The floor mats in your car might not seem that important, but they’re a protection device for your vehicle. They keep the actual floor of your car safe from damage. This can help your car’s resale value, and keep your car looking and feeling nice. There are two types of floor mats out there: rubber or carpet. Your car will come with one or the other, but you can also purchase aftermarket floor mats. The question is, which one should you choose?
Why Go With Carpet?
Carpet mats are often made of a tough nylon or Berber material. This helps them stay durable while also offering good comfort and style. They can be various sizes and thicknesses and some aftermarket floor mat brands will even let you customize them. To decide if floor mats are right for you, check out the positives and negatives below.
Pros of Carpeted Mats
Carpet mats look great and can be easily customized and styled how you want them. You should have no problem finding a set of mats with the colors and logos that you want on them. You can pay to have them customized yourself or find a set with your favorite sports team or car brand logo. The affordable price of carpeted mats means you’ll save some serious dough, and if you take care of them, they can last a long time. They also tend to keep your heels in place better than rubber, especially when wet.
Cons of Carpeted Mats
Carpet mats wear over time. You can take steps to reduce this, but they will wear out at some point. It’s harder to clean carpet mats. The dirt, dust, and debris stick to them and it often feels like you’ll never really get them totally clean. Carpeted mats also can be expensive to replace, especially when you buy original equipment manufacturer versions.
Why Go With Rubber?
Rubber mats are usually constructed of a heavy-duty rubberized material that’s designed to protect against the elements. You’ll find a wide variety of textures and styles out there. Some company’s offer custom cut floor mats that will fit your car perfectly. These can get a little expensive, but if you really want to keep your car nice, they’re often worth it.
Pros of Rubber Mats
The best thing about rubber mats is how easy it is to clean them. It doesn’t matter if you spill your morning cup of coffee or track a bunch of mud into the car, clean up is usually as easy as taking the mat out and spraying it off with the garden hose. Rubber mats last a long time. A good set of rubber mats could easily last as long as the vehicle does. While the
Cons of Rubber Mats
Rubber mats aren't as aesthetically pleasing as their carpeted counterparts. They don't match the carpeted floor of the car in most cases, and they tend to make the interior of the car look cheaper. Rubber mats can also get expensive, especially if they’re custom-cut to fit your car. Many aftermarket companies sell laser cut mats and those come at a pretty penny. There aren’t too many different styles. If you look at what’s out there, usually most of the aftermarket mats you find are made with texturized black rubber with optional gray or tan. Rubber mats can get
What’s Better?
It really comes down to personal preference. However, if you’re looking for something that’s going to offer the greatest amount of protection and still look good, rubber mats are generally the way to go. They last longer and protect better against spills and adverse weather. Still, if you don’t like the look of rubber floor mats, carpeted ones offer a good amount of protection. The bottom line is that you just need to make sure there’s something down or the floor of your car is going to get really nasty and undermine the look (and value) of your automobile.