The Best Bed and Tonneau Covers for Your Toyota Tacoma

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Versatility is one of the hallmark characteristics of the Toyota Tacoma. It’s a go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle with a truck bed, making it a phenomenal choice for outdoorsy adventurers, families, working professionals, and more. Throw in a healthy helping of reliability, and you have a compelling midsize truck that has dominated the market for years.

For those looking to extract even more usability from their Tacoma truck bed, there are a few options available thanks to a strong aftermarket. From bed racks to camper shells, Toyota Tacomas can be modified in a multitude of ways to facilitate your needs and increase the versatility of your truck.

Among the possible additions to the bed of your Tacoma are two of the most popular and functional options–bed covers and tonneau covers. Their benefits are impressive, regardless of your specific use cases, making them a great choice for many Tacoma owners. Read on for a list of the best Tacoma tonneau covers.

Is it Better to have a Tonneau Cover?

Like any modification to your Toyota Tacoma, it is important to do your research and choose the best tonneau cover for your needs. A great way to start that research is by familiarizing yourself with the benefits of bed covers and tonneaus for Tacomas.

While you may already have some specific advantages in mind–perhaps you want to protect the items in your truck bed from the elements–taking a comprehensive look at the benefits they offer can help you unlock the full potential of a tonneau cover for your Tacoma.

There’s a Tonneau for Everyone

Not all tonneau covers look or function the same. Some are soft, some use all-metal construction, and there is quite a bit of variety in how they open, store, and operate. Ultimately, this is a good thing, as it gives Tacoma owners the opportunity to choose the right style for their trucks, lifestyles, and needs.

Thanks to the diverse selection of bed covers available for the Tacoma, you can opt for a tonneau cover that fits your preferences. Whether it’s a folding or rolling tonneau, a hard or soft tonneau, or a flat or topper style cover, you have your pick to perfectly complement your Tacoma, your cargo, and your life.

Tonneau Covers Protect Your Cargo

Truck beds are incredibly handy. They are the ideal way to transport your belongings, whether it’s suitcases for your road trip or items from your latest trip to the hardware store. Unfortunately, they also present an easy target–anyone can walk by, look into your bed, and take things from it.

Tonneau covers all but eliminate this possibility. Not only do they obscure your cargo from view, but they also make it much harder for a thief or vandal to steal or damage your belongings. Most covers lock, adding an extra layer of security to your truck, allowing you to transport your cargo without worrying about whether it is protected.

Keeping the Weather Out

While the versatility of the Toyota Tacoma’s truck bed cannot be understated, there is one obvious flaw–anything in the bed is exposed to the elements. If it rains, your belongings get wet. If you drive through the mud, all your stuff will be filthy.

Bed covers prevent this by creating a (mostly) weatherproof seal. This opens up practically endless applications of your bed that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Adding a tonneau cover gives you substantial space that is now capable of deterring the elements.

They Don’t Interfere with Your Bed

If you use your bed for larger objects–especially those that extend vertically over the bedsides–a tonneau cover may appear to be a dealbreaker. Thankfully, this is not the case at all. Because bed covers can quickly and easily be flipped or rolled out of the way (or removed, if necessary), they can give you the advantages of a cover without interfering with the initial functionality of your truck bed.

If you are considering a bed cover but are unsure of how it might detract from how you utilize your bed, this should be welcomed news. Manufacturers dedicate tremendous time and attention to ensuring their bed covers increase the versatility of your bed without defeating the intended purpose of a truck best. In the end, a tonneau cover gives you the best of both worlds.

Bed Covers Look Great

Whether you frequently fill your bed with cargo or tend to drive around with it empty, a bed cover can give your Tacoma a clean, sleek appearance. From hiding the clutter beneath it to giving your truck an enhanced aesthetic, a tonneau cover can add a bit of style to an otherwise utilitarian part of your Tacoma.

Covers Can Improve Aerodynamics

The gaping void that is your truck bed is not exactly a benefit in a wind tunnel. As you drive, air has a tendency to fill the bed, adding to the wind resistance your vehicle is facing. Given that Tacomas are not known for their aerodynamics or fuel efficiency, this negative of an empty, uncovered truck bed is not ideal.

Truck bed covers help address this issue. While the change to fuel efficiency is minimal during everyday driving, the driving dynamics tend to improve with a tonneau cover. If, however, you spend a significant amount of time at highway speeds, you may see enough gas savings to make a nice, positive impact on your wallet.

The Different Types of Tonneau Covers

The type and number of tonneau covers for Tacomas continue to expand. More companies are innovating, producing, and otherwise providing Tacoma owners with bed covers, making it a great time to be on the market for one.

Still, there are two types of tonneaus that stand out as classics–hard and soft tonneau covers. These two categories can be divided even further into how they operate. Some fold, while others roll. Both varieties and operations have certain pros and cons, which are important to know before spending your hard-earned money on a bed cover.

Hard Tonneau Covers Versus Soft Tonneau Covers

There is often a perception that hard tonneau covers are superior in terms of durability, while soft covers are more versatile. While this may have once been the case, it is no longer true–there is a lot of overlap between the pros and cons associated with both hard and soft bed covers.

While hard tonneau covers do use premium materials such as aluminum, they are not limited to one form of operation. Instead, you can find hard covers that fold, retract, roll, and more. When compared to their soft counterparts, hard covers do provide one significant advantage–you can put weight on top of them, giving you two layers of storage.

Soft tonneau covers tend to be less expensive than all-metal options. Their name is also a bit of a misnomer–not all soft bed covers are fabric stretched over a minimalist frame. Rather, they are simply softer than an all-metal alternative. Many soft tonneau covers for Toyota Tacoma still have rigidity thanks to high-quality vinyl wrapped around some form of structure (often foam),

Foldable Tonneau Covers Versus Rolling Tonneau Covers

There are several ways in which tonneau covers can operate, including retracting and hinging open. The two most common types, however, are folding and rolling covers. Both make using your Toyota Tacoma tonneau cover easy, even when opening or closing it by yourself.

Rolling bed covers have the benefit of opening to a precise position. Because they have more flexibility, they allow you to create the ideal opening size for your use case. If you’re transporting thin boards from the hardware store, you may only need a small gap, but if you’re helping a friend move, you may need most of the bed exposed. Rolling covers put you in control, which is both convenient and extremely functional.

Being able to use your entire bed without having to completely remove your tonneau cover is a prerequisite for most Tacoma owners. Foldable covers check this box, giving you full usability of your Tacoma plus the advantages of a bed cover. Covers from this category are typically composed of three or more panels that quickly and easily fold back. You can then secure them with built-in straps or tie-downs.

What is the Best Tonneau Cover for Toyota Tacoma?

As with any modification you make to your Toyota Tacoma, the best tonneau cover will be largely dependent on your tastes and your needs. As a result, it is impossible to declare one Tacoma bed cover the absolute best. Instead, we’ve compiled a list of a few of the top options on the market that you should consider. Trust us; you can’t go wrong with any of the following.

Toyota Tacoma BAKFlip MX4 Tonneau Cover

Considered one of the best bed cover brands in the industry, BAKFlip is renowned for its durable tonneau covers that are cleverly designed and constructed of aluminum. This all-metal construction sets the Toyota Tacoma BAKFlip MX4 Tonneau Cover apart from the other options.

In addition to the premium materials used in the BAKFlip MX4’s unique design, it features a bolt-on installation and a five-year warranty. Thanks to its thoughtful engineering, this tonneau can be securely shut even when your tailgate is down. It is also thoroughly sealed around the edges and where it meets the tailgate, creating enhanced weather resistance.

Unlike other tonneau covers, the BAKFlip MX4 for the Toyota Tacoma is capable of carrying a significant amount of weight on top of it–400 pounds, to be exact. This means the functionality of the cover is threefold–you can store things underneath it, on top of it, or fold it back to utilize the entirety of the bed.

Toyota Tacoma EZ-FOLD Soft Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover

Lightweight and durable, the EZ-FOLD Soft Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover for Toyota Tacoma is a fantastic option for those looking for a simple, effective way of expanding their Tacoma’s versatility. Constructed of heavy-duty vinyl that won’t shrink, this folding tonneau cover is suitable for any climate.

The EZ-Fold Tri-Fold Cover uses high-quality clamps that allow you to operate the cover with one hand, making bed access quick and easy. Beneath the UV-resistant top is a boxed aluminum frame that provides rigidity and strength without adding much weight. There are even integrated straps that make securing the tonneau in its folded position a seamless process.

Bestop Toyota Tacoma Supertop

Unlike traditional tonneau covers that embrace a slim profile nearly even with the top of your truck bed, Bestop’s Supertop for the Toyota Tacoma rises to the roofline of the truck. That being said, it is not a traditional truck bed topper, either–it is more of a hybrid between a tonneau cover and a camper shell.

Bestop accomplishes this by creating a frame around which the heavy-duty fabric is stretched. Similar to most tonneau covers, the Supertop is made of a soft material, keeping it lightweight. Unlike other covers, its height gives it unique versatility. It can be used in multiple configurations and is easily adjusted by just one person. Like other tonneau covers, the Bestop Supertop does not require drilling.

For those looking for a unique bed cover solution that gives more vertical flexibility than a traditional tonneau, the Supertop is a phenomenal choice. Thanks to its easy adjustment and numerous configurations–such as a removable rear window and side panels–it is adaptable to whatever the day holds.

Toyota Tacoma Supertop Tonneau Cover

If the Bestop Supertop piqued your interest but you are unsure of the tall profile or don’t need the extra features at all times, the Bestop Supertop Tonneau Cover for Toyota Tacoma may appeal to you. This allows you to quickly transform your Supertop into a traditional tonneau cover by reutilizing a handful of the structural elements. This easy transition from the full top to the tonneau configuration gives the Bestop Supertop product family the most versatility of any bed cover on this list.

When using the tonneau cover configuration, you can access the entirety of your Toyota Tacoma bed by rolling the cover into its open position. This grants you full use of your bed or security and weather protection in a matter of moments. It is an innovative approach to bed covers and certainly deserves a spot on this list of the best Toyota Tacoma tonneau covers.

Toyota Tacoma EZ-ROLL Soft Tonneau Cover

Similar to its folding counterpart, the Toyota Tacoma EZ-ROLL Soft Tonneau Cover sports the same high-quality materials, impressive functionality, and limited lifetime warranty. The no-drill installation is rock solid while the premium vinyl-coated polyester fabric is durable enough to endure even the most extreme weather.

The clever roll-up design of this tonneau cover utilizes integrated bows to make storage and deployment easier. You can transform your Tacoma bed from covered to uncovered in a mere 30 seconds. You can also leave the cover in place while accessing the bed via the tailgate. In other words, the EZ-Roll Soft Tonneau Cover for the Toyota Tacoma is designed to facilitate your lifestyle and make the use of your truck bed as convenient as possible.

Find the Best Tacoma Tonneau Covers at TacomaBeast

While perhaps not as glamorous as an off-road suspension system or a streamlined front bumper, bed covers are a functional addition to any Toyota Tacoma. The benefits are many, and they are easy to install and use. If you want to give your Tacoma even more versatility, you can’t go wrong with one of the outstanding Tacoma tonneau covers listed above.

TacomaBeast is the best place to find everything you need to complete your dream Toyota Tacoma build. With modifications, camping gear, and Tacoma essentials all in one place, you can create the ultimate Tacoma for your preferences. You can even reach out to our experienced team of enthusiasts for guidance when perfecting your truck.

When you’re not shopping for Tacoma goodies, you can browse our YouTube channel for adventure inspiration, installation guides, and more Tacoma tips and tricks. Our blog is also packed with valuable information, product recommendations, and more. It’s a treasure trove of information for Tacoma lovers, and we update it frequently with exciting new content.