A tonneau cover is a piece of soft or hard cover that sits on top of the bed of the pickup truck, protecting the load and improving its aerodynamics in the process. Tonneau covers have a ton of advantages, including but not limited to increased safety, security, durability, weather protection, and much more.
Buying a tonneau cover for your truck can be a somewhat daunting task due to the sheer number of options available on the market. When purchasing a tonneau cover, you have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each type of tonneau cover and make a decision that will match your needs and requirements.
Because there are several different types of tonneau covers, each consisting of their own pros and cons, we’ll go over them in this article to hopefully help you out in making an informed purchase decision.
Truck Tonneau Cover Styles
There are basically four different types of tonneau cover styles: roll-up covers, folding covers, retractable covers, and solid one-piece covers. The first three come in two variants, namely a soft or a hard top, while the last one is always a hard top made from fiberglass or another durable material.
Roll-up covers are arguably the most popular because they’re also typically the most affordable. These types of covers can roll up on themselves almost like a mat. Soft covers are usually made from vinyl or fabric and are therefore lighter but also cheaper than their equivalent hard-top variants.
Folding covers come in various designs and shapes, Some feature a four-panel distinct fo design which allows them to fold in three places. If you get a three-panel folding cover, it will obviously only fold in two places. The advantage of these covers is that you can fold a single piece, exposing only a portion of the truck instead of the entire bed.
Retractable covers are able to retract on themselves and neatly tuck away towards the back of the truck cabin. Similar to the folding covers, the benefit of a retractable cover is that it allows you to fully expose the entire truck bed or only open a small portion if you don’t need a large opening. Hard tops offer more protection but are costlier than the soft top versions.
Solid one-piece covers arguably offer the most amount of protection but are super inconvenient to remove and can’t be partially open. As such, they’re great if ease of access isn’t that high on the list.
1. Waterproof / Weatherproof
If you’re after a waterproof truck bed cover, it’s important to mention that nearly no tonneau cover can keep out all of the rain and moisture outside, but a few get close. Solid one-piece covers are arguably the most waterproof since they’re not meant to be taken off frequently and can’t be split into multiple sections to only open a portion of the truck, hence eliminating a possible weak point where the water can enter.
Hard tops are always more weatherproof than their soft-top counterparts, whether we’re talking about folding, retractable or roll-up covers. Soft tops are also more susceptible to damage from the elements in the long run, so if you want a cover that will last you a long time and waterproofing is at the very top of your list, choose a hard top or a solid one-piece cover.
2. Security
Again, much like with waterproofing, hard tops are better if security is at the top of your list for the very same reasons. Hard tops can’t be sliced through with a knife or another sharp object as easily as soft tops can, though they’re still slightly worse than solid one-piece covers which reign supreme when it comes to security. If you’re interested in locking truck bed covers, your best bet is either a solid one-piece cover or any of the hard tops which feature a locking mechanism.
3. Level of Install Difficulty
When it comes to ease of installation, soft tops are noticeably better in this department because they weigh less due to their fabric constriction, making them easier to align and mount. You can install most soft tops on your own, but you’ll almost certainly need a friend or two to help out when installing a hard top. Solid one-piece covers are the most difficult to install and require the most amount of labor, but that’s the cost you pay for the added security.
4. Ease of Access
Retractable tonneau covers are the easiest to open, which makes sense since that’s what they were primarily designed for. Foldable covers are a close second, especially because you can only fold a single portion of the bed and get everything you need super quickly. Roll-up covers are also easy to open, but they’re slightly more tedious since you have to manually roll up the cover yourself. Hard tops are always more restrictive than soft tops because they’re less flexible, weigh more, and therefore take longer to open or fold.
5. Durability
Hard tops are almost always more durable than their soft top counterparts simply because of the material they’re made from. Soft tops are constructed from vinyl or fabric, making them susceptible to damage from the elements such as color degradation from the sun or ripples caused by water and snow. As time goes on, the fabric/vinyl can become wrinkly and stretched out, whereas a hard top cover will always remain the same structurally, apart from maybe some color degradation or flaking caused by the sun.
6. Budget
This is a tricky one to answer since the cost of a tonneau cover will vary greatly depending on the make and model of your vehicle, as well as the tonneau cover manufacturer and product.
Generally speaking though, hard tops cost significantly more than soft tops and that’s in part due to the added security, durability, and weatherproofing they offer.
As a rough estimate, most soft covers will cost anywhere between $300 and $800, depending on the tonneau cover style, material, and manufacturer. Hard tops tend to start at around $500 and can go up to $2,500 or even more depending on how many features it offers or its build quality. Solid one-piece covers are the most expensive though, typically starting anywhere between $800 and $1,000, and only going up from there.
We hope that this article explained the differences between the different tonneau cover styles and helped you out when it comes to making a well-informed decision for your next best tonneau cover. Whatever style you’re looking for, you’ll find excellent options at 4 Wheel Parts.
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