Choosing the Best Tonneau Cover for Your Truck

Once you’ve decided you’d like to install a tonneau cover on your truck, the hard part begins. Choosing the right cover is difficult, but definitely worth putting some time into. There’s a wide range of varieties available from different manufacturers, and you’ll also have to take into account your truck model and details to find a size that fits. When you do find the right fit, and you’re confident it’s a style that suits your needs, the only step left is to install the cover.

Here at Ultimate Rides, we deal with tonneau covers on a regular basis. We know how important they can be to maintaining and waterproofing your truck bed. Today, we’re going to explain how you can narrow down the countless options to select the best waterproof tonneau cover for your truck. Follow our advice and you’ll not only have the convenience of protecting your truck bed and any items in it, but the right product can even add a new level of style or convenience to the vehicle.

Shop around and be sure to let our team know if you’re interested in professional installation for a heavy-duty tonneau cover. We can also offer new and used custom vehicles with a tonneau pre-installed. Take a look at our inventory the next time you’re in need of a vehicle, and contact our team. We’ll listen to your needs and will have the ability to outfit the vehicle with any upgrades you’d like, including a truck tonneau cover.

RetraxONE MX Retractable Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

Specs: 2019 – 2023 Chevy/GMC Silverado/Sierra, 5′ 10″ Bed

The first of three tonneau covers we’d like to share comes from RetraxONE, and it’s a retractable truck bed cover that will fully protect against water. It’s designed for modern Silverado and Sierra trucks, and features a simple retractable design that makes it easy to get items in and out of the bed. This waterproof bed cover also features a variation with power retraction, giving you access with just the press of a button, for an extra price. The item has excellent reviews from customers and, while it’s not cheap, you can be sure that you’re getting a top quality cover with your purchase. It includes a sleek matte finish that won’t distract from the style of your truck, and you should find the installation process for the cover to be relatively simple. For all of these reasons, we’re confident this is one of the top options out there when it comes to a cover for the bed of your truck.

Syneticusa Retractable Hard Bed Cover

Specs: 2004-2023 Ford F-150, 6’7” Bed

If you drive a Ford pickup truck, this cover from Syneticusa is another product that we’d recommend for top consideration. It’s another truck bed cover that’s retractable, and it fits on a wide range of model years. Once again, it’s easy to use, and should be manageable to install at home for most drivers. It offers UV protection for your truck bed, and can support up to 500 lbs. of weight on top of the cover. You’ll be able to lock it in place at any point along the track as well, adding a degree of versatility to your cover. Just be sure to note that this bed cover is designed for the longer 6-foot-seven-inch truck bed lengths rather than the standard shorter bed. As long as that works for you, you’ll be good to install this cover today!

Gator EFX Hard Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

Specs: 2015 – 2020 Ford F-150, 5’7″ Bed

This next cover is once again for the Ford F-150, but only for models between 2015 and 2020 with the smaller truck bed. It’s also a different style compared to the other tonneau covers shared here. Rather than featuring a retractable design, this cover features a tri-fold style that still provides easy access but at a much more affordable price. If the other bed covers were a little too expensive for your taste, this might do the trick. It will also still protect against water damage, preventing damage to the bed itself as well as your cargo. While it’s not quite on the level of the more expensive cover options, it’s certainly still one of the top picks on the market when it comes to a reliable cover. With it, you’ll be able to fully cover your truck bed while still maintaining access to whatever you’re keeping inside. The cover even comes with a three-year warranty to help ensure you’re happy with your purchase, though we don’t believe you’ll ever need to rely on it.

Importance of a Waterproof Bed Cover

Not all tonneau covers are waterproof. Before you buy one of these products, you should carefully examine the product description to ensure it will protect against water damage. If it doesn’t, not only will the items in your bed likely get wet, but water can pool up and cause long-lasting damage that lowers the value of your truck. While most truck bed covers will extend over the whole length of the bed, not all of them feature a seal that can make them waterproof. Additionally, you might find some cheaper options made from a material that’s not water-resistant, allowing liquids to leak through. Shop carefully until you’re sure you’ve found a waterproof tonneau, or you could wind up paying more in the long run.

Hard tonneau covers usually offer better protection in many ways, including waterproof defense. However, it is definitely still possible to find soft tonneau covers that can accomplish this as well. Always be sure to examine the details of any tonneau cover to see if it is fully waterproof before you buy.

Hard and Soft Tonneau Covers: Compare and Contrast

With a near-endless selection of products available, choosing a tonneau can easily become a stressful process. While there are cheap tonneau covers out there, you can also find truck bed covers that get pretty high in price. With that price increase, though, you’ll also find better quality. If you care about your pickup truck bed, it may be worth the investment. We’ve already talked about how important finding a waterproof truck bed cover is, but that’s not the only feature you should look for in the next tonneau cover for your truck.

Depending on your needs, you may want to search for a tonneau cover that looks and offers plenty of security. While it’s never a good idea to leave anything of great value in your truck bed, a good tonneau cover could offer a solid degree of protection. Hard truck bed covers are best for this. A soft cover might be cheaper, and could even get the job done to waterproof your truck bed, but they can be easy to break into.

If quick and convenient access to your bed is important, you may want to look for a hard tri-fold tonneau cover, or perhaps even a roll-up tonneau cover. Both of these styles ensure you can easily get to your cargo, and are among the top tonneau choices we’d recommend if security isn’t too much of a factor. If you don’t mind spending extra, it’s possible to buy a hard tonneau cover that utilizes power to automatically retract when you need access. These tonneau covers can become costly, but for many drivers they can be the perfect solution to all your tonneau problems.

Top Choice for a Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Accessory

While there may not be one single perfect tonneau cover for every driver, vehicle or situation, a hard tri-fold tonneau cover is the best option we’d recommend to most people. In particular, the option from Armordillo is a great addition to any truck. The trick is finding the right tonneau cover to fit your truck bed. Thankfully, the company makes options for just about every popular truck model, model year and bed size. Their products are waterproof, and will provide excellent cover against rain, snow, debris, prying eyes and so much more. If you love your truck and believe it deserves the best, these tonneau covers are a top addition to consider.

An added benefit of a tri-fold hard cover is that they’re usually quite easy to install, making them a great choice for someone who doesn’t want to opt for professional installation. Still, you should know that Ultimate Rides is here to help with that install if you believe you need it. You’ll even have the option of buying your next truck from us with a tonneau cover already installed! Be sure to let us know if you’re interested in this, or if you have any other questions regarding tonneau covers that our team can help with.