I officially joined the soft top family! Bella, my 2017 Jeep Wrangler, is currently rocking the Bestop NX Glide for a 2 door. As for first impressions, I am absolutely loving it. I chose the black twill fabric and it looks SO MEAN and clean. I can't believe I waited this long to get one.
This awesome soft top comes with tinted windows that are zipperless and super easy to pop in and out. I love the look of this soft top too. The twill fabric is like the kind you find on luxury convertible tops. It's very sleek and it's a quick process to remove the full top.
I am currently in Southern California where the weather has backed down from a 120 degree summer into a 100 degree fall. Now that it's starting to cool off, I couldn't wait to get my soft top on. The biggest advantage of a soft top in comparison to a hard top is how quick and easy it is to go topless, but still have the option for coverage if needed.
The front part of the soft top (where the freedom panels are) is incredibly easy to remove - just unclip the two front latches above the visors and flip it back!! (See the picture below for reference). Although the hardtop freedom panels don't take that long to remove either, the soft top just takes seconds to pop it back. You don't have to awkwardly maneuver the parts down or worry about bringing them with in case you want to put them on later.
I also noticed that the horrible wind tunnel Jeeps have going on is much improved with this soft top. Having the freedom panels off on my hardtop vs flipping back the front part of the soft top is so different! The soft top noticeably reduces the amount of wind whipping in your face.
Also, I love how the black interior looks in comparison to the harsh white Jeep hard top. I was a little worried about how noisy a soft top would be, but honestly it's not noisy at all! Granted, it's still a Jeep so it's not going to sound like an Audi, but I am super impressed with the quality.
As for going topless, it's something I've been itching to do ever since I got my Jeep. In all honesty, getting the hardtop off was pretty quick and easy. I was really impressed with Jeep on how painless they made this process.
The only "challenging" part is how awkward it is to handle the hardtop when you're moving it off. I had my trusty photographer to help me take my top off (not as fun as it sounds lol) and we got it off super fast. Now-a-days there are crazy contraptions you can buy to help assist you with this process to do solo.
The install for the Bestop soft top wasn't too bad at all. I definitely recommend having a second hand with this install. Each NX Glide comes with install directions and Bestop has a ton of helpful videos on their website if you have any questions along the way. It took us about 4 hours to complete to start to finish, which aligns with their estimate.
After installing the soft top, for the first time in literally months, it rained in the desert... Not once, but twice that week! Luckily this gave me a chance to check for leaks - none of which I found. I also whipped this baby down I-10 to the Offroad Expo this weekend. I'm surprised how quiet the soft top was! It's obviously not as sound proof as my hardtop, but it certainly wasn't horrible heading down the highway.
As for first impressions, Bestop killed it. I will post an update in a few months as I use the top more and let you all know my further review. Overall, I am super happy with the Bestop NX Glide soft top. It's super easy to ditch the roof and enjoy the topless life we Jeepers live for. The freedom panel section of the top even comes with zippered pockets for extra storage - something I will definitely be utilizing in my 2 door! The soft top is lightweight and easy for one person to put up or down. These awesome tops also come with a warranty so you can rest assured that you are in good hands.
I want to give a big shout out to the Bestop team for helping me find the best soft top for my Jeep. I couldn't be happier with it! There are a ton of soft top options on the market these days, but Bestop is tried and true. I highly recommend this brand! If you have any questions about any of the Bestop products, their customer service team is always super helpful.
Disclaimer: Bestop provided this product to me free of charge to state my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. You can always count on me to keep it real.
