Tuxmats vs Weathertech Review

This is a frequent question I get asked by those who just purchased a new vehicle and are wanting to protect the carpet in their vehicles. In this piece, I am going to break down the pros and cons of both Weathertech and Tuxmat floor liners so you can make an informed decision.

Tuxmats vs Weathertech Cost

Cost is arguably one of if not the most important factor and while both of these mats are of similar cost, we are going to list them out for a 2021 Hyundai Palisade (all three rows).

Tuxmats to get all three rows covered at the time of writing will cost you: $279.50 (USD). However, this looks to be a sale, since the price $335.90 is crossed out. This price makes them substantially more expensive if purchased when not on sale.

Weathertech will run you $259.85(USD) for all three rows to be covered.

Both companies additionally offer a cargo mat, which is optional. The cost is quite similar between both of these liners but as you can see they are a bit pricey compared to the standard all-weather floor mats your vehicle might come with.

Materials

These two floor liners while similar in price are wildly different in their materials and finish.

Weathertech uses a High-Density Tri-Extruded plastic. These are a single-layer design and they are very rigid. These are going to feel more like your traditional all-weather floor mats.

Tuxmats use a three-layer design the top layer is PVC so it’s going to feel very plastic-like. The middle layer is ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) which is a thin layer of foam so they have a bit of cushion to them. The third and final layer is cloth and it’s meant to prevent skidding.

Both of these are waterproof and will work fine in the winter even if your roads are heavily salted. I don’t personally think either material method is inherently better than the other. But if I had to pick one over the other for this category the Tuxmats are better. The three-layer design will lead to better sound absorption, and from my experience, they are much easier to clean (if you don’t use the clips).

How well do they fit?

This category is interesting and we are going to break down each vehicle in a bit of detail since there is quite a bit of nuance in which one fits better. We are also going to mention the installation process because one of these is a lot more work.

Weathertech: Excellent fit there is no creasing and no excess material really well done here to the folks at Weathertech. Additionally, the front mats have space for retention hooks to prevent slipping. These are also significantly easier to install than Tuxmats which has a unique system that we are going to get into. There can be some minor shifting in rows where the retention hooks aren’t used but the install process is so easy it never bothered me to have to correct them if they did shift.

Tuxmats: Tuxmats covered a lot more area and by that I mean it covers more of the sidings of the vehicle. There is also some extra material to cover areas such as the space between the second-row captain’s chairs and the door sill. However, these mats don’t use a snap-on retention hook, like Weathertech. Instead, the driver-side mat has a retention hook you have to install by inserting it into the carpet and then you lock the mat into place. Additionally, the mats come with clips and velcro you can use to secure edges to give it a tighter fit. This process can be quite involved since there aren’t step-by-step instructions you instead just kind of guess where you should put the clips to secure the mats.

While the Weathertech is significantly easier to install, the Tuxmats just gave a much better finish while also covering more area. Additionally, while this is subjective I find that Tuxmats look better compared to Weathetech. Though, the styling of floormats is something I wouldn’t recommend making a deciding factor.

Cleaning & Maintenance

These two liners have a difference when it comes to how easy they are to clean from my experience as well. Though this was just my process because I had three rows to clean.

Weathertech acts like any other floormats since you don’t need to worry about clips you undo your retention hooks, remove them from the vehicle spray them with a cleaner. Then rinse them with a hose like you would any other mat. Note while you can clean them with just a cloth and spray I find the ridges and material make it harder to simply wipe clean.

Tuxmats since I clipped the mats into place was not going to be easy to remove, I ended up using my cordless handheld Dyson vacuum and I crawled through the car to vacuum up all the rocks and dirt. From there I used a microfiber towel and some cleaner to wipe the mats clean. While this sounds easy in a three-row vehicle it’s actually a major PITA and while the retention clips are great for keeping the mats in place. I didn’t want to remove them and have to go through the install process again.

So, keep this in mind the Weathertech mats are easier to clean since you can remove them a lot easier. That is unless, you simply don’t use the clips on the Tuxmats.

Made In The U.S.A

One advantage Weathertech has that Tuxmats does not is they are made in the United States. Tuxmats are made in Canada if you’re someone who tries to buy American when you can, this will be your deciding factor. For the bulk of you, who don’t care let’s jump into the final thoughts.

Final Thoughts

These two are top of the line in their markets. But let’s try to breakdown which mat is better for you over the other.

Tuxmats, provide you better coverage, and have in my opinion better styling, they also provide you better sound absorption. If you want something that’s going to look good, and give you that luxury feeling while also being suitable for winter weather these are a great option. Keep in mind though, Tuxmats are more expensive than Weathertech so keep this in mind.

Weathertech is incredibly easy to install, they are probably going to end up being more resilient and are more like your standard all-weather floor mats. They are also less expensive than Tuxmats and are made in the U.S. However, Weathertech mats don’t look as nice and provide less overall coverage. And don’t have the clip system to keep things flush.

I personally ended up going with Tuxmats for my vehicle but these two are both amazing products. I also want to add, I did not have the new FloorLiner HP from Weathertech. This new design is supposed to provide better coverage hopefully I can get a set to test in the near future. But even still I recommend Weathertech based on quality design, good materials, and the fact it’s made in the United States.