Those who have switched from a hard top to a factory soft top:

[Wet Willys]

I haven't put the factory soft top on my Gladiator yet, so feel to take this all with a grain of salt (though I did have a hard top and aftermarket soft tops for my previous Wrangler).

As far as noise goes, I would expect the soft top to be louder than the hard top, just because the wind can make the soft top fabric move and that will transmit noise. The "premium" (twill) top is going to be quieter than the "standard" (sailcloth) top, but my experience in other Jeeps has been that even the premium top is louder than a hard top (with the obvious caveat that everything is properly installed and there isn't an air leak). The extra noise may or may not bother you.

As far as ease of folding down the top, there are some good youtube videos out there showing how to fold back the factory soft top and remove the rear window, so I'd suggest watching those to get an idea.

Have you removed the hard top on you Gladiator yet?

Yeah, I've had the top off several times. I love having the top and doors off, but I've gotten caught in an unexpected rainstorm a few times. Also when I take the top off I have to he-man it off and carry it into the garage, so not great on my back LOL.

I'll def be looking for someone locally getting rid of a premium factory soft top. When I originally bought the truck I saw some that were complaining about loud wind noise and leaks with the soft top, so that turned me off on it. These complaints appear to have been in the minority though.

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[stampedingTurtles]

Yeah, I've had the top off several times. I love having the top and doors off, but I've gotten caught in an unexpected rainstorm a few times. Also when I take the top off I have to he-man it off and carry it into the garage, so not great on my back LOL.

I'll def be looking for someone locally getting rid of a premium factory soft top. When I originally bought the truck I saw some that were complaining about loud wind noise and leaks with the soft top, so that turned me off on it. These complaints appear to have been in the minority though.

Any idea how much just the rear portion of the hard top weighs? Are you taking it off by yourself?

 

[Shackleton]

First time Jeep owner and I bought a premium soft top on Craigslist. No regrets. Super easy to put the top down and back up. It really lets you have The open air experience a lot more often. It’s way easier than taking the freedom panels off never mind the whole hard top. I just switched back to the hard top last weekend. I was considering leaving the soft top on through the winter and may eventually. I think it might be that good

 

[bleda2002]

I started with a hardtop, added the Bestop Sunrider, felt bad my kids couldn't also enjoy the open top so I got the factory softtop.

So now most of the year I have the softtop on, when I go to the snow or rainy season I switch to the hardtop plus Sunrider.

Realistically how much longer is it to close/open the soft top versus the sunrider? My wife's JL top is great at keeping water out and minimizing wind noise, but closing it is kind of a hassle with all the different stops on the way forward.

 

[SnazzGlad]

I recently put on a new premium soft of my Jeep and I’m getting almost like a reverb from the idle of the Jeep off the top. It’s almost as I have a rough idle but it’s not noticeable with the top off. The idle of echos inside off the top. Is this normal with a soft top?

 

[Reasoner]

2 months in switching from hard top to soft top. So far I love it. The real test will come this winter.

Road noise is probably slightly louder, but not enough for me to notice much. It sounds pretty comparable to me honestly. Rain is a lot louder though.

Most people seem to like the look of the hard top more. I actually like the look of the soft top better. Safari mode is awesome, which is something you can’t do with the hard top.

We just had a baby and the soft top is really handy in that situation. Drop him off at grandmas with the top on, spend 2 minutes taking the back off, throw it in the bed and flip back the top.

 

[Klicht87]

2 months in switching from hard top to soft top. So far I love it. The real test will come this winter.

Road noise is probably slightly louder, but not enough for me to notice much. It sounds pretty comparable to me honestly. Rain is a lot louder though.

Most people seem to like the look of the hard top more. I actually like the look of the soft top better. Safari mode is awesome, which is something you can’t do with the hard top.

We just had a baby and the soft top is really handy in that situation. Drop him off at grandmas with the top on, spend 2 minutes taking the back off, throw it in the bed and flip back the top.

I bought my gladiator specifically for the soft top. My wife has a wrangler JL with a hardtop and I didn't want to deal with storing another top in my garage in the summer. No regrets on the softtop so far. Like you said, time will tell in the winter.

 

[Taco]

Just switched from factory hard top to the premium soft top. I don't notice a significant increase in road noise at speed. My wife couldn't tell the difference at all. You notice exterior noises more at low(parking lot) and idle though. Just a note I did not have any sound deadening or a headliner installed in my hard top. For me the convenience of putting the top down outweighs the small increase in sound deadening. I sold the hard top, but if I were to keep it I would likely need to add a headliner and sound deadening to make it worth the storage.

 

[93civej1]

I just traded a headache rack for the standard soft top. I didnt use the headache rack much, couldnt have it and my bed cover. So it just sat. Did a straight trade and stuck the soft top on tonight. Only thing I dont like is I need to tint the rear, its just complete clear. How do you guys open the soft top in a second? To me seems like you have get out and climb in the back and push the top all the way back. Same with closing or am I wrong?

 

[Jesnamy01]

Mine had the hard top when purchased. Searched and found a slightly used soft top. Bought it and a new tinted rear window. Sold hard top and after all said and done put a few bucks in kitty for other upgrades. Love the soft top for all reasons everyone is saying. Mostly for ease of use and no need to “store” panels in case a rain pops up which it does quite often in South Louisiana.

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