Boot Protectors - We Test Eight

They can save your car from damage and help its resale value. But which scuff-busting boot tidy is best for your car?

Auto Express Car Reviews

August 2009

There’s nothing like scuffed boot carpets and trim to put a dent in a car’s resale value.

It tells potential buyers the vehicle had a hard life. If you carry tools, DIY stuff or a dog, your boot will take a bashing. Add in a few trips to the dump and a boot protector starts to look like a must-have.

From under £20, you can protect it from spills, grime and damage when the load slides around.

There’s plenty of choice: from simple mats to designs that protect the sides and rear bumper, too. So which is the one for your boot? We tried out eight.

The Test

We demanded a lot from our liners, as the winner had to be easy to install and a good fit for our Skoda Octavia test car. Other features we looked for included a non-slip surface, side and bumper protection and spill containment.

Load damage was simulated by dropping a hammer from the height of one metre on to each and assessing the protection offered to a sheet of cardboard placed underneath. We also looked at price.

Verdict

For most of us, a tailored liner will be more than enough to keep the bootsafe, and the best here was Autoform’s protector.

It will guard against spills plus damage from dropped gear and all at a reasonable price.

Halfords’ version takes second. Final place on the podium was contested by Boot Buddy and Hatchbag, with the former securing third thanks to its slightly better damage resistance.

* 1 Autoform
* 2 Halfords Vehicle-Specific Boot Liner
* 3 Boot Buddy