Let’s be honest: Most days, your truck bed likely sits empty, wide open and exposed to all the elements your pickup encounters on the road or while parked. But an exposed truck bed can attract everything from thieves looking for quick grabs to chipped paint and scratches caused by the outdoor elements. The best way to keep that bed covered and well-protected? Add a tonneau.
Retractable Tonneau Covers
Convenient, capable, and super simple to operate, a retractable tonneau offers complete coverage for your truck bed. When you need to access the bed, the cover retracts up towards the cab much like a small garage door. You can roll up as much or as little as needed, staying in control of what’s covered. Even better, some covers only require the simple push of a key fob button to automatically retract.
Retractable tonneaus are sleek and handy for anyone who needs easy access to their covered truck bed. They are usually made of hard, durable materials like reinforced polycarbonate or heavy-duty aluminum, which means they offer great security and good weight capacity.
Because of the electronics and mechanics involved in a retractable tonneau, you can expect to spend anywhere from $900 to $3,000 for one.
Top Retractable Tonneau Pick: Retrax PowertraxPRO XR
The PowertraxPRO XR is an electric-powered retractable tonneau cover that opens and closes at the touch of a button. Adding to its user-friendliness is an integrated Trax Rail cargo management system that doubles truck bed cargo capacity and frees up hitch space.
One-Piece or Hinged Tonneau Covers
The simplest, most straightforward kind of cover is a hinged tonneau. This one-piece tonneau cover operates like a traditional trunk, lifting upwards (usually on a set of hinges).
Often constructed of a single piece of ABS plastic or fiberglass, a one-piece tonneau cover is quite strong. It’s also very secure, since the cover overlaps the front, rear and sides of the truck bed and then locks up tight at the tailgate. A hinged tonneau is great if you’re primarily looking for protection and reduced drag, as you’ll get complete coverage and keep everything inside the truck bed fully covered.
However, getting inside a one-piece tonneau can be a bit cumbersome. You have to completely lift the cover to access the bed. Additionally, they can be a more permanent installation; hard-shell hinged covers are usually professionally installed.
These single-piece covers range in price. You can expect to spend anywhere between $500 to $1,800 on one.
Top One-Piece Tonneau Pick: UnderCover Elite
Sporting a strong and secure ABS composite construction with integrated locking mechanism and double seal system, the UnderCover Elite earns its name. Handy add-ons like a cargo retriever and LED lighting system are a welcome bonus. If a paint-match look is more your style, try the Elite LX.
Hard-Folding Tonneau Covers
A hard-folding tonneau cover combines the benefits of a retractable tonneau with the perks of a hard-shell hinged one. This kind of tonneau is handy because it offers the same high level of protection, thanks to its durable hard-shell (usually hard-composite plastic) coverage, but you’ll still have a way to easily access what’s inside the bed. And with a folding tonneau, you can flip back as many panels as you’d like, opening the bed as much or as little as needed.
Hard-folding tonneaus are typically made of two to four panels. To open the cover, you simply fold back any number of those panels. Do the reverse to close the bed up. Carrying or hauling something that’s awkwardly-sized? You can even keep a panel or two open while driving.
These tonneau picks usually run between $500 and $1,200 in price, and they’re pretty easy to install yourself.
Top Hard-Folding Tonneau Pick: BAKFlip MX4
America’s #1 selling hard folding cover, the BAKFlip MX4, features a premium matte finish, stylish flush-mount design, and durable aluminum panel construction. Recent upgrades to the prop rod clips, rails, elevator bolts, and the A-panel and B-side bumpers ensure the utmost functionality and smooth operation.
Soft-Folding Tonneau Covers
Not quite as common as their hard-sided siblings, soft-folding tonneau covers offer the same functionality and coverage with a little less security and a lower price point. They usually consist of a vinyl or canvas stretched over an aluminum frame that attaches to the truck bed via a no-tools-necessary clamping system.
There isn’t quite as much variety of manufacturers swimming in this pool, but there are still many solid options, with prices ranging from $250-$600 depending on materials, quality and features.
Top Soft-Folding Tonneau Pick: Extang Trifecta ALX
A new addition to the Extang lineup, the Trifecta ALX soft-folding cover features sleek styling, a durable construction and an exceptionally easy operation thanks to its new Secure Rotary Release Latching System at the tailgate.
Hard-Rolling Tonneau Covers
Instead of folding, you can try rolling – a hard-rolling tonneau is similar to a hard-folding cover, but it literally rolls up from the tailgate toward the cab. And like a folding model, rolling covers allow you to expose as much (or as little) of the bed as needed to get inside. It’s an ideal pick for those who want quick, easy access to whatever they’re hauling, and this cover style is handy for everyday items like groceries, tools, and small gear.
A hard-rolling tonneau cover can come with crossbeam supports that lay width-wise across the bed. It’s best to choose one that offers removable supports; that way, you’ll never be limited in what you can haul. You can get rid of those supports any time you need to put large or awkwardly-sized items in the bed. And while hard-rolling tonneaus do tend to cost a bit more than their soft-rolling counterparts, they’re tougher to break into. You can expect to spend around $1,000 for a hard version.
Top Hard-Rolling Tonneau Pick: BAK Revolver X4s
A familiar name making a second appearance, BAK also has the honor of making America’s #1 hard-rolling tonneau cover. The new-and-improved Revolver X4s features a sleek matte black aluminum underbody topped by a stylish matte black industrial-grade vinyl. Newly-integrated seals, strap, and caps improve weatherproofing, operation and appearance.
Soft-Rolling Tonneau Covers
A soft-rolling tonneau is almost identical to a hard-rolling one, but with one major difference: the cover material. Where hard-rolling covers are made of hard-shell composites like plastic, soft-rolling covers are fabric. They’re typically made with durable, outdoor-ready fabrics that protect against UV rays, wet weather, and temperature changes. Otherwise, a soft-rolling tonneau functions just like its hard-shell counterpart and rolls up to expose what’s inside the truck bed.
The downside of a soft-rolling tonneau cover, though, is they’re less secure. The fabric can be cut through or more easily damaged, which means you may be at a slightly higher risk for theft. The fabric is also likely to wear faster, meaning you may need to replace your tonneau sooner. However, these covers are more affordable, and you’ll spend anywhere from $250 to $900 on a soft version.
Top Soft-Rolling Tonneau Pick: TruXedo
Offering premium features at a fair price, the TruXedo has long topped soft-rolling tonneau lists. It’s easy to install, showcases a high-quality and stylish leather-grained fabric construction, and operation is simple.
Choosing the Right Tonneau for Your Truck
As you consider different types of tonneau covers, think about your everyday needs. If you’re looking for durable, secure protection, then a hard tonneau – like a hinged, hard-folding, or hard-rolling cover – will offer the best fit.
If flexibility is your biggest concern so you can haul items of any shape and size, adjustable and easy-access options like folding, rolling, or retractable will allow you to use your bed in any way you’d like. And if you just need something simple and easy to install, a soft-rolling cover can fit the bill perfectly.