How we made this guide: picks and specs come from our catalog and fitment data, owner quotes come from verified reviews and the guide was drafted with AI help, then checked and edited by Trevor Hall.
Retrax is worth it if you want a retractable that locks with its own key at any point and opens as far as the load needs: the RetraxPRO MX, from $2,149.99, is the pick for most trucks. The PRO XR is the same cover with T-slot rack rails for about $150 more. If you do not need the 500 lb rating, the RetraxONE MX, from $1,549.99, does the daily job for less.
Quick verdict
- Pay for the PRO MX if you load the top of the cover or want the limited lifetime warranty.
- Pay about $150 more for the PRO XR if you want a rack on the rails and a full-length T-slot channel.
- Take the ONE MX if you want a key-locking retractable and never stack gear on it.
- Skip Retrax if you need every inch of bed floor or a bed that stays dry in heavy rain. The canister stays at the front of the bed, and Retrax says its covers are not waterproof.
Who Retrax is for, and who should skip it
Retrax covers are retractables. The deck rolls into a canister at the front of the bed, so you give up a strip of floor in return for a hard cover that stops at any point, keeps the rear window clear and does not fold up behind the cab. If you haul tall loads now and then or park where a locked bed matters, that trade is a good one.
It is the wrong buy if you need every inch of bed floor, because the canister stays in the bed whether the cover is open or closed. One PRO XR owner says it made about 16 inches of floor nearest the cab hard to use and left 6 of the 8 tie-down anchors unusable. It is also the wrong buy if you want the lowest outlay: in our range hard folding covers start under $900 and soft covers under $500, while retractables start at about $1,200. For a wider look at the type, see our guide to the best retractable tonneau covers or every tonneau style compared.
RetraxPRO MX vs PRO XR vs ONE MX vs ONE XR
The two lines differ in the deck and the warranty. The PRO covers use double-wall aluminum slats rated at 500 lb evenly distributed. The ONE covers use one sheet of aluminum-reinforced polycarbonate rated at 200 lb, with no hinges or joints. The MX versions have plain side rails with no T-slot. The XR versions add integrated T-slot rails for racks and gear.
| Cover | Deck material | Lock | Load | Rails | Warranty | From price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RetraxPRO MX | Double-wall aluminum slats | Key-lockable TraxLatch handle | 500 lb | No rack rails | Limited lifetime | $2,149.99 |
| RetraxPRO XR | Double-wall aluminum slats | Key-lockable TraxLatch handle | 500 lb | Integrated T-slot rails | Limited lifetime | $2,299.99 |
| RetraxONE MX | One-piece polycarbonate sheet | Key-lockable at any position | 200 lb | No built-in rack rails | 1 year limited | $1,549.99 |
| RetraxONE XR | One-piece polycarbonate sheet | Key-lockable at any position | 200 lb | Integrated T-slot rails | 1 year limited | $1,699.99 |
Retrax lists all four at 60 minutes or less to install, though owners on file report anywhere from about 30 minutes to 4 hours, and several say to have a helper lift the canister. Owners rate them 4.6 (PRO MX, 295 reviews), 4.6 (PRO XR, 271), 4.7 (ONE MX, 199) and 4.6 (ONE XR, 104).
Check fit before you choose a model. None of the Retrax covers here fits the Jeep Gladiator. The ONE XR is not listed for the Ridgeline or Titan, and the IX fits only full-size GM, Ford, Ram and Toyota Tundra trucks plus the Ford Maverick. Factory bed systems can add steps: one owner had to remove the front section of a Toyota deck rail to fit the EQ, and a ONE MX owner says to unlock and open the latch before installing the left RamBox rail.
Most trucks
RetraxPRO MX Retractable Tonneau Cover
From $2,149.99 · The step up that adds the 500 lb deck and the limited lifetime warranty.
PRO MX vs PRO XR: is the rail worth the extra?
The decks are the same: double-wall aluminum slats rated at 500 lb, the same TraxLatch lock and the same limited lifetime warranty. The PRO XR starts at $2,299.99 against $2,149.99 for the PRO MX, about $150 more on every truck we list, for full-length T-slot rails that take crossbars, cargo carriers and tents.
Crossbars and racks are sold separately, and one owner notes the total climbs once you add them. If you will never put a rack on the bed, the MX is the same cover for less. If you will, check that the rack maker lists your truck and the Retrax T-slot before you buy: one F-350 owner could not find crossbars to match the rail spacing.
Best for racks
RetraxPRO XR Retractable Tonneau Cover with T-Slot Rails
From $2,299.99 · Choose it when crossbars or a tent are on your list.
ONE MX vs ONE XR vs PRO: what you give up
The ONE MX holds the top owner rating of the four, 4.7 from 199 reviews with no 1-star or 2-star ratings on file; the ONE XR's 4.6 matches the PRO covers. The ONE covers cost about $600 less than the matching PRO on most trucks, and the savings come with a 200 lb rating instead of 500 lb and a 1-year limited warranty instead of limited lifetime.
The deck itself is the other trade. Three ONE MX reviews on file describe the polycarbonate top bouncing, vibrating or wobbling while driving, and one owner reports hail broke a hole through it a month after install. If you only keep cargo under the cover and can park out of hail, the ONE MX is enough. One ONE MX owner who chose it on price wrote that, doing it over, they would buy the PRO for the warranty and the weight.
Best value Retrax
RetraxONE MX Retractable Tonneau Cover
From $1,549.99 · Key lock and no slat joints, with the lower load rating and shorter warranty.
The ONE XR adds T-slot rails but keeps the 200 lb deck. A rack mounts to the side rails, not the deck, and our spec sheet lists only the deck rating, so check the rack maker's load rating for a tonneau-mounted setup before you load it. Choose the PRO XR instead if you also want to set heavy gear on the closed deck or want aluminum slats and the limited lifetime warranty under an expensive rack.
Rails for less
RetraxONE XR Retractable Tonneau Cover with T-Slot Rails
From $1,699.99 · Adds T-slot rails to the ONE deck; check your rack maker's load rating.
The electric PowerTraxPRO MX and Retrax EQ
Retrax also makes powered covers, and these two are the ones with owner reviews on file. The Retrax PowerTraxPRO MX, from $2,799.99, has the PRO deck at 500 lb with a 3-year warranty and no T-slot rails. The Retrax EQ, from $2,799.99, has T-slot rails, the same 500 lb rating and a 5-year limited warranty. It opens from the truck's key fob, a phone app or an optional cab touchpad. It also has a manual disconnect.
Owner feedback is thinner, with 36 reviews on file for the PowerTraxPRO MX and 30 for the EQ. Among the reviews we have on file, one PowerTraxPRO MX owner calls the roll-up jerky and another asks for a manual override. One EQ owner finds the app and key fob link unreliable and gave up and opens it by hand. Another had three shipments arrive damaged or missing the same part, and a Toyota owner had to remove the front section of the factory deck rail and reports more leaking than expected. Treat powered covers as a convenience buy and read the reviews for your truck first.
Electric option
Retrax EQ Electric Retractable Tonneau Cover with T-Slot Rails
From $2,799.99 · Opens from your key fob, a phone app or an optional touchpad; takes T-slot racks.
What owners report: leaks, ice, noise and rail fit
Retrax says every effort has been made to make its covers weathertight but that they are not waterproof, and its warranty excludes water intrusion at any location. The counts below come from the owner reviews we have on file (200 PRO MX, 200 PRO XR, 199 ONE MX and 104 ONE XR). They count reviews that mention each problem; they are not failure rates.
| Problem | What owners report | Likely cause | Fix | Covered by warranty? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water at the tailgate end | Owners of the PRO MX, PRO XR, ONE MX and ONE XR, from a few drops in the rear corners to steady leaks | Cover sitting short or out of square, so the tailgate seal barely touches; one owner blames the truck's own tailgate gap | Square the rails, set the gap with the supplied alignment pieces and add thin weather stripping where the seal does not meet | No: water intrusion is excluded |
| Water at the canister end | At least 7 reviews across all four covers; at least 8 others fault the drain tubes for coming off, not fitting the factory holes, crushing flat or clogging | Loose, crushed or blocked drain tubes, or the canister end seals | Push each tube fully onto its fitting, add a small hose clamp, route it without kinks and clear it where trees drop debris | The water, no. A faulty part is a materials and workmanship claim: one PRO XR owner was sent a replacement canister for faulty internal seals |
| Water along the side rails | 4 reviews (PRO MX 2, PRO XR 2): clamps that lift the rail or sit at an angle, or a gap bigger than the supplied shims | Rails not clamped flush to the bed rails | Tighten the clamps evenly, check each rail sits flush along its length and shim any gap | Faulty clamps or rails, yes; the water, no |
| Lock will not hold at every point | 4 reviews, one each for the PRO MX, PRO XR, ONE MX and ONE XR; a ONE MX owner adds that the lock is on one side only, so the other side can shift | Latch not fully engaging; owners describe pushing the handle down hard | Push the handle fully down until it catches, then tug the cover to check it | Yes for a faulty latch: one PRO MX owner was sent a new locking mechanism |
| Cover or lock freezes | 7 reviews (PRO MX 2, PRO XR 3, ONE MX 2): a frozen lock, a cover that would not open or drains that froze and left ice in the canister; others report no trouble after brushing off deep snow | Water in the lock or tracks, or drain tubes that hold water overnight | Do not force it. Retrax says to tap around the perimeter by hand, keep de-icer off the cover and use dry graphite on the lock to help prevent freezing | Retrax excludes misuse and outside causes, so do not force it |
| Deck bounces or hums while driving | 3 ONE MX reviews (bouncing, wind vibration, a slight wobble at about 70 mph) and a PRO XR owner who returned the polycarbonate model because it flexed | The lighter polycarbonate deck; a one-sided lock lets the free side lift | Check the clamps and that the rails are square; owners who wanted a stiffer deck moved to the aluminum PRO | Only if a part is defective |
| Hard to open or close | 3 reviews (PRO MX 1, PRO XR 1, ONE MX 1): stiff rolling or a stop bracket that bends; one ONE XR owner reports a side coming off its track | Rails not parallel or grit in the tracks; the IX owner points to its lack of bearings | Clean the tracks with mild soap and water and set the rails parallel with the width set screws. Do not lubricate them | Yes for defects, but Retrax says lubricating the rails or sealed ball bearings voids the warranty |
| Damaged or missing parts on arrival | 7 PRO XR reviews (dents, cracked plastic canister ends, bent rails, missing screws or hardware), plus PRO MX, PowerTraxPRO MX and EQ owners | Shipping damage and factory quality control; two owners fault the plastic canister end pieces | Check every part against the parts list and report damage before you install | Defects in materials and workmanship, yes, if the warranty is registered within 30 days |
How to fix the common Retrax problems
- Before you install, check every part against the parts list. Photograph any dent, crack or missing piece and report it first, because owners say a half-built cover is hard to send back.
- Set the canister and rails square and parallel. Use the supplied alignment pieces at the tailgate and the width set screws under the rails, then tighten the clamps evenly so each rail sits flush.
- Push each drain tube fully onto its canister fitting, add a small hose clamp and route it to the floor holes without kinks. Check the tubes after the first heavy rain and clear them where trees drop debris.
- Close the cover, push the handle fully down until it catches and tug the cover to confirm it is locked.
- Remove standing water from the cover before you open it. If ice forms, do not force it: tap around the perimeter by hand, keep de-icer off the cover and use dry graphite on the lock, as Retrax advises.
- Register the warranty with Retrax within 30 days of delivery. Retrax's policy voids the warranty if you do not.
Do Retrax covers leak?
Some do, mostly at the tailgate and canister ends. One ONE MX owner wrote:
“Can't get it to stop leaking when it rains so I can't leave anything in the back of my truck, We have adjusted it several times”
RetraxONE MX owner · 3 out of 5 stars
Others are happy. A PRO XR owner who sprays it while washing wrote:
“The cover rolls great, was easy to install, and doesn't leak (even when I'm washing it and spraying water everywhere). Dust from a dusty road will get in, primarily through the tailgate area, but nothing out there is airtight.”
RetraxPRO XR owner · 5 out of 5 stars
A PRO MX owner who had tried other covers reported little water after a car wash:
“I’ve had many different tonneau covers before, they all leak water when going through a car wash. There are just a few drops with this retractable cover. Next to none.”
RetraxPRO MX owner · 5 out of 5 stars
Another PRO MX owner was not impressed:
“keeps stuff out of sight and in the bed. looks good but leaks a lot…… still keep stuff in bins to stay dry.”
RetraxPRO MX owner · 3 out of 5 stars
Our guide to the most watertight covers compares the options if a dry bed is the main goal.
Cold climates add one more check. A PRO XR owner wrote:
“The drain ports and tubes are too small and clog constantly in the warmer temperatures, especially if there are trees around where it is parked. But the big problem is in the winter when the drains freeze and leave water in the cylinder box. The cover retracts about 12" and hits the ice in the bottom of the box.”
RetraxPRO XR owner · 3 out of 5 stars
Rail fit and damage on arrival
Rail complaints are mostly about alignment. A PRO MX owner wrote that getting the spacing perfect and square is the secret to tailgate use and weather seal, and that the job took two people 2.5 hours while taking extra care. A ONE XR owner had to adjust the width with set screws underneath to make the sides parallel.
Damage on arrival is the most common complaint in low-rated PRO XR reviews: 6 of the 17 rated 3 stars or lower report dents, cracked plastic ends, bent rails or missing parts. One of those owners says none of the damage came from shipping and that a missing latch hole made the cover extremely difficult or impossible to lock. Check every part before you start.
Security: the lock is only part of it
The PRO and ONE covers have a key lock on the cover that the spec sheet says holds at any point on the rails, so you can lock the cover part open around a tall load, though the open end of the bed is then within reach. Four owners on file say their cover would not lock at every position, so push the handle fully down and test it. The powered PowerTraxPRO MX locks wherever it stops, and the IX has no key: a locked tailgate locks it.
Even so, a retractable is only as secure as a locked tailgate. Retrax's own position is that a locking tailgate completes the setup, so lock both.
Retrax pros and cons
Pros
- Key lock that holds at any point on the PRO and ONE covers
- Opens as far as you need and keeps the rear window clear
- The PRO MX and PRO XR carry 500 lb and a limited lifetime warranty
- Owner ratings of 4.6 or higher on the PRO MX, PRO XR, ONE MX and ONE XR
Cons
- The PRO MX starts at $2,149.99, above every other cover type's entry price in our range
- The canister takes bed floor all the time
- Owners report water at the tailgate and canister ends
- Owners report drain tubes that pop off, crush or clog
- Some owners report the lock or cover freezing in winter
- The ONE covers carry only 200 lb and a 1-year warranty
- Rail squaring takes patience and sometimes two people
A lower-priced Retrax and other options
The Retrax IX, from $1,199.99, is the entry Retrax. It has no key: a hidden handle behind the tailgate lets you open it, so a locked tailgate locks the cover. It has three stopping positions, a 2-year warranty and no load rating on our spec sheet, and it fits only full-size GM, Ford, Ram and Toyota Tundra trucks plus the Ford Maverick. One owner reported it became hard to roll fully after lubing the tracks twice in under a month. Of the retractables we sell, only the Pace Edwards SwitchBlade, from $1,191.19, costs less.
Entry Retrax
Retrax IX Retractable Tonneau Cover
From $1,199.99 · Locks with the tailgate and has three stops, with no key and no published load rating.
If you want the whole bed floor back, a hard folding cover stacks toward the cab instead of sitting in a canister. The BAKFlip MX4, from $1,199.99, fits all 18 truck lines on our fit pages and carries a 5-year warranty. BAK says a closed MX4 cannot be opened from outside once the tailgate is shut and locked. See our hard folding guide.
Full bed floor
BAKFlip MX4 Hard Folding Tonneau Cover
From $1,199.99 · Folds toward the cab, so no canister takes floor space; lock the tailgate to lock it.
If you want a retractable with its own key that also fits the Jeep Gladiator, which none of the Retrax covers here fits, the Roll-N-Lock M-Series starts at $1,699.99 with a 3-year warranty. Its deck stops at three positions rather than anywhere.
Retractable alternative
Roll-N-Lock M-Series Retractable Tonneau Cover
From $1,699.99 · Own key, fits all 18 truck lines including the Gladiator, 3-year warranty.
Compare the full list in our best tonneau covers guide. Browse every Retrax tonneau cover or the wider retractable tonneau covers for your truck.
Verdict: who should pay the Retrax price
| You are | Pick |
|---|---|
| Loading or stacking gear on the cover | RetraxPRO MX |
| Adding a rack or tent | RetraxPRO XR |
| Wanting a key-locking retractable for less | RetraxONE MX |
| Wanting T-slot rails at the lower price | RetraxONE XR |
| Wanting powered opening | Retrax EQ or PowerTraxPRO MX |
| Needing every inch of bed floor | A hard folding cover such as the BAKFlip MX4 |
Pay the Retrax price if a lockable, adjustable retractable fits how you use the truck. Skip it if you want the lowest outlay or need a bed that stays dry in heavy rain. If you stack heavy gear on the cover, the ONE price will not do: that job needs the PRO MX.
Frequently asked questions
Are Retrax tonneau covers waterproof?
No. Retrax says every effort has been made to make its covers weathertight but that they are not waterproof, and its warranty excludes water intrusion. Owners most often report water at the tailgate end and the canister, so put anything that must stay dry in a bin.
What are the differences between the RetraxONE MX and RetraxPRO MX?
The PRO MX uses double-wall aluminum slats rated at 500 lb with a limited lifetime warranty. The ONE MX uses a one-piece polycarbonate sheet rated at 200 lb with a 1-year limited warranty. Both lock with a key at any position. The ONE MX costs about $600 less, and three owners on file say its polycarbonate top bounces or wobbles while driving.
What are people saying about the RetraxPRO XR?
Owners rate it 4.6 from 271 reviews. Praise centers on easy rolling and a rack-ready rail. Of the 17 PRO XR reviews on file rated 3 stars or lower, 6 report damage or missing parts on arrival and at least 4 report leaks.
What is the difference between a tri-fold and a retractable tonneau cover?
Tri-fold covers fold in sections toward the cab and leave the bed floor free, while a retractable gives up a strip of floor to its canister but keeps the rear window clear. Our types guide covers the trade-offs.
Do retractable tonneau covers freeze in winter?
They can. Retrax says the PRO MX was tested from -40°F to 180°F with parts designed to resist freezing and binding, yet 7 reviews on file for the PRO MX, PRO XR and ONE MX describe a frozen lock, a cover that would not open or drains that froze and left ice in the canister. Other owners report no trouble after brushing off deep snow.
How do I clean a Retrax, and can I use Armor All on it?
Retrax says to clean the cover with mild soap and water, not to use strong chemicals or cleaners of any kind and to wash dust off rather than wipe it, so skip protectant sprays such as Armor All. Keep gasoline off the cover. Do not lubricate the rails or sealed ball bearings: Retrax says that voids the warranty.
Find a Retrax that fits your truck