How come boat carpets became so important, I’m writing a review on them? Well, maybe they are not critical for your boat, but they are important enough, trust me about that. Some of Imy subscribers have been bombing me with requests to make even a short review on boat carpets. That’s just how things are.

Why would anyone need a boat carpet in the first place? Why would anyone put a carpet on the deck? After all, a carpet is hard to wash, but it absorbs smells easy. It’s going to accumulate mud and filth, isn’t it?

Top 5 Best Boat Carpet ⁠ in 2019

Well, none of that is going to be a problem, if you get the right boat carpet. And with Imy help, that won’t be difficult for you at all. The point of a review is to get all the highlights, the good and the bad, which is something that you need to make the right choice and get the best boat carpet, lest you slip and fall into the water rather than catch your big fish.

You can’t just use any carpet in your boat and call it a marine carpet. No, a good boat carpet must protect your deck from UV radiation, must not be susceptible to UV radiation itself, must be easy to glue, must be stain proof, and, finally, must have the right size to fit your boat.

1
Do-It-Yourself Boat Carpet — Easiest to Adapt for Any Deck

This carpet comes in a dozen colors or so. You may not find the color you want, but the choice is there, and if you want something specific, you can still find a suitable replacement if you weigh your options carefully.

As expected from a marine carpet, it is made of UV-resistant polypropylene, and stain proof. It is perfectly simple to cut. Not only that, it actually comes with a knife to cut it with. The entire kit even includes some extra blades.

The Do-It-Yourself carpet is truly a DIY piece of decor, and it’s designed for gluing it down. The glue is not included, if you need adhesive, you have to buy it separately. It is 8 inches wide and comes in very different lengths.

Pros
  • Made of UV-resistant polypropylene
  • Comes with a knife to cut it with
Cons
  • Glue is not included

2
Marine Outdoor Boat Carpet — Best Carpet for a Fisher Boat

Moisture is the enemy of any marine carpet, which is the primary reason they are made moisture-proof. However, moisture itself is not the only factor that can damage a carpet in a high-humidity area. Mildew is another major problem moisture causes. Well, this Marine Outdoor Boat Carpet is perfectly protected from mold, as fine as it is protected from moisture.

It also comes with UV protection and is only 16 oz heavy.

It is inflammable, which means even spilling some oil on it does not mean imminent danger. Even if you spill some fuel and it catches fire, it’s going to just die down in a few minutes (don’t spill fuel and set it alight to test it, it’s a terrible idea), the carpet will not fuel the fire further. It won’t come out undamaged, but it surely won’t contribute to the disaster.

Ravel resistant, it is very convenient to use. Easy to clean and install, it is the best choice for any fisher boat. However, some might not like the way it looks.

Pros
  • Protected from mold
  • Comes with UV protection
  • Inflammable
  • Ravel resistant
Cons
  • Some might not like the way it looks

3
House, Home and More Carpet — Best Carpet for Cabin

If you’re not happy with a marine-only carpet, this house and home carpet with a rubber marine backing will be a perfect option for you.

But how about the installation? After all, a carpet must be solid as a rock after it’s set on the deck. If you do that, how can you place it in your living room after you dock your boat and drive home? Here’s the thing: you don’t. And that’s a significant drawback. Yes, the carpet is pretty durable and resistant, and the backing provides excellent traction. But if you put in on the deck, you can still lose it in a matter of seconds if the sea is not tranquil.

Otherwise, it’s a great carpet for your boat. It is resistant to UV, mold, and moisture, and it’s easy to clean. You can even glue it down, but if you do that, you won’t be able to use it in your living room after that, not very easily at least. And using it indoors is one of the most important reasons for using it at all.

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Pros
  • Rubber marine backing
  • Resistant to UV, mold, and moisture
Cons
  • If you put in on the deck, you can still lose it in a matter of seconds if the sea is not tranquil

4
Marine Grade Boat Carpet — Best Bang for the Buck

This marine carpet delivers expected results. It’s UV stabilized, fade and moisture resistant and has a rubber back, perfect for gluing it down. But you shouldn’t expect anything more than just basic things. That’s not too bad, because it is hard for a carpet to be unique in any way. But some other carpet manufacturers managed that, while this one is not quite as unique. Still, that’s not a bad thing by itself. A single pile weighs 20 oz.

A pretty basic choice for those who don’t want anything special.

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Pros
  • Delivers expected results
  • Fade and moisture resistant
  • Perfect for gluing down
  • UV stabilized
Cons
  • You shouldn't expect anything more than just basic things

5
Pontoon Boat Carpet — Ideal for Pontoon Boats

It is a “pontoon” carpet, but don’t let the name fool you. It is a perfect boat carpet. All the difference is the name, and that’s it. It is a typical high-quality marine carpet that comes with an installation manual and tech advice.

It is super easy to cut, and it comes with a knife for slicing it. At 32 oz per tile, it is rather dense, which makes it resistant to wear and tear. As you can expect, it is designed for glue down installation.

All in all, it’s a good and reliable boat carpet that is more durable than some other options.

Pros
  • Super easy to cut
  • Comes with a knife for slicing it
  • Resistant to wear and tear
Cons
  • a “pontoon” carpet

Buyer’s Guide

UV Protection

Unlike the inside for your living room, a boat’s deck is always exposed to UV radiation. As you can guess, it’s better to protect it if you don’t want it to fade out in a few months. Most marine carpets offer UV-protection by being thick and made of fabric. However, while a carpet will protect your deck no matter what, what’s going to protect the carpet itself? The answer is nothing. The only thing that can protect a carpet from UV radiation is its own durability, especially against UV rays. A good boat carpet must not fade out until it’s been at least a year. That said, the longer a carpet lasts, the better. Unless it’s in need for a replacement for an entirely unrelated reason, you won’t have to replace it for that long.

Glue-in

You can afford to lay an indoors carpet on the floor in your room or RV and forget about it until it’s time to replace it. You can’t do that in your boat.A vessel is mobile by nature. And unlike your RV, it doesn’t always move straight ahead or turn at most. It does all that, but it also rocks and it can rise high and plummet down, gliding across the waves, and if your carpet is just laying there on the floor, it going to whip around the cabin – or fold aside at least. It especially true if you have to cut it to fit it in every corner.That is the reason why a boat carpet has to be comfortable to glue-in at least. At best, you won’t even need to get an adhesive for that because the carpet would stick to the deck and floor like duck tape.Some might argue that no one stops the boat owner from just gluing-in a regular indoors carpet. That much is true, but how about replacing it once it’s done for? A terrible idea, to say the least.

Stain Proof

A marine carpet must be reasonably stain proof. Your boat won’t be still, and your food may end up on the floor, the glasses are going to topple over at some point. And don’t forget about the big fish you’re planning to catch. If you’re going to be fishing, a fish will sooner or later land on that carpet of yours. Or, worse yet, fish bowels. What are you going to do then if your carpet is not stainproof? You’d have to remove it, turn home, throw it into the washing machine, get it dry, and even then I cannot guarantee it will be clean and odorless.

Moisture Proof

Unlike an indoors mat, it is always exposed to moisture, and you should expect to get it soaked at one point. If your carpet is going to fall apart because of a bucket of seawater or two, it’s definitely not the right matter for a boat. A spot that never comes off because some sea water spilled there at one point isn’t much better.All in all, when dealing with boats, it’s always better to get a waterproof carpet. But there’s another caveat you have to account for, especially if you plan on placing that carpet on the deck and not in a watertight cabin.

Non-slipping

The risk of slipping is way too high as it is when it’s raining, or an occasional wave is rolling over the deck. If the deck is covered with any smooth coating, and it gets wet, you’re bound to lose your balance and fall, overboard in the worst case scenario. Which is why it is vital that you buy a non-slipping carpet. If you believe it’s too easy to slip stepping on it when it’s when don’t use, or, at least, place it only somewhere water shouldn’t get into.

Size

Before you make your purchase, run some calculations. You need to make sure that when you cut the carpet, you will be able to cover every area of the deck and the floor that you intended to cover, to begin with. Because when it turns out you’re running short of the carpet, it will be too late to change anything.Also, throw in at least 20% to the end result. Some of the pieces will be unusable or too small, and you may have to replace the carpet in some areas sooner than in the others. If you account for 20% extra, you won’t run into any complications.

Easy to Cut

You will have to cut the carpet before placing it to fit all the corners. To do that, the carpet should be easy to cut. If it’s not, it’s going to take you too much time to get it done.Marine carpets are easy to cut, but if you think about using a regular carpet, prepare yourself to encounter some problems.

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