If you own a pickup, it’s safe to assume you’ll haul things around in it. While there’s no reason for you not to get the most out of your truck, hauling heavy goods can damage the bed — sometimes enough to affect your truck’s appearance and even resale value.
But you don’t have to let this happen. Thanks to the different types of bed liners available, protecting your truck’s bed is rather straightforward. But to pick the best bed liner for your truck, you’ll need to first familiarize yourself with the various options (and there are several!) that are available on the market.
That said, in terms of user-friendliness and accessibility, two of the most common types of bed protectants are spray-on liner coatings and drop-in liners. Spray-on liners are made from a polyurethane or aliphatic base and are sprayed right onto your truck’s bed. The liner provides chemical-resistant protection, is waterproof, and protects the bed from the elements and rust.
Drop-in liners are usually made of thick rubber or plastic and, as the name suggests, have to be dropped into the bed. This can be done fairly quickly by the truck owner, and the liner’s heavy-duty construction provides ample protection.
If you’re looking to purchase a bed liner for your truck, here are six of the top options right now, which SlashGear has listed based on user reviews. You’ll also find a more detailed methodology that explains how these liners were evaluated and picked at the end of this article.
U-POL Raptor Black Urethane Spray-On Truck Bed Liner Kit with Free Spray Gun
The U-POL Raptor Bed Liner Kit comes as a complete package with four bottles of the liner base, one can of the hardener solution, and a free spray gun.
It’s pretty straightforward to use, given that all you need to do is add the hardener to the liner and mix them. Once that’s done, use the spray gun for the application. This makes it easy for even complete novices to use the product. Just keep in mind that you may have to use some painter’s tape to mask areas that don’t need the coating and sandpaper to prep the surface before you begin the application.
Thanks to the kit containing four bottles of the liner base, you should have plenty left to recoat the bed at intervals. That’s not to say you will have to recoat too frequently, because the solution is waterproof and shockproof, providing sufficient protection for your truck.
If you think you’ll like this product, you can pick it up online. It currently retails for $149.96 but is available at a discounted price of $122.99 on Amazon.
Herculiner ORIGINAL Truck Bed Liner Kit with Rollers
Herculiner’s Roll-On Bed Liner Kit allows you to coat your truck’s bed in a textured polyurethane coating in just three simple steps: prep, apply, and let dry. It has a curing time of 10 to 12 hours, but you’re ready to use your truck after that’s done since you’ll have a skid-resistant, tough protective coating to work with.
This product comes in a kit that includes two rollers, one application brush, one roller handle, and an abrasive pad, which means you essentially have everything you need to start your DIY bed lining project. All you need additionally is some time to prep your truck.
Also, thanks to its adhesive property and durable formulation, this coating bonds to the bed’s surface without trouble and keeps the surface rust-free. It also protects against flaking, chipping, and peeling.
For a DIY kit, it’s priced pretty affordably; the product is currently available on Amazon for just $101.99.
Rust-Oleum Automotive Truck Bed Coating
If you want to use a spray-on liner coating but don’t have all day to wait for it to cure, you can’t go wrong with Rust-Oleum’s Automotive Truck Bed Coating. Although it costs under $30, this high-quality solution, which is manufactured in the United States, uses a water-based formula that dries fairly quickly.
The formula needs to be applied with a brush, spray gun, or roller, but the downside is that none of these applicators are provided to you with this product. Still, considering the price, the added expense of purchasing the applicators is likely to be relatively insignificant. If you already have an applicator or two, you can save on that expense as well.
The coating goes on smoothly and contours to the exact edges of your bed, creating a durable, skid-free finish in the process. Once properly dried, you can expect a protective coating that keeps the bed safe from scratches, weather elements, and rust. You can also use this coating if you simply want to enhance the look of an older, scratched-up bed.
If you want to coat your bed with this quick-fix solution, purchase it on Amazon for $26.44.
Husky Liners Heavy-Duty Bed Mat
Husky Liners’ heavy-duty bed mat, which is made from rubberized DuraGrip HD material, is a great option for truck owners looking for a reliable way to protect their beds. You can pair it with a bed cover for added protection, too.
Not only is this bed mat super tough and scratch-resistant, but it’s also mostly immune to shocks and chemicals. And despite being extremely durable, it’s flexible enough to not scratch your cargo. Plus, because it has a tough, textured surface, you can rest assured that your cargo won’t move too much while you’re on the road.
A notable advantage of this product is its user-friendly installation process. The mat is fairly easy to mount and screw on, making it a great option for first-time users as well. What’s more, you can also promptly resume using your truck after you install the liner.
The mat is designed in such a way that it remains ever so slightly elevated, allowing air to pass through. This helps it remain odorless and dry, preventing mold and mildew buildup.
With this product, you have the flexibility to choose from different sizes of bed mats based on your truck’s specifications. Generally, you’ll find that most options cost between $130 and $165 online. For example, Husky Liners’ bed mat for the F-150 is retailing for $160.17 on Amazon.
Custom Coat Black Urethane Spray-On Truck Bed Liner Kit
This Black Urethane Spray-On Truck Bed Liner Kit offers a quick, convenient, and effective way to protect your truck’s bed. All you need to do to get this formula ready is mix the hardener with the liner, shake it, and use it on the surface of your truck’s bed.
The kit includes everything you need to use it right away, apart from painter’s tape and sandpaper, so ensure you have those on hand before you start the process. Like with most spray-on bed liners, you’ll need to prep the surface of your bed by cleaning it and sanding it down.
Once it is applied, you’ll be able to enjoy the tough, durable coating that offers protection against water, heat, and rust and resists chipping even when exposed to the elements. The coating also offers some degree of shock protection. In fact, users consistently rave about how durable this product is despite being so easy to use.
If you’re purchasing the product on Amazon, you can choose a suitable product size (0.25 gallons to two gallons). You can also opt for a kit that comes with a gun or a roller, based on what you’re most comfortable using. Prices vary based on product specifications, but the one-gallon kit that comes with the gun sells for $114.99 on Amazon, while the one-gallon kit with the roller sells for $136.99 on the same platform.
RealTruck BedRug Classic Bed Liner
RealTruck’s BedRug Classic bed liner is another great option if you’re looking for a drop-in liner. The installation process with this product is fairly standard and hassle-free, which means there’s no learning curve or niche skills that you require to mount it.
Additionally, it’s also easy to clean. So, if it gets dirty, all you need to do is spray it down with some water, and the water will release out of the factory drain holes.
Once fixed securely, it offers waterproof, impact-resistant, stain-resistant, and chemical-resistant protection. You also don’t have to worry about it getting weathered down if it is exposed to the elements because it is engineered for tough exterior usage.
The construction of this bed liner, thanks to the fact that it is molded to the specific make and model of your truck, makes it fit perfectly with your bed’s exact dimensions. While this is a great product and receives consistently high user reviews, it is on the pricier side, costing between $479.95 and $519.95. The Classic Bed Liner for a Ram 2500/3500, for instance, retails for $479.95 on Amazon.
Which one is best for your truck?
Both spray-on and drop-in bed liners are popular options among truck owners. The type of bed liner you pick, however, should be based on your budget, how much effort you can put into the process, and how you intend to use the truck.
A carefully done spray-on job looks great and remains durable for a while. But the durability of most spray-on liners depends on the quality of your prep work. If you prepped the bed hurriedly, the liner is unlikely to adhere properly, leading to peeling and chipping off over time.
So, does that mean a drop-in liner is a better choice? Well, it depends. A drop-in liner is ideal if you want a quick installation process and are hoping to potentially transfer it when the time comes to another truck that has the same bed dimensions. That said, it’s vital that you do your due diligence when buying a drop-in liner to ascertain the product’s quality. In particular, look for one that doesn’t trap water or doesn’t have a slick finish.
Why these products made it to this list
The products listed above were chosen based on user reviews and ratings on online marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. Each of these products had a minimum rating of over 4.0, with several of them receiving higher ratings as well. These products also received mostly positive user reviews on these platforms.
