As many of you already know, in November of 2016 at SEMA, Bestop went live on Facebook, unveiling their newest soft top, the TrekTop NX Glide. You bet your ass I sat outside on my little stoop and watched from my phone as they went over every fine detail of the top and what made it so in-demand. Last year, around this time, the fine crew at Bestop reached out to us to see if we were interested in running their TrekTop NX Pro on my Jeep, Frankie Van Halen. I have been in absolute love with my top ever since so I knew what I had to do! In March of this year, the tables were turned and I reached out to Cassie and Lee at Bestop to bombard them with questions about this years "top" top!

Let me give you a little insight into Eric's Jeep, a 2008 JKU Sahara. He has always run a hard top on Shanaynay. Like me, he is a total creature of habit, although he'll be the last one to admit it. He feebly attempted to run a soft top two summers ago however it was the factory square top and he was definitely not a fan. I'm pretty sure that top came off his Jeep faster than it took to get it installed. We have since been running out of room at our shop, even with the extra space we acquired in the fall, and Eric is 100% over taking his hard top on and off throughout the season because Mother Nature can be so cruel, but enough about our woes.

Three weeks after my initial phone call, we received our pre-package in the mail. What we were expecting and what was actually delivered to us were two extremely different things. We were expecting a letter, giving us the heads up that our soft top would soon arrive along with, mayyyyybe a hardware kit but what was actually delivered to us was so much more. We received a large box officially welcoming us into the Bestop Family. Inside this box was a Bestop backpack filled with trail mix, sunglasses, a pocket knife, sunscreen, duct tape, zip ties, chapstick and more; everything you forget to include when planning a wheeling trip, but curse yourself for forgetting in the long run when you need it the most. Talk about a welcoming! Once we received this package, we knew our top would be here within days.

By the following Monday, our TrekTop NX Glide in Twill had arrived. We almost knocked the poor FedEx guy over in excitement and anticipation. (Sorry #PurpleSanta) The top made it to us with hardware, instructions, fabric and everything needed in one pristine box. Of course, it was dropped off at the beginning of our work day, making the remainder of our Monday even more Monday-er than usual.Installation was pretty straight forward and we have to give Bestop kudos for providing clear and easy to follow instructions with an ample amount of photos to follow along with. The total installation time, along with a friend and a few "thank you" beers, took roughly 3-4 hours, which can match Bestop's estimated time. This top, unlike the others Bestop offers, is 100% zipperless and Velcro-less. The windows easily slid into place although, we will admit, the rear window was the toughest of the bunch and we recommend a good 1-2 beers before tackling that part.

This top has a lot of cool features that come along with it, including the total versatility. The front portion of the top, above the driver and front passenger, can fold back for a sun-rider style ride. This function provides the perfect amount of sun and an open air ride for the front riders. The windows and rear curtain slide, or glide, out easily for a bikini-style ride. If this doesn't suit your fancy, the whole top can be folded back convertible style for a 100% open air ride- this is the first and only slant-back soft top on the market that can do that! Moving onto the interior features of this top, I'll start off with the smell. Getting into Eric's Jeep, a few hours after the top had been installed, was like climbing into a brand new Jeep. I get that the top was only a few hours old, but the smell it emitted was that like you could only get while looking at new cars at the dealership "Breathe in, hold, breath out". Along with the amazing smell, my next favorite feature is the mesh storage pockets located on the inside of the top, above the driver and front passenger. These pockets, which do have zippers to keep the contents put, make it easy and convenient to store personal belongings, winch remotes, cell phones and more. 

The day after the install, we had a lot of rain. Thanks, Spring! The top withheld against the torrential downpours and whipping winds effortlessly. Nothing was leaking and all the seals held up. Now came the test- we took this badboy on the highway to see how it handled high speeds. We reached about 75-80 mph without the top flapping, whistling or loosening. It actually sounded softer and quieter than the hard top and we cannot wait until the weather perks up and it's nice enough to cruise the trails completely topless. Proper storage of the windows is recommended by keeping the them upright with soft, but sturdy padding between each, such as a storage case or shop blanket.

The only complaint we have about the top is the installation of the rear window, which can only be explained as being a PITA (pain in the ass). Once the material loosened up however, the window did easily glide off the track and was a breeze to put back on. We also noticed that two steps when installing the cable pocket, we found it was easier to do step 5 BEFORE step 4. This has already been brought to Bestop's attention in hopes that changes will be made. Other than that, we have no complaints about this top!

Thank you again to Cassie and Lee for putting up with my incessant emails and phone calls prior to getting the top! You two are true champs for putting up with my annoying self!

Feel free to browse our full selection of Bestop gear here!