Best Tonneau Covers Under $500

By refining the design of the original Trifecta, Extang has created the ultimate soft folding tonneau cover. The Trifecta 2.0 uses hand-tightened clamps to attach the cover to your bed: no tools are necessary. These EZLock clamps are spring-loaded to provide extra clamping force, drastically reducing wind noise at highway speeds. Triple fin seals surround the perimeter of the cover, keeping rain intrusion to an absolute minimum. Fold the cover open for access to two thirds of your bed or remove it in seconds for true, 100 percent bed access. The Trifecta 2.0 is available with a premium, leather-grain vinyl tarp. For a more rugged material with a matte-black finish, choose the Trifecta Signature 2.0, which uses a canvas tarp instead.

As the name implies, the Vanish tonneau cover has a low, half-inch profile that complements the appearance of your truck rather than distracting from it. This roll-up cover is operated via a single trigger latch on the driver's side. Release the latch and roll the Vanish up to access your entire truck bed. The XT dial lets you adjust the cover's tension with the turn of a knob, which is a big help in extreme hot or cold temperatures.

Like the Vanish, the SR2 is a roll up tonneau cover that offers full bed access. Unlike the Vanish, the SR2 sits about 1.5 inches above your bed, providing a little more cargo height under the cover. Tension is adjustable via a thumbscrew, letting you dial in the perfect amount of tension regardless of temperature. The Gatorbite clamps that hold the cover in place are easy to install with a wrench and socket set and installation can be done in about half an hour.

Featuring a matte-black finish that matches most OEM bed rail caps and tailgate caps, the Gator Tri-Fold Pro Tonneau Cover keeps your gear out of sight and protects it from rain, dust, and other harmful elements. Like most soft folding truck bed covers, it opens to expose 2/3 of your truck bed and can be removed quickly when you need the whole bed for large items. The commercial-grade vinyl is highly resistant to tearing, puncturing, and UV damage. Gator stands
behind this tonneau cover with a lifetime warranty.

We've looked at roll-up covers and folding covers, but what about one cover that does both? If you're looking for something a little different, take a look at the TruXedo Deuce 2. This tonneau cover rolls up just like the Vanish and SR2, but it also offers access to the front third of your bed by folding backward toward the tailgate. This is particularly convenient if you're hauling small items like groceries or if you have a below-the-bed tool box such as the TruXedo Tonneaumate. The front and rear of the cover lock for additional security.

Considered one of the best roll-up tonneaus, the Access Lorado is a low-profile truck bed cover that sits just an inch above your truck's bed rails. It combines some of the best features such as single trigger latch operation, full bed access, black powder-coated rails and bows, and XTdial tension adjustment into one exceptional tonneau cover that will last for years with proper maintenance.

Another contender for best all-around roll-up tonneau cover, the Lo Pro is, you guessed it, a low profile cover. However, the Lo Pro has some features that separate it from the Lorado and other roll-up truck bed covers. It uses an automatic, self-adjusting spring to maintain tension on the vinyl, so you'll never have to manually adjust the tension yourself. Speaking of vinyl, the Lo Pro's vinyl section can be completely removed just by releasing a pair of latches, giving you access not only to your bed's total interior space, but also the surface of the bulkhead itself. This is perfect if you need just a little more room to shove that couch in your truck bed.

If your truck's bed is equipped with a standard, 20-inch tool box, there are still several tonneau covers available to keep the rest of your bed protected from the elements. The Extang Express is a roll-up cover designed to work in tandem with a tool box (sold separately). An L-shaped bracket mounts in front of the tool box lid to provide the cover with a good seal. Tension is adjusted automatically and, like any other roll-up cover, it rolls toward your cab to provide bed access. Weathertuff seals surround the cover to provide impressive resistance to leaks.

Starting at just under $500 on select applications, the American Hard Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover holds the distinction of being the only hard truck bed cover on this list. It installs in much the same way as soft folding covers, using hand-tightened clamps in place of bolt-on C-clamps. Under its soft vinyl exterior, however, is a layer of ABS composite material that offers far greater security than any soft cover can. If you're looking for a cover that combines affordability and
security, this hard folding tonneau cover is definitely worth your attention.

How low can you go? The Truxedo Pro X15 is so named for its 15-degree mounting rails, which give the cover the lowest, flattest profile available today. It also has tons of other great features such as black powder-coated bows and rails, automatic tension adjustment, a removable tarp for extra bed access, and a dual action tailgate seal. The tailgate seal allows you to close the cover whether your tailgate is open or shut. All this plus exceptional weather resistance makes the Pro X15 truck bed cover arguably the best roll-up tonneau cover money can buy.