Mine came with a hard top. I know hard top and soft top has its pros and cons. So it might be times that soft top is more practical than hard top. How hard it is to go from a hard top to soft top and vice-versa and which one you prefer?

 

I think the hard top is much better when you won't want the roof off much (like in the winter). The rear defroster and rear wiper are helpful, plus lifting the back glass is easier than unzipping.

Nothing beats the soft top in the summer though. Don't want to have to deal with removing the hard top every time you want to go topless. Plus it's nice not to worry about whether it will rain before you can get back to put the top on.

Once you've gotten the hang of it (it's easy), you can switch tops in 15 minutes or less.

 

Toad, when you had the soft top on and then you put the hard top in the winter, do you have to remove the soft top frame off completely? I am planning to do like you. In the summer I might want to have the soft top on and put the hard top on in the winter.

 

I agree with everyone else, soft top in summer, hard top in winter.

The nice thing about having the soft top is if you go somewhere on the highway you can have the top on, but put it down when you get to your destination. Or if you have it down for the trip is always there for rain insurance.

Plus, I picked my soft top for $200 bucks off craigslist and its never leaked, I got lucky.

 

I put the soft top on last summer for the first time and loved being able to put it down on my way home from work. Now I have the hard top back on with the winter here. I think the soft top would do just fine in the winter, it is just a personal preference.
The hardest part about getting the hard top on or off is having someone help you unless you set up a pulley system. Other than that it is only a couple of screws.

 

I am thinking about getting a nack next year and running that in spring and summer. Soft top windows are just a pain to keep clean. I ran the hard top all year, because of that. They stay dirty unless you live on paved roads.

 

I have both.

Most of the time spent switching tops is getting the hardtop on and off which is a breeze if you have a lift in your garage. There is also a fair amount of time required adding the soft top mounting parts that have to be taken off before you install the hard top.

Besides temperature considerations, the biggest advantage of the hard top is they leak a lot less than the soft top. Mine currently doesn't leak at all.

 

I am thinking about getting a frameless soft top so that I don't have to worry about removing the frame when I need to put back the hard top. I see folks talking about the frameless soft top and it seems to work fine.

 

Don't forget, if yours came with a factory hard top and you want to go soft... you're going to need the door surrounds and that can get expensive.

I got the Bestop safari last summer and even though the surrounds weren't "required" for install... the top didn't fit as well as with surrounds.

See the gaps between the doors and the roof?

 

A real Jeep have a soft top

But I live in Quebec, and I don't have the choice to put a hard top in Winter.