Best Budget-Friendly: Tyger Auto T3 Soft Tri-Fold Truck Ben Tonneau

Let’s talk tonneau covers. 

Before we get into our picks, here’s a brief 411 on truck covers. There are four basic types of tonneau covers:

• Soft folding. These are usually the least expensive and easiest to install. On the downside, they are not as durable and can be sliced open to steal contents in the truck bed.

• Hard folding. More secure than soft folding covers, this option is often made of aluminum or compost materials. On the downside, they are more pricey and require more work to fold and unfold.

•Painted. These covers are a hard-cover single panel with lift supports. As such, they don’t fold. While they look sharp, they are the most expensive option and the lift supports can be a pain to use.

• Retractable. More secure than soft folding covers, retractable tonneau covers can be partially opened (unlike painted covers). On the downside, they are pricey and often need more maintenance (you have to clean and lubricate the hinges and other parts from time to time).

For the best budget-friendly truck tonneau cover, we pick Tyger Auto’s T3 model. This one was praised by many of our readers and we agree: it is well-made and easy to install.

What We Liked

• Easy to open.

• Easy to install.

• Affordable.

• Looks sharp.

• No drilling needed.

• Weathertight sealing.

• Includes weather stripping.

What Needs Work

• Weathertight sealing doesn’t always keep the rain out.

• Like all soft covers, this one isn’t very secure—thieves can slice open the cover and steal truck bed contents.

Best Hard Cover: oEdRo Hard Tri-fold Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

If you need to store tools or other valuables in a truck bed, a hard cover is more secure. After researching 7 different brands, we pick oEdRo’s hard tonneau cover as the best bet for most folks. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Easy to install.

• Works like a charm.

• No drilling needed.

• Includes front and rear waterproof stripping.

• Looks great.

What Needs Work

• Could be easier to latch and open.

• Pricey.

Best Easy to Use: BAK BAKFlip MX4 Hard Folding Truck Bed Tonneau Cover

Yes, this cover is pricey, but it is the easiest to use, said our parent readers. And after researching a half dozen different hard covers like this model, we’d agree: the quality and features make it worth the investment.

What We Liked

• Super easy to use.

• Looks sharp.

• Fully locks when tailgate is closed.

• Made in the USA.

• Flush mount.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

Best Roll Up Cover: Gator ETX Soft Roll Up Truck Ben Tonneau Cover

If you aren’t as worried about security and prefer a roll-up style cover, our pick would be this model from Gator. Most impressive in quality: we liked how easy it is to install, thanks to clear instructions (and no drilling).

What We Liked

• Affordable.

• Looks impressive.

• Easy to open and close.

• Easy to install.

• No drilling.

• Made in the USA.

What Needs Work

• Cover can make noise at highway speeds (solution: tighten the nuts as much as possible).

• Rolling covers needs frequent adjustments.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!