Boat carpets. They’re carpets, but for boats. Amazing, huh? They’re simple, they’re non-slip, and they’re nice to walk on.
Okay, they might not be the most exciting thing ever, but they do make a nice quality of life improvement to your boat’s flooring. Especially the non-slip part. That means you’re not going to end up taking an unintended quick swim at the wrong time…
First up is a table with all the boat carpets that we recommend further on in this handy little guide, so if you want to skip all the other talk and just look through them, then here they all are:
| Product | Why Choose This One? |
|---|---|
20 oz Do-It-Yourself Boat Carpet by Marine Carpeting   | Best Overall Boat Carpet Durable, looks great and has a huge range of color options. From Amazon |
20 oz Industrial Supply HQ Deluxe CutPile Boat/Marine Carpet  | Alternative Top Pick Only in smoke or charcoal color options, but still a great heavy duty pick that’ll stay looking good as new after you trample all over it. From Amazon |
32 oz Pontoon Boat Carpet by Bascar   | Best High Pile Weight Option (for an Even Softer Feel) A different, more living room carpet-like texture. Not actually more expensive than the others. From Amazon |
16 oz Cutpile Boat Carpet by BoatCarpetSales | Best Budget Option Great quality for the price, and gives the impression of being higher pile weight than it actually is. From Amazon |
Happybuy Blue Marine Carpet  | Another Waterproof and Easy to Clean Option Uses waterproof TPR on the backlink layer so it’ll better protect the boards underneath. Also in the budget price range. From Amazon |
Things to Consider When Buying a Boat Carpet
Let’s face it. A lot of this is going to be down to personal preference. If the absolute best carpet out there was in bright neon pink only you might still give it a miss. Or that might be the best thing ever for you. Who knows. Party boat!
But that rather subjective side of choosing a boat carpet that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really important things to consider when choosing one. We’re talking about all of the following here:
Whether it’ll harbor mildew and begin to smell like “wet dog” after a while
This is more important than anything else. I mean, you can’t even really call a carpet a boat carpet if it’s not strongly mildew and moisture resistant.
Outdoor carpet shares this very same requirement, and to be honest, there isn’t really a whole lot that’s different between outdoor carpets and marine carpets because they fulfil the same role as weather-proof carpets.
However, you’re not exactly going to be getting a lot of soil on your boots when walking around on a boat. Water though? There’s plenty of that around.
Also bear in mind that if a carpet does get mildewy, the only way to fix it is to cover it with vinegar unless you have some fancy mildew remover lying around. This same trick that gets mildew out of clothes works for carpets too. As you can imagine though, this isn’t something you want to be doing on the regular.
The carpet pile’s weight per square yard, measured in ounces
16oz is a good standard to have in mind as the bare minimum, but it does tend to fall in the category of “thin doormat” rather than being a full “carpet.” It’d be better called carpet-y flooring or something “flooring that reminds you a bit of the fluffy side of Velcro.”
32 oz though? That’s where it starts feeling like a real carpet. This one by Bascar really has that luxury look going for it, and yet, it doesn’t cost a bomb. There’s plenty good 20 oz carpets for boats out there like Marine Carpeting’s one that cost practically the same even though the pile weight is less.
Still though, I know what you’re thinking.
“A higher pile weight carpet is going to be harder to keep clean though isn’t it?”
That’s right. And that’s why there’s a kind of sweet spot around 20 oz or so where people are happy with the feel of their carpet-y flooring, but it isn’t the type that makes you want to scrunch up your toes in it.
That type of thick, fluffy carpet will always hold onto water a bit too easily, even if it’s water resistant, so it’s best to go for that sweet spot in the middle where it’s not super thin like a felt fabric, and not super thick and fluffy either.
You’ll need some glue
Basically all boat carpets are glue-down applications only. No snap-ins or staples.
But that’s fine. A tub of marine grade carpet adhesive glue will sort you right out. That one works on wood, fiberglass and aluminum (and the underside of your fancy new boat carpet too, of course!).
Our Top Recommendations
Putting all of that together, let’s go through our recommendations. We’ll be starting with the best overall choices before looking into some more niche use or “you might just prefer this” based choices.
Best Overall Boat Carpet: 20 oz Do-It-Yourself Boat Carpet by Marine Carpeting
Best Overall Boat Carpet
20 oz Do-It-Yourself Boat Carpet by Marine Carpeting
At 20oz, this carpet both looks and feels great. In terms of looks and that sheer amount of colors to choose from, it’s hard to beat.
It’s also plenty durable enough for the job. Just make sure you cut it with nice sharp knife to keep the edges from fraying.
The only thing we’ll say about this one is that some people get one that’s wrinkled upon arrival, which makes it not lie flat properly. It’s unlikely you’ll get one like that, but there you go. At the very least the seller seems responsive.
Alternative Top Pick: 20 oz Industrial Supply HQ Deluxe CutPile Boat/Marine Carpet
Alternative Top Pick
20 oz Industrial Supply HQ Deluxe CutPile Boat/Marine Carpet
Currently in charcoal or smoke colors only, but in terms of quality you’re getting a real heavy duty boat carpet here.
Once again, looks and feels nice but cut it with a sharp knife as with all boat carpets or you’ll regret it.
Best High Pile Weight Option (for an Even Softer Feel): 32 oz Pontoon Boat Carpet by Bascar
Best High Pile Weight Option (for an Even Softer Feel)
32 oz Pontoon Boat Carpet by Bascar
A carpet that feels great underfoot and looks pretty good too. Thanks to the 32 oz pile weight, its more closely bound texture than the others, and its nice subtle bit of patterning.
What you’ll notice with the increased pile weight rating is that the carpet is now a whole lot more like what you’d expect a living room carpet to be like.
The pile weight is higher than most, yet the price isn’t. Not a bad deal at all.
Best Budget Option: 16 oz Cutpile Boat Carpet by BoatCarpetSales
Best Budget Option
16 oz Cutpile Boat Carpet by BoatCarpetSales
Still resistant to mold and mildew, and comes with a good color selection.
16 oz is still high enough, and it gives off the impression that it’s actually higher oz than it is when looking at it.
Another Waterproof and Easy to Clean Option: Happybuy Blue Marine Carpet
Another Waterproof and Easy to Clean Option
A marine grade carpet that comes in a few simple colors.
The focus of this one is on its extra waterproofing by using waterproof TPR on the backlink layer so it’ll better protect the boards underneath.
Basically, it’s another simple, cost effective option that looks surprisingly good. The pictures don’t really do it enough justice.
We hope this guide to the best marine carpets for boats has been helpful.
If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, then let us know down in the comments below.
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