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After 11 years of faithful service (6 in my possesion) it was time for my Jeep’s factory softtop to retire. It had been getting increasingly harder to see out all of the windows due to the Jeep perma-fog that the windows had aquired over the years. This left me with the choice of getting a new top from the dealership, or using an aftermarket product. So I decided on the Bestop Replace-a-top with tinted rear windows.

Keep reading for my review of the Replace-a-top.

Having known for a while that Bestop manufactures a product for just this ocasion, I opted to give it a shot. My decision was backed up by knowing that a dealership charges $300 for a passenger side upper door skin alone, made the Bestop replace-a-top a no brainer at $530.00. I also own a Bestop Duster, and Bestop Bikini top for my YJ, and they are both high quality products made with good materials.
I decided to go with the black denim fabric and tinted rear windows. Having the tinted windows has really added to the look of the jeep, and also helps to keep it cooler inside on warmer days. I have also found the replace-a-top to be much quieter than my previous top. The Bestop Replace-a-top has nicer zippers, and they are bigger and easier to grab, they have also constructed the top with more room on the zipper flaps so you do not have to “rip” on it as hard.

Installation is really easy, and the instructions included provide some useful tips. The most important of all is to make sure that you install the top on a warm day as the fabric can shrink almost an inch or more in cooler weather. The front window skins are probably the hardest part, I had initially tried to install mine in my garage, but ended up leaving them both in the sun for a half hour to let them warm up, and the fabric stretch out a little bit. Maintence is also pretty easy, ie: do not wipe windows when drry etc, use a wet cloth only. Wash top fabric with bristle brush and mild soap. Bestop also recommends using silicone lubricant on the zippers to keep them from getting stuck.

Overall I am very happy with the Bestop replace a top, excellent fit, it looks great, and it is built to last.

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