Tonneau covers are among the most popular and useful accessories to install on a pickup truck today. They serve a variety of uses, from protecting your truck bed from water damage and falling debris, to added security and much more. However, not all of these bed covers were made equal. If you want a water resistant tonneau cover that actually gets the job done, you’ll need to shop carefully. With so many products available, it should come as no surprise that there are some less-effective covers for sale. So how does one separate the good from the bad? The key is to inform yourself and know what you’re shopping for.

At Ultimate Rides, we buy and install tonneau covers on a regular basis. Through our experience, we’ve found what to keep an eye out for. Check out our list of tonneau cover recommendations below. You’ll find a variety of hard covers of different styles and sizes, though all are designed for Ford trucks. Make sure to take note of the compatibility for each product to ensure it matches your vehicle before you buy!

1. Syneticusa Retractable Waterproof Hard Tonneau Cover

Compatibility: 2004-2022 Ford F150 5’7″ Bed

The first tonneau cover we’d like to share covers a wide range of model years for standard-duty Ford trucks. It fits the shorter bed, so be sure to find out what configuration you’re driving before you pick one of these covers up. If it’s the right fit and within your budget, the cover offers just about everything you’d want. It protects the bed against water damage, with excellent durability. The tonneau cover can support up to 500 lbs. of weight, and locks in place at any position you’d like across the bed. The powder coat finish also ensures it won’t succumb to rust or corrosion over time. Installation is relatively simple, and customers have fantastic things to say about this hard bed cover. That makes it an easy recommendation for us, and one that we’d happily install on one of our custom vehicles.

Syneticusa Retractable Hard Tonneau Cover 5’6” (67”) Truck Bed Matte Black Aluminum Low Profile Waterproof

2. Gator EFX Hard Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Bed Cover

Compatibility: 2015-2020 Ford F150 6’7″ Bed

Gator is another popular provider of tonneau covers, and this option for the prior generation of Ford trucks is one that we recommend in particular. It is a hard folding tonneau made from heavy-duty aluminum panels, and features a three-year warranty that should back you up if you find any mistakes or faults with the cover. Like the top item on our list, it’s powder-coated to prevent rust, and is resistant to both scratching and UV rays. In other words, you should be able to count on this tonneau cover to serve you and your truck for a long time. It may not exactly be cheap, but if you want quality for your bed, this is one of the better options available to you.

Gator EFX Hard Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover | GC24020

3. Syneticusa Electric Powered Remote Automatic Retract Bed Cover

Compatibility: 2004-2022 Ford F150 5’7″ Bed

Our next tonneau cover is another product from Syneticusa, once again fit for a wide range of model years. It includes a remote control for your cover, so you won’t even need to do any manual work to get it open. It includes T-slot side rails, allowing you to install various racks and additional accessories to the bed. In addition to that, the product includes all of the things drivers love about the top option on our list, including resistance to rust, water damage, UV light and more. As long as the tonneau is within your price range, you should feel comfortable and confident installing it on your truck.

Syneticusa Electric Powered Remote Automatic Retract Hard Folding Tonneau Cover

4. BAK BAKFlip MX4 F150 Hard Folding Tonneau Covers

Compatibility: 2015-2020 Ford F150 6’7″ Bed

BAK is yet another trustworthy manufacturer for these accessories. Their MX4 folding tonneau covers provide excellent protection for your truck’s bed, feature a low-profile style that won’t detract from your vehicle’s look, and ensures you can keep the bed in great shape over the years. The tonneau cover can support up to 400 lbs., and can latch closed at any position you’d like for convenience. It has a sleek matte finish as well as a five-year hassle-free warranty from BAK. Whether you’re just starting out with your truck or need to upgrade a model you’ve had for a while, this tonneau cover is a truly great choice. Just be sure to note that it fits the longer 6.5-foot bed.

BAK BAKFlip MX4 Hard Folding Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

5. Gator FX Hard Quad-Fold Tonneau Cover for Ford Trucks

Compatibility: 2015-2020 Ford F150 5’7″ Bed

Back to Gator for our next recommendation, this is a slightly different quad folding style than what we’ve previously shared. There’s not a huge difference between the configurations, but it may be favorable to some drivers. The cover provides strong security for your bed, as well as the durability needed to protect from the elements. Installation is similar to that of comparable tonneau covers, and you can buy the product knowing you’re supporting domestic industry as it was manufacturer here in the United States. If you need a tonneau cover for the short Ford bed and you like the quad design, this is the cover for you.

Gator FX Hard Quad-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

6. Armordillo USA CoveRex TFX Series Low Profile Hard Tri-Fold Truck Bed Covers

Compatibility: 2004-2014 Ford F150 6’7″ Bed

Last but not least, we have a tonneau cover from Armordillo USA that works for 2004 through 2014 Ford models with the longer bed. By now, you should recognize this style of hard bed cover, which we think is the best choice for most drivers. If none of the previous options were quite the right fit for your truck, we hope this tonneau cover does the trick. It’s heavy-duty, simple to open as well as lock, and features a basic black style that styles low profile anywhere you go. For these reasons, it deserves a place on our list of recommendations for your next tonneau cover.

Armordillo USA CoveRex TFX Series Low Profile Hard Tri-Fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

Important Qualities of a Tonneau Cover

You may be wondering how we were able to narrow down our choices to these specific tonneau covers. The answer? The best tonneau cover will feature a combination of durability and protection, ease of access to your bed, and style. In our time as custom installers, we’ve seen countless different tonneau covers, and have found that looking at the manufacturer, and the style of cover, you can usually pick apart the good from the bad.

For instance, the top tonneau cover on our list comes from Syneticusa, a reliable provider of accessories. Once you get to know their products like we have, you know that they have a seal of approval from customers. However, if you don’t have familiarity with the popular brands, customer and professional reviews of tonneau covers can be very useful. Reading insight from those who have the chance to use the cover gives you information you won’t be able to pick up from the product description alone.

If your priority is protecting the bed of your truck, making sure you select a waterproof tonneau cover is key. There are soft tonneau covers out there that do protect against water, but they usually don’t offer the same degree of durability as hard truck bed covers. That’s why the options on our list consist exclusively of hard covers.

You’ll also want to consider how often you’ll need to grab things from your truck bed. If it’s often, you’ll want a hard folding tonneau or a retractable cover, giving you easier access to the bed. This may not be important for everyone, but it is a feature that many drivers will opt for. Whatever you decide, just be sure to shop around until you find the tonneau cover that’s right for your bed.

Tonneau Installation Tips

Most of the tonneau covers included on our list should be relatively simple to install at home, just as long as you have some basic tools at your disposal. However, some drivers just simply aren’t handy with that kind of thing, or would rather save their time by hiring a professional to take care of it. If you’re not confident in your ability to safely install one of these tonneau covers, there’s no shame in bringing your truck to the experts. If you’re in the Chicago area, you can even rely on our team at Ultimate Rides to assist you!

However, if you do decide to install your own cover at home, we encourage you to follow the directions closely. It can also help to look online to see if you can find any video tutorials to walk you through the process. With a little bit of research, you could save yourself a major headache, as well as hours of your time.