom-fit cargo liner for the back as well? Ack, decisions, decisions.
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Reviews of both brands seem good too, and both brands’ products seem to be made in the USA.
If you’ve got custom-fit mats or liners in your car or truck, what do you think about them? Better than the cheap cut-to-fit mats that are available anywhere car accessories are sold?
Nathan
I know people that use weather tech and swear by them – I’ve seen them last in other people’s vehicles.
I however don’t. I also don’t own a truck at the moment. no real need – suburbanite home dweller.
however – I’m also anal about car care – I’m that guy with the fancy polisher and the rags and well you get the idea. so I do indeed have a a set of plastic mats that I put in when I do dirty stuffs – and a covering for my trunk.
I used a plastic mat like they sell for office chairs. you know what they have for like 20 at office max etc. the teeth will hold the carpet – it’s easily cut with tin snips. I made mine with one already damaged from home use – and I glued 2 pieces together such that I have 2 wings that go up either side of the foot well. (think piece on RH side of gas pedal – where you boot could rub – and once on left hand side where the wheel well or dead pedal space is.
for the trunk I used contractor grade (3mil) pastic bag that I tape to the sides. only when I’m getting things like bags of cement or bags of dirt/fertilizer.
if I was to buy a set made – I’d probably use weather tech.
Travis C
I have a Jetta wagon and I can tell you my Weathertech rear cargo mat is amazing. This thing has saved me from flooding the rear of my car many times over due to accidents. I also never have to worry about throwing anything in the back. I can just pull it out and hose it off.
I liked it so much that I got the custom fit front mats. I live in FL and therefor don’t have to deal with winters. But, I would imagine they would be great at catchinw snow melt.
Brandon
No experience with the Husky, but I’ve never been disappointed with Weathertech and don’t know anyone else who has, either.
Derek
Don’t forget to check at the Chevy dealer. We were going to go with WeatherTech but the Mazda dealer had all weather mats that fit perfectly for $60 instead of $180.
Jotham McMillan
We use WeatherTech and they work great. My SUV is the grunge car for snow, camping,etc and the mats make cleanup a snap with a small shop vac/hand vac. Strangely enough, the minivan gets more mess from kids so it may also be getting some WeatherTech mats.
The one downside I’ve seen is that sometime the second row mats curl up a bit from not quite staying underneath the front seat when it moves back due to different driver sizes. It’s a pretty minor issue that I could probably fix if I wasn’t lazy.
Last of all, a mat in the cargo area is a godsend. I don’t sweat nasty stuff back there knowing it can easily be wiped down.
Tom
I have the weather tech mats in our minivan and they are awesome. The larger mats can get moved around in the back. This winter the low parts became flooded with melted snow and I had to use a towel to get the water out. Better then it all going into the carpet though and having salt crystals forming.
I have also seen them in the back of a Suburban and they were great there.
Kyle Matthew Rohde
I bought the Huskys for my Explorer back in the day and have them in my year-round, daily-driver Mustang now. I like them over WeatherTech for a couple reasons. First, price – I’m surprised they’re that much more expensive for your car, Stuart. Generally, it’s the opposite. Second, I think they typically have higher lips on the sides than WeatherTech, which keeps winter slush/grime from getting onto carpets. They fill the entire space available to them, which is what I want from floormats. And third, because WeatherTech puts their big shiny logo on each mat and that irritates me.
@Derek, I have Mazda factory ones in my wife’s ’08 Mazda3 and they’re pretty useless – no lips around the sides.
Stuart
I read that the Husky liner fits the driver’s side better for my vehicle, but Weathertech’s cargo liner is a better fit in the back.
Apples to apples, both brands’ front and back liners come out to the same price. But Husky doesn’t offer a front-only package as Weathertech does. i’m surprised too, as I read Husky is supposed to be appreciably cheaper.
Kyle Matthew Rohde
Got it – that makes sense. The rear ones are nice to have too, IMO, especially since passengers are generally more likely to do a lousy job cleaning their shoes off before getting into your car!
As far as fit, I’ve got the front, back and trunk ones for the Mustang, as I did for the Explorer, and they all fit 100% perfect.
Stuart
Sorry, I said fit but meant coverage. For my vehicle the Husky liner reportedly has better pedal area and side coverage.
Jason
I have owned both Husky and WeatherTech. Both are excellent. Although I found the Husky mats to be more flexible and softer rubber. Weathertech was a more rigid mat, almost molded plastic. I found that it was much easier for my feet to slide across the Weathertech. That can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. I thought that the Weathertech mats fit just a little bit better than Husky. The problem with Weathertech is if you ever trade vehicles, it’s highly unlikely they will fit any other vehicle you buy next. With Husky I have been lucky a couple times and the mats did fit other vehicles I bought. I’m currently using a generic version of Husky mats in my truck because they were cheaper. They don’t fit as well, but they keep most of the mud, dirt and gravel on the mats, so they work well for me. Also you might want to check out Cabela’s. They have their own house brand of truck mats and some of them look to be rebranded Husky and Weathertech. I bought one of their cargo mats a few years ago and I found it to be a perfect fit and made out of some great material that was just the right blend of being flexible and having plenty of traction to keep items from sliding around. Being flexible was highly useful for when I wanted to take the cargo mat out with the debris on it and then wash it off in the driveway.
Pete
Cabelas does in fact sell re-branded WeatherTech mats. I ordered a set last fall and they came in the WeatherTech box, with a couple of Cabelas stickers to install in the nameplate box on the mats. Never got around to putting on that sticker…..
I have them in a 2014 Tacoma, and am pleased with them so far. They definitely keep the grime out of the carpet and are easy to clean.
Hang Fire
First of all, keep a vacuum in the garage beside the vehicle, plugged in, with the best two nozzle tools available, and get in the habit of vacuuming out the gravel and grit on a regular basis, like several times a week. That way you won’t wear a hole in the next mat so quickly.
I do the same thing with Invisible Glass and microfiber rags for the windshield and windows, and my wiper blades last much longer now.
I have no experience with Husky, but we like Lund Catch-All mats. They look like carpet but dry out much faster when you hose them down. They are custom fit so will only fit one type of vehicle.
Steve
I went through this exact debate almost exactly a year ago when we first got our new truck. Weathertech vs Husky vs others. Heard great things about Weathertech and about Husky, we have family and friends who are happy customers of both. After handling both, I ended up deciding on Husky (Xact contour) simply because they were a bit more rubbery feeling. Fits very nicely and holds a lot of stuff without overflowing onto the carpet. I have no doubt that Weathertech would have done basically the same job, just with a slightly different feel underfoot.
Note that we only have the floor mats (front both sides, one piece across the crew cab back), so I can’t comment on bed liners/mats.
Derek
My Weathertech mats were very slick for the first 6mo-1yr. It was really annoying because my left foot kept sliding and I couldn’t do anything about it except try to hold it in place or extend all the way to the back. After a while they got scratched up by grime and they’re fine now. I considered scuffing them with sandpaper initially but chose not to. I probably would scuff them if I buy them for the next car.
They seem very waterproof, but still have holes for the mounting hooks so it can’t take too much liquid. The hooks don’t really grab the carpet very well and occasionally pull out. I would rather they be hole free with velcro holding to the carpet. You could DIY this.
I mostly bought them because I have beige carpet and I wanted black mats for a nice contrast (which they do well) and to keep the carpet underneath in perfect condition (even though you’ll never see it). But somehow, some kind of grease or black grime keeps getting under the mats. I think it happens when I go through the auto car wash and they take the mats out to be washed. Northern VA has essentially outlawed hand washing so everyone goes through the auto wash.
Would I buy them again… MAYBE. They were expensive but I’ll sell them with the car. They do work well to catch dirt and water, but the underlying carpet is not completely clean. They do fit and look very nice. You can get by with $30 winter mats and regular vacuuming.
Matt
You’ve just re-asked the M18 vs 20V Max question in a different industry 🙂 I got a new 4Runner last year and did the WeatherTechs front to back and have been totally happy with them and would order them again. I did the cargo area as well.
I’ve seen the Husky liners in person and I think there’s really no wrong answer between these two – they are both a massive improvement from stock mats or any of the other universal mats. I’m going to order a set of liners for my wife’s car now as well after trying out the new ones.
Stuart
haha, I know. I checked several forums and there’s no consensus over which is better, so I tried to see which is said to be better for my car. For that, I think most testimonials pointed to Husky as being better for driver’s side, and Weathertech being more adjustable and lower lipped for cargo compartment. Forums to the rescue!
Chris
I ran husky in my g6, sierra and my current fusion with no issues, great mats
MT_Noob
I have Weathertech in my car (mini cooper) and I love them. Next car I get will also get Weathertech floor mats. Living in Michigan means all four seasons (Winter/snow, construction, construction, construction) and the mats are great at keeping the salt, snow and crud out of the carpet. I don’t really have much cargo space, so I can’t vouch for the cargo option. The only drawback to a solid liner instead of carpeting is that sometimes when the snow melts you get a puddle, whereas carpet would just absorb it (yuck but at least out of your way) the weather tech has a deep enough tray to contain the water, but it does collect there until it evaporates our until you dump/vacuum it away. Still all in all I love my weathertech mats.
Benjamen
My wife swears by the Husky mats. She’s had them for her ’97 and ’03 Wranglers and recently bought ones for her ’14 CRV. They’ve all fit like a glove. I can’t comment on the Weathertech, but the Husky mats for the CRV even had the fasteners to attach to the driver’s side floor like the stock mat.
She decided that since we have the truck we’re not hauling anything messy in the CRV so she forwent the cargo mat for the CRV. The cabin mats and the cargo mat are sold separately for that vehicle.
If you are prone to carry messy things in your SUV, they’re probably worth it – heck even groceries can be dangerous, I had a gallon milk jug break on me in my truck, a cargo mat would probably contain it. We’ve had kids dump their entire pop in the rear jeep mats and the Husky liners contained it completely, so these are definitely worth it if you have young kids.
Next vehicle get vinyl flooring instead of carpeting. I just take a big soaking wet sponge to clean out my truck. I don’t have to worry about mats.
Jesse Neil
The Rugged Ridge (they are also sold under other brands, but Rugged Ridge seems most common) floor mats blow the husky and weather tech out of the water. They are way more heavy duty than the Husky, and fit great. They don’t make them for everything like Weathertech, but for a truck, they can’t be beat.
I’d probably get Weathertechs if it were for a sedan or something, but I’m totally sold on the Rugged Ridge ones for anything they are available in.
logan
When i bought my truck (tundra). It was missing the drivers carpet. So i got on ebay and found the front two floor mats, rubber, OEM tundra mats for 40$, I was extremely surprised. I left the back ones cloth because a set of 4 was like 200$ and i scarcely have people back there. but wonking in constuction, you need rubber. and they last better then carpet in the long run regardless of what your vehicle is for.
logan
You stole my name!
logan
There isnt a lot of Logans but I got here first!
T
Check with a dealer for your make 1st. May be surprised at the price and quality of the OEM all weather mats vs aftermarket. Audi and Volvo always did all-weather better than the others imo. Im a fan of repurposing and not spending money, so I scrounge for Audi A6 rubber mats from early/mid 2000’s. They fit every sedan/wagon I own, all non Audis, are mega heavy and hold approx a gallon of water. Hard to beat the WT or Hsky trunk mat/liners though for true purposeful utility.
Todd
I have three Subaru’s and all of them have all weather mats from a Subaru dealer. The Outback has a rear cargo all weather mat from the dealer. They fit perfectly, work great and are a lot less expensive than the Weathertech mats for the same cars.
logan
I got a full set of husky liners and hated them. Sent them back and ordered weather techs. I love in Central CA, where temperatures outside are always over 100 in the summer, and are often over 110. It gets far hotter in a vehicle. The decal came off, but that’s no big deal.
The mats from weather tech felt so much better.
Also, on the topic of pickups, you can’t beat the sheer durability of a Ford. There was a company round here that ran the big 3 in the oilfields, and the dodges and chevys dropped like flies. People go dodge for price, Chevy for style, and Ford for ruggedness.
Kyle R
So what did you hate about the Husky Liners? Are you saying they couldn’t handle the heat or what?
logan
No, I didn’t run them that long. The rear floor mat didn’t go all the way back, so it covered only half of the rear. The little nubs were so shallow they wouldn’t grab the carpet. The weather tech had a spot for the mounting stud on the floor to grab. 2011 ford half ton
logan
The husky mats just felt cheap, too. No texture, so they’re slippery, and so thin I feared they’d wear easily. The absurdly poor coverage of the rear compared to the stock rubber mat is what drove me to return them.
logan
The mats saved me a ton of time vacuuming the front seat (crew cab life) never wore them out after 4 years of having them. Lifetime warranties on floor mats is a joke, as they’ll wear out long before they “break”. Caught all the water from rain and snow, and had no issues, outside the decal, in the extreme heat of this cursed region.
Chrisk1970
ive got the Weathertech liners in my 14 Tundra and love them. I bought them a year ago and live in New Hampshire. We had a really, really bad winter and they have held up wonderfully
JeffD
I’ve used Weathertechs back 10 years ago. They’re just okay.
I switched to Husky’d because they always cover the dead pedal area in the front and provide a lip to keep in liquids, like spilled coffee or melted snow.
The money I save on Husky’s is used for tools…naturally.
My new ’15 Impala sports a new set of Husky’s.
mike aka Fazzman
If you dont get weathertech or Husky when it comes to floor mats and such you are wasting your money.
Ive been using them for years in all sorts of weather types and vehicle types,they are awesome.
Charlie Stopczynski
I vote for Weather Tech. Have had them in my ‘ 07 Tundra since it was a few weeks old. Wear like Iron! Also the Weather Tech window vent shades. Also have on ourr Subaru Outback. Daughter was so impressed she had to have them for her new Mazda CX-5.
The floor mats are little worse for wear considering how nasty I’ve gotten them over the years at times.
Justin
I love the weather tech liners in my ford explorer and hyundai sonata. They really seem to go well under the chairs and protect everything really well. For me, they have been well worth the investment.
My only issue with them is the rear cargo area cover in the explorer, they elected to go around some things (seatbelt loops, small hooks) I would have preferred them to go over. But, until you get it and put it in the truck, there is no telling. Even with the little gaps, the rear cover has saved the back of my explorer many times, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again.
Mahalo
Those Weathertech mats look great, and I’ve always thought about getting a set. The price, though, is what has kept me from buying. On a G35 I own, I actually was able to purchase the OEM all-weather mats for less. They are customized for a perfect fit, and they have really deep wells and a nice rim to keep liquids from running away. I am very happy with them. I’m also a fan of the Hexomat look, although I have never owned those.
John
I did a lot of research and really liked what I saw with Weathertech so I ordered one of there “Floor Mats All-Weather” matts. Obviously these were not the upper priced ones that are “FloorLiner DigitalFit” versions” but that wasn’t a concern, I just wanted fitted matts which were good. They were also the middle range as the ones lower need to be “cut to fit”. These are supposed to just lay on the bottom and provide a “deep” ridge of sorts not wall to wall protection.
Excited, they get sent and within 5 minutes I find they do NOT FIT at all on my model of truck. I called in and inquired via the model number and they told me “sir they fit end of story”. I mean I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to install matts, but I know when it is 4 inches too long and won’t even fit in the well. I even offered to work with them send them pictures as obviously they don’t fit and maybe it would help with any future customer issues associating this model with my vehicle. They wanted none of that and during the course of trying to get support, I got hung up on 3 times. They also don’t cover shipping and handling on returns which in this case to me is an obvious “defective product” return and not just a dissatisfied customer return and in the end I really wanted their product. After much arguing was forced to pay shipping and handling so out almost 1/3rd the price of the product shipping to and returning it to them for nothing.
I really wanted the product, I would have done a lot to work with them. Was willing to send them pictures, talk to the techs, because its so obvious the model numberer didn’t fit.
To make a long story short, I will NEVER EVER do business with that company again. I have never been so badly treated in my entire life by 4 separate support representatives and had the honor to deal with the most rudest and self serving people in my life.
Sorry for the rant, but figured I’d share my story, good product, TERRIBLE support. You can roll the dice but I’ll never do business with them again.
schill
I have Husky liners (front and back) in my new Outback. I chose Husky over Weathertech because of the coverage. The Husky one covers more of the area under the gas pedal and goes all the way up the “foot rest” on the left. The stock all-weather mats don’t go up as far as either of the others – although I do like the material of the stock ones and they were quite a bit cheaper.
My previous Outback had the stock all-weather mats and they worked well for 14 years. Better coverage on the sides wouldn’t have hurt but when I vacuumed everything before getting rid of the car, the carpeting was in very good shape.
The rear ones from Husky are nice because it’s actually a single piece that covers the hump (I don’t remember about the Weathertech).
The car came with the stock all-weather mats installed (with the carpet ones in the back). The mat in front of the driver’s seat remained there for about 5 miles before it was replaced with the Husky mat that I had ordered before I had the car itself.
I haven’t had a chance to test the mats in winter yet – the car isn’t that old.
John
I’ve had Husky, Rugged Ridge, and Nifty floor liners. I’ve used Husky liners in a Chevy Equinox and Subaru Forester, Nifty (rubber) liners in an extended cab Nissan Titan, and currently Rugged Ridge liners in my GMC Sierra crew cab. The Husky liners are my favorite based solely on their excellent coverage, as they cover the dead pedal and cover better under the gas pedal than the Nifty or Rugged Ridge liners. Also, the Husky fit is better than Nifty and Rugged Ridge, with a tighter fit to the floorboard. Compared to WeatherTechs, I prefer the rubberized feel of the Huskys to the slicker plastic feel of the WeatherTechs. Also, the Husky liners that I’ve owned had locations for the driver’s side retention posts, but the Husky liners didn’t have a hole through the mat, the post locked into a raised portion of the mat so that there was no hole to leak through. I tried the Nifty and Rugged Ridge liners due to price, as a 3 piece set was significantly cheaper than the Husky liners. The Nifty liners fit OK and functioned well, but did not cover the dead pedal in my Titan, nor did they provide good coverage under the gas pedal. The Nifty liners looked very nice, but they were also more of a hard-finished, slick plastic that I did not prefer. I really like my current Rugged Ridge liners, much better than the previous Nifty liners, but not as well as the Husky liners that I’ve owned and presently own. The Rugged Ridge liners easily are the best looking floor liners I’ve owned, as their deep chevron design adds dimension that many other floor liners lack. They fit well and provide good coverage for the dead pedal in my Sierra, but they still don’t cover as well as the Husky liners under the gas pedal. Still, for about $80 less, delivered, I would buy the Rugged Ridge liners again.
The other floor liner than I currently own is a genuine Subaru cargo liner in our Forester. It fits the cargo area well, but its protection doesn’t hold a candle to the Husky cargo liner that was in our Equinox. The lip around the edge of the Subaru cargo liner is very low and won’t hold much liquid, for example if a gallon of milk busted, while the Husky liner had a tall lip that would hold a big spill with plenty of room for sloshing around while driving.
Chris
We sell both at my work, I get a steep discount and what do I have? Huskyliners. They are way better than the weathertech. Fit perfect in my civic, and they have way more grip than the digital fit weathertech. Not to mention the cost. Husky custom fit liners have a great warranty, screw one up somehow (good luck), call the company and they send you a new one. As far as the cargo may goes, get one, you won’t know what you did with out it. If your car has provisions for a cargo net, grab one of those too, your life will now be complete.
KL
I wasn’t willing to pay what the big 2 wanted, so I also went Rugged Ridge for my 2008 F350. I like ’em, no complaints. Also on my rubber floors the more rigid mat stays in place, like a tray.
Dave
80,000+ miles on my Weathertech liners in my F150. There can not be anything better.
I’m in the northeast, so slush, snow, salt, crud, etc…..plus being a cunstruction and paving guy I always have something stuck to my boots. Asphalt, mud, dirt, slurry. Abrasive, sticky, crap. The mats still look nearly new and the carpet beneath has no marks, wear or stains.
The stuff on my boots wore the paint off my truck side steps within 10k miles, but the mats are like new at 80k.
Jon
I briefly worked photographing cars for sale at a local car dealership–one of the highest volume dealers in the state. As a result I had a chance to see MANY vehicles, both new and used, with MANY options in a short period of time. What I was convinced of more than anything else is that all-weather rubber floormats are a VERY good idea. The used vehicles that had those in place since they were new were in the best condition of all of the used cars I saw, and they cleaned up so easily and were so durable that they still looked like new.
Leather or fabric seats make less difference long-term than you might think, as leather (usually “leather”) comes apart at the stitching on the side of the seat nearest the door (all the twisting and compressing as you get in and out) while fabric comes apart everywhere, very slowly. Stereo systems which may have seemed high-tech at the time of purchase quickly reach obsolescence. In-car entertainment systems always wear out (“no disc found”) and replacement IR headphones are EXPENSIVE. Seriously, the only upgrade available at the time of purchase that seemed to be a good long-term investment is the rubber floormats.
DreamcatcherDB
This seems like a good opportunity to get this out of my system… Why do cars have carpet on the floor anyway?!?!?! I have never understood this. Then if you buy floormats at the dealership (as most everyone does) they are almost always just carpet too. This seems idiotic; I suppose it would make sense if everyone drove barefoot but for me like most people I wear shoes while driving 99.9% of the time and often those shoes are wet, muddy, snowy, etc. Imagine abusing the carpets in your home like that.
I have a big ugly white Ford service van that has a rubber floor and vinyl seats. You could practically hose out the interior although if all is dry a shop vac works even better. It takes the abuse of construction site debris and still looks immaculate… no floor mats required.
If only that were an option for my wife’s new SUV I would have ordered it in a heartbeat. Surely anyone else with young kids can attest. Ever see a year old fruitloop that has been ‘melted’ into a car carpet?
Karman D. Cusack
I have used a company called Weatherboots (www.Weatherboots.com) for the past 20 years. They are custom fit for each vehicle. For a while they had not come out with any new models and business must have slowed, but since the company has recently changed hands they have all of the most recent Domestic Trucks and SUV’s covered. I have them in my Excursion (10 yrs) and Ford F-250 (13 yrs) and they still look great. They are made from ABS plastic and are molded to fit the exact layout of the foot well area. Just bought a set for my new F-250 as well. Great coverage and very durable. I haven’t tried the others mentioned here so I cant speak to the quality of others. Been very pleased with the Weatherboot product.