6 Useful Upgrades And Accessories For Your Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 is one of the most popular cars in the United States and Ford's best-selling vehicle of all time. It has a long and storied past, and the pickup truck has seen numerous generations over the years. The F-150 is beloved for its robust power and towing capabilities, interior comfort, and moderately affordable price tag. The pickup has been available in various trims and model options, bed sizes and suspension systems, and with engines ranging from turbocharged six-cylinders all the way to bulky V10s.

Considering the immense popularity of the Ford F-150, it should come as no surprise that there is a vast market for upgrades, accessories, and add-ons. While the pickup rolls off the lot pretty well-equipped, there's always room for improvement, and many Ford owners choose to purchase aftermarket goodies to enhance their trucks' performance, efficiency, and comfort. But buying vehicle upgrades can be challenging and confusing. Where do you start, and how do you know which products are worth buying and which you should ignore? 

Luckily, we here at SlashGear can help. As a former professional auto repair technician and a lifelong Ford enthusiast whose first vehicle was a Ford pickup, I'll help walk you through the process. Together, we'll explore some of the most useful upgrades and accessories for your Ford F-150 so you can modify your ride in style and without stress.

There isn't a single set application for Ford F-150s that owners are obligated to follow. You're just as likely to see pristine F-150s cruising down city streets as you are to see beat-up older models coming and going from construction sites and dusty trails. Regardless of how you use it, there's something undeniably pleasing about a crisp clean vehicle, especially when it comes to the interior. One of the best ways to prevent carrying the outdoors into your pickup's interior is to invest in a solid set of floor mats.

When it comes to floor mats, few names are as recognizable as WeatherTech. The company is known for producing some of the highest-quality floor mats on the market, and the manufacturer builds mats for nearly every mainstream car brand, including both foreign and domestic automakers. WeatherTech floor mats are custom-cut to fit your specific make and model. They're built using high-quality, durable materials, and you can even remove your WeatherTech mats to clean them with soap and a garden hose if they get too messy. Prices depend on your specific vehicle, but for a 2024 F-150 with front bucket seats and the super cab, drivers can expect to pay around $250.

Armrests and center consoles are easy to overlook when it comes to cleaning and maintaining our cars' interiors. As a former mechanic, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I climbed into the cab of a pickup to find the center console shredded by years of supporting arms and elbows. While it's typical for vehicles to experience some wear and tear over time, trucks like the F-150 are especially prone to premature damage and wear due to the fact that these pickups are so frequently employed as work vehicles.

Fortunately, there are ways to protect your center console. Various companies build covers designed specifically to protect the center consoles in Ford F-150s. You can find these products at stores like Walmart, Etsy, and various other auto parts suppliers. However, we've chosen to highlight the ISSYAUTO Center Console Cover, available at Amazon. The cover is constructed from genuine leather and is built to fit 2021 through 2024 F-150 models. The ISSYAUTO cover costs $39.99. It features 4.5 out of 5 stars based on nearly 1,800 customer reviews, and users frequently describe the product as high quality and easy to install.

If you don't perform your own repairs or maintenance, you probably never give your lug nuts a second thought. However, the Ford F-150 is notorious for its horrendous stock lug nuts. There were many times I ended up with a lug nut stuck to a socket or had to deal with bloated and rounded lug nuts when working on F-150 pickups due to their outer shell (or cap) that sits on top of the solid metal. These caps are prone to trapping air and moisture over time and swelling up to the point that you have to use a larger socket to remove them. 

That may not sound like a huge deal, but if you end up with a flat and don't have a large assortment of sockets with you, you may be unable to remove the damaged tire. It's also very easy to round off a lug nut with a swollen cap, making removal extremely difficult without the proper tools.

Luckily, you don't have to stick with Ford's subpar stock lug nuts, as many companies build aftermarket alternatives for F-150s. Gorilla Automotive lug nuts are some of the most popular and most recommended options for F-150 pickups. For $60, drivers can pick up a set of black lug nuts for their 2024 F-150s. These lug nuts have splines instead of a hex design, making them significantly harder for thieves to remove. Gorilla lug nuts come in various styles and feature solid warranties.

One of the defining features of pickup trucks is the bed. It's useful for myriad tasks and activities, including everything from hauling lumber to transporting dirt bikes. The downsides are that it's pretty easy to damage truck beds when hauling heavy equipment, plus the bare metal provides very little grip, meaning it's easy for tools and other items to slide around and become damaged or leave dents and scratches on the bed itself. Fortunately, there are various ways to protect your pickup's bed and the things you store in it.

You have many options when it comes to protecting your F-150's bed, but the most popular choices are spray-in liners, thick rubber mats, and heavy-duty fabric liners. Each option has its pros and cons, and ultimately, the best liner for you will depend on what you plan to do with your truck. Spray-in liners like Line-X are a popular choice with Ford owners who use their pickups for work and transporting things like gravel and heavy equipment. These liners are extremely durable and typically provide a solid combination of protection and grip. However, they can also be uncomfortable on your knees if you need to do any work in the bed, and they don't provide the same level of protection against dents as do thicker rubber mats. 

Drop-in rubber mats, like those available from WeatherTech, are usually a cheaper option. They provide extensive protection for your bed, but they may allow dirt, water, and debris to become trapped underneath. A BedRug is another great option. These liners turn your truck bed into a large trunk and provide great protection and solid padding, but they may not be ideal for trucks exposed to the elements.

Not everyone buys a pickup truck for the utility. Many people are fans of pickups simply because they look cool. That said, a large percentage of truck owners use their rides for towing things like trailers and RVs or transporting heavy loads of material and tools. Ford F-150s, in particular, are beloved for their impressive towing capabilities. The 2024 F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine can haul up to 13,500 pounds, while even the weakest model can handle over four tons. But despite those impressive towing capacities, there are still some parts of the F-150 that can benefit from an upgrade when it comes to hauling large loads. One of those parts is the side mirrors. 

Ford's stock mirrors are fine for everyday driving and towing small trailers. However, if you plan to haul a large load, you may want to widen your field of vision to increase your safety on the road. A lot of companies build tow mirrors for Ford F-150s, including Ford itself. But one of the brands most recommended by F-150 owners is Boost Auto Parts. Not only are the Boost Auto Parts mirrors nearly half the cost of those built by Ford at $440, but they also come in various colors, feature running lights and turn signals, and provide you with the option to include other features like defrosting and power folding.

Using your truck's bed isn't always easy. Climbing into a pickup truck bed or reaching over the rails to retrieve an item can be challenging. That's especially true for people who may struggle with movement due to age, injuries, or disabilities. Luckily, though, there are a few ways to make using your F-150 truck bed easier.

You can carry around a step stool or small ladder if you want. Alternatively, you can park near a small hill or incline. However, both of those methods have their downsides. For example, what do you do if there's no hill nearby? Instead, you can pick up an AA Product Foldable Tailgate Ladder from Amazon. The ladder adjusts from 36.7 to 45.6-inches and is compatible with most pickup truck beds. It has a weight capacity of 300 pounds, and users describe the product as being extremely easy to install. The ladder costs $64.90 and features 4.5 out of 5 stars based on nearly 1,000 customer reviews.

We considered a few criteria when selecting items for this list: product features, user reviews, and cost. Additionally, I drew on my extensive experience as both a professional mechanic and a lifelong car enthusiast when choosing these accessories. We searched for upgrades and accessories that provide real utility and quality-of-life improvements for F-150 owners. From making it easier to remove a flat tire to keeping your truck's interior looking pristine, each of the products covered here can enhance your F-150 in various ways. We also considered user reviews, and we prioritized items that real F-150 owners recommended. 

In terms of cost, we looked for items below the $500-mark. While we discussed a couple of products that may cost more than that number, each of the items that we ultimately recommended or showcased comes with a price tag below $500. Finally, I considered my own experience working with Ford F-150s, and I searched for items that I believe can provide real benefits to Ford owners. I included several of the products covered here based on experiences I've had working with these iconic trucks, and each accessory covered here can enhance an F-150's utility and comfort in numerous ways.