Vinyl top or Canvas

I have a NB Miata that needs a new top. I have never had a canvas or fabric top before and would like to know the advantages and disadvantages of canvas/cloth as compared to vinyl. Also what maintenence does canvas/cloth require compared to vinyl? Full disclosure, I plan on buying a top from Robbins. And will be getting a glass window with defrost which my car already has.  Finally is there any reason to save the glass out of my current top? Could it be swapped in in the event of breakage?

Canvas looks better, lasts longer and is a little tougher to rip.  Canvas is much harder to keep clean, especially tree sap.  I've also found canvas is more prone to having the stitching come apart.  My convertibles are garaged.  I always opt for canvas.  Best prices I have found for Robbins is topsonline.  Used to be Rock auto, but they stopped selling them, at least for the TR8.

I had a vinyl on my NA and currently have a cloth on my NB.  The biggest difference I've noticed between the two is temperature sensitivity.  Park the vinyl in the garage with the top down at night, then try to put it up in the morning when it's 20 degrees colder . . . fogetabowdidt.  Cloth top goes up/down with no issues regardless of temp.  The cloth top also SEEMS slightly lighter to haul up and down, but I don't know if that's a function of weight or the inherent stiffness of vinyl.  My NB needs a new top (critter attack), and it's going to be cloth, for what it's worth. 

Just an observation, but when I see ratty vinyl tops there seem to be more tan coloured ones than black ones. My first '99 NB had black vinyl and it's still in great shape. My tan top on the current '99 is vinyl and is a replacement from Robbins. The OEM top was splitting in several places when I bought the car. Kazoospec's observation about temperatures is very real. I've had to leave the car idling with the heater on full blast to fasten the header on a couple of occasions.

I’ve only ever had one convertible (a 560SL) and it had a factory cloth top. Where I live, the trees produce tons of sap and a fine green/yellow pollen in the springtime and early summer. It would get in the pores and was a PITA to clean. Guys with vinyl tops could just wipe it off.

Also, I had to periodically treat it with a scotch-guard type product to maintain the water resistance. I suspect vinyl tops would be naturally more water repellent.

So, cloth seems to be a little more hassle to maintain. On the plus side, cloth definitely looks more “premium” to me.