These covers look cool. They protect you against weather and thieves and also make your truck aerodynamic. So you save more fuel money with them as well. Both of these tri folding covers are very durable.
The Undercover Ultra Flex gives a matte black outlook. Its powdered finishing protects it against UV damages, temperature corroding and wear and tear due to dust micro-particles.
On the other hand, the Extang Encore gives a very sleek look as it is a low profiled cover (just 1 inch thick panel to res over half inch above the bed rail). And the cover is composed of the fiber glass reinforced plastic.
Let’s find out more about these covers.
Table of Contents
What can we tell from their looks/Design?
The Undercover Ultra Flex resembles the contestant design-wise as it is also a tri-fold, matte black, hard folding tonneau cover. that comes with slam latches and dual-action tailgate latch.
It’s sheets are made out of aluminum and they are powdered with a matt black finish. It comes with drain tubes and EPDM rubber seals.
One thing I liked/and at the same time didn’t like about it is that it comes with LED lights (integrated in rails) which is useful at night time… but the quality of light is very poor. And given the price, it shouldn’t be this way.
The Extang Encore on the other hand, offers you with lightweight panels which have polypropylene covering. They are aluminum inside and are covered with similar matte black powder finish that increases the durability.
It features hinge caps, rubber corners, and snap-on seals for protection. And its Bolt Breakthrough single-key lock provides excellent security by locking the front panel and tailgate.
One thing I really liked about this cover is how it allows you to access your cargo quickly. It offers rear folding panels as well (front access panels that is near to the driver). All you need to do is twist the rotary latch and lift the panel. Other than this, the cover features a lock here too.
They give the same traditional front opening. (And yes, worth reminding, you can use the front and back covers at the same time as well).
Protection Comparison
With aluminum sheets and powdered coating, the Undercover Ultra Flex provides you protection against the sun and so the cover is resistant to high temperature changes combined with fading/buckling.
The cover can take a load up to 400 lbs. (evenly balanced on closed cover). Besides that, its panels are carpeted from underneath which protect the inside as it provides a cushion.
Its integrated panels are less likely to have corrosion and are resistant to dent, scratch and UV radiations.
For protection against weather, it has EPDM rubber seals and a drain tube which directs water out of your truck bed, keeping your gear dry.
An efficient drain system is integrated with this cover in which built-in drainage tubes are present in rails to automatically channel water outwards, keeping the bed and stored cargo completely dry.
Also, there are lengthwise and hinge seals to prevent any leakage of moisture.
You can also have full-bed and partial access with this cover as it can be locked in 2/3rd open position as well as at 90° for complete access.Its deadbolt latching rails allow you to secure your cover at each fold for partial bed access.
It also has a dual-action tailgate seal which ensures the safety of your gear when the tailgate is closed. It can’t be monitored via remote but you can easily unfold the panels by pulling the slam latches provided below them.
On the other side, the Extang Encore can also survives tough weather conditions due to its strong fiber-glass reinforced plastic texture.
The cover is equipped with EnduraShield panels with an aluminum coating which contributes to boost its durability.
The durable matte-black powder is introduced in this cover as well which is less prone to scratches in comparison, as its panels offer polypropylene layering which makes it resistant to cuts, dents, and scratches.
The cover comes with a warranty of 3 years and is slightly less durable than its counterpart. Its weight-bearing capacity is up to 600 lbs. (200 lbs more).
It also offers thick polymer rubber closets, hinge caps, and snap-on seals which are blade styled and act as a barrier against extreme weather conditions.
To prevent the accumulation of water on the side rails the drain hoses are installed at the front end, that efficiently evacuates water.
Out of both these covers, the Undercover since it has gloss finish, its more prone to scratches. But these covers are more firm when you drive with them open.
Security Comparison
The Extang Encore is highly secured against thieves as it offers a Bolt breakthrough one key-lock technology. This key lock is placed on the front panel. It not only gives you access to the front half of the truck bed but also secures the whole cover from burglars.
Even if your truck does not have a tailgate lock no one can steal your cover unless the front panel is unlocked.
Moreover, the panels undergo a tough composition as they are composed of fiber-glass reinforced plastic that cannot be punctured or broken easily. So, this cover is much reliable in keeping your luggage highly secured.
In contrast, Ultra Flex does not come with a lock but when properly installed they are equally durable and provide you with same security as well.
Both covers employ dual-action tailgate seals. Hence, you can lock the tonneau in place both with an opened or closed tailgate.
Similarly, both truck accessories integrate slam latches and a “pull the string” opening system.
The lock can be opened from either side of the cover, just pull the latch string and fold the cover in the backward direction to access the truck bed.
You can either fold two panels and secure the tonneau with an in-built strap to drive with 1/3rd covering or fold all panels and fix the cover with prop rods to get full bed access.
So whats the verdict?
Well out of these two, the Extang Encore provides you with some additional features that are really helpful. They are also more durable out of the two. And the missing light in the cover can always be installed (it wasn’t that good in the Ultra Flex anyways).
And if we look at the price, there isn’t much difference there.