Not every car owner has the chance to regularly visit a car wash or professional dry cleaning. But you can keep the interior clean in a simpler and cheaper way. To do this, you need to cover the vehicle floor with a car mat. It is just that the modern market offers such a wide choice that even drivers with many years of experience may find it hard to tell which one will turn out the most durable, convenient and easy to care for.
What types of car mats are there?
Not so long ago car mats were made mostly from rubber, but now the choice of materials is much wider. The market offers mats made of polyurethane, textile, leather and an innovative material, EVA.
The main advantages of polyurethane (rubber) products are their low price and waterproof material. But that is where their merits end. They have quite a few drawbacks:
- unpresentable look;
- dirt and moisture constantly stay under the feet of the driver or passenger;
- tolerate temperature changes poorly, which makes them crack and "crumble";
- usually have a sharp unpleasant smell.
Textile car mats look more attractive and weigh less than rubber ones, but they have drawbacks too. Such models protect the floor from getting wet worse (especially in winter and rainy weather). The product needs regular drying, otherwise an unpleasant smell will appear in the car. In summer, dust quickly builds up on textile mats. To keep a textile product clean, it must be cleaned regularly with detergents and brushes.
Leather car mats look impressive. They can instantly upgrade a car interior. However, far from all leather options withstand mechanical wear: many quickly develop scuffs that make the product lose its elegance. And truly durable leather models cost unreasonably much. Besides, as with the previous options, the problem of moisture and dirt underfoot remains unsolved: it collects on the mat and is easily spread over the whole area.
Advantages of EVA mats
EVA mats appeared on the car goods market relatively recently, but are rapidly gaining popularity, as they proved to be a very worthy alternative to all types of car mats used until now.
EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) is an innovative, high-strength and very light synthetic material. Mats made from it have many qualities that textile, rubber and leather alternatives lack.
Advantages of EVA products:
- resistance to road reagents, mechanical impact and temperature jumps;
- resistance to deformation and cracking;
- hypoallergenic properties;
- no unpleasant smell;
- attractive appearance;
- ease of use;
- wide variety of colors and models.
Car mats of EVA have a special structure – they resemble a sheet made of honeycombs, so they keep the car interior clean better than other options. Moisture and dirt go deep into the cells while the surface stays clean and dry. To clean the product, just shake the dirt out and rinse it with water, after which the material dries instantly.
How to choose an EVA mat?
Many companies make EVA car mats, including the brand Trokot. The products of this manufacturer are serious competition for imports both in range and in quality. But for an EVA product to be as comfortable as possible to use and to protect the car interior flawlessly, pay attention to a few characteristics when choosing:
- rhombuses or honeycomb – by and large, there is no particular difference, except that honeycombs, as a rule, can absorb more dirt;
- size type – the Trokot range includes mats made specifically for the driver and for the passenger seat, which differ in design;
- a heel pad makes driving the car more comfortable.
And most importantly. For the product to last as long as possible, choose from the range of a brand with a good reputation.
