The world of tonneau covers was a small place once upon a time. Now, the market offers so many different tonneau covers, varying in style, use, and price.
The basic types of tonneau covers are soft and hard covers. The soft covers are best used as protection from the elements, while the hard tonneau covers offer anti-theft protection.
Retrax is a company that’s been up-and-running since 1965 and producing tonneau covers for Americans ever since. Retrax, one of the market leaders made a unique tarp, Retrax One, that is neither a hard nor a soft cover.
So, this unusual product falls more into a high-end category for tonneau covers. Since it’s trendy, we should go through all the details of the build and see what it’s all about.
Is Retrax One worth it? Should you invest in this tarp if you want it to last a long time? Continue reading to find out all about the Retrax One!
Retrax One Retractable Tonneau Cover
- Retractable, robust cover
- Fits 15-20 Ford F150, 5’7” Bed, 67.1”
- Durable, polycarbonate cover
- No drilling installation
- Anti-theft protection
- 100% bed access
- Made in the USA
Highlights Reviews Of The Retrax One Retractable Tonneau Cover
The Build Quality
Build quality is truly one of the important things to discuss when we’re talking about tonneau covers. Materials used to make a tonneau cover like this one have to be high-quality – otherwise, it’s just a waste of money.
So, I was pleased to see the uniqueness of the Retrax One cover. It’s made of a one-piece polycarbonate with a layer of aluminum over it – something we don’t see every day.
This type of build is guaranteed to make your tarp last very long no matter the way you’re using it. It’s also waterproof thanks to the dual-action seal. The rubber makes a good seal on your car, making your cargo safe from rain and snow, as well as dust and debris.
This is more of a hard cover than a soft tonneau cover, despite being able to roll up. It can lock, and it’s amazing to know your cargo is safe when you’re far away from your car and can’t keep an eye on it. The anti-theft protection is a very neat detail overall.
The latch you use to close the tarp can be locked at any point along the rail. This is a great detail if you’re transporting something large since the tarp can be used to secure the large object in place.
For the rather high price, all the details have been taken care of, like the durable rails and clasps. It’s good to know that the whole package will last you a long time.
The Design
When you look into more high-end products like the Retrax One, you don’t want it to just do a good job – you want it to look good, as well. Retrax thought of every detail since the tarp looks amazing when rolled over your car.
The matte, powdered finish and the appearance of a solid piece make the tarp look fit in with the car’s design. The matte finish is something I prefer over the polished finish – mainly because it’s maintenance-free.
The polished finish gets smudges all the time, and it’s more prone to scratches than the matte finish. The finish on the Retrax One is also UV-resistant and scratch-proof, so the tarp should look good as new for at least a few years. Furthermore, the tarp won’t heat up, ever – even in 100-degree weather thanks to the UV-resistant coating.
The clasps and the small details are all painted with a black, matte finish to look flush with the car. The powdered finish on the whole package is more dependable and it withstands more wear-and-tear than other types of finish coats. The coat on the rails isn’t so durable, though – so some scratches after a while are to be expected.
The low-profile design makes the tarp lie very close to the trunk bed. The low-profile design makes a more dependable seal on the trunk’s sides, and it ensures that your cargo stays dry at all times.
Ease Of Use
As for the ease of use, your tarp mustn’t be complicated to figure out. If it takes a lot of time to roll it out or to roll it up, you won’t use it as often as you’d like to.
The tarp rolls out smoothly, it’s easy to secure and to lock. The latch can get stuck when you’re sliding the tarp over the rails, which can happen if the rails are dirty or full of debris. You should check it out from time to time for bits and pieces stuck in the rails.
As for the installation, it should be easy-peasy for the most part. Even with minor issues, the whole installation shouldn’t take over 30 minutes.
For the installation, you don’t have to drill into your car to secure the rails, which is great. The clasps included are enough to keep your tarp in place and it might take some time to adjust all the clasps well.
The user’s manual isn’t too clear on the steps you need to take to install the tarp on your car. Keep this in mind if you’ve never installed a tarp before, or consider consulting a professional about this matter.
The Performance
All the details and the seeming quality don’t mean much without seeing how this tonneau cover behaves when in use. So, I decided to test out this bad boy to see what it’s all about.
The primary function of every tarp is to protect the cargo from the elements. This tarp doesn’t leak at all, even when you’re driving during a rainstorm.
The design is great, the tarp is low-profile for the optimal seal, and the whole thing looks great. The matte, powdered finish doesn’t become hot thanks to a UV-resistant coating.
What’s more, it’s virtually scratchproof due to the quality finish. Branches falling on your tarp have no chance of damaging it, so this tarp is prepared for all possible weather conditions!
Retrax One is pretty simple to install and it takes around half an hour from start to finish. The user’s manual isn’t too helpful, but it’s unlikely that you will experience installation issues.
The fact that you can lock your tarp is great because many people do choose hard or retractable covers because of the anti-theft protection. The latch can become hard to move around if the rails get dirty, so keep this in mind. Also, the coating on the rails isn’t very good, meaning your rails can get scratches from daily use.
What we liked
- Matte, powdered finish
- Waterproof and scratch-resistant
- Anti-theft protection
- Easy to use and to install
- Durable polycarbonate cover
- Low-profile design
What we didn’t like
- The lock can get stuck
- Rails can get scratches
- The user’s manual is not very helpful
Conclusion For The Retrax One Retractable Tonneau Cover
To finish, we did a thorough and detailed review of Retrax’s bestseller – Retrax One. We had to determine if this tonneau cover is worth the high-end price – so, in other words, does the build quality match up to the price.
So, is it a bad idea to invest your money into Retrax One?
Besides a few minor issues, Retrax One is a great choice for a tonneau cover. It’s retractable, it looks good when rolled over your trunk, and it keeps your cargo safe.
All in all, Retrax One is amazing. It offers everything one wants in a tonneau cover, and more!
I am Dave McCurdy I am the content developer on the ecodrivingusa.com website. I have 6 years of experience in marketing as an automotive major.