While it may not be the most exciting thing to customize in your vehicle, floor mats play an integral part in maintaining your car’s condition and value. This comprehensive vehicle floor mat guide will not only highlight the importance of floor mats in general, but also help you decide which floor mats are best for your situation.
Understand Why Floor Mats Are Important For Your Car
Your shoes go a lot of places. Then your shoes get in your car, leaving deposits of everything from dirt and grass to slush and salt. This can quickly wear out the carpeting material on the floor of your car. To combat this endless onslaught of wear and tear on your car’s floors, you use floor mats to act as a buffer which traps dirt and other debris. Most new vehicles come with floor mats installed and ready to roll, however, over time the mats can wear down and they’ll need to be replaced to maintain their efficacy.
Know the Types of Floor Mats
Floor mats are floor mats, right? Not exactly. Not all vehicle floor mats are created equal. There are different materials, manufacturing techniques, and quality ranges within those different materials. It can be a lot to take in, especially for something that’s made to get dirty, beat up, and stained. Here’s a quick overview of the different types of floor mats.
The two main types are all-season weather mats and carpet floor mats. All-weather floor mats are typically made of rubber or a flexible plastic. They are built to withstand more extreme conditions such as mud, water, and snow. Carpeted floor mats are a great first line of defense against everyday wear and tear but may fall a bit short.
Investigate the Quality
Once you’ve decided which type of floor mat might be best for your vehicle, it’s time to find a brand which sells the floor mats you’re looking for. The first thing you’ll need to find is one that fits your vehicle. Some floor mat manufacturers try to save a few bucks by making ones that will fit several makes and models. These tend to be more affordable, but the fit will never be perfect, leaving areas unprotected. If possible, try to find mats which are fit specifically to your vehicle.
The overall quality of the floor mat is just as important as the fit. Cheaply made mats will wear down quick and need frequent replacement to remain effective. This is especially true for the driver’s side mat, which will see the most abuse. Cloth mats are usually measured by weight and the number of stitches. The more the better in this case.
All-weather mats should be custom-fit to your vehicle and have a little bit of a lip to catch water and spills. Liquids won’t absorb into the mat, so you don’t want them to run off the mat to the bare flooring next to it.
When you purchase a vehicle, it’s an investment. Make sure you protect your investment with properly fitted floor mats.
Image via Flickr by Ryan Gsell under use of CC BY 2.0
