Trucks can have a lot of great accessories like off-roading gear, spray-on bed liners, and running boards. The most popular and useful upgrade is probably a tonneau truck bed cover. It can safely protect anything you have in the cargo box, and some of them can even improve your truck’s fuel economy.
Tonneau covers come in many different materials and configurations, but not all are created equal. A cheap tonneau cover could become easily damaged or might not stay secured to your vehicle. If you’re looking for the best one, we’ve got a list of our favorites.
Undercover Elite LX Tonneau Cover
A man shopping for truck bed covers | Seth McConnell/The Denver Post via Getty Images
We found this one on AutoGuide, and it’s one of the safest ones you can buy. This hinged truck bed cover comes with a Strattec Bolt lock on both sides, protecting your cargo box from forced entry. It also has a double-lift seal, so you won’t have to worry about water or snow leaking inside.
We love this cover because it’s one solid piece that already comes painted to match the color of your truck. The underside of the cover comes with plush carpeting to help cushion anything you load into the bed. It also comes with a tool to help you retrieve cargo under the cover and a strut to keep it open. Best of all, this cover comes with a lifetime warranty on the structure and paint job. Meanwhile, hardware and accessories have a one-year warranty.
While it’s very secure, it restricts cargo size because the cover is one heavy sheet. Attaching it takes a minimum of one hour, and it can be challenging to install on your own. Fortunately, taking the cover on and off only takes a minute once you’ve installed it.
TerraVis
If you ever want to take an off-roading trip off the grid, the TerraVis tonneau is the perfect accessory to bring. As electric trucks enter the market, some drivers might have charging concerns. Fortunately, this tonneau truck bed cover is comprised of high-efficiency solar panels that can generate up to 1,000 watts of power.
It operates at 22% efficiency, meaning that you don’t always have to be in direct sunlight to attract power. The TerraVis cover also made our list because it works with any truck, not just electric models! The only downside is that this cover is still in the pre-production phase.
Gator EFX
Here's how to choose a tonneau cover for your truck. https://t.co/7qB2xq4djR pic.twitter.com/ib6OhP09Gs
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) January 12, 2022
Forbes ranks this truck bed cover as the best hardtop option overall. It’s made with durable (yet lightweight) aluminum panels with a polymer top that can absorb a lot of dents. These panels smoothly flip forward once opened from either side and can stay upright against the truck’s rear window. Once it’s closed, it automatically latches so that you don’t have to open the tailgate. We also like that the initial installation reportedly only takes 10 minutes.
The only obvious downside is that you won’t be able to see outside the back window if the cover is propped open. Additionally, many drivers will probably be discouraged by the $549 price tag on Amazon.
Tonno Pro Hard Fold
The Tonno Pro Hard Fold is the same price as the Gator, but we still think that’s cheap for a great hard tonneau truck bed cover. It comes with a tri-fold design, making it quicker to open than a roll-top cover. The panels are also made from aluminum, with marine-grade vinyl on top and a weight rating of 350 pounds.
Unfortunately, it lacks some of the most convenient features present on some tonneau covers. The latch designs are slightly outdated, and some reviews express concern about the cheap plastic construction. You can’t keep the cover up while driving, and its trifold design prevents it from unrolling completely.
Keyword: 4 Best Tonneau Truck Bed Covers