BESTOP TREKTOP NX GLIDE SOFT TOP
NX Glide Soft Top
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY PERRY MACK
There comes a point in every Jeeper's life when it becomes necessary to buy or replace the soft top on your Jeep. There are numerous choices depending on the features you need or want, and what your budget will allow.
Last issue we reviewed the Rampage Trailview Frameless Soft Top and fell in love with the easy install and the ability to open the sunroof with one-hand from inside the Jeep. This issue we got our hands on a Bestop Trektop NX Glide. While both tops are fastback styles with removable tinted windows that change your roof into a safari top, the NX Glide is the first fully convertible fastback roof!
The Glide portion of the name refers to their zipperless window install, where instead of zippers the windows slide into and out of place on tracks. The advantage is that switching from a fully enclosed roof to a safari top only takes a minute, and the glides seem to have a more watertight seal than zippers.
The fit and finish of the top is absolutely stellar. Bestop builds the factory tops for Jeep, so they have the technology and machinery to build tops that look as good as factory, because they are the factory.
The NX Glide is available in two fabrics. The 30 oz black twill which comes with 40 mm 30% tinted windows, and the slightly more affordable black diamond, with 30 mm windows. The black twill has a layer of neoprene sandwiched between the outer layer and inner lining for better sound absorption. This extra insulating layer also keeps your Jeep warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The twill is a rich-looking, deep black fabric with a great interior finish, which is why it is also used by companies such as Aston Martin and Jaguar. But don’t let the soft fabric-like feel fool you — Bestop backs this fabric up with a limited lifetime warranty.
There are handy zippered mesh pockets in the roof above the driver and passenger seats — just keep in mind that when you flip the sunroof panel back, to provide both front and rear seats with the sunroof experience, you can’t access the pockets.
We took to the highway to test Bestop’s noise claims and we can verify that this is a
quiet soft top. There’s also no excessive flutter while driving down the highway with the sunroof open.
Faced with another hot, sunny Canadian summer day for the install and review, we tested NX Glide’s watertight seals with our monsoon simulator (also know as a touchless carwash). With water blasting at the roof and sides from all angles, we were pleasantly surprised to find the interior nice and dry.
It’s a no-cut, no-drill installation that takes one person under 4 hours, watch the Bestop install video first (I did the night before). I had the complete install done in 3.5 hours by myself.
When you are looking to purchase this roof be aware that there are several Trektop soft tops, and a few different Trektop NX models. To get the fully convertible, fully zipperless version we’re talking about here, make sure it is a Trektop NX Glide.
Instructions are clear with diagrams, which are clearer than the grainy photos that some manufacturers use. The install video on YouTube is also especially good; https://www.youtube.com/ w at ch?v=uEj Kt_ HP rAM, and you should watch this at least once the night before as it has at least an hour's worth of time-saving tips.
Watch our video review of the features here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IShqun0vfWU
Also check out our video review with install, road test, ‘monsoon test’ at our YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCII5v G30ij 3fkmm7 n1Jv5nw