What to Know About Drop-In Bedliners vs Spray-On Bedliners

What is a Drop-In Bedliner?

The cheapest and easiest way to protect the bed of your truck is with a simple "drop-in" bedliner. Often available from the factory or from numerous aftermarket suppliers, a drop-in bedliner is a pre-shaped plastic or rubber guard specifically designed to fit the size and shape of your specific year, make, and model of truck. Drop-in liners come in a variety styles tailored for the intended use of the truck. For example, some liners may cover only the flooring of the bed to act as a skid resistant surface, whereas other liners will fully cover the entire inner surface of the bed and wrap over and around the top rails for extra protection when hauling payload. In any case, drop-in liners typically require a minimal number fasteners to secure them in place and can be easily installed at home.

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Pros of a Drop-In Bedliner

There are a number of benefits and selling points of choosing a drop-in bedliner over a spray-on liner.

• Allows for do-it-yourself installation with no prep work
• Easily replaceable or transferable to another vehicle
• Specifically designed for perfect vehicle fitment
• Conceals any prior bed damage
• Prevents dents and dings
• Quality liners feature textured, ribbed, or slip resistant flooring
• Requires no modification to the bed
• Often cheaper than spray-on liner alternatives

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Cons of a Drop-In Bedliner

Although there are numerous benefits to having a drop-in bedliner, they also have their shortcomings.

• Can require drilling holes in the bed
• Have a tendency to trap water between bed and liner even if equipped with drainage holes
• Known to occasionally vibrate and rattle at highway speeds
• Subtle shifting of the liner can work as an abrasive and gradually wear away paint thus exposing bare metal
• Can lead to rust or corrosion underneath liner
• Have a tendency to fade
• Some liners are slick and allow cargo to slide around

Spray-On Bedliners

In recent years spray-on bedliners have gained popularity and are now even being offered as an installed option directly from the vehicle manufacturer. Instead of acting as an overlay like drop-in liners, a spray-on liner is a rugged coating that adheres directly to the surface of the truck bed. Spray-on liners can be either of a high pressure application that applies a warm coating to speed up curing times or a low pressure application that requires longer periods to fully harden. The elastomer chemical mixture found in spray-on products varies between manufacturers to give different levels of hardness, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, texture, and gloss/color, but the makeup typically consists polyurethane and polyurea. A spray-on liner application is much more involved than a drop-in liner, as it requires a decent amount of preparation to the bed surface as well as proper application to ensure satisfactory results. As a result, a spray-on liner typically runs $150-350 more than a quality drop-in liner.

>>Join the conversation on drop-in vs spray-on bedliners here in Ford-Trucks forums. 

Pros of a Spray-On Bedliner

At this point you may be scratching your head and wondering why you should spend the extra cash on a spray-on liner versus the traditional drop-in liner. Here some benefits of opting for spray-on bed protection.

• Fully customizable for texture, color, and areas of bed to be covered
• Extremely durable
• Completely seals bed surface to prevent rust and corrosion
• Can be applied to any year, make, and model
• Low maintenance
• Will not shift or move around
• Scratch and chip resistant
• Aesthetically appealing

Cons of a Spray-On Bedliner

While it may seem that spray-on options are superior for bed protection, they do have a few drawbacks of their own.

• Significantly more expensive than a drop-in liner
• Application of a quality spray-on bedliner must typically be performed by an authorized installer; however, some DIY spray-on kits have now made their way to market
• Will not mask larger dents or dings in bed that occurred prior to application
• Application is permanent
• Has a tendency to fade over time and is susceptible to chemical stains
• Abrasive surface can be hard on cargo and make loading/unloading certain items difficult
• Prep is key; poor prep will equate to a subpar finish and reduce longevity