I Tried Tmat’s Viral Slide-Out Truck-Bed Organizer. It’s Made Hauling Tools and Lumber Far Less Annoying.

5 min readLike so many products these days, I first discovered Tmat’s Truck Bed Organizer System during one of those late-night social media scrolling sessions—the kind where the algorithm seems to know exactly what type of tool gadget will stop me dead in my tracks.I’ve been trying to get better about things like tool organizers and garage storage systems lately. This was my opportunity to apply that initiative to the new Honda Ridgeline I bought last month. I’m already hauling everything from furniture to tools to lumber, and I’m noticing with increasing alarm every little scratch in the paint, especially when I’m grabbing something over the bed rails (curse you, belt buckle!).Truck owners tend to fall into one of two camps: those who baby their truck beds and those who view them as giant steel catch-alls for whatever happens to be rolling around back there. I’m probably somewhere in the middle. Oh, who am I kidding—I’ve always been firmly in the second camp.So a few clicks later, a full cargo mat setup with various accessories was on its way to me. What showed up was a solution that’s customizable, useful, and surprisingly affordable—just don’t mistake it for a weatherproof toolbox or a heavy-duty cargo management system.ProsMat slides easily toward tailgate, bringing cargo to youConfigurable to any truck bed based on year, make, and modelProtects your truck bedConsNeeds additional tie-downs for heavy loadsKey SpecsMaterialMolded plasticMat SizeConfigurable by truckIncluded Accessories6 blockersInstallationRemovableMobilitySlidingTruth be told, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting, how it worked, or—more importantly—how much work I was going to have to put in before it became functional. When the delivery finally arrived, I went to grab the box and that nagging uncertainty grew stronger. How on earth could an entire truck bed mat fit inside a box so relatively small?The answer was surprisingly simple: Tmat’s 12-by-12-inch modular tiles snap together via dedicated channels, much like oversized Lego bricks. And when I say they snap together, I mean it. These squares aren't coming apart by accident. Trust me—I tried. The squares lock into one another under a good deal of physical force. Pulling them apart requires a tearing motion of an equal amount of strength.Paul SmithEach square slots to the ones next to it, and the x-shaped cutouts have holes in them for water to drain through.On purchasing, simply indicate the year, make, and model of your vehicle and Tmat sends the appropriate number of squares to fit your bed. Once assembled, the mat spans the length of your truck bed from tailgate to cab and fits neatly between the wheel wells. Two integrated handle sections clip into the center, creating a light, flexible, and remarkably tough platform that protects the bed while serving as the foundation for everything else the system can do.My favorite feature jumped out at me almost immediately. Rather than climbing into the truck bed to retrieve a toolbox, I simply grabbed the integrated handles and pulled the entire Tmat toward the tailgate. There’s no elaborate rail system or hidden wheels underneath—it’s light and flexible enough to slide with ease, even loaded up with cargo, which really surprised me. According to the company, the system slides best on bare steel, even with a 200-pound toolbox on it. My Ridgeline has a molded composite bed with a grip surface, and I found no issue in sliding my heavy DeWalt boxes toward me.Most of the time, I could grab what I needed without ever climbing into the bed or awkwardly reaching over the side rails. It’s one of those ideas that feels so obvious after you've used it that you start wondering why someone didn't think of it years ago.Paul SmithPulling the Tmat out from my truck bed was surprisingly easy, even when I had more on it than this one bucket.As clever as the sliding design is, it's only half the story. Every tile features a pattern of X-shaped openings that accept a wide assortment of removable blocks, some that serve as simple barriers to keep gear in place, and others with adjustable pressure clamps built in to secure the object. You can position those blocks almost anywhere across the mat to keep tool bags, boxes, coolers, and other cargo from sliding around while you're driving.I’m generally accustomed to hearing things rumble around back there as I drive, but my gear stayed fixed in place from start to finish. One of my favorite accessories is the five-gallon bucket holder—which sounds strange until you've spent your fair share of time chasing buckets around a truck bed.Paul SmithThe x-shaped cutouts also provide mounting points for the Tmat’s various accessories. Here’s the bucket holder.Paul SmithThe adjustable blockers keep things tight and upright.The system is also remarkably expandable. Tmat offers holders designed specifically for everything from skis and fishing rods to golf gear, allowing you to customize the layout depending on how you use your truck. Whether you're shifting from the job site to the golf course or a weekend of camping, it's easy to tailor the system to your needs.Other Tmat Accessories We RecommendTmat Adjustable Blockers (2-Pack)Tmat Snow Ski HolderTmat Golf CradleTmat's designers clearly spent some time thinking through the details, too. The molded X-pattern includes drain holes that allow rainwater to pass naturally through the mat and exit using your truck's factory drainage channels. At the same time, the mat itself does an excellent job protecting the bed from the everyday abuse of tools, lumber, and building materials without adding much weight or taking up valuable cargo space.There is one thing worth mentioning. With the tailgate down, the mat itself isn't secured, meaning that it would be possible for the entire load to slide right out of the vehicle. Tmat offers optional attachment blocks that accommodate bungee cords, but if you're hauling anything substantial, you'll still want to secure your load properly with ratchet straps attached to your truck's factory tie-down points. Frankly, that's good practice regardless of what cargo management system you're using.I've only had my new truck for a short time, but the Tmat has already become one of those accessories I didn't realize I wanted until I installed it. Those are usually my favorite kinds of products.That said, it’s worth understanding what this system is—and what it isn’t. If you’re looking for lockable, weatherproof storage, there are better (and considerably more expensive) options available in the form of hard tonneau covers, toolboxes, and dedicated truck bed drawer systems. The Tmat isn’t trying to replace any of those. Instead, it gives you a remarkably flexible platform that can be tailored to how you actually use your truck.It also compares favorably on price. Because it’s modular, you’re not paying for a set, permanent solution—you can build the system you need and add to it over time as your needs change. Most importantly, it doesn't ask you to change how you use your truck. It simply makes all the things you're already doing a little easier, a little more organized, and a lot less annoying. That's pretty clever in my book.Shop the Tmat Truck Bed OrganizerPaul Russell Smith is a former NYC ironworker turned screenwriter (Grace Point) and home renovation specialist. He lives in a crooked old farmhouse in Stockton, NJ, where he’s just as likely to be clearing a clogged pipe as rewriting a third act. When he’s not working, he enjoys hiking, pedestrian beer, and cooking over a live fire. His self-proclaimed spirit animal is the English Bulldog.Will Egensteiner has been reviewing products for 10 years, testing and writing about everything from climbing gear to video game consoles to cars. He began his career as an intern at Popular Mechanics, then worked as an editor at Outside, spearheading the magazine's gear coverage and biannual Buyer's Guide. Now that he's back, he leads product reviews for PopMech, as well as Runner's World, Best Products, and Biography. His favorite stuff to review is still outdoors equipment, and he can tell you from memory what ePTFE stands for.