Soft Topper or Best Top?

Which would you go with and why?
I keep seeing pros and cons to both but I'm not sure which is actually the better of the two?
It would be going on my 17' OR DCSB.

 

Bestop has side windows that some people like. I personally just think the OG Softtopper looks way better (Cleaner lines). The Bestop has this like hump in the middle making it look all floppy which i'm personally not a fan of.

What is sort of nice is that on the softtopper since there is no windows its pretty tough to see whats in there

 

There are differences between the Bestop 1 and 2 and the Softopper.

The ST fit my needs the best. The only negative for it was the lack of 3rd brake light and all the bad drivers around here. It was easy to make one out of One Wrap (double sided hook and loop) and a waterproof LED strip.

 

Soft topper. You ever been in a cage fight with a canvas blanket? That’s what it was like getting the bestop on. It doesn’t tap. And in the end, they hadn’t updated the fitment, so it still fit to the 2nd gen and not the higher bedsided 3rd gen. I was so unsatisfied with the fundamental flimsiness of the soft topping concept at that point I just built my own.

 

I haven't owned a Bestop but I love my softopper. The quality is great and I feel comfortable leaving my dogs back there while driving. Installation wasn't too bad either. Fitment is spot on once you get the rails lined up correctly. I do plan on installing a bed rack over it eventually so that I can place camping gear while my dogs chill in the bed area.

 

I had the best top v1 for awhile. I picked it up on Amazon warehouse for $400. It kept stuff dry, that was about it. A bit of a pain to get in and out of. Even at that price I ended up returning it for a refund and ordered a decked out ARE classic...Still waiting on that week 6 should be here this week or next...hopefully.

If you need to haul big stuff regularly a soft top option will probably work well. I have a 5x10 trailer and decided I wanted the advantages of a hard cap.

 

I've never had the Bestop but I like my soft topper and it was reasonably easy to put on. Now that I have the rails on it takes under 5 minutes to take it off or put it on. I also like that I can fold it forward. I've driven cross-country with a motorcycle in the bed of my truck and the soft topper folded forward before. I don't notice the lack of side windows on it while driving, and while sleeping in the back I prefer not having windows on the sides.

 

Will no one defend Bestops name?

Funny enough Bestop bought Softtopper but they still haven't improved it to be on the same level as the OG Softtopper imo

You do lose some vision when changing lanes in traffic, but if you have the tech package with the blind side monitors its not an issue

 

Yuuup. Soft topper

 

At the time when I purchased, Bestop had the side profile of a shitting dog. Now with the V2, i think Bestop might be better looking, but watching their install video, it looks like Softopper is still faster in rolling up as needed.

Softopper still gets my vote.

 

LMao i was trying to figure out how to explain why the bestop looked so bad and i think you nailed it with the shitting dog image

 

Right. I loled because it’s real AF

 

If can-back had been operational and didn’t have a lead time of 6 years, that would have been the obvious choice. They have the perfect profile

squint and try to imagine it without those absurd roof racks.

 

Softopper FTW

 

Also have a rack over my Softopper

 

I went Softopper. Best purchase I've made for my truck by far. Couldn't recommend it more highly.

 

for whatever it is worth, the BesTop company acquired/bought out the sofTopper brand sometime last year


that being said, I have always preferred the sofTopper over the besTop because of the tan color and the full canvas sides

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bestop-acquires-softopper.612934/

 

With the OG best top, you had to remove the windows and store them separately before folding it up. The softopper you just flip up the sides onto the roof and it folds up. Plus the ST looks way better. The little stick on bubble mirrors solved the blindspot issue and a third brake light is easy to add with a $10 adhesive-backed one from Amazon.

 

Softopper for the win!! Although I believe best top bought them out

 

I have a bestop 2, I think it looks better than the soft topper, but it is indeed a pain to put up and down. But, I dont put it up and down every day. Infact, It usually stays up unless I need to put something very tall in. In the summer I leave the side panels and rear panel off, winter they go on. If I am putting something that needs to be protected then I will also put the sides on.

Sides on


Sides off