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5 Best Heavy Duty Car Mats 2021

best car mats for dirty shoes

Dirty shoes and the mess that comes with them can make OEM car mats smell bad and hard to clean. A more heavy duty car mat can withstand much more punishment and will not hold onto bad odors due to the material.

The best heavy duty car mats are the Armor All 78840ZN that provide all weather protection and designed not to curl, crack or harden in low temperatures.

The majority of rubber car mats can be cut to size in order to fit perfectly within your car. Simply use your current OEM car mat as a base and cut around it.

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Best Rubber Car Mats For Winter

Rubber Car MatsCan Be Trimmed?Our Rating
Armor All 78840ZNYes4.9
Motor Trend FlexToughYes4.7
Firestone FS-1948Yes4.8
BDK Metallic & RubberYes4.7
OxGord FMPV01A-BKYes4.5

Keeping your interior clean is made easier with rubber mats in your car as you can simply take them out, give them a shake and that it. If you were really messy, you can even spray them with a hose to get them as good as new.

OEM car mats are very expensive to replace and placing a heavy duty mat over the top when you know its going to get dirty is highly recommended.

The texture of car mats are designed to grip onto the carpet from below and be non slip for the passenger shoes on top. Below is a list of the best heavy duty car mats that will preserve your current car mats and are great for journeys that could get dirty.

Armor All 78840ZN Rubber Floor Mat


The Armor All 78840ZN 4-Piece black mats are excellent value for money and are designed to be trimmed to fit any car. They are all weather rubber mats, which means they are great for snow, ice, water, thick mud and so much more.

To ensure that the mats stay in place on the carpet, each mat includes “Carpet Claws” that grip onto the carpet securely. They are also designed not to curl or crack under sub zero temperatures, which so many cheap car mats suffer from.

Armor All 78840ZN are the best heavy duty car mats for the money and will certainly protect your cars interior without costing silly amounts of money.

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Motor Trend FlexTough Contour Liners


Available in three different colors to match your car interior, the MotorTrend heavy duty car mats are built for durability and have an inverted tread pattern that channels dirt and water so that its easier to clean.

They can be trimmed to fit your vehicle but the base dimensions are 31.5″ L x 22.5″ W for the front and the rear liners are 58″ L x 18″ W. The rubber is thick and high quality as well as being completely odorless unlike some.

The Motor Trend FlexTough Contour Liners are more expensive that the Armor All 78840ZN mats but they does have an inverted design, which is great for trapping all of the dirt. They are the best car mats for mud because of this deep dish design, which also makes cleaning much easier.

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Firestone FS-1948 Heavy Duty Car Mats


The Firestone FS-1948 mats are similar to the Motor Trend alternative with unique tread that traps dirt and the price. They have extended edges away from the tread to allow for easy trimming because many mats can be quite difficult.

The Firestone floor mats are available in grey, black and tan where they all have 1 years warranty against defects. They are universal fit but you can easily trim with scissors if you would like a more trimmer fit.

With a lot of these rubber mats, the choice is dependent upon the design of the rubber mats. The Firestone’s have a sporty look and feel as well as multiple colors that may sway the choice towards these car mats. Overall, they are great all rounders that tick every box but they are expensive compared to the cheaper Armor All 78840ZN mats.

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BDK Metallic Rubber Floor Mats


If you are looking for something a bit more exciting with a range of colors, the BDK is made partly of rubber and metallic. The metallic part of this car mat is the colorful parts, which is available in red, blue and purple.

The car mats come as a 4 piece with the size of the front 27.75″ X 19″ and the rear 16.5″ X 19″, which is pretty standard for universal fitting floor mats. The rubber can be trimmed with scissors for a better fit but the metallic part cannot be cut.

Overall the BDK rubber and metallic floor mats are great for cheering up your interior as well as protecting it against dirt and bad odors.

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OxGord FMPV01A-BK Cheap Car Mats


If you are on a budget or just want to use the mats very rarely, the OxGord offer a cheap solution that is both heavy duty and can be trimmed to fit perfectly. The universal size is 17.7 ” x 28.3″ at the front with 17.7″ x 17.5″ at the rear.

They are available in both black and beige to match your cars interior. They feature raised ridges to capture the mud/rain as well as having spikes at the back to remain securely in the car without moving on the carpet.

In terms of the cheapest car mats that retain quality and actually do what they are designed to do, the OxGord FMPV01A-BK rubber car mats are the answer.

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Heavy Duty Rubber Floor Mat Buying Guide

The main reason for buying rubber mats is to protect your cars interior. In the long run, owning one of the best heavy duty car mats will save you money. You can leave them in your boot for when you actually need them and save yourself the bills on products to clean your car interior.

There are rubber mats that are tailored for your car but they usually cost five times as much. This is why the majority of people will buy universal rubber mats that can be trimmed to size easily with scissors.

Ridges and Grooves

The best rubber car mats for dirty feet will have raised ridges to retain dirt, water and snow. The deeper the ridge, the more easier it is for the dirt to be captured. All of the mats in this article have raised ridges within the tread but there are some examples with very limited ridges or grooves. These will become slippery as water and mud get covered on the mat, which will become very irritating.

Secure Fitting

The different manufacturers of the rubber mats for cars will use different methods of ensuring it remains secure and stable. Usually the underneath will include spikes that grip the cars carpet, which is more than enough for it remain in place.

Correct Fitting Rubber Floor Mat

All of the car mats in this article are universal fitting for all vehicles but do require trimming to fit perfectly. To do this, measure your current OEM mats or carpet area and buy a size slightly bigger than the mats or similar to the carpet area.

Once they arrive test that they fit, if they do great but if they do not, bring a car mat and find some scissors. Place the rubber mat over the OEM carpet and use it as a cutout template to achieve your very own tailor made rubber car mat.

Washing Rubber Car Mats

Once the mats have become covered in dirt, it is much easier to clean. However, never use any strong washing agent as this may cause discoloring. We recommend using a car pressure washer to remove the hard dirt from a safe distance and remove the residue with a brush.

Once the majority of the dirt has been removed, simply let them soak in warm water and a detergent overnight for the best result. Let them dry fully before placing them back into the car otherwise you risk adding mold or mildew to your cars carpet.

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Written By Dan

About the Author

Dan is an automotive journalist and owner of over 10 cars ranging from supercars, tuned cars, classics and your good old beater cars. He always likes to get his hands dirty with nut and bolt restorations or detailing sessions using the best products on the market.

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