I have not personally tried them all. No! But can give you some pointers and feedback from all my research.
What makes a good floor mat?
- comfort – feels good on the feet, not too sticky/slippery, not noisy
- protection – protects your car floor from dirt, liquid spills, etc
- durability – lasts long, and also looks good for a long time
- fit – actually fits well, good coverage and doesn’t move around
- aesthetics – looks stylish and not so industrial, no obnoxious logos
- price – fairly priced and not make you feel ripped off
OFFICIAL Tesla Mats
Tesla Model 3 All Weather Interior Mats ($145)
- Clean Tesla styling
- doesn’t cover dead pedal
- leaves gap in the rear middle area (annoying)
It only makes sense to cover the stock Tesla options first so we have some baseline for our comparisons. The style looks good and clean. The rubber material is certainly protective.
It’s too bad it doesn’t cover the dead pedal (in case liquid from your left foot leak under) but some people really don’t mind. I also hate that it doesn’t fully cover the middle part of the rear area. (See image)
In case you felt you were overpaying for the Tesla branding or just want something better or different, it’s time to turn to our 3rd party options!
MOST COMMON (the big 3)
3D MAXpider All-Weather Kagu Series Floor Mats ($200)
- most popular
- lightweight
- great styling (especially for rubber)
- holds liquid
This is THE most popular one out there and should be used as the standard for comparing all other mats. This one is a trusted brand and known for good quality. What I like most is the nice design. It’s not only protective but also looks good/sporty. Some other mats are really protective but look too industrial (like it belongs in a work truck).
The 3D design means that it’s 3-dimensional. It’s basically a thin but stiff rubber tray that holds liquid or water (from melted ice) in place without spilling all over the rest of your car…thus the “all weather” nomer. A ton of people buy this one. I think it looks good in pictures and the tray design is very appealing (kind of innovative since I think they were the first to do it.)
I do have one complaint. I hate that ridge in the middle of the rear mat (it takes away foot-resting space IMO). For that reason alone, I recommend to get one of the copycat ones or maybe it won’t matter since you (the driver) never have to deal with it. Unfortunately with the copycats, many have a slippery bottom instead of this one which has the nice grippy material so it doesn’t slide.
Another complaint or “downside” to this one is that it may not be as comfortable or as lush and plush as a soft fabric floor mat. But hey, you’re trading the convenient easy-clean protection rubber for easily-dirtied fabric.
The other issue is that I think it might still feel a little cheap for what you pay. Most people do like it but I secretly think it’s a little cheapish.
TuxMat Car Floor Mats, Laser Measured, Largest Coverage, All Weather ($210)
- most coverage
- most comfortable
- great styling (nice leather look)
I think this one actually looks better than the MAXpider one although it’s nowhere near as popular. It’s more of a fabric feel and more conventional “protection” strategy of trying to cover as much of your floor and even the walls as possible. It also has flaps that reach around and under your seats.
Some people say it’s lovely and fits great. Others complain about the fit and that the included attachments don’t work or don’t feel right.
ToughPRO Floor Mats Set All Weather – Heavy Duty – (Made in USA) – Black Rubber ($79)
- really durable
- works well
- doesn’t cover dead pedal
- lowest coverage
- low-cost
So simple and yet many people love this one. It’s basically just super-heavy thick rubber. I personally don’t like it. It reminds me of like thick industrial floor mats inside a garage automechanic place, or even a dive bar.
As you can see, it relies on the walls of the holes to hold liquids. But I don’t know if that texture would bother my foot.
COPYCATS (all the resellers doing similar things)
Look carefully and you tell which of the big 3 they’re mimicking. Some are actually better (adding more things the the big 3 didn’t have), others are just worse (lower quality). Many of these brands also have different models all copying different companies IMO.
- TOPlight
- SUMK
- Teexpert
- many more
LESSER KNOWN (but high quality)
I love these brands since they are known for making super premium car mats. Check out their site to see all the many offerings they have in material, color, etc. It’s different from the mass-produced stuff you see up here. Their prices are also higher as well but I think worth it.
- CocoMats.com – really high quality and billion options!
- LloydMats.com – you can see pricing and images for them at ForMyTesla.com.
- EVamped.com – also has some premium mats.
Hello Johnny,
Thanks for the info!
Which do you think will help most (if at all) with road noise?
IMO…road noise comes from the tires (making noise with the ground) and then your windows/doors which lets in the noise. I’d try softer tires and then door seals.