The Toyota Tundra is the beefy older brother of the Tacoma. With its bigger body style there is one thing lacking.
That is, an antenna to match! The flimsy stock antenna can be an annoyance to look act in comparison.
If you find yourself noticing it, then you’re in luck. There are plenty of affordable quality solutions that can potentially give you a better signal and a stronger longer lasting antenna.
There are two prevailing styles. That is a universal option and a custom fit.
Let’s take a look at the 4 Best Short Antennas for Toyota Tundras:
1. TrunkNets Inc 6 3/4″ Antenna MAST
TrunkNets has the best selling short antenna for Tundras. And they’re compatible from 2007 to the present day models.
If you live in a big city this steel core option will work great. But, if you live out in the country TrunkNets warns that AM radio stations may be at risk of a fainter signal.
It’s a slight tradeoff. We have a copper threaded option below, which is the best metal for conductivity. That means the radio signals tend to be better.
Still, at this price point the TrunkNets Antenna is a great option. No more removing the stock 31 inch unit before a car wash! At only 6 3/4 inches, you won’t be hitting anything anymore.
2. KEYO1E Pure Copper Antenna Compatible with 99 to 2021 Toyota Tundra
KEYO1E has an interesting brand name and a good product. They’re one of the only companies that use copper for Toyota Tundras.
But it’s not a copper coiling, which would be the best for signal strength. It’s a copper coating.
So, for the price point they’re at are they worth it? We’re on the fence here.
Like all of these options, installation is going to take you under ten minutes. They refer to it as “bolt-on” but, you’re just screwing in threads.
3. VOFONO 7 Inch Car Wash Proof Replacement Antenna Fits 2000-2019 Toyota Tundra by VOFONO
Next on the list is an affordable replacement antenna that has a great overall value.
VOFONO has a coiled 7 inch option that will get you a good signal at 1/4th of the size of your stock antenna.
This is a regular steel core design and they give you three choices for lengths. The farther out from a city you are, the more length you’ll likely need. They have this 7 inch antenna, but also a 9 inch and 13 inch choice.
4.TEKK Short Antenna Compatible with 99 to 2020 Toyota Tundra| Designed for Optimized FM/AM Reception | 4.8 Inches
The TEKK short antenna has an excellent build quality and it’s incredibly short at only about 5 inches.
It is the only true copper coiled option on this list. Which is great, you get the tiniest antenna available with the highest build quality.
But, that does come at a higher price point. This is one of the most expensive items relative to the competition. If you’re willing to shell out some extra dough though, we think most owners would be very happy with this product and its quality.
Their “double-copper internals” as they’ve put it has left many customers surprised by the signal strength. This is our top pick for a higher quality product. For me I would rather pay a little extra and get better quality signal strength, then cheap out have to deal with poor signal in certain areas. It depends how far you adventure from build up cities.
FAQS
What material is best for a short antenna core?
The most common metals used for antennas include cores of aluminum and steel. With a few of them using copper coiling. The metal that is by far the most conductive is copper. That makes it a top choice and the special ingredient to look for when you’re shopping for an upgrade.
It’s cost prohibitive to make the whole thing out of copper though, but if you did you’d have an incredible signal. So the best you can get is a copper coil antenna. That’s not to say that antennas made of aluminum and steel are inferior. But, it’s true that they won’t be as conductive.
Why should I get a shorter antenna for my Tundra?
The main reasons people replace antennas is that they don’t like the look of them or that they’re in the way. Not everyone has a high clearance on their daily drive, if you have to constantly squeeze by something that your antenna keeps hitting, you may want to replace it with something better and smaller to prevent this.
There are also low garage clearances, which will leave your antenna bent. Or even car washes.
If you’re on that side of the fence, it’s an easy choice to replace it. The other camp simply doesn’t like the way stock antennas look. Which, relative to a Tundra, we can understand.
Conclusion
The factory antenna for Tundras is pretty big, at 31 inches. So it makes sense that it’s a popular replacement. Hopefully, this guide has helped you make an informed decision about some of the most popular upgrades for your vehicle.
If you want the best signal and the shortest antenna, the TEKK antenna is the clear winner. But, if you’re looking for a great overall value and want to spend a bit less money then we would go for the TrunkNets.
Whatever you choose, we hope it works out for you! If you found something from this guide make sure to let us know how it performed and how the install went. We love hearing from our readers. Thank you for stopping by.
