Best Tonneau Cover for a Silverado 1500: Picks for the T1XX

The 2019-on Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, the generation GM calls T1XX, share their beds, and every cover listing we confirmed for our picks names both trucks on one part. What separates one T1XX from another is the hardware GM bolts into the bed: the MultiPro or Multi-Flex tailgate, the CarbonPro composite bed, the side storage boxes and the power tailgate. Each one rules some covers out.

For most trucks the answer is the TruXedo Sentry CT. It isn't the cheapest cover here and it isn't the hardest to break into, but it does the most things well. It rates driest of every cover we've reviewed, rolls out of the way without blocking the rear window, and it's one of two picks, with the RetraxPRO XR, that has a CarbonPro listing. The other four picks each win one job outright: rack rails, a latch thieves can't fish open, or a much lower price.

Read your bed before you read the reviews. The same short box shows up as 5 ft 8 in, 5 ft 9 in or 5 ft 10 in depending on the seller, the factory options above decide which listing you need, and a 2019 truck can be either generation.

The best Silverado and Sierra tonneau cover for each job

Decide what the cover has to do, and the pick follows.

• Best overall, and the driest bed: the Sentry CT. Most owners who describe water report a dry bed, and the rest get car-wash drips or a little in very heavy rain, never wet cargo. RealTruck rates it at 400 lb evenly distributed and backs it for 5 years, and the short bed comes in separate listings with and without the CarbonPro bed.
• A rack on the cover: the RetraxPRO XR. Its T-slot rails run the full length of the cover, and its keyed latch locks at any point along the track. It's the most expensive cover here, and its canister takes about a foot off the front of the bed for good.
• Security: the LEER HF650M. Its CYNC latch releases only with the tailgate down and can't be fished open with a coat hanger, and its four panels are rated 450 lb evenly distributed. LEER has taken it off its own website, so weigh the 3-year warranty and buy while the listings last. Its 6 ft 6 in listing stops at 2024.
• Long bed: the TruXedo Lo Pro is the only pick with a confirmed 8 ft 2 in listing. If you want a hard cover on the long bed, look at the BAK Revolver X4s or the BAKFlip G2 below.
• Budget: the Tyger T3 Soft Tri-Fold. Vinyl over an aluminum frame, a 5-year warranty and a price far below the name brands. Read its fine print first: the Silverado listings rule out the CarbonPro bed and the factory side storage box and warn that the cover interferes with the power tailgate.
• Soft roll-up: the Lo Pro, for owners who open the whole bed often. It has no lock and no load rating, and it sheds water only as well as its vinyl is kept tight.

The five covers side by side

Here are the picks from their makers' pages and listings, with what each means on a T1XX:

All five clamp on without drilling into the bed on most trucks, per their makers, and none has a published cover weight. Two exceptions to the no-drill rule are worth planning for: the RetraxPRO XR's drain tubes sometimes go through holes drilled in the plastic plugs at the front of the bed, and an over-the-rail drop-in liner needs small holes cut for the T3's clamps.

A rating here means weight spread evenly across the whole closed cover. None of these numbers covers a cooler parked on one panel or a rack on the move, and the two soft covers have no rating at all. Tyger's warranty says to put no weight on the T3, and that includes a wet load of snow, so brush it off after each storm.

Roll-up, folder or retractable on a T1XX bed

On a Silverado or Sierra we'd take a hard roll-up over a hard folder, and a folder over a retractable unless you need the rails. The difference shows every time you load the bed.

The Sentry CT rolls to the cab and straps there, so the bed opens up and the rear glass stays clear. A Silverado owner who ran one until switching to a camper shell never had a leak, kept the view out the back with it rolled and lost little space hauling. One habit to learn: the CT's rear seal sits on top of the closed tailgate, so the gate closes first and the cover second, and TruXedo support says not to drive with the tailgate down and the cover closed.

A hard folder stacked at the cab sits in your rear window, and anything taller than the bed rails at the front of the bed means folding it all the way up. The LEER hurts least among folders. Split evenly, its four panels on the 69.9 in short bed come to about 17 to 18 in each, against about 23 in for a three-panel cover. It also latches with the tailgate open or closed, per its listing.

A retractable keeps the glass clear too, but the canister costs floor space for good, and it hangs down into the bed as well as across it. RealTruck doesn't publish the RetraxPRO XR canister's footprint, and owners measure it at about 12 to 13 in. On the 69.9 in short bed, that leaves about 57 in of full-height floor, though the space under the canister still takes flat gear and straps. The standard bed feels it less. The trade for the space is a cover that opens with the tailgate shut and locked and holds any position along the track.

The soft covers split the same way. The Lo Pro rolls to the cab for nearly the whole bed. The T3's folded stack sits on about a third of the bed: about 23 in of the 70 in short bed and about 26 in of the 79 in standard bed, which is the price of its low cost. A knife gets through either one, and neither has a lock, so if tools ride in the bed overnight, buy a hard cover.

2019 trucks, bed lengths and the right listing

Start with the generation. GM sold the previous truck alongside the T1XX for 2019 as the Silverado 1500 LD and Sierra 1500 Limited, and cover listings treat the two as different trucks, so for a 2019, confirm you have the T1XX before you order. The T3's listings rule the 2019 LD and Limited out by name, Gator's 2014-2019 "Silverado/Sierra Limited" listings are for the previous body, and Peragon splits its 2019 beds into Classic Style and New Style; the T1XX is the New Style truck. The badge comes back later: the T3 listings name the 2022 Silverado 1500 LTD and Sierra 1500 Limited as fits.

Then match the bed by its inch figure, because the names don't agree. The short box is 69.9 in on RealTruck's listings, which call it 5 ft 10 in, while GM and RealTruck's own parts call it the 5 ft 8 in bed. BAK's Revolver X4s listing says 5 ft 8 in (69.9 in), LEER says 5 ft 8 in, and Tyger says 5 ft 10 in (70 in). The X4s's CarbonPro listing calls that bed 5 ft 9 in (68 in), while the Sentry CT's and the RetraxPRO XR's CarbonPro listings call it 5 ft 10 in (69.9 in). The standard bed is 6 ft 7 in (79.4 in) on RealTruck's listings, 6 ft 6 in on LEER's and 6 ft 7 in (79 in) on Tyger's, and the long bed is 8 ft 2 in (98.2 in).

Watch the years at both ends. The LEER's 6 ft 6 in listing stops at 2024, and its short-bed title says 2026 while its bullets say 2025. The RetraxPRO XR titles say 2019-2025 while their fitment bullets say 2019-2026. The Sentry CT lists 2019-2027 except the CarbonPro version, which starts at 2020. Both disagreements land on 2026, so on a 2026 truck, confirm with the seller.

This guide covers the half-ton. Two TruXedo listings mix in heavy-duty trucks: the Sentry CT's 6 ft 10 in listing names the 2020-2021 2500HD and 3500HD, and we don't pick it, and the Lo Pro's 8 ft 2 in listing names those HDs along with the 1500. The Silverado EV and Sierra EV aren't T1XX trucks either. Rough Country and Peragon rule them out by name, and none of our five picks' listings mentions the EV, so an EV owner should ask the seller first.

MultiPro tailgates, CarbonPro beds and storage boxes

GM's factory options decide more of this purchase than the cover brand does. Check each one against the listing before you pay.

• MultiPro and Multi-Flex tailgates: the Sentry CT, RetraxPRO XR and Lo Pro short and standard bed listings say they work with both, and RealTruck's pages for the 5 ft 8 in CT and Lo Pro parts say they work with or without them. The LEER listings say they include the MultiPro tailgate. The T3 listings don't mention either. None of these makers says which tailgate positions work with the cover closed; a Roll-N-Lock owner with a MultiPro reports the tailgate works fully with that cover pulled shut, though the post doesn't name the model, so we can't tie it to the M-Series we've reviewed.
• Power tailgate: the T3 listings warn that the cover will interfere with it. None of the other four picks' listings mentions a power tailgate either way, so ask the seller if your truck has one.
• CarbonPro bed: among our picks, only the Sentry CT and the RetraxPRO XR have a CarbonPro listing; so do the BAK Revolver X4s and the RetraxONE XR. The Lo Pro's short-bed listing won't fit it, the T3 listings rule it out, and LEER's fitment selector asks about it without publishing the answer.
• Factory side storage boxes: RealTruck's pages for the 5 ft 8 in Sentry CT and Lo Pro parts say they won't work with them, the RetraxPRO XR's 6 ft 7 in listing rules them out, and so do the T3 listings. LEER's selector asks about them without an answer. If your bed has the boxes, none of our five picks is confirmed for it; confirm with the seller before you order.

Chevy or GMC doesn't matter for the cover itself: every listing we confirmed for these picks names the Silverado and the Sierra on the same part. Where a maker splits its pages by brand, read both. Leitner, for one, lists its TONNEAU rack for the 2019-2024 Silverado 1500 on its Chevy page and for the 2019-2026 Sierra 1500 on its GMC page, with the same part numbers.

Keeping a Silverado or Sierra bed dry

No cover in this guide will keep a bed bone dry through every car wash. If dry cargo comes first, buy the Sentry CT. It rates driest of the covers we've reviewed and is the only one with a low reading on our leak-risk gauge. The LEER and the RetraxPRO XR read moderate: the LEER lets in a little at most, while the Retrax lets at least a little in on most trucks, along the side rails first and then at the tailgate. The Lo Pro and the T3 depend on tight vinyl, and the Lo Pro should be expected to let some water in at the corners in a car wash. If the bed has to stay bone dry, look at a cap; we haven't reviewed one yet.

Water usually finds a cover's ends first, the tailgate seal and the front corners at the cab; on the RetraxPRO XR the side rails come first. Seat the bulkhead seal carefully, hose-test the cover before you load anything that matters, and check it again after the first car wash. The LEER needs no drain tubes, per LEER. The Retrax's canister tubes run toward the bed's drain holes, and the install guide for your part decides whether you drill. If you drill into metal, treat the bare edge so it doesn't rust.

Liners change how a cover seals. With a spray-in liner, factory or aftermarket, clean the front wall of the bed well before you press on a taped bulkhead seal like the Sentry CT's. With a drop-in liner that wraps over the bed rails, Tyger's Silverado listings say you'll cut small holes in it for the T3's clamps; an under-the-rail liner needs no changes.

Racks on a Silverado or Sierra cover

If the rack mounts on the cover, buy the RetraxPRO XR. Its T-slot rails run the full length of the cover, and Leitner sells a version of its rack, the TONNEAU, that rides on those rails. Leitner lists TONNEAU parts for the T1XX short and standard beds, and says they don't fit trucks with the factory side storage boxes. Its Chevy page stops at 2024 while its GMC page runs to 2026 on the same parts, so a 2025 or 2026 Silverado owner should confirm with Leitner. Our Leitner ACS FORGED review covers all three versions of that rack.

Read the ratings before you load anything. RealTruck rates the PRO XR at 500 lb evenly distributed on the closed cover and publishes no rack, T-slot or on-road limit, so that number isn't a rack rating. Leitner's FAQ and install guide rate the TONNEAU at 400 lb on the road and 800 lb parked, and Leitner publishes no off-road figure because the rack is secured through the cover. Get the limit for your load from Leitner and RealTruck in writing first, and torque the rack hardware to the figures they give you, not by feel; overtightened bolts have bent the PRO XR's aluminum tracks.

The other picks are harder to pair with a rack. The Sentry CT has no rails of its own and RealTruck publishes no rack statement for it, though owners run it with TruXedo's Elevate rack rails; buy and install the two together, because the rack rails mount closer to the bed sides than the cover's clamps. The LEER has no T-slot version. BAK sells T-slot versions of the MX4 and the Revolver X4s, the MX4 TS and the X4ts, and the cheaper RetraxONE XR has the PRO XR's rails on a cover rated 200 lb evenly distributed. Leitner's in-bed FORGED rack needs its GM Rear Support Bracket on a 2019-on 1500 and goes under a cover only by converting to the TONNEAU. Neither soft pick lists any rack compatibility.

Other covers we reviewed for the Silverado and Sierra

• BAK Revolver X4s: a hard roll-up with a vinyl top instead of canvas, with 5 ft 8 in, 6 ft 7 in, 8 ft 2 in and CarbonPro listings, so it's the hard roll-up for a long bed. Owners love it once it's seated right, but getting it seated takes fuss, and it costs more than the Sentry CT on all three matching listings. RealTruck says its 5 ft 8 in part won't work with GM's factory storage boxes.
• UnderCover Ultra Flex: the folder we'd take over the BAKFlip MX4, with a 400 lb rating, a 5-year warranty and a stack that stands upright on prop rods. Its 2019-2025 short and standard bed listings work with the MultiPro and Flex tailgates, and the listings say the tailgate closes with the cover up or down. It costs more than the LEER on both beds; RealTruck says its short-bed part won't work with factory bed storage boxes.
• BAKFlip MX4: a popular pick for security and a flush look, with MultiPro-ready listings for 2019-2026. Too many arrive leaking for us to pick it; we rate its leak risk high. The LEER costs less on both beds and keeps water out better.
• BAKFlip G2: BAK's cheaper folder, with short, standard and 8 ft 2 in listings that work with the MultiPro and Multi-Flex tailgates. You lift the rear panel to close the tailgate, so it suits a bed you open a few times a week.
• Gator EFX: the budget hard folder we'd buy, with one 2019-2026 short-bed listing. RealTruck says it won't work with factory bed storage boxes and says nothing about the MultiPro tailgate or the CarbonPro bed. Expect damp corners after hard rain and a 2-year warranty.
• RetraxONE XR: the PRO XR's T-slot rails on a one-piece polycarbonate cover, noticeably cheaper, rated 200 lb evenly distributed with a one-year warranty. Its 6 ft 7 in listing rules out the side storage boxes, and its title and fitment line disagree on the last model year.

The Rough Country Low Profile is a budget hard tri-fold whose front panel stays bolted down, which costs about 23 in of the short bed if the three panels split evenly. Rough Country sells it for the T1XX, but not for the CarbonPro bed or the EV, and it says nothing about the MultiPro. We haven't confirmed a T1XX Low Profile on Amazon, and the Rough Country tri-fold listed there for this truck is the Flip Up, a different cover, so search for the T1XX Low Profile and check fit for your truck. A 2024 Silverado owner says it keeps the elements out.

The Peragon Landmark is the retractable without a canister: its panels fold into the front of the bed and lift out without tools. Peragon sells it only direct, so we earn nothing if you buy one. Its Chevy and GMC pages list 5 ft 8 in, 6 ft 6 in and 8 ft beds for 2019-2027; pick the New Style bed for 2019, and skip it on a CarbonPro bed. It isn't watertight, and Peragon says so.

Three other covers come up often among GM owners. GM's own dealer folding hard cover is a BAKFlip, by one owner's account, down to RealTruck's stickers. A Roll-N-Lock retractable, model not named by its owner, sits down at bed level and rolls into a canister at the front, and on a 2020 Sierra 1500 the MultiPro works fully with it closed. The Access LOMAX hard tri-fold comes off in minutes for owners who pull it weekly, at some cost in security. Our LOMAX review found no Amazon listing we could confirm for the Silverado or Sierra. We haven't reviewed the dealer BAKFlip, and the Roll-N-Lock owner doesn't say whether theirs is the M-Series we've reviewed, so check fit for your truck before you order.

Which cover goes on your Silverado or Sierra

Most T1XX trucks should wear the Sentry CT. It rates driest of every cover we've reviewed, gives back the whole bed and the rear window, and its listings cover the short, standard and CarbonPro beds, the first two with the MultiPro tailgate. Spend more on the RetraxPRO XR only if a rack is going on the cover, and take the LEER if you carry things worth stealing and want a folder.

On a budget, the Lo Pro is the soft cover for owners who use the whole bed, and the only pick for the 8 ft 2 in bed. The T3 is the cheapest cover we'd buy, on a truck without a power tailgate, CarbonPro bed or side storage boxes. If your bed has those boxes, call the seller before you order anything here.