How much bed does each cover leave you?

How the calculator works

For each cover type we work out two lengths. Open-top length is the stretch of bed with nothing above it while you drive with the cover fully open: that's where bikes, appliances and anything taller than the bed walls go. Floor length is how much floor is left for low cargo, which only shrinks when something (a retractable's canister) sits on the floor itself. A folded tri-fold stack rests on the rails, so low cargo still slides underneath it.

• Soft roll-up: The vinyl rolls into a bundle strapped against the front bulkhead, on top of the rails. The roll is roughly 6–9 in across (our estimate; makers don't publish it), and the floor below stays clear.
• Hard roll-up: Aluminum slats roll into a larger drum at the cab end. BAK claims 100% bed access for the Revolver X4s; we allow about 12–15 in of drum for tall cargo (our estimate), and the floor stays clear. Car and Driver found the rolled X4s noticeably blocked rear visibility on a short-bed Maverick.
• Soft tri-fold, folded: The panels fold toward the cab and rest on the rails, so tall cargo fits in the rear two-thirds. Extang and Worksport both describe two-thirds bed access when folded. Low cargo still slides under the stack.
• Hard tri-fold, folded: Same as a soft tri-fold: the folded panels sit over the front third. Extang quotes two-thirds access for the Solid Fold ALX folded forward.
• Hard fold, stood up: Covers such as the BAKFlip MX4 and UnderCover Ultra Flex can stand the folded stack upright on prop rods behind the cab, freeing almost the whole bed. We allow about 6 in for the upright stack (our estimate). Standing panels usually block the rear window.
• Retractable: The slats retract into a canister bolted to the floor at the cab end. Retailer etrailer lists the RetraxPRO MX canister at 13-1/2 in deep by 12 in tall, and its experts describe it taking roughly the first foot of the bed.
• Hinged one-piece: The lid lifts on gas struts and the whole bed opens, but you can't drive with it raised: anything taller than the bed walls won't fit. Car and Driver also notes its tested one-piece cover has to be opened to drop the tailgate on certain vehicles.

Where no maker publishes a figure (roll diameters, the depth of an upright folded stack), we use a conservative estimate and label it in the results. Retractable canisters vary by brand: Roll-N-Lock quotes 7-1/4 in deep for the M-Series, so on a Roll-N-Lock the retractable row understates your space by about 6 in.

A worked example: the F-150 5.5 ft box

Ford lists the 2021+ F-150 short box at 67.1 in at the floor. With a soft roll-up you keep about 59 in of open-top bed; a standard tri-fold folded forward leaves 45 in (67%); a hard folder stood upright about 61 in; a Retrax-size retractable 54 in of open-top and floor (80%). A one-piece lid gives you all 67.1 in of floor, but only for cargo that fits under the closed lid. On a longer bed the canister costs a smaller share, which is why retractables make more sense on 6.5 ft and 8 ft beds than on a 5 ft Tacoma. Find your exact bed in the bed size finder, and compare types in tri-fold vs roll-up vs retractable.