We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
Our team of cycling specialists spent the last seven years testing nearly 30 of the best bike saddles, and we recently purchased 13 of this year's top models for side-by-side testing. From casual fitness rides to urban bike commutes to grueling mountain ascents, our crew faced many of the same riding scenarios you might encounter. After many months in the saddle, we rated each model across five performance metrics to help you identify the features most important to you. Whether you're seeking a lightweight racing model with a sleek and slim profile, an anatomic design with maximum pressure relief, or an all-around balance of comfort and performance, our in-depth review offers up expert recommendations for your needs and budget.
Here at GearLab, we love writing bike reviews, and our testing team is made up of passionate cyclists. Whether you're seeking road biking gear or on the hunt for the best gravel bike, we have you covered with comprehensive reviews of the best bike gear on the market. Just looking for the most comfortable bike seat for cruising around town? Check out our best comfort bike seat review.
Editor's Note: On November 12, 2023 we updated our award lineup and removed some discontinued products.
Lightweight, supportive, comfortable on long rides
Lightweight, comfortable, reasonably priced
Huge pressure relief channel, supports variable riding positions, good for long rides
Relieves pressure, good price, texture prevents slip
Very light, supportive, comfortable
Cons
No pressure relief channel, limited colors
Unique shape may not be for everyone
Pricey, can alter riding form, can cause pressure points
Saddle can stick, excess padding, pricey
Not versatile, expensive
Bottom Line
A comfortable, affordable saddle great for long-distance cruising
A high-performing saddle that provides lightweight comfort and a unique design
A unique saddle that maximizes anatomic relief and minimizes pressure on long rides
A sweet cut-out model with generous padding and a sleek racing design
This saddle provides comfortable support for the road racer looking to shed grams or the weekend warrior looking for a more aggressive saddle that doesn't sacrifice comfort
The Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium is our favorite overall saddle and is priced well. The rounded shape of the midsection is intended to suit less flexible riders with more pelvic rotation during riding. It also has a central sweet spot with just the right density padding and a flexible carbon layer along the center of the nylon shell that nicely cushions and dampens the ride. It is common to find this saddle as the original stock equipment on some highly-regarded road bikes.
Our testers certainly appreciated the comfortable design of this bike saddle, but you'll need to look elsewhere if a pressure relief channel is on your list of must-haves. The rounded shape of this model can build up pressure or pain on the soft tissues, particularly on longer rides. For a general workhouse saddle that can meet the full range of road pursuits for most riders at a rather accessible price, the Aliante Gamma Kium is a solid choice.
The Prologo Dimension offers excellent value with its comfortable and unique short-nose design and one of the most reasonable price points for an ultralight performance saddle. With just the right amount of padding in just the right places, a generous anatomic relief cutout, and a unique shape that encourages an aggressive riding position, this saddle is a great pick for road racers or fast riders. It is one of the lightest saddles we've ever tested, with a simple design and high-quality construction.
The Prologo Dimension is a lightweight racing machine, so it might not be as versatile across other riding disciplines. Its performance-oriented shape is not as comfortable in more upright or casual riding positions, and its stiff shell material and thin, dense padding are not as forgiving on offroad pursuits. Still, for aggressive riders who want an ultralight model without breaking the bank, the Prologo Dimension is hard to beat. For other riders in the market for an all-around bike saddle, the Bontrager Sport Saddle is a great pick that balances comfort, versatility, and cost.
The Bontrager Sport rides away with the most affordable comfort in our test fleet. This saddle brought smiles on every ride, from road bikes to beach cruisers. The steel rails and thick foam definitely keep this out of contention for those looking for a light fast saddle. Still, this saddle is very versatile, supporting multiple riding positions and easy comfort when moving around with ample surface area. Though not the most aggressive, the Sport is a capable road saddle, perfect for riders new to road cycling or anyone looking to upgrade from that uncomfortable stock saddle.
At 163 millimeters wide, this bike saddle is wider than most models and is noticeable in full extension when pedaling hard, but this can fit most anatomies. We enjoyed that it was interchangeable across our quiver of bikes, as at home on a road bike as a cross-country mountain bike ride. For the price, this saddle is a bargain regardless of your riding style. The microfiber cover proved water-resistant in adverse conditions of rain and snow. The durable materials also held up to abuse in all conditions we could throw at it. If you're looking for a comfy, versatile saddle for the price of a steak dinner, then this will sate your appetite.
The Selle SMP Pro is one of the boldest and most uniquely designed saddles in our lineup and earns high accolades for its distinctive full-length cutout. Riders typically suffering from soft tissue pain or numbness will certainly appreciate one of the most aggressive cutout designs on the market, with a firm elastomer foam padding and a carbon-reinforced nylon shell that support the sit bones. The design took a bit of adjustment and tinkering before getting used to it, but after getting it dialed in with a few rides, it was hard to go back to a standard design. This seat also features a downturned nose that mitigates the risk of surprise bottom-bashing and serves as a nice platform for adjusting your riding position or sliding fore or aft with changing terrain.
Despite the tremendous anatomic relief, this bike saddle might not be for everyone. The revolutionary cutout design means that a smaller surface area supports the bulk of your weight, potentially leading to uncomfortable pressure points, particularly if your anatomy doesn't perfectly align with the shape and size of the saddle. We also found it difficult to correctly adjust and position it for a comfortable riding position with its heavily sloped fore to aft profile. Once we did, we appreciated the versatility to comfortably move around to a variety of seated positions. With its high-end materials, this saddle is also heavier than some high-end models we tested. And yet, it still manages to weigh in at a respectable 344 grams and is definitely worth checking out for riders seeking the ultimate in pressure relief.
After spending hours researching the top-performing products on the market, our testers put together a solid lineup of saddles and hit the road for some intense head-to-head testing. From short commutes to fast fitness rides, long cruises to grueling climbs and blazing fast descents, we put these saddles through the wringer in all sorts of riding conditions.
Our bike saddle testing is divided across five different metrics:
Comfort (30% of overall score weighting)
Performance (30% weighting)
Versatility (20% weighting)
Durability (10% weighting)
Weight (10% weighting)
Our lineup of bike saddles was put to the test by the rear ends of our gear testers Nick Bruckbauer, Ryan Baham, and Ryan Baker. All three are all-around athletes and avid outdoorsmen. Nick likes to spend his evenings and weekends grinding away in the hills above Santa Barbara, CA. Ryan Baham enjoys all manners of road cycling from causal after-work pedals, quad-busting climbs, and the occasional century ride. Ryan Baker masochistically seeks out the brutal headwinds and arduous climbs of the eastern Sierra.
Analysis and Test Results
After dusting off the bike tools in our home workshop, we began tinkering with our bikes and the saddle testing lineup to prepare for the miles ahead. Each model was mounted on different bikes, adjusted for optimum setup, and tested by multiple riders with different body types and riding styles to gain multiple opinions and perspectives. We also analyzed these products' structure and design better to understand their design, materials, and construction. We tested each saddle side by side in similar riding conditions on the same rides to reduce subjectivity. Below, we evaluate each saddle through our five rating metrics, including comfort, performance, and versatility through a range of speeds, terrains, and riding positions, and finally, weight and durability.
Value
We realize that cycling can be an expensive sport. While some riders are looking for the best possible products, no matter the cost, we know many riders are looking for a reasonable balance of solid performance and a fair price. Options we've presented have a wide range of prices, so there's likely a good choice for any budget. The Bontrager Sport stands out with competitive scores against more expensive alternatives. At an astoundingly low price and high marks across every metric, we recommend it for those on a budget who still want to enjoy the quality of Bontrager. Another solid option is the Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium, a very high-end model with a middle-of-the-road price tag.
While some companies make saddles designed specifically for women, most of the products across the market are genderless, and the saddles in this review are suitable for any rider.
Comfort
Let's face it; comfort is perhaps the most important attribute for any rider spending any decent chunk of time in the saddle. Without at least a reasonable level of comfort, a saddle's weight, durability, and other attributes almost become irrelevant and can force you back home to the recliner before you know it. We also must recognize that every rider, their anatomy, and their riding style are all individually unique, and this can give different riders vastly different opinions of the same seat. Because of this subjectivity, we sought to find a consensus in opinions among our differently shaped testers. We looked to identify which saddle shapes, sizes, and design features favor or oppose certain riding styles or rider preferences.
One of the most comfortable saddles we tested is the Prologo Dimension. Its simple design, relatively flat seating platform, dense padding, and pressure relief channel make it ideal for racers or faster riders frequently in more aggressive riding positions. Riders with neutral or upright riding positions will likely appreciate the rounded profile and Twin Flex technology combining multiple carbon layers in the Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium.
The Selle SMP Pro stands out for its full-length anatomic cutout, providing tremendous pressure relief to the delicate parts of your undercarriage. Riders looking for relief from numbness, tingling, or painful pressure in their vital areas will appreciate this design. The potential drawback with the aggressive cutout is that it leaves a smaller, very firmly padded surface area for your sit bones to rest on, potentially leading to uncomfortable pressure points. We recommend this saddle for those who have been riding for some time and have grown accustomed to hours in a high-performance saddle. On their website, Selle recommends this saddle for riders with pants sizes L to XXL (USA sizes 34-39), and our testers found that smaller riders can experience discomfort if their anatomy doesn't correctly align with the smaller seating platforms.
While some of our comfort-oriented bike saddles with thicker padding were certainly quite comfortable on shorter cruises, we began to notice the lack of stiffness and support on longer or faster rides, which ultimately made the ride feel imbalanced and a little uncomfortable. A thickly padded seat like the Serfas Dorado would be an excellent option for your beach or neighborhood cruiser, but most likely isn't going to go on your road bike for faster training or racing. Striking a nice balance of comfortable plush padding and an anatomic relief cutout without feeling too squishy or being too heavy, both the Specialized Power Expert and the Prologo Dimension would be good options for all-around riding.
The Brooks England B-17 surprised us with its high level of comfort, achieved using tensioned leather and no padding - it's no wonder Brooks has been in the bike saddle business since 1882. The Brooks surprise goes to show that the answer to a sore bottom isn't always more padding - sometimes the answer is just more time in the saddle, particularly if you're new to riding or it's early in the season. Our testers found that the rubbery shell material found on the Brooks Cambium C15 Carved doesn't quite stack up to the comfort of the more traditional B-17. Despite the Brooks models' classic style and historic success, we found that our testers preferred the modern shapes and high-performance materials used in most newer styles.
Performance
Saddle performance hinges on a few factors: shape, padding, and shell stiffness. A road bike saddle must provide a stable platform from which the rider can achieve and maintain an optimal body position to transfer power to the pedals. The right balance of padding and stiffness is necessary to optimize power transfer without wasting energy or compromising efficiency. Too much padding and not enough stiffness can cause energy to be absorbed and wasted with each pedal stroke. Conversely, too little padding and too much stiffness can compromise comfort and accelerate the onset of fatigue.
The shape of the saddle also impacts performance. Traditional thinking is such that a relatively flat saddle with a long nose offers the best power transfer. However, some newer saddles, such as the Specialized Power Expert and Prologo Dimension, diverge from that trend with a short chopped nose, wider tail, and deep cutout, and still manage to perform quite well. A more traditionally shaped, rounded saddle like the Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium also ranks well in this category thanks to its Twin Flex technology that optimizes stiffness.
One of the biggest surprises in this category was the Selle SMP Pro. This saddle's unique shape and downturned nose helped with power transfer in various riding positions. Its rigid carbon shell and curved front-to-back profile allow for versatile body positioning and provide a solid anchor to direct power into the pedals with minimal energy loss. Its wide rear platform also provides a steady base for those long grinding efforts, while the narrow nose is ideal for more aggressive pushes. This intimidating design ended up being quite comfortable, providing excellent support without interfering with leg extension.
Versatility
While many high-level cyclists own multiple bikes and participate in several cycling disciplines, most amateur riders likely have one bike they use across any road riding pursuits. In our versatility testing, we focused on the major road pursuits: cruising (the seasonal century ride and long, slow training miles), sprinting (crits and single-day road races), climbing (grinding out categorized climbs), and touring (we're talking panniers, sabbaticals, Gofundme campaigns). The more versatile a saddle is, the more likely you will be happy using it for multiple disciplines.
The Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium and Selle SMP Pro ranked as some of the most versatile saddles in our test group. Both offer excellent power transfer and comfort while tearing it up out on the flats, making grinding hilly ascents, or blazing down some hair-raising descents. Their narrow noses allow you to aggressively kick from down in the drops, and they have just enough padding not to overwhelm you while sitting in a group in cruise mode. Our testers also loved the Terry Fly TI for more intense efforts, with its long, narrow nose that allows the rider to get small down in the drops and its supple padding that comfortably facilitates those non-epic efforts.
Another good option in this category is the Bontrager Sport, with its classic shape, perineal cutaway, and broad plush platform. The low price tag includes comfort that competes with any other model in our lineup and is cheap enough to outfit on every bike you own. This seat is appropriate on any bike or for any riding style: a quick trip to the store, a long-distance tour, or a daily city commute.
Durability
Our testers certainly put these saddles through the wringer - riding through dirt, mud, rain, snow, and sunshine - and easily survived the abuse of our testing period. The differences we've identified are primarily related to the product materials, design, or construction and how they impact each product's perceived durability. When we put these saddles through the elements, baking in the sun on the roofs of our cars, or making accidental contact with the pavement a few times, we didn't manage to break any rails or tear any shells on any models.
While most of the saddles in our lineup are high-quality products, a few models really shine for their high-end materials and quality construction. The Fizik Aliante Gamma Kium receives high marks with its Microtex cover material, while the Selle SMP Pro stands out with its leather cover and quality construction. The Terry Fly Ti comes in just a bit behind the others because its cover was bound to the shell with a simple glue and came apart after the smallest bit of half-hearted picking.
Weight
Overall bike weight is significant for bike racers; a few hundred grams on a long climb can mean the difference between first and second place. For the rest of us mere mortals, the overall weight can affect the handling, as well as our motivation at the end of a long day in the saddle. At OutdoorGearLab, we weigh all of our test products ourselves and compare them to the manufacturer's claimed weight. Some saddles came in above or below the claimed weight, but all were within a few percent without any glaring inaccuracies.
The lightest saddle we tested is the Specialized S-Works Power Arc, weighing in a jaw-dropping 141 grams without sacrificing a gram of comfort. Also worth highlighting is the svelte Prologo Dimension, which clocks in under 200 grams.
In contrast, the Dimension achieves a featherweight stature with its smaller overall dimensions. As a rule of thumb, as a saddle's weight goes down, the price goes up. An exception to this is the Selle SMP Pro, which is on the pricier side and the heavier side, thanks to its unique design. However, even the SMP Pro comes in a carbon rail version that will drop another 50 grams if you're willing to fork over a couple of dollars for each excised gram.
Unsurprisingly, the Brooks saddles are some of the heavier models in our test fleet with their robust materials and construction, as are the Serfas models with their thick and luxurious padding. The leather of the Brooks saddles can take a lot of riding to break into their peak comfort — perhaps more riding than we did in them. Keep in mind that racing is not the only intended use of these models. Brooks saddles have a classic style with long-lasting materials and construction, while the Serfas saddles are built for comfort for shorter, non-aggressive rides. Each rider must balance the importance of weight with comfort, intended use, and cost.
Conclusion
Selecting the right saddle for your bicycle can be a daunting process — and even painful, should you spend too much time with the wrong product. The range of saddle styles, shapes, and intended uses is vast, and trying to decipher their design details and marketing jargon can be utterly confusing. We've cut through a lot of the noise to bring you our straightforward assessment, carefully pointing out any flaws while highlighting the qualities that will be useful for most riders. We've analyzed 13 of the best, most popular models on the market and put them through the wringer to guide you to the perfect new saddle that's right for you.