I like their stuff. I like the solid rubber mats.
The man is a genius and I'm impressed by the products. The factory is near me and is impressive.
Floor mats are usually an afterthought. They’re a punchline to a bad joke about car salesmen or shady buy-here/pay-here lots. But that’s because we may not be giving floor mats enough credit for enhancing the value proposition of a vehicle.
That’s especially true is more utilitarian vehicles, like trucks. About the only time we drive our 2010 Toyota Tundra is when we’re putting it in a situation where it’s likely to pick up some additional crud–like paddock dirt because we didn’t arrive early enough to park our trailer on the pavement or general ickyness from the dump during a run to drop off a load of remodeling debris.
And modern, more luxury-based trucks routinely come with mats that are as plush as any Lincoln or Cadillac, which practically hug the dirt and keep it forever. We wanted a set of more durable floor coverings to protect our Tundra’s interior and make cleanup easier, but we also didn’t want to turn the cabin into an inhospitable, industrial dystopia.
The solution was a set of WeatherTech FloorLiners. These form-fitted, stiff yet pliable mats are built using laser scans of various interiors, meaning the fit is excruciatingly precise.
That precise fit is actually more important than we realized. When we first took them out of the box, we’ll admit to being a little underwhelmed by the construction of the $189 set of mats. The design and manufacturing seemed top-notch, but the material–while rugged–seemed a bit thin. We worried that the mats would feel flimsy and flexible under our feet.
But that insanely precise fit gives them a structure within the vehicle that makes them feel like an integral part of the floor. They practically snap into place in the cabin, and once settled, feel akin to walking on a bamboo floor over concrete.
When you feel the bamboo at the hardware store, it doesn’t feel like much. But laid over a properly prepped floor, it becomes part of a system that’s far more substantial than the sum of its parts.
The FloorLiners grip the carpet to create a liquid-proof containment system for spills and dirt. The rear mat is particularly deep, possible even able to hold as much liquid as the ample cup holders of the Tundra itself. If your entire crew decides to spill their drinks at once, you should be in good shape. Cleanup is as easy as popping them out and hosing them off.
Once in place, the form-fitting liners are pliable enough to be comfortable, but durable enough to be impenetrable protective barriers. It’s a tough line to walk, but WeatherTech has managed.
And that is seemingly the secret to WeatherTech mats and liners. They answer a question that you didn’t fully realize you had and take very seriously an accessory that is usually an afterthought. Although they are priced at a premium compared to discount store cut-to-fit rubber inserts, until you experience a set for yourself, you don’t even realize what you were missing.
We’re impressed with the WeatherTech liners, and perhaps even more impressed that the humble floor mat deserves a spot on the list of accessories that can really improve a vehicle’s usefulness when properly designed and constructed.
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I like their stuff. I like the solid rubber mats.
The man is a genius and I'm impressed by the products. The factory is near me and is impressive.
And they (he) are (is) helluva supporters of our hobby while continuing US production.....
No lie, I read back through this and it hardly communicates my doubts going into this that floor mats were something that actually mattered. But they really do seem to have the better mousetrap here. A month ago I would never dream of spending close to $200 for floor mats. Now I've got orders for all my cars in my shopping cart at their website.
I've never felt able to justify the cost, but never doubted their quality or value. You're making me consider a set for wife's Mazda 5.
As soon as I get driving my WRX I'll get to experience living with the set that came with the car.
I put a set in the e36/5 last year. Worth every penny. Fitment feels factory and they keep my sand(I live at the beach[sometimes]) out of my carpet. And a month ago, did a great job with the quart of baked beans I spilled on the floor.
Cool story time. When I sold my e39m5 on BAT this year, David bought it. Himself. Cool car guy and the biggest car collector I will ever talk to on the phone.
Buy the damn mats already. My wife's 5k Escalade has some nice ass mats now.
I think i've bought them for two cars. They are pricey but not compared to a nice car, and not even close to what it takes to make a not-nice car nice again after you screw it up. I also really appreciate where I find their ad and sponsorship dollars popping up.
Unrelated to Weathertech floormats but I've also taken up buying custom-fit windshield sunshades for basically anything i care about at ~$40 a pop. I think i own 6 of them.
My parents SWEAR by them, living in greater Chicago and dealing with proper winter.. they go to their facility and buy them direct... they went and bought me a AJR 911 GT3R T shirt for christmas from the retail store.
Bought a set of WeatherTech for my last truck and really liked them. They were stiffer than I had imagined they would be, and never seemed to relax enough to completely form fit to everything, there were always some gaps.
When I bought a newer truck I wound up buying Husky X-Act Contour mats, mainly because there was an in-stock rear mat for my crew cab that extended all the way under the rear seat. Really like the Husky as well, and they seem to be slightly more rubberier than the WeatherTech, which helps them to fit a bit better.
I don't have them but I have spent a lot of time over the past 9 or 10 years in an X5 equipped with them. They do fit very well. We put the muddy duck hunting dog, waders, decoys etc in it. They hold many pounds of mud,sand, silt and general nastiness. Hose it out and it looks as if it is new. If I ever own a car that has carpet I will likely get some.
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