It is undeniably important to protect the back of a pickup truck from direct sunlight, rain, dust, and other unwanted elements. For this purpose, a tonneau cover was invented in the early 20th century. To this day, the tonneau cover offers the best protection for open areas of different cars, pickup trucks, and even boats.
Considering the variety in materials and durability, modern tonneau covers provide various functionality. Ranging from protection against thieves, weather, and dirt to holding the baggage in place during travel.
Since 2017, BAK Industries has focused on manufacturing durable and high-quality tonneau covers. BAK puts their best engineers to produce two main designs: hard folding and hard rolling covers.
Review of Hard Folding Tonneau Covers by BAK Industries
As of 2022 BAK Industries offers four models of Hard Folding covers. All of them belong to the BAKFlip series, but each has its own features and characteristics.
BAKFlip G2 is a hard folding cover manufactured from aluminum skins with a solid core. The product has a gloss black finish with a powder coating, which allows the G2 to be compatible with vehicles of different colors.
A tailgate seal with dual action provides reliable protection. The G2 hard folding cover can be in a closed, fully folded, or flipped position, and it wouldn’t interfere with visibility while driving. Installing the BAKFlip G2 doesn’t reduce the accessibility to the pickup’s bed, and doesn’t cut down the available space in the tonneau.
BAKFlip F1 is a tonneau cover manufactured using a reinforced polymer of fiberglass with aluminum on the bottom side. This design provides high-performance protection against impacts, weather, excessive heat, and nasty perpetrators.
F1 has a black powder-coated finish that looks stylish on any vehicle. It looks great with different car colors, like black, white, red or green.
Flush hinges in the construction of this tonneau cover provide easy folding. F1 can be fully closed or folded up to a bulkhead, the construction doesn’t reduce the available space and provides maximum protection.
BAKFlip F1 is created to endure extreme weather conditions, which makes this product one of the best on the market.
BAKFlip FiberMax has three fiberglass panels with reinforced polymer. This material is lightweight but high-quality at the same time. Just like F1, FiberMax offers maximum endurance, durability, and strength in its design. The surface is protected against scratches and accidental dents, while the tailgate lock protects the bed against intruders. FiberMax from Bak Industries is recommended for all vehicles working off-road or on industrial cite with a high risk of accidents.
BAKFlip MX4 from BAK Industries is the aluminum model of a tonneau cover. It has a black matte finish, a perfect color for off-road activities and long travels. The bolts and seals have the same black matte finish, which makes the cover look stern and masculine.
MX4 cover has three positions: fully opened against a bulkhead, securely closed, or flipped to the side. A vehicle can be driven safely with this hard folding cover in any position.
This cover provides good protection against water, dust, and other unwanted elements. The aluminum panels are sturdy and durable, which grants necessary protection against impacts and scratches for the baggage.
Review of Hard Rolling Tonneau Covers by BAK Industries
Hard Rolling covers by BAK are designed to be durable, easily operated, and convenient in any position to provide the best visibility on the road.
BAK Revolver X2 is designed to combine the best features of hard and soft rolling tonneau covers. This model is manufactured using a combination of aluminum and vinyl. Aluminum slats of X2 are lined and overlaid with hard vinyl, and the product is finished using vinyl grain.
BAK Revolver X2 has a unique and safe Rotational Locking System that was patented by the company. This system provides complete and tight locking of the whole cover, which protects the pickup’s bed from weather, water, and perpetrators.
X2 tonneau cover can be rolled all the way back for full access to the bed. It can stay rolled up while driving because the design keeps the bulkhead window open. The cover uses heavy-duty straps that you can use to keep it in place.
BAK Revolver X4 is an upgraded version of the X2 model, with enhanced durability and strength of aluminum and vinyl. BAK Industries have stated that for the X4 model they use aluminum of a higher grade, hence the additional price.
Revolver X4 comes with a matte black finish, which is more durable and protected against elements than the X2 vinyl grain.
BAK Revolver X4s is an enhanced and brought to perfection version of X4. It is designed with a matte black finish both on the upper and bottom sides of the cover. The Revolver X4s has additional clamps around caps on the sides and corners. The same rotational locking system is used in this model and can be easily opened from either side of the bed.
X4 by BAK Industries is designed to provide maximum protection against extreme weather, hazardous conditions, and perpetrators’ attempts to access the bed of your vehicle.
Difference between hard rolling and hard folding BAK covers
Hard rolling covers have always been more popular among pickup owners. The reason for that is the simplicity of handling the hard rolling cover. They are easy to open from either side of the bed, and one hand can be used to open them completely.
Usually, hard rolling covers aren’t as easy to open, so they always stood second place in terms of demand.
BAK Industries completely changed the way hard rolling covers work by combining the simplicity of soft rolling covers with the strength and durability of hard rolling covers. This way, both hard rolling and hard folding tonneau covers have the same level of protection and convenience.
So, when it comes to deciding which type of tonneau cover by BAK Industries you should buy, the main differences are in the preferred design and some construction specifics.
Features of Hard Folding covers by BAK
- Three available positions: closed, flipped up all the way, folded partially. The vehicle can be driven with the cover in any position, but keep in mind that a completely opened position restricts the bulkhead window view.
- High-quality black finishes that look awesome on any vehicle.
- Durable and strong aluminum or fiberglass panels. BAK never uses cheap materials for its products.
- Up to four hundred pounds weight rating if the load is evenly distributed on the tonneau cover.
- Tailgate seals with dual action provide proper security for the baggage.
- Covers with fiberglass protect the contents of the pickup bed against heat.
- Easy installation using a clamp system. Applicable to most vehicles, but some may require drilling.
- Integrated rain channels keep the rainwater away from the contents of the bed.
- Fiberglass covers have less weight, but also sacrifice around one hundred pounds of load rate.
Features of Hard Rolling covers by BAK
- Simple handling design with durable construction. BAK Hard Rolling covers can be easily opened using only one hand, it is a feature most commonly presented in hard folding or soft rolling covers. But in contrast to soft rolling covers, hard rolling tonneau covers by BAK provide good strength and durability.
- Locking rails with rotational safety offer secure locking for the entire length of the pickup bed. These rails are installed on both sides, so there are no vulnerable spots in the design.
- Slam latches are simple to handle but durable in the construction.
- Installation is simple and fast using clamp systems. Works for most vehicles, but some may require drilling.
- No stitches or velcros in any part of the tonneau cover.
- High-quality straps with buckles to keep the opened cover in place when driving.
Why should I choose BAK Industries?
BAK Industries offers products for different vehicle models. You can choose by year, manufacturer, and specific model. The company has been on the USA market since 2017 and receives positive and appreciative reviews.
Besides tonneau covers, BAK Industries offers accessories, spare parts, and upgrades for pickup beds and tonneau covers.
For example, there are bedrugs and utility storage boxes available for sale. When it comes to upgrades, you can purchase rack stabilizer kits, kayak carriers, load stops, and sliding tie-downs.
Replacement parts are also available for any BAK tonneau cover model you own.
Customer reviews about BAK Industries Tonneau Covers
Reading customer reviews is the best way to decide if a product is exactly what you are looking for. Here are quotes of customer reviews about BAK Tonneau covers in general. If you want to know about a specific model, just google “BAK (name of the model) cover reviews”.
“The installation is fast and easy, it took me about thirty minutes in my own garage”.
“Have been using the BAK tonneau cover for about five years, and it still works perfectly fine, just some minor scratches on the surface. Going to buy another one for my second pickup”.
“Not cheap, but great quality, nice color, secure seals. Reasonable price for the quality”.
“I bought it because it opens the bed completely and can stay securely in place”.
“Bought my third BAK tonneau cover, all of them have amazing quality, paint finish doesn’t fade away, still no scratches”.
“Screws for the buckles didn’t line up, I had to drill a bit to install the cover correctly. It was an easy fix, so no other complaints”.
“We have harsh winters at my place, and very wet autumn, the BAK tonneau cover I’ve purchased protects properly against water and wet”.
“Not the cheapest covers on the market but they hold up to the test of time. I have had the BAK tonneau cover for three years now”.
“I’m from South Florida, the sun here doesn’t spare any paint finishes, but somehow the BAK tonneau cover is holding up against the scorching UV rays. I’m more content than ever with this product”.
“My ten-year-old grandson installed the cover all by himself, and I wanted to spend some time with him. I guess I have to buy another one for a second chance”.
