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7 Best Soft Tops for Jeep Wranglers

​A soft top on any Jeep leads a rather hard life. It has to cope with all types of weather. Possibly snow & ice one week, and then dry, arid heat the next. It could expand or contract under the different temperatures, repel water, be resistant to the effects of the sun. Very few products can do that successfully.

​Soft tops need some sort of conditioner to help them cope, but sometimes, even the best treatment can’t fix them up. That’s when you need a new top.

​​There are so many different kinds. You’ve got ​​soft top with vinyl windows, glass windows, flip-top sunroof, with a frame, without a frame, new frame. So many different things to think about.

​Some of the choices depend on which particular Jeep model you have. But even then, you could still find quite a few different soft tops per model. We’ve picked a selection of tops for a selection of Jeeps.

​7 Best Replacement Jeep Soft Tops

​This kit comes with everything needed to convert from a hardtop to a soft top. It’s a complete frameless replacement kit.

​The Bestop 56820-35 uses premium, factory-spec sailcloth fabric, which has the best in class UV resistance, and the tinted (18% tint) windows are removable and replaceable. It offers ‘next generation’ styling, with a Sunrider sunroof.

The fit and the way it’s been designed means that you don’t need the traditional bows and frames to install. It’s compatible with any Bestop door kit, and will also fit the factory full steel doors. Overall, it’s a great fit and works well.

​Some features have been upgraded. These include the top arch bar system, quick release bow knuckles, and factory-style polymer door surrounds. It has a 2-year limited lifetime warranty and includes absolutely everything you need to get it installed on a standard Jeep Wrangler, in around 1 hour.


​Pretty much at the opposite end of the range from the Supertop, the Smittybilt replacement top still does it all, ​at a fraction of the price.

​It’s made from marine-grade, durable, vinyl-coated fabric that replicates the OE style. All of the seams are heat-sealed and the stitches are done with wick stop thread. Smittybilt says they’re the only manufacturer to use this thread.

​​It’s designed to use your existing hardware and framework, so it literally is just the fabric top. It comes with tinted windows and the rear window can zip out entirely. That will allow you some breeze without having to completely remove the top. All of the zippers used are high quality and self-correcting. Fitting it back together is simple.

​It comes complete with front upper replacement door skins, side window,s, and rear window. Everything you need is in the kit. It should take between 1 – 2 hours to fit. It’s quite simple and there’s plenty of instructional material on the web if you get stuck.

​This would be a great choice for someone looking for a well made, but cost-effective replacement soft top.




​This is the cheapest soft top here, ​however, it’s still pretty decent quality. If you’re looking to replace a soft-top prior to selling your vehicle, this might be a good choice​. It fits well enough, looks decent, and the marine-grade vinyl coated fabric does a pretty good job of resisting fade through UV.

​It comes with tinted windows, but without the upper doors, and the zippers are heavy duty and self-correcting for an easier and faster fit. Because of the​ factory-style design, it’s easy to​ fit ​in ​your Jeep’s original factory frame​​. Be warned that some buyers have reported an issue or two with regards to the rear window degrading over time.

​It takes around 1 hour to fit​. Sierra says that it’s manufactured to the original Jeep quality standard, but I’d say there are better standards on the market.

​All in, it’s a great value soft top, ​but don’t expect it to last a lifetime in harsh climates.




​Another Bestop and another great quality product that shouldn’t be as well priced as it is. The Replay kit comes with soft top fabric, side & rear windows and upper door skins, but no hardware. It needs the factory bows, frames, and tailgate bar.

​This is automotive grade fabric (rather than marine grade.) It’s a little lighter (23 oz. rather than 30 oz.) and not quite so hard-wearing. You probably wouldn’t really know the difference between the two, unless you did a direct, back-to-back comparison.

​It comes with 31% tinted side and rear windows, heavy-duty zippers, and a 1-year limited warranty​.


​You can notice the difference in quality between this and the Supertop from Bestop. It’s a 23 oz. fabric compared to 30 oz. for the Supertop, but everything else you’d expect from a Bestop product is there. It has a flip back sunroof panel. The cloth is UV, stain and mildew resistant, and it uses factory specification marine grade thread with double stitching and heat-sealed seams.

​The windows come tinted – 31% tint, and they’re removable using the quality YKK zippers that are scoop mounted. The hood itself is compatible with pretty much any door arrangement whether that be the factory, full steel doors, upper fabric half doors, or the Bestop fabric upper half doors.

​It comes with a 3-year limited lifetime warranty. It’s a complete kit that will take around 2 hours to install properly.




​This is the most expensive soft top here, but it combines features from both hard & soft tops. That’s why it’s called a hybrid top. It has sliding side windows (glass, and tinted), a glass rear hatch with gas struts for easy lifting, and the rear glass has a defrosting system integrated, with OEM style connectors. It will connect right up to the standard wiring.

​The beauty of this top is that it’s more permanent. It weighs less than the standard hardtop, yet still offers great protection and functionality. No zipper is a big thing. If you’ve tried messing with the zippers on anything less than a super warm day, you’ll know why.

​The 54853-17 Trektop Pro Hybrid Soft Top also features the Bestop ‘Sunrider’ sunroof panel. It flips back to give you an easy to use sun spot. The whole top also easily converts into a safari bikini top without too much struggle. It’s made from a premium, black twill fabric that resists UV and fits just as you’d want it to. It comes with everything you need, including all the mounting hardware and door surrounds.

​It takes around 3 hours to install it properly, and the time spent on installation is well worth it. Don’t rush it.




​The triple-layer twill fabric was offered as a factory option from the 2013 onwards Wranglers, but it’s standard with the Supertop​. It’s a 30 oz. triple layer with fully UV resistant fabric. It will last long, give some sound deadening quality, and protect you from the elements.

​This ​jeep wrangler 4 door ​soft top​ is all about quality. It’s got high-quality YKK scoop mounted zippers, powder-coated (black) hardware gives a great finish, scratch-resistance, and anti-corrosion properties. The 31% tinted windows are removable (and made from thick vinyl.) This Bestop product also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

​What else?

​It has an adjustable bow system to keep the fabric taught. There’s a foldback ‘Sunrider’ sunroof. You can also fold the whole top completely down to really open up the vehicle. It comes with everything you need to completely replace the original top. That includes the patented door surrounds to give a factory look, fit, and finish.

​This isn’t a cheap replacement top. It will take you around 4 – 6 hours to install it properly. But, once it’s installed, you’ll just see the quality. It fits perfectly and works as you want it to.



​Conclusion

​There are a lot of different tops to choose from. Some are more of a temporary measure. Others are meant as a high-quality replacement for your original Jeep top. You don’t have to spend big bucks to guarantee a quality item. However, it definitely seems that higher-priced soft tops are better quality and offer more longevity.

​Professional, or at least, competent fitting is the key to making these soft tops work. If you rush it, you’ll end up with something that sags, lets in water and is very noisy​. Take a few extra minutes to fully understand the fitting instructions before tackling the job. It’ll be worth it in the long run, guaranteed.

​Aside from that, try and do the fitting on a warm sunny day. Leaving the top out in direct sunlight for an hour or two before fitting makes the process much easier. If a zipper feels tight, don’t force it. It may cause irreparable damage.

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