The 9 Best Door Mats

For a front step that takes rain, snow and constant traffic, the WaterHog Boxwood is the one to beat. Its raised fibers, spun from recycled bottles, hold grit and water below shoe level, and a rubber lip keeps the puddle from creeping onto the floor. It's made in the USA, certified for good traction by a floor-safety group, and it hoses clean. The catch is the price, and a soaked WaterHog takes a long time to dry.

Cheap doesn't have to mean flimsy, and the Gorilla Grip WeatherMAX proves it. A woven top with deep grooves scrapes mud and sand off soles, and a raised rubber border keeps the mess on the mat instead of the floor. It sits low enough for most doors to swing over it, and the natural rubber back grips concrete and tile. The plain gray diamond pattern won't win any style points.

Rows of stiff artificial turf set between rubber ridges make the ubdyo Extra Durable a strong pick for muddy boots and sandy shoes. Bob Vila named it the best outdoor mat after about two weeks of rain, mud and cleats, noting that it dried fast, rinsed clean and kept its color. Cleaning takes a hose and a shake. Grit can lodge deep between the strips, so a full clean needs some scrubbing.

If the classic bristly welcome mat is the look you want, the KAF Home Coir gives it to you in plain natural fiber, ready to paint or stencil. Coconut husk bristles scrape shoes well, and a vinyl back stops it from sliding. Coir wants a roof overhead, though: rain soaks in, loose fibers shed for the first few weeks, and a wet mat can stain pale concrete.

A wide doorway looks dressed up with the Calloway Mills Gatsby, a solid sheet of molded rubber cut in a wrought-iron scroll. It's heavy enough that it stays where you put it, and dirt drops through the openings to be swept or hosed away. It suits double doors and busy back steps. The open pattern does little for water, and it stands tall enough to catch a door that swings in over it.

Built for wet paws at the back door, the OLANLY Chenille is a soft mat of thick looped yarn. The loops soak up water and hold mud, and when it gets grimy the whole mat goes in the washing machine. A rubbery back keeps it still on wood, tile and vinyl. It belongs inside: soft loops left out in the rain stay soggy and wear out quickly, and they don't scrape caked mud off boots.

Want a printed welcome that won't jam the door? The Yimobra Welcome is thin enough to clear doors that swing in over it, with a short turf-style face that grabs dirt and a natural rubber back that stays put. It shakes out, vacuums or hoses off. Being thin, it holds less mud than a deep-grooved mat, and the lettering fades in strong sun, so a shaded porch suits it best.

Drippy shoes in a mudroom or under a porch roof call for the Gorilla Grip HydroABSORB, which holds close to two cups of water by the maker's count. Raised squares catch grit, a raised rim keeps drips from running off, and the rubber back stays put on hard floors. Gorilla Grip recommends a covered spot, so it isn't meant for an open step that takes every storm.

The Apache Mills Masterpiece Aberdeen looks like a little stone path with a welcome border, and it's made in the USA from mostly recycled rubber. A layer of short fibers on top brushes dirt off soles, while the rubber body keeps it flat and in place on a breezy step. That short face brushes more than it scrapes, so caked mud may need a second wipe.