Comfortable bike seats

The comfort of your seat can be a huge determining factor in how ania carsin, how long, or how often you ride your bike. If you're feeling aches and pains on short rides, an aftermarket comfort bike seat is a great way to give comfortable bike seats behind a break. After researching more than 25 options to improve your ride, we selected ten saddles and two seat covers to compare side-by-side. While no bike seat will be as cushy as your favorite armchair, we found that shape, cushion, and airflow can make a huge difference in your saddle's overall comfort.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear. The right bike saddle makes the bike feel more like an extension of your body instead of a contraption that you are perched on top of. Pick the wrong one and each mile can be grim and painful. But selecting the right bike seat can be tricky. Saddles are a very personal choice, one that is usually based on body shape , riding style, preference on how much or how little padding the saddle provides, and of course, comfort over the long haul.

Comfortable bike seats

Best overall bike saddle 2. Best long-nosed bike saddle with cut-out 3. Best 3D printed long-nosed bike saddle 4. Best short-nosed bike saddle for racers 5. Best short-nosed bike saddle for comfort 6. Best bike saddle for rough roads 7. Best long-nosed bike saddle for value 8. Best bike saddle for gravel riders 9. Best bike saddle for time-triallists How to choose How we test. Even if you've only been cycling for a short time, it's likely that you'll already appreciate that there isn't one saddle to suit all. Take into account anatomical differences, riding style and chosen discipline and it's little wonder that one person's ideal perch can be entirely unsuitable for another.

Rails: 7x7 Kium. This saddle is perfect for the budget-conscious buyer looking to add comfort on short rides around town.

Whether you're an avid cyclist training for a race, a mountain biker tackling rough terrain, or a casual rider enjoying a leisurely cruise, having the right bike seat can make a world of difference in your riding experience. Bike seats, or saddles , come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, and finding the most comfortable one for your body and riding style is crucial, especially for long rides. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about bike seats, including the different types available, key considerations, and the top choices to ensure you have the most comfortable saddle for those extended journeys. Before we dive into the specifics of bike seats, let's understand why having the right saddle is essential, especially when embarking on long rides. A comfortable bike seat can help prevent a multitude of issues, including saddle sores , numbness, and discomfort.

The right bike seat for you will suit your riding style, body type, and budget. Jump to a Section. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Comfortable bike seats

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.

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After using this seat for five months, it is still firm, but has enough cushioning to keep comfortable even on for long rides. Rails: 7x7 Kium. Mountain bike saddles need to provide comfort while in challenging and variable terrain. ISM saddles are renowned for serving time trial riders particularly well, due to the split-nose design. As you progress through the materials, they get lighter and more expensive. Best long-nosed bike saddle for value 8. While this is worth acknowledging, we wouldn't say it was notable enough to suggest purchasing one over the other. It's a hugely popular model that is often included on complete bikes from reputable manufacturers. The web-shaped design kept weight to a minimum while still distributing a rider's weight well enough to be comfortable. After using this seat for five months, we found it to be comfortable, but not too cushy — a good structure between rigid and cushioned. Rails: Titanium. Unlike other more expensive saddles, the Speed Steel is available in only one size: medium. Selle Royal Respiro Athletic. A quality-built saddle that will stand up to hard-earned miles while maintaining good body positioning and support on long commutes. Due to testing limitations, long-term testing of these products was not feasible, but we plan to continue evaluating the top contenders.

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For the purposes of this test, we evaluated the feel of the materials used, the quality and type of stitching, and both the amount of plastic and the plastic's potential exposure to the sun. To score comfort, we pedaled a mile with each seat, then stopped to record first impressions and the seats' "short ride comfort. After assessing the material quality and construction, we completed a series of one-hour or more rides for each seat. In the category of Comfort Bike Seats, actual comfort is undoubtedly the most important metric we tested. This allows the SMC Core to shift side to side to support pelvic movement while pedaling, reducing back strain and pressure on the sit bones. It tips the scales at a whopping grams 1. Try a few different models designed for your discipline to see what works—and feels—best. Alternatively, if you don't have access to a bum-ometer you could always improvise with some Playdoh and a sheet of paper or a piece of cardboard. Bontrager's Commuter Comp Bike Saddle was a standout in shape and construction. Mountain bikes have gotten impressively light over the years- saddles are no different. If you get a new saddle, it is worth re-measuring your saddle height. For added comfort, the EG Cruiser has a mid-saddle cutout for pressure relief and ventilation.