Bedliners are an essential accessory for those that want to preserve and protect their truck beds against damage and wear. This also helps to preserve the value of your truck overall.
As they also have extra grip, they also reduce the chances of cargo moving around in the trunk during transit.
Two main methods that people use to protect their truck beds are:
- Spray-On Bedliners (AKA Spray-In Bedliners)
- Drop-In Bedliners
So How Do Spray-in and Drop-in Bedliners Compare?
Drop-In Bedliners
Drop-in bedliners are a very common and accessible method of protecting truck beds.
They come in several forms, but all are made up of one or several pieces of material that are physically installed into the truck bed so as to provide a physical cover.
Material
Drop-in bedliners are usually made from plastic and can also have a carpeted surface.
The carpeted surface helps to keep cargo gripped to the floor more effectively and is also a lot easier in the knees than the harder plastic surface.
Functionality
Another good thing about drop-in liners is that the plastic variation allows cargo to be slid into the trunk with less effort than spray-on liners.
However, while this is great for loading and unloading cargo, this isn’t great if you want everything to stay in place.
Installation
Part of the reason why drop-in bedliners are a popular option is that they are generally more affordable than spray-ons and are very easy to install.
Usually, it’s easy enough for a normal person to just simply drop the bed liner into the truck bed, so there’s no need to source a reliable professional to do the job.
The easy install means that they are also very easy to remove allowing you to swap them with minimal fuss if needed.
Overall
With the exception of carpeted bedliners, drop-in bed liners can look more functional than pretty, especially after prolonged regular usage. This can put people that are looking for something more stylish off making a purchase.
Drop-in bedliners can cost in the region of $100 – $500.
Pros
- They are affordable, costing in the range of $100 - $500
- Very easy to install, requiring the user to simply drop the liner in to the trunk
- They provide excellent protection from impacts dings cause by moving cargo etc
- A quick solution - for most it is easier to purchase a bedliner then to book a professional to install a sray in liner
- There are somee nice carpeted versions available
Cons
- Grit and water is more likely to get under the drop in bedliner due to the perimeter not being completely sealed in many cases
- They can be cumbersome to move around
- They can rattle around during driving especially if they are not a perfect fit
- Drop in bediners can cause damage to the bare bed by moving around and abrading the surface
- Universal fit bedliners do not usually fit perfectly, this can lead to imperfect protection
- The plastic versions are usually of an inferior quality
- Extra drilling of holes etc is usually needed to access some of the bed fixings and hooks
Spray-On Bedliners
Spray-on bedliners are a form of protection of your truck bed surface that is applied like spray paint.
Application
When sprayed, this paint-like material creates a tight bond to your truck bed and as such will appear perfectly flush with your vehicle’s contours.
After the spray-on bed liner has cured, the protection provided is excellent and looks just as good.
This tight bond means that zero amounts of water and particulates will stray beneath the surface, unlike the drop-in liners.
These same features make them quiet whilst driving due to there being no moving parts when you are on the move.
Effort
With that said, however, spray-on bedliners take a lot of effort to install perfectly and as such ideally requires a professional to do this properly.
Much like spray painting a vehicle, the surface first needs to be cleaned and prepped before being sprayed.
After spraying, the surface needs time to cure before going through a quality control process to make sure everything is in order.
Quality of Finish
Depending on your requirements the spray-on bed liner can be provided in various finishes.
These finishes can vary from smooth to rough to rubbery – the options are numerous.
They can also be matched to your vehicle’s paint color, which is great for show trucks and those that want something that looks awesome.
The versatility of spray-on bed liners allows you to spray this onto virtually any part of the vehicle, meaning that you can ensure that every crevice is covered to your satisfaction.
Cost
Due to this very involved, time-consuming process, spray-on bed lining is by far the most expensive method of protecting your truck bed.
Depending on your specific requirements, installing a spray-on bedliner can cost anywhere from $500 – $1500.
Pros
- Will perfectly complement the contours of your truck
- Full access to all of your truck beds fittings and hooks
- Permanent, so no need to remove and replace etc.
- Many options available depending on your requirements
Cons
- Time consuming to install
- Very expensive compared to drop in bedliners
- Can be tricky finding the right person to the job. You will have to research how good the person is and hope for the best. Or maybe get recommended from a friend.
- Cargo can cause damage to the spray on liner over time (notgreeat after spending a lot moey on the installation)
- Not great to kneel on, especially liners with gritty textured finish
- Removing the spray on bedliner is very difficult to do and, again, is best done by a professional
Can I use Spray-on and Drop-in bedliners together?
Yes, you can. If you have already sprayed in a bed liner, but are concerned that it may get damaged then a drop-in bed liner will provide excellent protection.
The only downside is that you won’t see your lovely spray-on liner.
