There are several OEM parts, aftermarket options, and styling cues that have helped make the Wrangler an icon over the last handful of decades. The 7" round headlights, those 7 vertical grille slots, the black exposed hood latches—all iconic. And while aftermarket goodies like winches, jacks, and roof racks all have their place on other vehicles, something about seeing them on a Wrangler just feels right. Sure, you can get your milk and eggs at a gas station, but it just feels more natural seeing them at a grocery store, you know?
But one part of a Wrangler just feels more Jeep than anything else – the soft top.
While convertibles have traditionally been thought of as being bought by snooty, high-maintenance, or mid-life crisis drivers, the Jeep soft top is different. It exudes adventure, youthfulness, and blue-collar entertainment. Both provide that wind-in-your-hair feeling, but one driver is more likely to have freshly manicured nails, while the other has dirt-filled cuticles.
No offensive to convertible drivers, but we’re guessing you’re more of a soft-top person. So, whether you’re shopping or swapping soft tops, let’s give you a little information before you go dropping.
Framed Vs. Frameless Soft Tops
If your Wrangler rolled off the line with a soft top, it is what is known as framed or a factory top. Not unlike the human installing it, a framed top has a skeleton that keeps the material portion in place. This makes the top more rigid, but also gives it more structure, allowing it to be folded back easier and, often, further.
On the other hand, frameless tops have no skeleton and connect directly to the rollbar with only minimal pieces. With the relative lack of supporting structure, it’s a bit harder to fully achieve that open roof, but it does allow for easy removal of back window panels. This gives your Jeep another popular look—with open sides and a covered roof—also known as a bikini top.
Each passing year (and Wrangler generation), soft tops get stronger, tighter, quieter and easier to install. While tops once neatly fit into one of only a few categories, now with technology evolving quickly, the segment is melding together and becoming hybridized. That being said, there are still pros and cons between the two main categories that are still very prevalent:
Framed vs Frameless Jeep
More Styles to Consider
Interested in something a bit different, or beyond the typical full-coverage options? Check these out.
Bikini Top
Mentioned previously, Bikini tops allow the owner to easily remove side panels and keep their roof covered. This makes it look similar to a vehicle you’d see on the plains of Africa. That’s why they are also known as Safari tops.
Jeep Bikini Top
Like the weather you’d expect to feel in Africa, Bikini tops are generally better suited for warmer climates, or summer months. If you are in a location that has separate seasons, you’d better have a hard top or more encompassing soft top to supplement.
Bikini tops are easy to install and look great. But if you plan on using the back seat of your Jeep for cargo or people, make sure to check out how far back your Bikini roof extends. Many Bikinis do leave the back seat with limited shade.
Sunrider/Flip Tops
If you find yourself rarely wanting to deal with taking off or folding multiple panels to completely let the sun in your Wrangler, consider a Sunrider. These tops are as close to a sunroof or convertible as they come.
Sunrider Hard Top Jeep
The panel right above the driver and passenger’s head can easily be flipped up and folded back, making it a great option for those that don’t want to deal with the fuss of fully dropping the top. You still get plenty of fresh air and sun, but can also give it a quick yank if weather takes a turn.
Choosing a Soft Top Material
Just as Jeep soft top designs have expanded over the years, so too have the materials crafting them.
Vinyl
Vinyl tops aren’t a super popular choice with modern Jeeps anymore, but they do exist. If you’ve got yourself an older Jeep (pre-TJ) and just really want that old-school nostalgia look, vinyl is the answer. Back at the dawn of the first Jeep—the CJ—vinyl tops were shiny and fit like a pair of Hammer pants. Although more modern materials are to follow, vinyl has come a long way and fits and looks much better.
With a modest fabric weight (18-23oz. typically), they are easier to work with but do tend to let in a good deal of outside noise at highway speed. They may fade a bit with extensive sun exposure too, but they do a good job blocking the elements -- and a firm wipe is all it takes to clean them.
Vinyl Versus Denim
For YJ and TJ owners, it was common for your Jeep Wrangler to have the same basic material as your Wrangler jeans!
Coming in with just about the same weight as vinyl, denim is also easier to work with and its poly/cotton blend usually features an extensive protective coating. Once again, this is a material that isn’t as popular as it was decades ago, but if you’re looking for cheap option to replace your worn-out framed-top material, ol’ blue jeans ain’t that bad.
Sailcloth
To simplify things, vinyl and denim are the past, while sailcloth and twill are the present of Jeep soft tops.
Sailcloth came to prominence at the turn of the century, and brought with it a thicker and heavier material. This of course made tops more durable and solid, but perhaps even more importantly it made the interior quieter and more insulated.
It was with sailcloth that you started seeing folks in cooler climates actually running soft tops year-round. With its 25-30oz. material, it may be a bit more unruly to work with, but it protects against creasing, folds, and wrinkles much better than its thinner siblings.
Sailcloth Vs Twill
If you see a German or Italian convertible tooling about, chances are it sports a twill top, as it’s the zenith of automotive soft top material.
Like you’d expect, it’s 30+oz weight offers the most premium outside road sound minimization. (It’s like having a pair of well-sealed noise cancelling headphones instead of a cheap earbud.) But unlike what you may think, they are easier to work with and softer than sailcloth.
Additionally, twill generally comes with a high-end rubber compound core to provide wonderful insulation, protection, and durability.
Jeep Soft Top Installation Tips
Every premium soft-top available comes with not only an instruction booklet, but also a plethora of posts and videos online from those who’ve done it before.
It’s important to have these instructions at-the-ready when you start your install. Make sure you familiarize yourself with what comes in the box, what it does, and when you’ll need to use it. If that means you need to watch the same instructional video a dozen times in a row to ensure you have a good feel for the product, then so be it.
That said, there are a few tips you may not find in your instruction booklet.
Frameless Jeep Soft Top
For example, many installers swear that by letting your new top sit in the sun or heat for a few days, it makes stretching and working with it go much smoother. Also, if you’ve got multiple tops, make sure you have a good solution for storing the one you’re not using. Letting it sit in a damp garage all winter is probably not a great idea.
A roof or wall mounted rack, or a floor dolly system both work great if you have the room. Also, something like a HOSS Hardtop Hoist may be a great investment for those contestably swapping tops.
Maintenance Best Practices
So how do you clean your Jeep soft top? Like so many other things in this world, many recommend a mild detergent, warm water, and a soft bristle brush. But if you’d like a little more premium and tailored solution, many soft-top specific cleaners are available.