Best Bike Seats in 2022

How We Chose Our Selection of Bike Seats

Quality - Entire books have been written about what exactly constitutes “quality” and we’re not going to wade into the debate here. We’ll just say that the qualities we look for are performance, comfort, durability, padding and to some extent shock absorption. Put all these things together, along with intangibles like style, add them up and you get the quality of the best bike seats.

Reviews - We’re independent sorts and prefer to draw our own conclusions. Especially when it comes to something many of us have personal experience with like bike seats. So we’ll take a gander at what people are saying in customer reviews and if there seems to be a consensus about this seat or that we’ll certainly give it consideration when making a final judgment.

Brand - There are some bike seat manufacturers that have been around since the 19th century. It’s a pretty safe bet that companies like that know a thing or two about how to make a bike seat. At the same time computer aided design has enabled many of today’s brightest young engineers to take a fresh look at bike seats and push the envelope. So we’re open to all brands.

Price - We’re always on the lookout for a great value. That combination of comfort, quality materials, outstanding construction, durability and low price. At least as low as is practically possible. We understand that it costs money to make something of real value today and so we don’t expect to find gold in the bargain bin. Though we may still.

Features - The Best Bike Seats

Size and Shape - Bike saddles come in a number of different shapes and sizes to fulfill a number of different purposes including:

• Racing - This type of seat is typically ultra-light and sleek with minimal padding and virtually no ability to absorb shocks.
• Mountain bike - This type of seat is also generally slim in nature in order to provide the rider the ability to maximize energy output. But mountain bike seats typically have more padding than racing seats.
• Wide - A wide bike seat is for recreational bike riders who like to take their bike to the store or through the park on the weekend. The seat emphasizes comfort and shock absorption over performance and is designed for leisurely sit-down riding.

Material - Bike seats are made from a variety of materials including:

• Lycra - Serious professional bike racers will often choose lycra seats because they feel soft and are ideal for damp conditions, like rain and such.
• Leather - While there is no doubt that part of the attraction of leather is its historical associations there is also no doubt that a well-made leather bike seat can be very comfortable once broken in and that it will potentially last for decades.
• Gel - The gel bike seat is intended to provide riders with a break from the often tissue deadening effects of other materials. Many types of gel bike seat are very slim and have a similar profile to racing seats, but they include more padding and generally pay more attention to issues of comfort and shock absorption. Many mountain bikers prefer a gel bike seat.

Shell - The shell is on the underside of the seat and provides its basic profile. Shells can be made from a variety of materials including aluminum, plastic and carbon-reinforced nylon. Without the shell the seat would be little more than shapeless a blob. A leather bike seat however is typically free of a shell.

Rails - Rails attach to the seat clamp and serve to offer a modicum of suspension. Traditionally, rails have been made of steel but in recent years other materials have popped up in bicycle seat rails including titanium, die-cast aluminum and carbon fiber, which is the lightest and most expensive type of rail.

Padding - Bike seat padding can take many different forms including gels and foam. Foam is popular on recreational bike seats as it offers plenty of cushy comfort. A foam seat springs back to its original shape once you dismount. Or at least it should.

Cutouts - One thing that separates the contemporary seat from the seat of the past is the cutout. Cutouts are a relatively new innovation and one that was long overdue. It acknowledges the fact that people have a crotch and that it’s important to keep one’s crotch ventilated and to provide the anatomical structures of the crotch some room.

Durability - The leather bike seat if properly cared for could potentially provide you with decades of use. While it’s unlikely you’ll get that sort of wear out of a seat made from synthetics there are nonetheless some very durable seats on the contemporary market. Keep in mind that direct exposure to the sun is going to cause your seat to fade over time.

Bike Seat FAQ

Q: How do you install a new bike seat?

A: While the precise details may change from bike to bike the basic process is usually as follows:

• Stabilize the bike either by leaning it against the wall or putting it in a bike stand.
• Look under the seat. There are usually two set screws holding the seat to the clamp by the rails. Loosen them enough that the seat can then be tilted and freed of the clamp.
• Take the new seat and slide one rail into the clamp nearly to the center then wedge the other rail in at an angle before leveling the seat off with the rails in the rail guides on the clamp.
• Make sure the seat is horizontally oriented to conform to your body.
• Tighten the set screws.

Q: How do you adjust a bike seat?

A: Adjusting the seat is very similar to changing the seat except you never remove the bike saddle entirely. Simply loosen the set screw or screws on the seat clamp that are holding the rails. Once they are loose you can slide the seat back and forth horizontally to find the perfect orientation for you. Also, when you loosen the set screws you should be able to tilt the seat up or down to match your preferred angle of attack.

Q: What is the proper height for a bike seat?

A: Many adults stick with the low seat position of their youth because they have no need or desire to push the speed envelope. If you are interested in going fast with your bike, however, you’re going to need to raise the seat so you can get your legs into the process. As a general rule if you want to get the most from the energy you’re exerting your leg should be fully extended when it sits on a pedal that is in the 6 o’clock position. If it doesn’t you’ll need to raise the bicycle seat.

Q: How do you maintain a bike seat?

A: Seats don’t typically require any maintenance other than perhaps wiping away the sweat and body salts with a clean damp cloth at the end of the day. That and making sure you check the underside periodically for rust. If you’re worried about your seat fading in the sun try a commercially available UV protectant spray such as those used for motorcycle seats.

Q: What’s the right way to sit on a bike?

A: Being properly seated on your bike is largely a function of how the bicycle seat is positioned relative to the handlebars. If yours is a leisure type of bicycle it will likely have upward-oriented handlebars that require you to be in an upright position in the saddle. If your seat is leaning forward you’ll never be able to get comfortable. Likewise, if you have a high-performance bike with low semicircular handlebars and your seat is too low, too wide or strictly parallel to the ground your seat/handlebar relationship will be skewed and you’ll wind up in an uncomfortable and unsafe position.