Bed Liner: What to Consider for Your Truck

Quick Facts About Truck Bed Liners

• A bed liner protects a truck’s cargo space against scratches and dents.
• The most affordable bed liners cost less than $100.
• Truck bed liner materials can be rubber, carpet, plastic, or polyurethane.

More than a few of today’s pickup trucks will never be drafted to do anything more strenuous than carry a couple of bags of mulch home from the garden store or move a young student to college. However, many of them haul serious loads on a regular basis. In either case, pickup truck owners, taking some pride in their ride or with an eye on resale value, want to keep the bed of that truck (sometimes called a box) as pristine as possible. Denting a truck bed requires little effort, while scratching one takes even less. Consequently, the bed of a truck can be noticeably disfigured after a few loads. That’s why a truck bed liner is such a big deal.

Fortunately, there are several bed liner options available to truck owners. We will list many of those bed liner types, their makeup, and their ballpark prices. We’ll help you sort through them so you can determine which is the ideal liner for your truck.

• What Is a Bed Liner for a Truck?
• Do You Need a Truck Bed Liner?
• What Are the Different Types of Truck Bed Liners?
• What Is the Best Material for a Truck Bed Liner?
• How Much Does a Truck Bed Liner Cost?
• Our Take

One of the more popular truck accessories, a bed liner is a layer of protection covering the floor and, often, the sides of a truck’s cargo space, safeguarding it against dings and scratches. Truck bed liner options can be as simple as a rubber mat or as sophisticated as a polyurethane spray-on.

Do You Need a Truck Bed Liner?

Yes, if you have any interest in protecting your truck bed from dings, dents, and scratches, you need a truck bed liner. A bed liner in your truck helps maintain its value. Most things you load into the cargo space of a truck have the potential to damage the truck bed surface. Fixing loads in place, using some combination of tie-downs and straps, can reduce the damage that shifting loads cause. However, as items slide around a truck bed and bounce off the bed walls, they scratch and ding the cargo area surfaces.

What Are the Different Types of Truck Bed Liners?

Representing varying degrees of effectiveness, durability, and cost, the current crop of bed liners offers a solution for just about every budget. Here are the major bed liner types most truck owners consider.

• Rubber mat. As its name suggests, a rubber mat liner covers the bed floor, safeguarding it from the damage of sliding cargo. It offers no sidewall protection. The most affordable of the bed liner options on our list, rubber mats run from an estimated $75 to $300. For example, WeatherTech offers custom-fit rubber mats manufactured to the specific dimensions of most truck beds for $200. DIYers will appreciate the ease of installation.
• Carpet mat. Also called a “bed rug,” a carpet mat is another bed liner option that usually only protects the cargo floor; however, there are models that protect the side walls and tailgate. Carpeted mats perform much like rubber mats and are manufactured to fit nearly any standard truck bed. They are easy to install for DIYers and perform much like rubber bed mats. We found them priced from $120 for bed-only to $500 for full-coverage mats.
• Drop-in bed liner. Drop-in liners are often constructed of plastic or some hard, light composite material. They are custom-fit, one-piece shells that drop into the cargo area, offering protection to the bed’s side walls and the cargo floor. They are easily installed and removed on an as-needed basis for truck owners. We found pricing running from about $250 to $500. Liners that protect the inside of the tailgate are sometimes included or sold separately.
• Spray-on bed liner. The most effective bed liner material is the spray-on liner. Applied with a sprayer directly to the cargo area surfaces, it is a permanent polyurethane or polyurea liner protecting the cargo floor and sidewalls. Spray-on liners aren’t bulletproof but hold up reasonably well and look great. Most truck manufacturers offer a spray-on liner as a standard or optional feature. For example, you can select a spray-on liner on the entry-level Ram 1500 as part of the $945 Bed Utility Group. It’s a $475 option on the Chevy Colorado. Having a spray-on applied in the aftermarket can run between $300 and $900.
• A caveat. Every bed liner that is not sprayed on will trap grit and moisture underneath it. Scratches, although finer, will occur, unknown to the owner. These hidden abrasions can invite rust and corrosion into the truck bed. Regular washing of the bed liner and box separately can mitigate this issue.

Which Type of Truck Bed Liner Is Right for You?

Picking the right truck bed liner is a balancing act of needs and budget. If you have an unlimited budget, why not pick the best option available, right?

However, for most of us, cost is a critical factor. Yet, some types of bed liner are required or preferred based on how you utilize your truck bed.

Bed liner typeApproximate CostUsageRubber bed mat$75-$300Basic bed-floor protection for light workCarpet bed mat$120-$500Basic bed-floor and sometimes sidewall protection for light workDrop-in$250-$500Bed-floor and sidewall protection for heavier useSpray-on$300-$900Bed-floor and sidewall protection for heavy-duty work

Can You Apply a Spray-on Bed Liner at Home?

Yes, you can apply a truck bed spray liner at home. We don’t recommend it because, although doing it yourself is less expensive, it’s very involved and time-consuming. Furthermore, if you aren’t experienced with using a spray gun, you’ll find there’s a big learning curve when managing the spray flow. In other words, if you don’t have experience applying a spray-on liner, you may wind up doing it more than once to get it right.

What Is the Best Material for a Truck Bed Liner?

If we needed to pick, we would opt for the polyurethane spray-on liner because it’s durable, permanent, and integrates well with the truck. However, if we were only concerned with scratching the truck floor, we’d go with a fitted rubber mat. It delivers real value as one of the least expensive truck accessories you can buy. If cared for, spray-on liners can last throughout the life of the truck. Moreover, some spray-on manufacturers like Line-X and Bullet Liner have a limited lifetime warranty.  Rubber mats don’t have the same longevity or warranty, but will last for years and are removable.

How Much Does a Truck Bed Liner Cost?

Truck bed liners cost from about $70 to $100 for the less expensive rubber mats to $900 for aftermarket spray-on liners. If you opt for a factory spray-on liner when you buy your next new truck, you can expect it to add at least $400 to the final transaction price.

Our Take

Often, the first time you haul anything in your truck bed, you will leave behind bed-floor scratches. Every hauling task to follow will leave a fresh set of scratches. Not only might a bed full of scratches and dings detract from a truck’s appearance, but it might also impact its resale value. If it’s a work truck, appearance may not be a concern; however, if it’s a multi-use truck, appearance may matter. We think, at the very least, a bed mat is an affordable and wise investment. For owners intent on some heavy-duty hauling, a spray-on liner is a should-have if not a must-have.

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