Floor Mats and Liners: The Straight Dope

Hoarders. You know they're out there, and you can just imagine the condition of their carpets. Before you judge their sloppy ways, remember one thing: the flooring in your automobile is one overturned Big Gulp away from looking like the shag carpeting in your shut-in neighbor's cat box room. Instead of casting disparaging stones, take steps to prevent your auto's interior from spoiling by laying down a proper set of car mats.

If you think that those flimsy pieces of scrap carpeting that came with your car are going to put up a serious fight against a fumbled chilidog or a burrito blowout, then you're in for a rude awakening. A carpet floor mat set may look plush and inviting, but they won't look very luxurious once you track in a wad of Big League Chew on your shoe. For maximum stain-fighting action, you need an all weather mat set. Constructed from durable rubber and synthetic materials, all weather floor mats catch and contain gunk before it has a chance to seep through into your carpet.

Now, a lot of people use the words car mats and car liners interchangeable, but there's a difference between the two. Car mats lay flat on your floorboards and usually have a ridge around their perimeter to contain some fluids. Car liners, though, have tall outer walls that go up the sides of your floorboards, providing maximum fluid stopping power. Spilled coffee? No problem. Melted snow from your boots? Contained. Upchuck in the back seat? Caught. Auto liners are the ultimate line of defense.

In the floor mats and liners industry, there are a number of big cheeses. Husky Liners are one of the best-known manufacturers of quality car mats and liners, and WeatherTech comes in as a close second. Other trustworthy brands include Hexomat, Catch-All, Nifty and Rugged Ridge. On the carpet side, Lloyd Mats are probably the largest manufacturer of aftermarket floor mats, and Intro-Tech Automotive has a huge lineup of options as well.