Decision Paralysis - Which Mesh Top To Get

[JTopsUSA]

I got the JTop and I enjoy it's coverage but it's a pain to take the soft top off and Velcro just won't stand the test of time.

I honestly only want the sunshade on 2 months out of the summer and with this top the Velcro comes right off when trying to take off the mesh top.

Also, no one mentions the soft top frame catches the shade on the roll bar and you have to shimmy it to get it in position 3.

If you plan on removing at any regular cadence, I would steer clear.

Looks the coolest though....

You should not have any issues with the Velcro staying on. It is a very high performance 3M product. The loop side on the roll cage Is not designed to be removed once it’s put on.
Acrylic will be sticky when removed but it will never stay on again. It must bond. Now if you want to take it off it will come off and any residual can be removed with alcohol.
We have used this product for 8 years and what we are using now is an updated acrylic. When installed properly it will perform properly for years. Remember bungees stretch and deteriorate in the sun quickly.
Mike

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[heynow14]

I've had Gearshade for months and it's been great. The bungees are quick to release to remove fully - I suspect that JTop is not as quick. I will say that the attachment hardware for the rear of the Gearshade are laughably horrid, I replaced them with longer ball bungees and it's perfect. I get nearly zero flap and nonsense on the freeway even at 75mph+. And my Gearshade was about $125 less than JTop - so there's that...

 

[Scohin]

I was going to go for JTops until I found out it uses Velcro adhesives directly to the paint. I'm just not comfortable with that over time wrecking clear coat or the paint altogether.
Getting the full coverage isn't worth it to me, so I'm personally going with GearShade

 

[AZBaseSquatch]

I've had Gearshade for months and it's been great. The bungees are quick to release to remove fully - I suspect that JTop is not as quick. I will say that the attachment hardware for the rear of the Gearshade are laughably horrid, I replaced them with longer ball bungees and it's perfect. I get nearly zero flap and nonsense on the freeway even at 75mph+. And my Gearshade was about $125 less than JTop - so there's that...

The part about the rear attachment hardware is very true. they are plastic and mine bent/broke within the first day. I did call gearshade and they immediately sent out metal replacements and I've had no issues since. They might have even wised up and made the metal clips standard, but I'm not sure.

 

[Tricky Dick]

As a vendor for economy tops, here's my 2 cents. The quality is quite good for the price point, but know that the fit and longevity is not going to compare to the premium tops. If you're the type that plans to use your mesh as the only top throughout the entire summer, spring for one of the premium tops. If you just want to prevent getting fried occasionally, save some cash and cheap out.

Personally I'm using a cheap one and don't plan to upgrade. The gaps don't bother me and flapping is minimal.

 

[SubmarineNuke]

I’ve got nothing but empty promises from Mike H @ J tops. Been waiting for months see other people get there’s and ask. I get the same response. Your on the list I’ll make sure it gets out. Then crickets. For that reason alone but elsewhere.

What was it you ordered?

I have a JTops, while I was technically a "pre-order" and it took some time. I will agree that Mike's communication group could use some work.

I will add this; I had a Bestop as a DIO and when I put it on I hated it. It didn't cover enough, when the top was on it hung down loose and rubbed against my head ( resolved this by putting the 2 clips in permanently), it never felt tight, the J hooks up front didn't sit flat, the dealer had installed it at some point and one of the plastic hooks in the back was bent out straight so it didn't work right, the tethers that looped around the roll cage and had to use the speaker bolts, the metal bar going through the middle of the shade to give it "support"....I was not pleased with it at all.

 

[rtazz17]

I spent 45 bucks on a mesh one from amazon. I am quite picky and for the amount of times ill actually use it I wasnt going to spend 3-400 bucks on mesh. It does the job,makes minimal noise if any. Depends how often you use it I guess but I dont see this falling apart any faster then one 6 times the cost and if it does ill buy 5 more And still be ahead.

 

[Razorbak86]

The part about the rear attachment hardware is very true. they are plastic and mine bent/broke within the first day. I did call gearshade and they immediately sent out metal replacements and I've had no issues since. They might have even wised up and made the metal clips standard, but I'm not sure.

GearShade tops now come standard with metal rear clips and strips of PPF to protect the paint under each clip.

 

[AMTRV]

There are a lot of reasons why the tops are mesh.
The main one is called the Bernoulli effect! It’s why jets fly.
The air rushing across the surface creates a low pressure zone. If we made our top out of a solid fabric it would bubble up and try and lift off. The mesh lets it breath and overcomes the upward lift.
So the solution would be to make a structure the top is attached to. Then it’s getting close to a soft top and the structure gets expensive.

The upward forces change dramatically as speeds increase so a sold top may work just fine under 45mph but anything faster and your in trouble.

As far as cost just the raw materials in our tops exceed $125. A US made bungee top has less that $25 in material, we know…it’s what we do. Then there is labor to make them that we pay at a living wage. Add facility and equipment overhead, employees salaries, insurance and warranty costs.

Made in the USA is expensive! We can have our products made in China for 60% less but it’s not something we would even consider. There is a plethora of $50 tops made in China on Amazon. There is a reason they are $50 bucks!

Just our feedback…
Mike

Thanks for the physics lesson Mike!
Yes, the old bikini tops all ballooned at highway speeds....that was just part of the deal back then. But we put up with it and had some protection from the sun and afternoon thunderstorms.
They attached to the windshield frame and over the rollbar.....very simple, but effective at keeping the sun off.

 

[JTopsUSA]

Thanks for the physics lesson Mike!
Yes, the old bikini tops all ballooned at highway speeds....that was just part of the deal back then. But we put up with it and had some protection from the sun and afternoon thunderstorms.
They attached to the windshield frame and over the rollbar.....very simple, but effective at keeping the sun off.

Haaaa… it’s amazing how many times we get this question or get a request to make one.

We have a version for the Jeep but decided not to bring it to market.

The Bronco is challenging because the airbags deploy from the the roll cage. We would need a metal structure that mounts to the top of it.
We will keep working on ideas.
Mike

 

[mini4mw]

I'd go with a cheapo first and if it was that bad, then go with gearshade or jtops. If you have 300+ to spend on a bimini, you have $50 to drop on a cheap test.

Personally, I'm not putting a strong velcro on the clear coat/paint (jtops) or drilling for gearshade (req for hardtop)

 

[Mikey D]

Love the look, too, but permanent velcro might not work, especially if you ever plan on custom painting the pillars. I have a 2DR and leaving on under hard top is a plus.

 

[greatlakes]

I just ordered the Rough Country bikini top. It was under $100 and I like the fact that it doesn't have that big gap in the front like some of those Amazon options. Hopefully, that will mean less flapping.

 

[jorgem31]

There are a lot of reasons why the tops are mesh.
The main one is called the Bernoulli effect! It’s why jets fly.
The air rushing across the surface creates a low pressure zone. If we made our top out of a solid fabric it would bubble up and try and lift off. The mesh lets it breath and overcomes the upward lift.
So the solution would be to make a structure the top is attached to. Then it’s getting close to a soft top and the structure gets expensive.

The upward forces change dramatically as speeds increase so a sold top may work just fine under 45mph but anything faster and your in trouble.

As far as cost just the raw materials in our tops exceed $125. A US made bungee top has less that $25 in material, we know…it’s what we do. Then there is labor to make them that we pay at a living wage. Add facility and equipment overhead, employees salaries, insurance and warranty costs.

Made in the USA is expensive! We can have our products made in China for 60% less but it’s not something we would even consider. There is a plethora of $50 tops made in China on Amazon. There is a reason they are $50 bucks,

Just our feedback…
Mike

I just ordered the Rough Country bikini top. It was under $100 and I like the fact that it doesn't have that big gap in the front like some of those Amazon options. Hopefully, that will mean less flapping.

I like the design of that front circled part but that's a lot of little strap ons flailing in the wind on the back part (yeah I know what I did there). Happy Friday y'all.

 

[4avor8ntfair]

I've been stuck on which top to get all summer. It's mainly between GearShade and JTops, but the cheaper options drive me mad. I like the mesh options and features of JTops, but I don't like that it covers so much of the roll bar or the price. I like the way the roll bar looks when you pull the top. GearShade is a good size, but I don't like how it connects with all those little bungees and straps. You just know the sun will wear those down. Then there are all the similar-looking cheaper options on Amazon. And yeah, I know you get what you pay for, but how different can they be? And I want to buy Made in the USA, but 400% markup is a lot for a similar product.

Someone break this stalemate for me.

JTops FTW!

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