soft top vs hard top and HEAT

[Pig-Pen]

so i have a base sport. it has the basic knob air conditioning. it came with the standard soft top. going out off roading in the summer it would get hot inside. i would have the a/c on full blast and still be sweating!

i then upgraded to the premium top that i scored off CL. much nicer quality, obviously, but it seems even hotter! my jeep was sitting out side and it was in the low 80s. i had to run to the store and it was HOT! ugh. it seems this top absorbs heat even more than the standard top! my wife said it seems like the a/c doesnt get the jeep cold enough, like maybe its not working 100%

talking with a few local people, they say they dont get very hot inside their hard top jeeps. of course, they dont have the base sport like i do. they have the temp controlled a/c system.

now im looking to order a new Rubicon and am trying to decide between hard top and soft top. my wife loves the soft top but she said i should get the hard top so i stop complaining about the heat lol. also looking to get leather seats for easy of cleaning....lol

any of you have a premium soft top in your non-base sport and live in a desert climate? or even better, have both and switch back and forth? id really like to hear your input.

anyone's input would be appreciated if you have noticed the heat and different tops.

and no, im really not interested in getting the dual top and going back and forth. just one or the other for me lol. i am considering the hard top with sunrider though. the 1 touch is nice but $$.

Sponsored

 

[WhtRubi]

I have a body-color hardtop with OEM headliner, and live in Southern California. The heat isn't bad and the AC is pretty good. Jeeps and AC have never been the best, as there is typically less insulation than a "normal" car, but the JL is a major improvement over the JK. Yes, it will take a bit for the vehicle to cool down, but if you blast the AC and keep your windows cracked, it works a lot faster (5ish mins on a 90 degree day).

The only time I feel uncomfortable is during auto stop when the air gets a little humid, which can easily be fixed by pushing a button. However, if your AC is full blast, auto stop disengages.

 

[AlgUSF]

I have a base JLUS in Florida. I'd leave it cranked at max all of the time until I got it tinted. With the tint installed (possibly a little over the legal limit) it stayed much cooler without having to constantly run at MAX in the summer. Below is a pic of my tint which is probably a little darker than legal under Florida law.

 

[Reinen]

In a desert environment color makes a significant difference. Both a black hard top and black soft top is going to soak up solar heat. It's why I chose white w/ a color matched hard top. It's noticeably cooler in the desert sun and the AC has no trouble keeping up with it.

If you have a black hard top you might need a headliner to add a little extra insulation. A tan soft top or sunrider would be a little better than black.

 

[El Zilcho]

I tried all the soft top versions (sailcloth, twill, and now have tan twill). Black soft tops get crazy hot under the sun. I think you are right and premium gets slightly hotter. So far tan soft top is pretty good and does not heat up as much as black versions.
Black hard top is MUCH cooler that black soft tops. I went to Arizona this summer and it was 120F outside. I painted the top of the hard top white with plastidip and it was perfect.
Did not have a chance to compare tan soft top to a hard top yet.

 

[J0E]

now im looking to order a new Rubicon and am trying to decide between hard top and soft top. my wife loves the soft top but she said i should get the hard top so i stop complaining about the heat lol. also looking to get leather seats for easy of cleaning....lol

White Ruby and paid extra for white top. It never gets hot in the cab here in Haw. Even though I'm swapping the axles out for 1 tons, I paid extra for a Ruby as that's the only way you can get the color matched (painted) hard top and the 4:1 xfer case.

Nothing come close to a white hardtop in the sun.

 

[Capricorn]

I have had black Freedom hardtop, vinyl soft top and the premium twill soft top.
Didn't notice any difference in Vegas summer between the three.

 

[BrntWS6]

Hard top with hot heads headliner and window tint if heat is an issue.

 

[gerlbaum]

I live in Phoenix. Average 30 to 40 days of 110+ in the summer. Standard sport hard top, no headliner, and dark window tint. No issues for me. The fiberglass doesn’t seem to transfer heat very well.

i feel like I don’t see many softops out here because the Uv probably kills them quick.

 

[beachbumm78]

I have a rubicon with the premium soft top. No heat complaints from me. I do feel the window tinting helps. Could always add the hothead liners also. But like it’s been black anything in the desert will attract heat. I don’t notice a difference between mine and my friends that have a hard top

 

[El Zilcho]

I have a rubicon with the premium soft top. No heat complaints from me. I do feel the window tinting helps. Could always add the hothead liners also. But like it’s been black anything in the desert will attract heat. I don’t notice a difference between mine and my friends that have a hard top

Just out of curiosity, can you touch the front metal part of the soft top after it was standing under the sun in summer for 20 min? It's not as hot here and still some parts of the black soft top can burn your hands.

 

[Tech Tim]

Go with a lighter color vehicle and a color-matched top, then get the windows tinted, you'll be amazed how different it is.

Adding in some interior insulation like the Top Liner will also help:
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...ories/spc680-coverking-carpet-molded-topliner

 

[Pig-Pen]

So a tan soft top should definitely be better heat wise than black

 

[Reinen]

So a tan soft top should definitely be better heat wise than black

In desert sun, definitely. It will still get hot but noticeably cooler than black would be.

 

[Tech Tim]

X2 what @Reinen said above.

In general:
The hard top will be better than a soft top because of the double layer construction. Plus you can add some extra insulation to it.

White or Silver would be the best colors to get.

If you're going to go soft top, get a lighter color one.

Sponsored