How many times have you opened the car door to discover dirt sprinked AROUND your car mat? So then, what's the point of even having floor mats?
Solid protection starts with the correct sizing and looking for specific features in your car mat. Each row has its own peculiar requirements to keep everything secure so here's what to look out for. Let's get started!
Broadly there are 3 types of floor mats - each offering a different level of protection and comfort.
Carpet mats
.. are the most common and provide a softer and more refined cabin experience. They provide the best comfort under your feet among all the different types of floor mats. However, they are not very durable and require more maintenance. Best suited for urban driving and occasional off-road use.
Rubber mats
... offer durability and are easy to clean. Unlike carpet, they do not soak in liquids nor do they not trap dirt deep inside the carpet pile. Rubber mats are best suited for off-road use and tradies who require a tough mat to keep up with their work and lifestyle. These are a popular addon accessory when buying a car from the dealership and are marketed as "all weather mats".
TPE mats
... is the most recent innovation and fast gaining popularity among car enthusiast, 4x4 adventurers and discerning owners. TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) mats offers a similar level of durability and easy maintenance as rubber mats but with the ability to be custom molded in 3D to fit the shape of footwells.
TPE is a significant advancement because TPE mats feature deep walls to contain spillage and incorporate embossed channels in the base to keep feet and cargo dry. There is no other type of floor mats best suited to keep your cabin clean. We compare the different types of mats (together with photos) in more detail below. Read on ...
Locked in and clear of the pedals
Front floor mats are shaped around the driver and passenger footwells, anchoring safely plus offering scuff protection over door sills. A proper fit avoids slipping to keep your drive comfortable.
For the driver, they must also stay clear of the pedals but still reach deep behind and under the pedals to catch dirt falling off shoes. The addition of high bucket walls also protect the car from the driver's left foot resting directly on the carpet.
Mat with high bucket walls reaching deep behind pedals to catch dirt and spills. Image also features wings that extend over door sill for added protection.
One-piece Bucket Mat across the front row for total protection. Available when vehicle's floor map permits.
TPE is odourless, durable and hypoallergenic
Modern mats are made from TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) that feels a little like rubber but unlike rubber, they don't smell and are kind to sensitive passengers. Reputable brands will formulate TPE specifically for automotive purposes with solid UV stability and shape memory. Typically moulded into 3D mats with raised edges, they offer the best protection against spills and cleaning up. Now that you know what to look for, here's what to avoid.
Rubber Mats have low walls
Front car mats are arguably the most important car accessory you buy. Specifically, the driver's side floor mats are the ones you're going to step on and use the most. As such, some owners choose to 'splurge' on all-weather (rubber) mats instead of standard carpet mats for added protection. HOWEVER, as many tradies and 4x4 adventurers will attest, they may better than carpet but rubber mats still fall short.
Soggy boots - the natural enemy of car mats
On rainy days when you step in and out of your car multiple times, with soggy wet boots, rubber mats overflow because they don't have high walls to keep the wet in!
Rubber mat (left) has low walls compared to 3D Bucket Mat (right). Purchase mats with big footprint and high bucket walls.
Rubber mats marketed as "all-weather" may not offer much protection. Most have small footprints so dirt from daily use falls outside coverage (red).
Poor coverage
Without extending far enough under the pedals and not covering the foot rest, floor mats may not protect as much as you like (see photo). As a generalisation, this is true for carpet and rubber but less so for TPE mats as they tend to have larger footprints. Notwithstanding. we acknowledge that not all mats are the same and your mileage may vary depending on the brand and your use case.
Gaps in between the mats collect dirt
Rear floor mats are commonly sold in sets of 2 or 3 to cover the footwells and transmission tunnel (centre hump) individually. However, the gaps between these mats become collection points for dirt, sand, and crumbs (see photo).
Nightmare on pile street
These OEM mats (the ones that come with the car) are often carpet and depending on the carpet pile, vacuuming can be a nightmare. In fact, the deeper and more plush the carpet means more vacuuming!
Carpet mats have Zero bucket walls
Carpet mats do not protect against liquids so any major coffee or milkshake accidents will end up all over the factory carpet leaving stains.
Carpet is the cheapest option
On the other hand, if you prefer a 'softer' feel under your feet, don't mind the vacuuming and the car doesn't see much action (kids, mud, tools, beach holidays), carpet mats might be sufficient for your needs.
Gaps between the individual mats collect dirt (red).
Car mat set comes in 3 separate pieces (above). Compared with single piece design over transmission tunnel + deep extensions under front row seats (below). Which would you prefer?
Now that you know the pros and cons of carpet as well as what to avoid, here's what to look for.
One-piece design is ideal
Second row mats should be a single piece designed to span across the full width of both footwells. This means they cross over the transmission tunnel providing seamless and complete protection with zero gaps for dirt to fall through.
Extensions under the front seats
When sitting in the second row, it's natural to shove our feet under the front seats. Look for mats that extend deep under the front seats to catch mud and dirt from shoes.
Scuff protection over door sill. Depending on design, may include Wing Scoops that stops dirt getting past the door.
Bucket walls | door sill protection | shoe scuff protection
Sometimes known as 3D floor mats, they have raised edges to contain dirt and spills. Made from TPE, look for premium designs with high bucket walls, include scuff protection over the door sills and perhaps shoe scuff protection below the seat for the best protection money can buy. See adjacent photos for examples.
Shoe scuff protection under the rear seats.
Poorly designed
Floor mats for third rows are the most under appreciated by customers - perhaps because they've been poorly designed as an afterthought by manufacturers. Many 7-seater car brands don't even sell third row floor mats but when they do, they're usually carpet mats that swish around a lot and teeny tiny with next to zero protection. They're as useful as an ash tray on a motor bike.
Poor coverage leaves most of the factory carpet exposed (red).
Edge-to-edge
By contrast, proper fitting third row mats provide edge to edge coverage and also extend under the second row seats. That means you can fold the second row seats up without removing the floor mat.
3D mats with edge-to-edge coverage compared to carpet.
(Relative mat sizes are to scale.)
Catch dirt like magic!
More importantly, the floor mat catches dirt when you get in or out of the third row. S-o-o-o many customers have told us that THIS is the floor mat they never knew they needed. Try a third row Bucket Mat for yourself!
Step into your third row
WITH dirty shoes but
WITHOUT the worry of cleaning carpet later.
Latest Yowie Drive designs overlap with the second row mats for seamless and gapless coverage.
Buy matching sets
If you do decide to purchase multiple car mats for same car, we recommend purchasing the same type of floor mats (either all carpet or all TPE mats) and from the same manufacturer. That will ensure a consistent look throughout the cabin.
For us, integration is important. We design Bucket Mats for all rows to fit together and with the same theme for a posh finish (see photo).
Deep channels etched into base
Lets start with the obvious. Cargo mats should be made of waterproof material that keeps the car boot dry from wet bags, camping gear, tradie tools plus any other yucky stuff you throw in the back. Look for boot liners that cover edge-to-edge including around the wheel arches and corner niches.
Bucket walls are even more important for the boot than anywhere else to contain moisure. Proper trunk mats should have deep channels etched into the base that holds cargo above any potential spillage.
High walls with deep channels to keep cargo dry.
Wet shopping bags. Ugh!
It is therefore surprising to find so many boot liners out there failing to keep cargo dry. Almost all rubber trunk mats have flat bases so any spillage will spread all over your cargo mat. Wet Woolies or Coles shopping bags anyone?
While they can't stop liquid from sloshing inside the mat, most rubber boot mats still do a reasonable job at keeping moisture from leaking OUT of the mat.
Rubber mats won't keep cargo dry
Preserve car functionality
For us here at Yowie Drive, we guarantee that all our car mats function as advertised or your money back. We also try to preserve as much of the car's functionality as possible. For example, we incorporate the third row seats folding down without removing the boot liner. As an additional benefit, some of our Bucket Mats extend over the boot lip for added scuff protection.
Fold third row seats up without removing boot liner.
Cargo mat with integrated boot lip protection.
TPE and rubber mats are the easiest to clean by just rinsing with water. Carpet mats require vacuuming and are prone to staining. Usually, standard carpet stain removers should do the trick. However, please refer to manufacturer's care instruction before cleaning.
We do not recommend purchasing generic floor mats as they do not follow the contours of your car's footwell, exposes large gaps for factory carpet to get dirty, and generally do not have high bucket walls to hold spills. They might be cheap but most customers will feel the sting of buyers' remorse when they still have to vacuum and clean their cars often.
Custom floor mats are made specifically for your car's year model and depending on brand and quality, offer superior coverage and protection. Look for mats moulded to your car's footwell with high bucket walls to protect against spills. Deep channels in the base will also keep shoes and cargo dry.
You've made it to the end! Choosing the right set of car mats starts with understanding how you use your vehicle. Drivers who regularly face mud, sand, or wet gear will appreciate the strength and structure of TPE material.
Rubber mats suits hard wearing use, long trips or worksite conditions but won't have high bucket walls. Carpet is usually the cheapest option and will suit urban driving or anyone who prefers a softer cabin feel.
Look for custom mats with high 3D raised edges (bucket walls), deep channels etched into the base, made from odourless materials and customised to fit for your vehicle edge-to-edge. Think about how often you travel with family, tools or pets. Consider your climate and the roads you drive on. When the mats match your lifestyle, they deliver better comfort, longer life and more value. To discover more fascinating facts on car mats, click on the links below.
