5 Types of Truck Bed Covers That Might Work For You

Jan 11, 2022 02:56 PM EST | Staff Reporter

5 Types of Truck Bed Covers That Might Work For You


(Photo : Shoaib rehman)

Driving a truck is an awesome thing to do for work, travel, or play. It's a beloved, tried-and-true part of the American experience. Trucks are a defining characteristic of the modern road today, especially if you need to haul or store anything. But one downside of storage and hauling with trucks is the possibility of losing an item, security issues, or being subject to potential theft. To prevent something like this from happening, it's a good idea to install a truck bed cover on your pickup. Covers offer additional security, ways to keep things battened down, and even look good on a truck. Here are five types of truck bed covers that will work for you when you want to accessorize your vehicle.

Low Profile

It provides the security of a harder cover but adds a sleek look due to its low profile. When closed, it's ideal for securing and protecting whatever you have in the back of the truck. If you're hauling precious cargo for work or need to otherwise keep what's back there secure, these covers can be a great help. Since these covers secure to the truck bed a bit lower when open, you can always haul larger cargo that way. Ultimately, a low-profile cover offers plenty of security while simultaneously being easy on the eyes. Some of them come as tri-fold covers, so they can be configured in unique ways. Installing them is straightforward. Usually, they use a direct bolt-up install. So be sure to have your ratchet, socket set, and Allen wrenches handy! Don't forget to measure your truck bed from the inside of the bulkhead to the inside of the tailgate to ensure you get the right size cover!

Roll Up

Roll-up truck bed covers are unique among covers. They offer a sleek, and flexible design. It's as simple as attaching them to a frame, then fastening them in to get the mechanism to operate properly. They offer amazing protection from the sun and don't require modifications. Roll-up covers with vinyl coating are known to last and perform well under adverse weather conditions such as light-to-moderate rain, sleet, or snow. Better yet, you won't need to remove them if you have to put something large or tall in your truck bed. They are not as secure as a harder material, so they may not be your best bet for security/anti-theft concerns, but if you're looking for something easy that gets the job done, a roll-up cover might be right for you. These covers can still help with a slight improvement in gas mileage, even if they're not as robust as the others on this list. 

Heavy Duty

If you're looking for great security and weather resistance, you might want to consider a heavy-duty cover. Although a number of high-quality truck bed covers are available today, heavy-duty covers offer Hard Tonneau covers that can be easy to use and come in different varieties, including tri-fold designs. Hard covers are usually made with high-quality materials like fiberglass, heavy aluminum, or other sturdy materials (similar to what's used in aircraft). The benefits of a trifold cover are the ability to make it more compact when folded if you need to open up the bed. Heavy-duty covers excel at protecting cargo and the truck bed, but some can also hold up to 300 lbs on top of them, should the need arise. 

Hinged

Hinged tonneau covers are one of the most versatile covers in existence. Hinged covers, in a word, are amazing. They often offer one-handed access with a quick release and props to keep the cover open when loading or unloading the truck. On the aesthetic side of things, they can match the paint and finish of your truck's body, so you won't stand out in all the wrong ways when driving down the highway. Load capacity verges on incredibly high (up to 400 lbs. on some models!) and they offer palpable weather protection. Watertight materials, hard-but-lightweight materials-such as fiberglass or heavy-duty hauling capacity aluminum-mean your cover is going to take a lot of punishment and quality use before wearing out. There are also many different types of hinged covers, providing some much-needed variety to the design and function of the typical tonneau cover. They can cost a bit more than other types of covers, but with so many benefits, that's a small price to pay for exceptional quality. One of these covers offers a sleek and amazing look, making your truck stand out among all the others on the road. 

Retractable

Retractable covers are a bit more popular today than they've been in the past. They are exactly what the name implies: a cover that retracts into a canister on the truck bed. Retractable covers are characterized by the ability to retract/fold into a canister when you're not using them. That makes it so much easier to haul cargo, freight, or other tall items. They also can offer some unique aesthetic choices based on the coating (usually aluminum, vinyl, polycarbonate, or fiberglass). Some models offer locking features when partially open-ideal for those of us with toolboxes in our truck beds-and can somewhat bolster security. They're also quite weather-resistant, especially when it comes to heavy rain or snow. The design incorporates a rail design that makes it ideal for this, with drain tubes being an optional accessory.

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