Trucks are built for a singular purpose – hauling. Toyota Tacomas are particularly good at this. Thanks to the 6-foot bed, the only limit to what you can haul is your imagination.
Tacoma bed mats are one of the most popular accessories for Tacoma trucks for a couple of reasons – they keep your cargo in place, and they help in keeping your truck bed intact.
Toyota Tacomas come out of the factory with plastic-covered beds with ridges that run along their length. The stock bed cover is pretty good at keeping your stuff from shifting around while driving and channeling rainwater.
However, the stock plastic bed cover dings and scrapes pretty easily. This is especially true when hauling heavy, sharp loads such as wood logs, rocks, and scrap metal.
Moreover, the plastic produces a scraping sound whenever the load shifts or moves which can become pretty annoying after a while.
In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know about the best truck bed mats for Toyota Tacomas – from a buyer’s guide to the top 5 bed mats you can buy.
Tacoma Bed Mat Buyer’s Guide
Buying truck bed mats can be pretty frustrating. There are thousands of products available, and all look pretty similar.
With this guide, you’ll have the necessary knowledge to pick up the best bed mat for your Toyota Tacoma.
Rubber Bed Mats
The first thing you need to consider before buying a truck bed mat is the material.
Bed mats are usually built out of thick rubber. Rubber is a perfect material for truck beds since it’s flexible, reasonably soft, and very durable. Another thing rubber does pretty well is absorbing impacts, which helps in minimizing damage to the truck bed and the noise.
When you load stuff into the truck, the rubber bed may absorb the impact, which will prevent the bed from denting, chipping, and cracking.
And since rubber is pretty good at absorbing vibrations, you won’t have to deal with the ear-jarring slams when you toss things into your Toyota Tacoma. Moreover, if you have anything loose rattling in the bed, you won’t have to deal with that annoying scraping sound.
Carpeted Bed Mats
Besides rubber, truck bed mats are also made out of polyurethane. These bed mats are referred to as carpeted bed mats. They’re not too different from the floor mat you have in your truck – you just install these into the truck bed.
Carpet bed mats aren’t as thick as rubber ones but are a bit cheaper. They’re also not that good at getting rid of excess moisture because they’re pretty spongy.
What Are Toyota Tacoma Bed Mats Good For?
Tuck bed mats are good at one thing – protecting from what you can’t see.
What do we mean by that?
Well, when you throw stuff into your truck bed, you can easily spot what causes damage. But there are other things that can damage it – the sun.
Suns UV rays can do a number on any vehicle. If you don’t cover your vehicle’s metal surfaces, the sun will destroy them over time. UV rays will destroy everything. They’ll fade the paint, plastic, and even make plastic brittle over time.
A bed mat will create a physical barrier that will protect your truck bed from UV rays, thus prolonging its lifespan.
Are There Any Downsides To Truck Bed Mats?
The biggest downside to truck bed mats is that they’re good at trapping water below them. And when you mix water and metal, you get rust.
Unfortunately, mats are not designed to keep water away. They’re there to keep the noise down and protect your truck bed from dings and cracks. If your Tacoma has a metal bed, if you don’t remove the mat every now and then, the trapped water will cause it to rust.
How To Pick The Best Toyota Tacoma Bed Mat
Picking the right bed may for your Tacoma is pretty simple.
If you’re hauling heavy equipment or loads, go for a rubber model. It will protect the bed from damage while eliminating the rustling and stretching noise when the load shifts.
If you’re hauling cargo you don’t want to scratch during transport, go for the carpet mat. Sure, it won’t do as good a rubber mat in protecting the bed from dents, and it absorbs moisture like crazy, but it’s much less abrasive. With a carpet mat, you don’t have to worry about your cargo getting scratched during loading and offloading.
Top X Toyota Tacoma Bed Mats Of 2023 Reviewed
Here are our picks for the best truck bed mats for Toyota Tacoma for 2023. We made sure to include a large range of products at all price ranges, so there’s certainly something that’ll catch your eye.
#1 OEM Toyota Tacoma Bed Mat
When it comes to accessories for any vehicle, you can’t go wrong with OEM parts.
The first Toyota Tacoma truck bed mat on our list comes straight from Toyota. Since it’s made by them, you know it will perfectly fit your truck bed.
This is one heavyweight bed mat. It’s 0.3 inches thick, and it’s pretty elastic. On top of that, the installation process is incredibly simple. All you have to do is just plop it onto the bed floor.
It features angled ribs that do a good job of preventing cargo from shifting and channeling the rainwater out of the truck bed.
This bed fits all long bed Tacomas, but you can also find a model that fits the 5-foot bed.
Unfortunately, this truck bed is pretty pricey, and it doesn’t come with a cover for the tailgate.
Even with those drawbacks, this is still the best truck bed mat you can find for your Toyota Tacoma.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy installation |
Expensive |
| Extremely durable |
Doesn’t come with a tailgate cover |
| Built out of high-strength rubber |
|
| Specifically designed for Toyota Tacomas |
|
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#2 BDK M330 Heavy-Duty Truck Utility Bed Mat
Next on our list is a bed mat from BDK. This company has been around for over 30 years and is well-known for producing high-quality, durable accessories for all kinds of vehicles.
The M330 Heavy-duty bed mat will last you for years. It’s built out of high-strength rubber and is pretty thick – measuring 0.3 inches. Moreover, the rubber features special polymers that can withstand all kinds of conditions without cracking or deforming.
It also features extra high ridges, so no matter what you throw on it, it won’t crack or tear. On top of that, it won’t fade due to sun exposure or become brittle because of rain, snow, and mud.
This M330 measures 4×8 feet, which means you’ll have to cut it down to fit inside your Tacoma bed. Thankfully, that’s pretty easy – all you need is a pair of scissors or a boxcutter. You can use the leftovers as a tailgate cover.
The biggest downside of the M330 is that it keeps the moisture trapped below it. This is why we recommend you remove it every once in a while and wipe off any moisture trapped below it.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very affordable price |
Needs to be cut down to fit |
| Extremely durable |
No drainage system |
| Won’t crack or tear if you throw heavy cargo on it |
|
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#3 BedRug Classic Bed Mat
If you’re looking for something akin to bed liners, the BedRug Classic Bed Mat is a perfect choice for you.
This rug is specifically designed for Toyota Tacoma trucks and can withstand abuse like it’s nothing. It’s built out of polypropylene which is nearly impervious to oil, gasoline, and even chemicals such as bleach.
Since this is a carpet bed mat, it’s pretty decent at preventing cargo from shifting. Still, if you’re planning on hauling extra heavy stuff, it will leave an imprint.
On the bright side, it will keep your truck bed safe from sun, scratches, and dents. Unfortunately polypropylene is notorious for locking in water. You will have to take this mat out of the truck whenever it gets soaked if you want to prevent the bed from rusting. It will also prevent mildew from growing on the mat itself.
When it comes to installation, it’s as simple as it gets. Just roll it out onto the truck bed, and you’re done. It doesn’t come with a tailgate liner, but that’s understandable when you factor in the price.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to install |
Absorbs moisture |
| Good at preventing cargo from shifting |
Heavy cargo leaves imprints on it |
| Impervious to chemicals |
|
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#4 BedRug XLT Mat
Next on our list is another bed mat from BedRug. The XLT is very similar to BedRug’s classic bed mat, but it comes with a couple of welcome improvements.
The biggest improvement over the Classic Bed mat is the special cutouts for the factory tie-downs.
Of course, this is not the only improvement. The XLT truck bed mat also comes with a tailgate cover. Thanks to this, you won’t have to worry about accidentally damaging the inside surface of your tailgate when you load cargo.
The XLT is also a bit less fuzzy than the Classic Bed Mat, so heavy cargo won’t leave any imprints.
Since the XLT is built out of polypropylene, it’s extremely durable and impervious to chemicals.
Unfortunately, just like all carpet truck bed mats, this one is also prone to locking down moisture. If you want to avoid dealing with rust or mold, and mildew, we recommend you take this mat out when it gets soaked in water.
| Pros | Cons |
| Specially designed for Toyota Tacoma cargo trucks |
Won’t keep your truck bed dry |
| Features a tailgate liner |
Expensive |
| Extremely durable |
|
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#5 Dee Zee Heavyweight Truck Bed Mat
If you’re mostly hauling heavyweight cargo that has lots of sharp edges, you need a durable bed mat. This is where Dee Zee Heavyweight Bed Mat comes into play.
It’s built out of high-density rubber that can withstand abuse without cracking, breaking, or tearing. Moreover, the rubber material is also impervious to chemicals such as oil, gas, and even bleach.
Although there are no cutouts for factory tie-downs, the bottom of this mat features rubber cleats that do a great job of keeping this mat down. On top of that, these cleats also work as a drainage system.
The best thing about this truck bed mat is that it’s pretty affordable. As of the time of this writing, this mat is cheaper than the OEM one.
Unfortunately, the Dee Zee mat doesn’t come with a tailgate liner, and you’ll have to cut it down if you have a 5-foot Tacoma.
| Pros | Cons |
| Heavyweight and durable |
Doesn’t come with a tailgate liner |
| Easy to install |
Has to be cut down to fit a 5-foot Tacoma |
| Features a drainage system that will keep your truck bed dry |
|
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I am Dave McCurdy I am the content developer on the ecodrivingusa.com website. I have 6 years of experience in marketing as an automotive major.