Best bed cover $1200 budget

Check out the various bakflip covers for sure. I have the F1. Its made of some badass composite instead of aluminum so no denting, cracking, or paint fading. Flips up against the back windshield to carry large or tall items, sits flush when closed, is mostly water proof, and the tailgate can be closed with the cover down. All for around $850.

 

I did a ton of research and settled on the Gator EFX -
Pros:
Flush sitting
Easy install - probably took me 30 minutes and I didn't have any issues everything lined up on the first try to my shock.
Locks down with a locked tailgate
No wind noise
Fairly secure - I do travel at times with stuff in there that I worry about but nobody seems to fuck with it.
I have had my full weight on top of it, I'm 170 lbs. Would I stand on it for long periods of time? Probably not. Would I put 2 youngins on top of it for long periods time? Sure they won't hurt it.

Cons:
Lets a tad bit of moisture in in car washes/rain - you will see some droplets on the sides near the rear wheels - not terrible but the bed doesn't flood or anything like that.
Shipping wasn't lightning fast from the time I paid
Panel behind the cab is locked down unless you remove the cover - so just the back 2 panels flip up - hasn't been a big issue for me.


Overall for the money, I'm happy enough.

I will probably get a Diamondback at some point when money is more plentiful.

I didn't like the OEM cover b/c it sits on top of the bed and not flush.

 

I went with the ultra groove since you can add racks to it. Have had it for two years and no issues.

https://www.pace-edwards.com/Ultragroove

The metal one might be stronger but its more expensive.