Although it's a bit counterintuitive, the most comfortable bike seat is not necessarily the largest or the softest one. What makes a bike saddle comfortable is how it minimizes pressure and distributes weight between your sit bones.
Out of all bicycle parts, the bike seat is the one part that affects your riding experience. You can have the most rad bike in the world, if the seat isn't comfortable, you'll loath every ride.
The right bike saddle makes your bike feel more like an extension of your body instead of a contraption you're perched on top of.
Unfortunately, finding the right bike saddle for your needs is no easy task. Unlike other cycling gear that can be objectively evaluated, bike seats are very personal - and usually depends on your riding style, body shape, preference on how little padding you like, and how comfortable it is in the long haul.
Thankfully, you're in right place. In this article, we cover everything you need to know about bike seats - from the top nine best picks for the most comfortable bike seats, to how you can find the right model for your needs.
Most Comfortable Bike Seats Compared
Key Specs | Design | Cell | |
Bikeroo Oversized Comfort Bike Seat |
| Unisex | |
Bluewind Bike Seat |
| Unisex | |
Planet Bike A.R.S. Classic Black Bike Seat |
| Men’s | |
Selle Italia Diva Gel Superflow Saddle |
| Women’s | |
Wittkop Bike Seat |
| Unisex | |
West Biking Black Gel Bike Seat |
| Unisex | |
Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow Road Bike Saddle |
| Unisex | |
TONBUX Most Comfortable Bicycle Seat |
| Unisex | |
WTB Rocket Black Saddle |
| Unisex |
In A Hurry? After 32 Hours Of Research, The Winner Is:
Our Top Pick
Bikeroo Oversized Comfort Bike Seat
Runner Up
Bluewind Bike Seat
If you're looking for a bike saddle that's not only comfortable but also incredibly affordable, look no further than Bluewind Bike Seat. For a low price, you not only get a comfortable bicycle saddle but also an incredibly durable one.
Best For Men
Planet Bike A.R.S. Classic Black Bike Seat
The Planet Bike A.R.S Bike Seat is built in such a way to evenly distribute your weight across the whole surface of the saddle. This design feature provides excellent anatomic relief for your soft tissues and sit bones.
Differences Between Men’s A Women’s Bike Seats
Before we get into our top picks for the best comfortable bike seat, we first have to talk about the differences between men's saddles and women's saddles.
Although both men and women can sit on any kind of bike seat, women's saddles tend to be wider and have a shorter nose. This is because women have wider hips and "sitting bones" than men.
Still, everyone is different in their own way, so some may prefer a seat with a small indent in the saddle or no indent at all. This indent is useful for both sexes because it relieves the pressure on your sitting bones.
Although most bike seat manufacturers offer a wide variety of models for women, it pales in comparison to the number of male models. Thankfully, most women can use a man's saddle with no issues at all. This is because both sexes have a forward tilting pelvis (around 80 percent of men and women). Still, it's is essential you remember the key differences in anatomy so you can buy a seat that best suits your needs.
You should never underestimate the importance of bike saddle comfort. For many bike riders, that's the most crucial part, which is quite understandable - if the seat is uncomfortable, so is the ride.
What's more, an uncomfortable bike saddle can trigger long-term injuries. This is why it's essential you keep track of every feature a particular model offers - sometimes something as trivial as a testicle cup can make a whole world of difference when it comes to comfort.
Most Comfortable Bike Seat: Top 9 Picks Of 2023
Here are our top nine picks for the most comfortable bike seats of 2023. We made sure to include saddles for both men, women, and unisex models. On top of that, we made sure to include seats from all price points so there's something for everyone.
Read next: Shotgun pro kids seat review.
1. Bikeroo Oversized Comfort Bike Seat - Most Comfortable Bike Seat
Product Features
- Comfortable padding
- Steel spring suspension
- Easy to install
- Ergonomic design
If you want a comfortable ride, you need a comfortable bike saddle. There's nothing worse than having to cut short a pleasure ride because your sitting bones are starting to ache. One of the most comfortable bike seats you can buy today is the Bikeroo Oversizes Comfort Bike Seat.
What makes this wide seat so comfortable is its generous padding on the "cheeks" and the steel spring suspension that will absorb most of the road shock that comes your way.
The Bikeroo Comfort Bike seat uses foam padding which means it is perfect for long rides where you just want to take in the sights. Its ergonomic design is best suited for a more upright riding style, which makes this seat best for long commutes and pleasure rides.
Although it's best used on more frame-heavy bikes, you can mount Bikeroo Comfort Bike Seat on just about any bike imaginable, even an exercise bike. It features a universal fit rail, and you also get all the tools needed to mount it.
Since the Bikreoo wide seat is made partially out of leather, it doesn't fare well against the elements. Thankfully, alongside the saddle, you also get a waterproof cover.
PROS
Cons
2.Bluewind Bike Seat - Runner Up
Product Features
- Padded with memory foam
- Waterproof
- Dual shock-absorbing springs
- Features steel rails
If you're looking for a bike saddle that's not only comfortable but also incredibly affordable, look no further than Bluewind Bike Seat. For a low price, you not only get a comfortable bicycle saddle but also an incredibly durable one.
The blue wind bicycle saddle is incredibly similar to a cruiser saddle, but it has more sporty lines that make it an excellent fit for your road bike, mountain bike, and even exercise bike.
The saddle is padded with memory foam that provides excellent support for your soft tissue. On top of that, the seat has an indentation along its length for anatomic relief of your sit bones. And to prevent you from sliding down, the nose features a small horn. For further comfort, the seat also utilizes rubber suspension that will absorb most of the road shock.
Besides soft padding and ergonomic design, this seat is also incredibly durable. It's fully waterproof and abrasion-resistant. On top of that, it's incredibly easy to install and comes with all the tools you need to mount it.
We only wish this bike seat came with steel shock absorbers. Don't get us wrong, this one of the most comfortable bike seats on the market - but with steel suspension, it would be king of the hill.
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Cons
3.Planet Bike A.R.S. Classic Black Bike Seat - Best Comfortable Bike Seat For Men
Product Features
- Ergonomically design specially for men
- Padded with soft gel padding
- Easy to install
- Waterproof
Long rides can be incredibly painful if you don't have a proper bicycle saddle. This is even more true for men since our dangly bits don't jell well with poorly designed bike saddles. Thankfully Planet Bike A.R.S. Bike Seat is purpose-made to make long rides for men as comfortable as possible.
The Planet Bike A.R.S Bike Seat is built in such a way to evenly distribute your weight across the whole surface of the saddle. This design feature provides excellent anatomic relief for your soft tissues and sit bones.
The Planet Bike A.R.S. Bike Seat's shape is a favorite among most male riders. It features a shock-absorbing system that is specially designed to provide relief for all sensitive areas. The shape of this bike seat for men helps with avoiding all kinds of problems like prostate, back pain, and even erectile dysfunction. For superb comfort, the saddle features a deep center cutout that provides pressure relief for both the soft tissue and sit bones.
While the Planet A.R.S. Bike seat doesn't feature shock-absorbing springs, the steel rails it uses as a mounting point provide ample shock absorption. What doesn't get absorbed by the rails, gets absorbed by the gel.
When it comes to mounting the Planet Bike Seat, it's as simple as pie. Unfortunately, the Planet Bike seat for men doesn't come with any mounting tools, but that can be forgiven because of the comfort it provides.
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Cons
4.Selle Italia Diva Gel Superflow Saddle - Most Comfortable Bicycle Seat For Female Riders
Product Features
- Features a specially designed cut-out for women
- Incredibly durable and waterproof
- Features extra padding
- Titanium Rails
The women's bike saddle market is tiny compared to the men's bike saddle market. Still, there are quite a few bike seats that are specially designed for women and provide superb comfort. So far, one of the most comfortable bike seats for women is the Selle Italia Dive Gel Superflow Saddle.
This bike saddle features a generous amount of gel soft padding that enhances the endurance of both leisure and sport riders. This is because gel provides excellent relief to soft tissue areas and excellent flexibility when riding over rough roads.
The Selle Italia bike saddle features a vanox tube, carbon composite shell, and titanium steel rails for increased durability and resistance while remaining lightweight. This makes this product an excellent pick for mountain bikers that are looking for a comfortable mountain bike saddle.
An inbuilt elastomer shock-absorbing suspension system provides excellent stability during rough rides. The suspension works with the gel padding to absorb almost all vibration from the road.
Thanks to the extra padding, you won't have to worry about your skin flaring up after a long ride. Since this bike saddle features a slightly wider rear end, it's best suited for shorter rides since this type of saddle can put your hips in uncomfortable positions.
Instead of leather, this saddle is covered with microfiber for maximum durability and for waterproof properties.
PROS
Cons
5.Wittkop Bike Seat - Best Commuter Bike Seat
Product Features
- Padded with high-quality memory foam
- Provides excellent cooling during rides
- Unisex design
- Fully waterproof
If you own a road bike and want to enhance your riding experience, you need a comfortable bike seat. Wittkop Bike Seat is an excellent choice if you like taking commuting all over the city.
The Wittkop bike seat features a unisex design with an innovative five-zone concept. The seating area supports your sit bones, the middle cutout provides cooling, the no pressure area cushions your groin, while the no-friction area on the nose ensures there's reduced thigh chafing. On top of that, the entire bicycle seat is curved for supreme comfort.
We especially like the soft memory foam on this saddle. It provides excellent comfort and is located in all the right places so it absorbs most of the road vibrations. On top of that, the saddle also has a suspension system that further absorbs most of the road shock.
If you get caught in the rain, you shouldn't worry, the Wittkopp is fully waterproof. Just wipe down the seat and you're all good.
The installation is incredibly simple and takes up only a couple of minutes. This seat comes with a detailed mounting manual and a universal mount, so don't worry about having trouble installing it on your road bike.
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6.West Biking Black Gel Bike Seat - Best Unisex Bike Seat
Product Features
- Features an inbuilt tail light
- Covered with non-slip abrasion-resistant artificial leather
- Waterproof
- Superb suspension
If you're looking for something that's a mix between a cruiser saddle and a sport seat, the West Biking Black Gel Bike Seat is an excellent choice. This unisex padded seat is excellent for touring riders as well as those that are looking for a saddle they can use to enjoy afternoon rides.
This seat is made out of ultra-dense memory foam with a fiber leather cover. The memory foam provides excellent cushioning for your soft tissues and sitting bones. For further comfort, the seat also features a steel spring suspension system that's capable of absorbing most of the road vibrations and bumps.
On top of that, this seat features a center cutout that doesn't just relieve some of the pressure from sitting, but also provides much-needed cooling.
One of the coolest features on this bike seat is the inbuilt tail light. With this saddle, you won't have to hassle with iffy tail lights that die the second they get wet. The inbuilt tail light consists out of five bright LED lamps and has 3 lighting modes.
While this isn't a particularly wide seat (not as wide as a cruiser saddle), it's just wide enough to provide you with superb comfort during long-distance rides.
PROS
Cons
7.Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow Road Bike Saddle - Best Low Profile Comfortable Bicycle Seat
Product Features
- Incredibly light-weight
- Low profile design
- Leather waterproof cover
- Padded with soft gel
If you're a fan of fast road bikes and need a low profile, durable bike seat that's incredibly comfortable Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow is the right choice for you.
The Selle Italia Gel Road Bike Saddle padding consists out of silicone gel and memory foam strategically places on different zones to minimize shock and pressure on your sitting bones and soft tissue. On top of that, this seat for road bikes features a huge cutout for additional comfort and much-needed cooling.
For additional comfort, the seat is covered with leather which does an excellent job of not chafing your soft parts. And don't worry about the leather losing its luster over time, Selle Italia uses special Duro-Tek materials that are not only very durable but also lightweight.
Instead of a dedicated suspension system, this bike seat utilizes its high-quality steel rails to absorb the vibrations from the road. While you might think this can make for an incredibly bumpy ride, the rails in combination with gel and foam do a great job at shock absorbing.
Although this is quite a comfy bike seat, it's no cruiser saddle. Because of its low profile and low weight, this seat is best for riders that need something for quick commutes and races.
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8.TONBUX Most Comfortable Bicycle Seat - Best Comfortable Bike Seat For Mountain Bikes
Product Features
- Superb Construction
- Ergonomic design
- Steel suspension
- Backlight reflective tape
If you're into mountain bikes, you know how bumpy the ride can get. While there is no solution for absorbing the worst of the bumps, with a comfy bike seat you can mitigate most of the road vibrations. Tonbux bike seat is an excellent choice for mountain bike riders because it provides excellent shock absorption and sitting comfort.
The Tonbux bike seat is a bit more chunky than the road bike seat because it's built to provide you with more cushioning while riding over rough terrain. The backside of the seat is padded with extra foam for extra comfort and to minimize road vibration. The center cutout isn't the biggest but is just wide enough to provide you with cooling during your mountain ride and to provide some anatomic relief for your soft tissues.
To ensure superb comfort for mountain bike rides, this saddle features rubber ball suspension and steel rails. Most of the shock is absorbed by the suspension, and the rails absorb most whatever is left and even provide some amount of flex for a more comfortable ride.
For riders that like city riding, the back of the Tonbux saddle features a reflective strip so cars coming from behind can spot you more easily.
The only thing we have an issue with is the nose on this saddle. It's a bit too wide, so expect some thigh chafing.
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Cons
TONBUX Most Comfortable Bicycle Seat
9.WTB Rocket Black Saddle - Best Comfortable Gel Bike Seat
Product Features
- Low profile design
- Strategically placed gel inserts
- Can be mounted on most bikes
The WTB Rocket Black Saddle is designed for any type of cycling adventure. Whether you're into touring or into mountain bikes, this seat is an excellent choice. Thanks to an incredibly flexible base and a whale-wail shape, this bike seat offers superb comfort, balance, and performance while riding.
The shape of the WTB saddle helps you ride for hours in a comfortable position and maintain it even when riding over rough paths. The WTB is as just as comfortable as a cruiser saddle, only weighing half as much.
The gel is strategically placed on the areas of the seat to ensure the pressure is evenly dispersed. The back is padded with memory foam for additional comfort. This is seat is just a perfect choice for riders that like cycling for miles on end.
The WTB comes with a synthetic seat cover that's wear-resistant and smooth to provide you with extra cushioning. Of course, it's also fully waterproof, so don't worry if you leave it out in the rain.
Although this seat doesn't come with a suspension system, it comes with titanium rails. The rails on this saddle will absorb most of the shock from the road while providing you with just enough flex for a comfortable riding experience.
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How To Find The Best Bike Saddle For Your Needs: A Buyer’s Guide
Now that you're familiar with some of the most comfortable bike saddles on the market, it's time to learn how to find one that best suits your needs!
Bike saddles are the main point of contact between you and the bicycle. This makes them a very crucial and personal piece of your bicycle kit. Getting the right model can make or break your riding experience (especially when long-distance riding). Bicycle seats can be the difference between having an enjoyable long ride or suffering an uncomfortable short one.
What Type Of Cycling Are You In To?
Before you even start searching for a comfortable bicycle seat, you need to consider what type of riding are you mostly going to do. Most saddles are designed for a specific type of riding. For instance, for long-distance rides, you'll be best off with a saddle that's more comfortable, and for short rides, you'll be best off with one that forgoes comfort for lower weight.
Think about how much time are you going to spend on the seat and what's the majority of your cycling like: longer rides, leisure rides, touring rides, long commutes, racing, triathlon, etc. Thankfully, most manufacturers label their bike saddles with the recommended category for easier identification.
If you're looking for longer rides and touring, then you should look for a performance saddle. This type of seat has minimal stuffing so they reduce pressure on your soft tissues and make your leg motion more efficient.
If you're planning on mountain biking, then you should go for a mountain saddle. This type of saddle has more padding for the sit bone.
Saddle Shape
The shape of the saddle determines its use.
Wider saddles are usually more comfortable, which makes them an excellent choice for leisurely or long rides where extra weight isn't an issue.
Thinner saddles tend to be better for short rides like racing where comfort isn't the most crucial factor. Still, your sit bone is a vital thing. This is why you need to be careful, if the saddle is too wide it can chafe, and if it's too thin it can put a lot of pressure on your soft tissues.
The best way to determine which bike saddle best suits you is to measure your sit bones since they carry most of the weight on the saddle. This is a foolproof method to determining how wide your ideal bike seat should be.
A lot of modern seats also feature a center cutout which provides some pressure relief from your soft parts. On top of that, this feature also held the saddle flex a bit more to make a narrow saddle a bit more comfortable, but racy.
Rider Flexibility
Rider flexibility refers to your riding position. If you ride in a more upright position, then you should go for a wider saddle because more weight is put on your sit bones.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers have a guide rider position, which is why you should pay extra attention to the product description. Some manufacturers will clearly state for what riding position their saddle is best suited for.
Materials
Materials used in the construction of the base and the rails of the saddle largely affect the overall comfort of the ride. Most saddle bases are built from hard plastics which are, although rigid, a bit too flexible and absorb "road buzz"
Carbon-based saddles are incredibly light but can be somewhat unforgiving over rough surfaces. This is why you should always look for a carbon seat that has holes in the body since it helps dissipate vibrations.
Padding
The padding on a saddle depends on its intended use. Saddles built for long or leisure rides have more padding whilst racing saddles have almost none because it weights them down.
Keep in mind that more padding doesn't necessarily mean the seat is more comfortable. If the saddle has the right shape for your sitting bones, even a small amount of gel padding or foam padding will make the ride more comfortable.
Padding comes in two flavors: foam padding and gel padding.
A foam-padded seat is excellent for longer rides. And if you're a heavyweight rider or you have chunky sitting bones, getting a firm foam-padded saddle is advised.
Gel cushioning is best for commuters because it increases comfort to another level when compared to foam padding. Because these saddles compact quite quickly and are plushier, they're not the best choice for long bicycle rides.
Rails
Saddle rails can be built out of a carbon titanium alloy. Alloy is the most common material because it's lightweight, easy to produce, cheap, and also flexes a bit for additional comfort.
Of course, rails can also be made out of carbon. Carbon is incredibly light, but it's very stiff. This is why you should get a carbon rail saddle only if you're planning on racing or for short ride sessions.
Titanium rails are the unicorn amongst saddle rails. Titanium is light, incredibly strong, but also offers some degree of flex for comfort. The only drawback to this rail material is its price - it's ridiculously expensive.
Conclusion
So, here we are at the end. While we made sure to include bike seats for all types of riders, we still have to pronounce a winner. The best bike seat when it comes to comfort is the Bluewind Bike Seat. Although it's not incredibly sporty, it offers excellent cushioning and shock absorption. On top of that, it comes with everything you need to mount it and it's durable to boot!