If you are a truck enthusiast with a penchant for DIY projects, then a truck bed lining job could be just what the doctor ordered.
You probably don’t need us to tell you about the efficiency of using spray-on bedliners for maintenance, restoration, and repair work on your truck beds and other auto accessories. Plus, these days, there are enough spray-on bedliner kits available online that are competitively priced and can help you save a pretty penny when compared to a professional job.
But which to choose?
Whether you’re an old hand at buying truck bedliners or looking forward to your first spray-on paint job, this guide will help you narrow down your search and choose the truck bedliner that’s the best match for your requirements.
- Features to Consider Before Buying a Spray-on Bedliner
- Top 10 Best Spray-on Bedliners 2024
- 1. Best Overall Spray-on Bedliner: U-POL Raptor Urethane Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit With Regulator
- 2. Most Rust Resistant: Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating Spray
- 3. Best Premium Spray-on Bedliner: U-Pol Raptor Black Urethane Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit
- 4. Best Budget Spray-on Bedliner: Dupli-Color BAA2010 Bed Armor
- 5. Best for Professionals: Custom Coat Bright Silver Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit
- 6. Best for Touch-Ups: Seymour Truck Bed Coating
- 7. Best UV Protection: Raptor Flame Red Bedliner
- 8. Least Toxic Bedliner: Al's Liner DIY Polyurethane Spray
- 9. Most Durable Bedliner: LinerXtreeme Spray-on Bedliner Kit
- 10. Most Heavy-Duty: Herculiner Spray-on Bedliner
- Guide to Buying the Best Spray-on Bedliners
- Final Words
Features to Consider Before Buying a Spray-on Bedliner
You should look at the following factors when choosing a truck bedliner. You can use the following as a checklist when reading our product review list.
Type (Spray Gun vs. Aerosol)
Spray-on bedliners come in two main types: spray guns and aerosols. Spray guns can get the job done with some pace and are better for covering large areas quickly. But aerosols don’t require any mixing and are typically more beginner-friendly.
For a complete deep-dive on the differences between spray guns and aerosol cans, you can head over to our Spray Gun vs. Aerosol section.
Protection
A bedliners is like a protective layer of paint that enhances the life of a metallic surface, thereby elongating the life of your truck. A good bedliner should protect your truck bed from damage in conditions like extreme temperatures and dampness.
Resistance to rust, chemical exposure, water, and UV rays, are all additional considerations that dictate the overall protection and durability that a spray-on bedliner can offer. Your preferences here are likely to depend on your expected usage practices and location.
Our reviews make sure to highlight how each spray holds up in terms of its protection. For more detail on the importance of protection, you can skip over to our section exploring the benefits of spray-on bedliners.
What’s Included
Does the kit contain every single tool you’ll require from start to finish? Is a spray gun included with the mix-in kit? Is it a good quality spray gun? Is the tint included, or will you need to buy it separately? If you’re looking for an all-in-one kit, read the package contents carefully before buying.
Unmixed vs. Ready-to-Use
While most kits provide the bedliner, activator, tint, and reducer separately (and include an instruction manual that spells out the mixing ratios), ready-to-use spray-on bedliners can be put to use the moment you remove the cap.
For unmixed bedliners, you can control the thickness, tint hue, and volume to a certain extent, offering you greater flexibility in deciding the texture and final result, whereas premixed, ready-to-use bedliners – mostly in aerosol cans, do not have this option. Unmixed bedliners usually have a longer pot life than ready-to-use bedliners.
Pot Life
Pot life is the duration of time within which you must use up the bedliner before it clogs up, freezes, coagulates, or congeals to become unusable. Once you open a can or mix-in a bedliner, it won’t remain sprayable for very long.
Drying Time
A good bedliner has a short dry-to-touch time. This is the time duration after which you can apply a second coat without making a mess of the first one.
Drying time also correlates to pot life in that if the pot life is short but the dry-to-touch time is long, you’ll have a lot of useless and clogged up product on your hands if you haven’t accounted for this time delay.
Quantity and Price
If you’re doing the entire truck bed, bedliner kits work out cheaper than the aerosol cans. If you’re doing maintenance work, aerosols are the way to go. If the price is not a problem, pick any one of the 10 bedliners mentioned in our list and spray-away.
Spray-on Bedliners cost anywhere between $7 per aerosol can to $300 for a DIY spray-on bedliner kit. The actual price depends on how much square footage coverage they provide for a single coat. Most products will require several coats though, and you should factor this into your pricing considerations.
Aesthetic
Bediners are usually dark black in color and have a pebbly or grainy texture. But there are a wide variety of color and texture options you can choose from if you do not want to look the same as everyone else. Even with the finish, there are options like glossy, metallic, non-skid, etc., that can help you stand apart from the crowd.
We’ve tried to highlight all of these points in each of our top 10 best spray-on bedliners in the list below.
| Product | Package Includes | Requires Mix-In | Dry to Touch | Pot Life | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-POL Raptor Urethane Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit With Regulator | Free Custom Coat Bedliner Spray Gun with Regulator and Gauge, 1L Raptor Standard Hardener | Yes | 1 Hour | 60 minutes | 5 |
| Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating Spray | One Spray-On Liner Aerosol Can | No | 30 Minutes | ~ 60 minutes at room temperature | 5 |
| U-Pol Raptor Black Urethane Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit | Besides the Liner, Free Application Gun, 1L Raptor Standard Hardener | Yes | 1 Hour | ~ 60 minutes | 5 |
| Dupli-Color BAA2010 Bed Armor | One Bedliner Aerosol Can | No | 1 to 2 hours | ~ 60 to 80 minutes | 4.5 |
| Custom Coat Bright Silver Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit | Besides the Liner, Tint Color Bottles, Custom Coat Standard Hardener, Applicator Spray Gun, User Manual | Yes | ~ 1.5 hours. | 60 minutes at 72°F | 4.5 |
| Seymour Truck Bed Coating | Bedliner Spray-on Aerosol Can | No | ~ 30 to 50 minutes | ~ 60 minutes at room temperature | 4.5 |
| Raptor Flame Red Bedliner | One Bedliner Aerosol Can | No | 15 to 20 minutes | 60 minutes | 4 |
| Al's Liner DIY Polyurethane Spray | Polyurethane Resin Solution, Activator, Catalyst, Tint, Primer/Adhesion Promoter, Mixing Paddle, and Spray Gun | Yes | ~ 2 Hours | ~ 40 minutes | 4 |
| LinerXtreeme Spray-on Bedliner Kit | Besides the Liner, Two Reducer Cans, Spray-On Gun | Yes | Depends on humidity, consistency, and the thickness of the coat applied | ~ 50 minutes | 4 |
| Herculiner Spray-on Bedliner | One Aerosol Can | No | 2 to 4 hours | ~ 60 minutes | 3.5 |
Top 10 Best Spray-on Bedliners 2024
1. Best Overall Spray-on Bedliner: U-POL Raptor Urethane Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit With Regulator
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Free Custom Coat Bedliner Spray Gun with Regulator and Gauge, 1L Raptor Standard Hardener
- Requires Mix-In: Yes
- Dry to Touch: 1 Hour
- Pot Life: 60 minutes
Product Review
This bedliner comes in the standard black color as well as in a non-standard white-colored bedliner that can be tinted with any color of your choice. You can paint the external surfaces of your truck with a tinted coat of slate grey, dark olive, or any other non-black dark color of your choosing.
The package includes a helpful spray gun attachment that also has a regulator and gauge. It’s easy to mix the tint, hardener, and liner – clear instructions are given on the box. Just mix, screw the spray-on gun, and get painting.
This bedliner deadens vibrations and reduces road noise, is scratch-resistant, durable, waterproof, rustproof, and protects your truck bed even in extreme temperatures.
Although the package comes with a fancy spray-on gun, it isn’t made of the best quality and, more often than not, you’ll need to get your own spray gun. Other than that, the liner material is A+, and the tinting just makes it more fun than painting with the standard black liners.
Don’t forget to prep your truck before painting, as that’s the key to good adhesion, even coating, professional finish, and a long-lasting truck bedliner.
Application Advice
For best results, mix the tint – up to 10% of the base volume, base, and hardener in a separate container. Pour the mixture back into the can while leaving some room at the top to avoid overflow. Clean the nozzle with a lacquer thinner after every use.
Pros
- Can be tinted with a color of your choice
- Deadens vibrations and road noise
- Resistant to chipping and flaking
- Waterproof
- Easy to use and long-lasting
- Includes a spray-on gun
Cons
- The spray gun included in the package is not up to the mark
2. Most Rust Resistant: Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating Spray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: One Spray-On Liner Aerosol Can
- Requires Mix-In: No
- Dry to Touch: 30 Minutes
- Pot Life: ~ 60 minutes at room temperature
Product Review
This rust-resistant spray-on truck bedliner has a pebble-like finish and is best used to coat hard to reach surfaces like truck bed corners and curves. For truck beds that have seen long use, wear and tear, and problems with corrosion, this is a good bedliner to restore the integrity of the metal. Due to the non-skid, textured finish, it is highly resistant to scratches.
Spraying with the aerosol ensures an even coating that looks professional. It’s also good at absorbing and reducing road noises. Although it can be used on bare metal directly, priming the metal properly before use ensures greater adhesion and longevity.
When this aerosol works, it is the best spray-on bedliner on the market. But, if it doesn’t, which happens more often than it should, then you’re stuck with a dead and useless can. Even newly opened cans stop working after a spray or two.
Pot life is roughly 60 minutes, but this can be extended by taking specific action like frequent vigorous shaking and wiping the nozzle after every spray to avoid dead can syndrome.
This product also comes in a 32 ounce can of Brush-On Truck Bed Coating, which can be poured into a spray-on can and used as a spray-on bedliner.
Application Advice
Use the can at room temperature and shake it often when in use. Do not allow the paint to coagulate in the tip area – clean with acetone or wipe it with a rag after every few sprays.
Pros
- Rust-resistant formula
- Textured, non-skid finish resistant to scratches and peeling
- Easy-to-use aerosol can
- Durable and long-lasting coats
- Reduces road noise
Cons
- Problematic aerosol cans that are dead on arrival
- Need to clean the nozzle and tip of the can after every few sprays to avoid clogging
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Besides the Liner, Free Application Gun, 1L Raptor Standard Hardener
- Requires Mix-In: Yes
- Dry to Touch: 1 Hour
- Pot Life: ~ 60 minutes
Product Review
This spray-on truck bedliner is perhaps the best option for novices who’re still learning to use DIY bedliners and protective coatings for their truck beds. This product is highly similar to the U-POL Bedliner Kit With Regulator and also includes a spray gun. Notably though, this variation does comes without a pressure gauge, which makes it tricky to keep a consistent spray pressure. It’s also only available in black and in the 4 liter size.
Still, this keeps things simple and if you just want to get the job done without hassle, this is a safe choice. All you need to do is pour 250 ml of the hardener into one of the four 750 ml bottles of liners, shake the bottle to mix the two thoroughly, attach the spray gun to the bottle and get spraying!
Do not shake the bottle once the spray gun is in place unless you want to have a giant glob of the liner to spill out at once. Clean the spray gun before refitting on a new bottle to avoid clogging. Just dip it in a cup of acetone and spray a couple of times to clean it thoroughly. Wipe before reusing.
There’s enough liner in this package to cover an entire Jeep Cherokee with it. That is to say, this is a good choice for large truck beds. The end result is quite professional-looking and the finish is stain- and abrasion-resistant.
This bedliner is waterproof, quite adhesive, reduces noise and vibrations, and will protect your truck bed from wear and tear during extreme temperatures, rust, corrosion, and dampness.
On the flip side, it contains urethane, which is a known respiratory toxin, so handling it with the utmost care isn’t a matter of choice. All necessary precautions should be taken while applying this bedliner right from the time you open the first can to the time the lining is completely dry. The other issue is with the durability. It starts chipping and cracking within months of application.
U-Pol is a well-known brand when it comes to truck bedliners and has a lot of offerings in this segment with minor variations. For example, if you’re on the road most of the time with extreme sun exposure, there’s a UV Resistant Truck Bedliner with anti-fade properties and other features similar to this one.
Application Advice
It’s better to apply two to three light coats for long-lasting results than applying one thick coat. Wear protective gear like an organic vapor respirator and nitrile gloves while handling this material as it contains toxic chemicals. Prepping properly is the key to getting the best results.
Pros
- Very easy to mix and apply
- Comes with a free spray gun that is easy to clean
- Dries within an hour
- Plenty of material to work with - sufficient for lining large truck beds
- Deadens noise
- Protects from rust, extreme temperatures, and dampness
- Available in a UV resistant variation
Cons
- Prone to cracking and chipping
- Contains respiratory toxins - should be handled with care
4. Best Budget Spray-on Bedliner: Dupli-Color BAA2010 Bed Armor
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: One Bedliner Aerosol Can
- Requires Mix-In: No
- Dry to Touch: 1 to 2 hours
- Pot Life: ~ 60 to 80 minutes
Product Review
This liner is available in different formulas – water-based, solvent-based, and a premium formula with a high output delivery system. You can choose one of the three versions in black or the other two colors on offer – olive and sandstorm. It’s easy to use and is designed for DIY projects. Just unpack the box and get spraying once you’ve prepped the truck bed properly. Although the premium formula is recommended, the water-based bedliner gives off lesser toxic fumes than regular liners, so if that’s one of your concerns, you can go for this option.
This bedliner has a more rubbery and fibrous texture than other bedliners – it isn’t a hard bedliner. The coating can be scraped off after a day or two of drying – but it takes a long time to cure completely if the prep instructions aren’t followed to a T.
Also, it’s not a good fit for some metallic surfaces like Aluminum. The adhesion quality of these formulas leaves much to be desired.
Application Advice
A light coat followed by a thicker coat is the way to go. Apply the liner generously for a durable finish.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Available in 3 colors
- Available in different formulas - lesser toxic fumes
Cons
- Has a rubbery texture
- Can be scraped off with bare hands if not cured properly
- Not a hard enough bedliner
- Poor adhesive
5. Best for Professionals: Custom Coat Bright Silver Spray-on Truck Bedliner Kit
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Besides the Liner, Tint Color Bottles, Custom Coat Standard Hardener, Applicator Spray Gun, User Manual
- Requires Mix-In: Yes
- Dry to Touch: ~ 1.5 hours.
- Pot Life: 60 minutes at 72°F
Product Review
This bedliner can do wonders to a truck bed that has seen some really bad days. Two thick coats will completely cover up any scratches and dents – you won’t even notice them in broad daylight. But, even so, the coatings lay quite flat and have an even surface.
This liner is available in a wide variety of fun colors like ‘Bright Purple,’ ‘Hot Rod Red,’ ‘Lime Green,’ and so on, and the tints are included in the package. There’s one tintable option that doesn’t include the tint, so you can go for a customized color of your choice. This bedliner also offers UV protection in addition to the regular benefits of a truck bedliner, such as protection from corrosion, rust, extreme temperatures, etc.
The spray gun that comes with the kit gets clogged easily if not cleaned properly after every few sprays. It’s an excellent bedliner for short term and lightweight use. If you’re regularly taking your truck out and using it for heavy-duty stuff, this bedliner will not last very long. It gives in to flaking and chipping and will need another paint job very soon.
Application Advice
If you want the liner to lay a little flatter, add some urethane reducer – up to 10% of the base volume. Clean the spray gun after every two bottles – use acetone. Remove masking within the hour.
Pros
- Easy to mix and use
- Offers UV protection
- The textured finish doesn’t require precision spraying
- Strong adhesion
- Available in a wide variety of colors
- Even two heavy coats lay evenly flat
- Useful instruction manual
Cons
- Strong and toxic fumes
- Spray gun clogging issue
- Not long-lasting
- Not suitable for heavy-duty work
- Chips and flakes easily
6. Best for Touch-Ups: Seymour Truck Bed Coating
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Bedliner Spray-on Aerosol Can
- Requires Mix-In: No
- Dry to Touch: ~ 30 to 50 minutes
- Pot Life: ~ 60 minutes at room temperature
Product Review
This is a flexible truck bed coating that is slightly different than regular bedliners. You can spray it on like other bedliners, and it will form a firm and protective skin of black sealant that is resistant to corrosion, rust, abrasions, impacts, and water damage. The coats dry fast but take a few days to cure completely.
The textured finish ensures that any flaws in the painting process are covered up and the final result looks professional. It’s a little glossier and darker than regular black truck bedliners.
It’s an affordable option that you can buy in a pinch to repair chipped surfaces, flaky areas, and for doing small touch-ups and maintenance jobs.
On the other hand, it’s a cheaply made can, so expect leakages. Since it’s a flexible finish coating, if you peel it off, it will come off easily. So if you’re looking for a hard bedliner with longevity, go for the other options on this list. Also, the fumes are quite toxic, so you must follow proper safety protocols while spraying it on.
Application Advice
Spray-on a few light coats to get the best results – no heavy coats. Best used for accessories and touch-up jobs. Wait for 20 – 30 minutes between coats.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Dries super-fast
- Excellent for touch-ups
- Easy to use
Cons
- Leaky aerosol cans
- Not durable and chips and flakes easily
- Non-hard, flexible liner
- Takes a long time to cure
- Very toxic fumes
7. Best UV Protection: Raptor Flame Red Bedliner
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: One Bedliner Aerosol Can
- Requires Mix-In: No
- Dry to Touch: 15 to 20 minutes
- Pot Life: 60 minutes
Product Review
This spray-on bedliner aerosol comes in the best quality cans with nozzles that do not need to be cleaned after every spray. You’ll have no complaints about dead cans, coagulation, freezing, leakages, and so on. But you must use the can within 60 minutes of opening it as it has a limited pot life.
Thankfully, the paint dries really fast and 15 minutes wait time between coatings should be more than sufficient, so you can get multiple coatings done before the can dries up.
The lining is resistant to rust, corrosion, heat, dampness, impact, and water damage. It also provides UV protection for those long hours outdoors in the sun. But the 400 ml can barely covers small surfaces, and if you want to line large trucks, it works out very expensive.
This series from Raptor is available in 7 colors and all you need to do is buy, uncap, and get spraying – obviously after prepping your truck bed and taking all the necessary precautions required before a DIY bed lining job. Especially in this case, as these cans are highly inflammable and there’s a considerable release of toxic vapors and fumes that are very harmful and need to be approached with due care.
Application Advice
It’s a hard bedliner and two thick coats go a long way in maintaining your truck bed in ship shape. Spray-on from a distance of 24 to 36 inches for best results.
Pros
- High-quality aerosol can
- Provides UV rays protection
- Resistant to impact damage, rust, corrosion, and chemicals
- Super-fast drying
- Cures into a thick and hard bedliner with longevity
- Available in 7 colors
Cons
- Highly inflammable
- Toxic fumes and vapors
- Very expensive
8. Least Toxic Bedliner: Al's Liner DIY Polyurethane Spray
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Polyurethane Resin Solution, Activator, Catalyst, Tint, Primer/Adhesion Promoter, Mixing Paddle, and Spray Gun
- Requires Mix-In: Yes
- Dry to Touch: ~ 2 Hours
- Pot Life: ~ 40 minutes
Product Review
This is the most unique truck bedliner kit you’ll find on the market. It’s a premium kit that contains polyurethane resin that can be dissolved to form a hard, durable, and long-lasting bedliner coating.
The kit also includes the other components required to create the bedliner. You can choose how thick or thin you want the bedliner to be by adjusting the ratio of the resin to the other components. The tint included in the kit can be replaced with a color of your choice so you can create custom hues.
The adhesion promoter does an excellent job of boosting the longevity of the product making it heav-impact resistant, immune to chemicals, solvents, water damage, extreme temperatures, fading, and UV rays.
This is a non-standard bedliner that can be used on any metallic, wooden, and fiberglass surface to give them a protective coating. Unlike standard bedliners, this one doesn’t give off toxic fumes that require additional protective gear. Regular protective gear will be enough to work safely with this bedliner.
The kit has enough material to coat large truck beds, but the pot life of the final product is very short. This stuff is thicker than regular bedliners and you might need to use a reducer to get a working consistency, otherwise the paint cures to a hard and flaky texture that is prone to chipping.
In fact, if the consistency of the bedliner isn’t proper, you’ll end up with strange results like a cheap plasticky finish, too hard finish, and so on.
The spray-gun provided is not up to scratch and mostly useless. Mixing in small batches is an additional hassle and not the ideal way to go about a DIY bedliner paint job. If you haven’t been doing this for years, this isn’t the product for you.
Application Advice
Add the catalyst last to increase pot life. Mix the components in small batches to avoid wastage.
Pros
- Very durable
- No flaking, chipping and fading when coated properly
- UV ray protection
- Superb adhesive
- Relatively less toxic than regular bedliners
- Can be tinted with any color
- Multipurpose usage
Cons
- Difficult to get the right consistency
- Very short pot life
- Needs to be mixed in small batches to avoid wastage
- Poor quality spray gun
- Not suitable for newbies
9. Most Durable Bedliner: LinerXtreeme Spray-on Bedliner Kit
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: Besides the Liner, Two Reducer Cans, Spray-On Gun
- Requires Mix-In: Yes
- Dry to Touch: Depends on humidity, consistency, and the thickness of the coat applied
- Pot Life: ~ 50 minutes
Product Review
The key to making this bedliner work for you is to get the consistency of the final product right. Although the kit comes with two reducer cans, the base liner requires a lot of thinning before it gets to a consistency where it can actually be squeezed out of the spray gun.
Also, heat and humidity will shorten the pot life considerably so you should mix it in small batches. There’s also the hassle of pouring the contents out into a separate container – not provided – to do the actual mixing and then funnel it back into the can.
If you get everything right, this coating will elongate your truck bed’s life, protect it from abrasion, chemicals, UV rays, dampness, corrosion, rust, tears, scratches, and heavy impacts. Even heavy-duty usage will not lead to easy wear and tear.
The spray gun provided with the kit is best avoided if you do not want to waste any material while you try to make the gun work as the pot life is short. This liner also has an extremely unseemly odor.
An instruction manual is provided with the kit and needs to be followed to a T to get proper results. It’s a relatively expensive product and you should avoid it if you are a newbie because it requires a deft and experienced hand to get it right.
Application Advice
Use acetone to increase the reducer, thin out the liner, and keep your spray gun from clogging. Mix in small batches.
Pros
- Very durable
- Very adhesive
- Not prone to bubbles, chipping, or flaking
- Water, solvents, and chemicals proof
- Resistant to UV rays, rust, corrosion, abrasions, and impacts
Cons
- Extreme odor
- Expensive
- Poor quality spray gun
- Not suitable for newbies
- Requires a lot of reducer to get the consistency right
- Very short pot life
- Needs to be mixed in small batches
10. Most Heavy-Duty: Herculiner Spray-on Bedliner
Editor’s Rating:
Quick Facts:
- Package Includes: One Aerosol Can
- Requires Mix-In: No
- Dry to Touch: 2 to 4 hours
- Pot Life: ~ 60 minutes
Product Review
Herculiner’s Brush-On Bedliner is probably the most widely used and popular bedliner in the brush-on bedliner segment. They’ve now introduced the spray-on form of this bedliner and while the original works like a dream, this one needs a little practice to reach the same level of perfection.
But, this list would be incomplete if Herculiner didn’t make an appearance here and so we have the Herculiner Spray-on Bedliner rounding up our list of ‘Top 10 Best Spray-on Bedliners’.
This bedliner is more akin to the flexible bedliners that have an epoxy/rubber finish and take a few days to cure completely. The spray can is top-notch and releases an even amount of material at high pressure. The liner has a very thin consistency and to get a textured finish you must apply it generously as well as spray-on multiple coats.
Curing can take a few days to a week, but the end result is worth it. It has a glossy and deeper black finish, so if you’re using it to do touch-up jobs, it will not match the regular black lining and stick out like a shoddy paint job.
Application Advice
You should build-up light coats by spritzing small amounts to create a durable and textured finish.
Pros
- Tough and durable lining
- Can withstand extreme weather and rough usage
- Easy to use
- Good quality aerosol can - no leakage
Cons
- Takes a long time to dry
- Takes even longer to cure
- Very thin consistency
- Requires a lot of product to get the textured finish advertised
Guide to Buying the Best Spray-on Bedliners
So far, we’ve covered the most important features to look for in good truck bedliners, their implications, and also reviewed for you the top 10 best spray-on bedliners available online. Here’s everything else you need to know, starting with the benefits.
The Benefits of Using a Spray-on Bedliner
Protective Coating
Bedliners are like a protective layer of paint that enhance the life of a metallic surface, thereby elongating the life of your truck. A good bedliner should protect your truck bed from damage in conditions like extreme temperatures and dampness.
Rust Resistant
This coating should be resistant to various phenomena like abrasion, corrosion, rusting, exposure to chemicals, and solvents.
Hard
When a bedliner is completely cured, it should settle down into a hard yet flexible coating to withstand flaking, chipping, bubbling, scraping, and peeling. Heavy duty and rough usage shouldn’t mess with the lining of your truck bed.
UV Resistant
Since truck beds are open surfaces often exposed to the sun for long durations, good bedliners incorporate UV protection in their formulas to protect the metal from sun damage.
Absorbent
Well-coated bedliners absorb road noise and vibrations, thereby deadening unwanted sounds.
Durability
A good bedliner lasts a long time without showing signs of wear and tear. The durability of the bedliner directly correlates with the longevity of your truck bed.
Spray Guns vs. Aerosols
Both spray gun and aerosol products feature on our review list. Here’s how to choose between them.
Spray guns can get the work done in a shorter amount of time. They spray wider, cover larger areas, and the nozzle can be cleaned after every few sprays to prevent clogging. Another advantage of spray guns is you can replace them without wasting the bedliner, not so with the aerosol cans. Once the liner inside the can is clogged, the can is effectively useless.
Aerosol cans also have shorter pot lives and need to be used quickly once they’ve been opened. They’re also prone to clogging when the temperature isn’t right. But both of these provide a similar finish and texture if you use them properly.
Conversely, spray guns are usually employed when mixing is required. Aerosols have no such hassles. The build quality of both the spray gun and the aerosol will also greatly affect your user experience. Whether you are using a spray gun or an aerosol can, do not skimp on the quality.
How to Prep Your Truck Bed Before Applying a Spray-on Bedliner
We’ve often mentioned in these reviews that prepping your truck bed is of utmost importance before beginning the spraying process and how well you’ve prepped your truck bed determines the ultimate finish, texture, durability, and effectiveness of your truck bedliner.
Here’s the best way to prep your truck bed before applying a bedliner.
1. Washing: Wash your truck thoroughly with a car wash soap or a good solution to get rid of all the grime, dirt, and other particles that have accumulated on the surface over time.
PRO-TIP: If you aren’t sure of how to go about this, here’s our guide to the best car wash kits to help you sort this problem. Your truck bed should be free of all debris after this wash.
2. Drying: Let it dry completely even after you’ve wiped the moisture away.
3. Optional Cleaning: This is an additional step that is optional but provides really good results. Use acetone or brake cleaner to clean all the surfaces where you’re going to apply the bedliner.
4. Scuffing: Use sandpaper to scrape off the remnants of the last paint job. This improves the adhesiveness of the bedliner and helps it stick to the metal surface more thoroughly.
5. Wiping: Wipe off all the dust and grime resulting from step 4. You should have a very clean and dust-free metallic surface after this step.
6. Optional Primer: This is another optional step as most bedliners have strong adhesive formulas and do not require the application of a primer or an adhesive promoter. But, applying a coat or two of primer before the bedliner is a good way of elongating the life of your bedliner.
7. Masking Tape: Use painter tape on areas you do not want to get your bedliner on. If you’re painting on accessories or have other surfaces that you do not want the bedliner to interact with – like the area near the taillights, mask them with tape.
Here’s a video that shows the prepping process and the spray-on bedliner process using a spray gun.
Safety Measures
Your truck bed is now prepped and ready to be lined. However, there are additional steps before you can get down to the actual bedliner application:
Personal Safety and Protection
Most, if not all, bedliners are polyurethane-based formulas that give off toxic fumes when they interact with air. If the formula is enriched to provide UV rays protection, it includes even more toxic compounds, and the vapors released as you spray-on the bedliner are very harmful to your respiratory system, eyes, and general well-being.
Wear a protective suit to protect your skin and hair from chemical damage. Use special gloves and protective eye gear to avoid coming into direct contact with the harsh chemicals of the bedliner.
Follow these safety protocols even when you’re mixing the various components in a bedliner kit. Here’s a helpful video that outlines the safety precautions to take with spray-on bedliners and the reasons behind them.
Follow Instructions
Read the instruction manual provided with the product before you begin mixing or uncap the can to start spraying. Ensure that you follow each and every step listed in the instructions manual to a T to get the kind of results that the product is advertising.
Unless you have experience in this field and know what you’re doing, do not skip any of these steps or alter them.
Final Adjustments
When everything is ready, spray on a small patch to get the feel of the aerosol can or the spray gun. Gauge the correct distance, pressure, and coverage area of the spray before you get down to the actual painting.
Here are a few more pointers to make this job easy for you.
How to Apply a Spray-on Truck Bedliner
- Decide in advance how many coats you’re going to apply. Most spray-on bedliners work best with multiple light coats followed by one heavy coat.
- Remember the dry-to-touch wait times, especially if you need to mix small batches of the bedliner while the paint is drying.
- Begin with the corners and crevices first. By that, we mean the generally hard to reach surfaces. Then cover the edges and the joints. Leave the large surface areas to be sprayed-on for the last.
- Shake the aerosol can or the container with the spray gun vigorously after every few sprays.
- Clean the nozzle of the aerosol can or the tip of the spray gun frequently between sprays. Acetone does a good job of preventing clogging and keeping the nozzle opening squeaky clean.
Here’s a helpful video by U-Pol showing how to use the spray-on bedliner aerosol can properly.
Admittedly, spray-on bedliners aren’t the only way to go about a DIY truck bed lining job. You can also use brush-on or roll-on bedliners. If you would like to compare how the other types of bedliners fare, you can read our guide to the best truck bedliner kits, to see what works best for you.
Final Words
Giving your truck bed a new bedliner coating isn’t just a matter of vanity and appearances. It also ensures that your truck is safe from all the damaging elements in the environment, as well as protected from rough use, wear and tear, and hauling heavy-duty loads.
If you’ve noticed a few dents and scratches, peeling paint, or just that your truck bed is starting to look a little rusty, you could benefit from a good spray-on bedliner.
The prep and painting take a few hours to a day or two, including wait times, but once the bedliner is dry and completely cured, you can rest easy, knowing that your truck is going to be in service for you as long as you need it.
