Best road bike saddles 2026 — here are the top bike seat picks for every budget

What do you get if you combine the classic Brooks ‘hammock’ saddle design with thoroughly modern materials? You get the Cambium C17 which tester John describes as “supremely comfortable”. 

The Cambium has the same basic structure as a classic Brooks saddle, but instead of a sheet of leather across the ends of the rails, Brooks has come up with a combination of vulcanised natural rubber, cotton canvas and structural textile for the top. There’s still a getting-used-to-it period as your bum adapts to the shape but the top is inherently flexible, like a worn leather Brooks or a new one with the tension backed off slightly, and it moves slightly as you pedal. 

This isn’t a saddle for weight-weenies though. At 418g it’s probably the heaviest saddle with a three-figure price tag aside from classic Brooks or similar leather seats. 

Cadex, the  revived sub-brand of Giant, offers the Cadex Amp saddle where very light meets very comfortable. Reviewer Tom says, “the Cadex Amp saddle must be made of magic; it’s light and as comfy as saddles that are twice the weight”. 

It’s not an attention grabber saddle but it is surprisingly light for the amount of saddle you get, and showcases some impressive engineering. The saddle weighs 130g and underneath, the rails stretch almost the full length of the saddle, looking like it’s one piece. Allegedly, the rails are attached right at the back to increase the sprung distance of the saddle.

The Cadex is 245mm in length and the blunt nose drops away in a gentle curve. 

The Berthoud Cycles Soulor leather saddle is beautifully made and well worth the relatively modest time it takes to bed in because, once moulded, it’s like it was custom-made for your backside.

The Soulor is the sportiest in the Cycles Berthoud range and at 146mm wide it’s pretty narrow. It comes with stainless steel rails and a vegetable-tanned, pre-softened cow-hide upper.

Reviewer Shaun Audane found the Soulor church pew-hard for the first 75 miles but by 200 miles it was fully broken in. It should last many years and countless miles.

The Scoop Race Shallow saddle from Fabric (now rebadged as the Cannondale Scoop Ti Shallow, but Fabric-branded versions are still available) is a well-made, supremely comfortable saddle, with a non-slip surface and shock-absorbing titanium rails, and comes at an excellent price.

The cover is moulded on top of a shell that has just the right amount of give and the titanium rails add a little more comfort-promoting flex. The Shallow is intended for sportive or endurance type-riding, where most of your time is spent on the hoods, and it does an excellent job in these circumstances.

It’s an absolute steal for a titanium-railed saddle that offers this level of comfort and this quality of finish.

The Fizik Tempo Aliante R5 saddle is a functional and comfortable endurance saddle with extra width to accommodate all behinds. We tested it in a width of 145mm but it is also available in a wider-still 155m width.

It lacks the snub-nose design preferred by many endurance riders and modern saddle designers but Laurence didn’t find this to be an issue whilst he was testing it. The saddle has varying levels of padding in different areas, Fizik using what it calls a ‘double-density foam, firmer on the ischial bones and softer on the nose’. There is also extra width at the rear and Fizik’s Wing Flex feature, which allows for some flex in the saddle’s sides when you’re pedalling so your legs don’t brush against an immovable object. 

There is a central cutout to aid with blood flow, but it’s short compared with those on some other saddles and it doesn’t extend to the rear end of the seat – and that lack of a cutout contributes to the Aliante’s reasonably substantial weight.

Giant’s Fleet SLR saddle is great for getting low at the front of the bike while staying comfortable. The large central cutout and stubby design are very well-shaped, the carbon rails and contouring work really well, and the price is good too.

The best thing about this saddle is the shape. The rear section is supportive, you get excellent pressure relief in the centre, and the swooping drop from back to front is brilliant when hammering along. You feel well-supported and free to push forward.

You also get Giant’s PFT – Particle Flow Technology – pockets in the padding and reviewer Liam found it resulted in no numbness or sore spots.

The ISM PR 1.0 is a great saddle for keen riders and racers, offering excellent support and comfort. The ISM PR 1.0 saddle is an unusual shape with its split nose and a wide rear platform, but don’t let that put you off. It’s very comfortable under the sit bones and reduces pressure on the soft tissue in the perineal area.

The ISM PR 1.0 saddle is by no means light at 327g on the road.cc scales of truth, and the steel rails don’t help there – though the satin finish looks good and the quality seems high.

If you’re looking to switch to this saddle, ISM recommends you build up the distance slowly, simply because it’s so different to most.

The Prologo Dimension 143 CPC Tirox is a saddle for people who know exactly where they want to sit and want to be kept there. It’s short, fairly wide and surprisingly comfortable, delivering an excellent, unobtrusive ride feel without fuss or gimmicks.

At 245mm long, the Dimension 143 CPC Tirox is significantly shorter than your typical performance saddle, so it won’t suit riders who like to slide backwards and forwards a lot; there’s basically nowhere to slide to.

As well as limiting your freedom to move around by its shape, this version of the Dimension saddle is topped with sections of Prologo’s Connect Power Control (CPC) material. Prologo claims CPC provides ‘vibration absorbing, grip and position stability’ and a whole lot more, but it’s obvious when you use a CPC saddle that the main thing it does is grab you by the Lycra and keep you in place.

If you like the idea of CPC but want a different saddle shape, there are plenty of other options in Prologo’s range.

The Repente Quasar is a racy saddle that’s very comfortable and exceptionally light for the price. If you like to ride hard and fast, with your saddle high and handlebar low, then you’re probably the type of rider who is interested in a flat saddle.

Repente’s Quasar is well suited to this kind of riding, but unlike some racier saddles, which can be stiff and uncompromising, it’s actually very comfortable – good enough, even, for endurance riding, according to tester Hollis. 

Unlike the more expensive Repente saddles which have carbon fibre rails, the Quasar’s are 304-hardened stainless steel. Despite the Quasar having less exotic stainless steel rails rather than carbon fibre, Repente has managed to keep the weight down to an impressive 170g. Saddles of a similar weight tend to be vastly more expensive. 

The Repente Spyd 3.0 is a high-performance saddle that is suitable for both on and off-road riding as well as both male and female riders. The Spyd 3.0 is marketed as a ‘Close Fit’ saddle, designed to reduce pressure on the ischial bones and it certainly has an unusual shape, with an almost vertical edge where it widens for the ‘sitting’ area.

It also features a central channel that runs the length of the saddle to relieve perineal pressure, and the same location on the saddle base has a section removed too. Matt described this saddle as providing “outstanding comfort on even the longest rides”. 

The Spyd 3.0 comes in two widths, 132mm and 142mm, measured at the widest point. Repente claims a weight of 165g (+/- 5%) for the narrower 132mm version; our 142mm saddle was 175g.

The Ritchey WCS Cabrillo saddle is a great all-rounder with a shorter and wider unisex design aimed at road and gravel riders. At first glance, it would easily pass as a traditional road saddle but at 260x146mm the WCS Cabrillo is a little shorter. It is a one-size-only design though. 

As a unisex-design saddle, it comes with a perineal channel rather than a cutout. Tester Shaun says, “The pressure-relieving groove did its thing without fuss, which was another pleasant surprise given that ‘unisex’ can have the potential for being the worst of both worlds”. 

Ritchey also makes a cheaper Cabrillo model with chromoly rails if you’re on a tighter budget.

The Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow saddle is one of the most widely recommended women’s saddles out there and for very good reasons. It’s comfortable, flexible, light and it even looks good too.

Plenty of padding ensures long-ride comfort, and the long cutout section relieves pressure on soft tissue. The cover is made from full-grain leather and the finish is good. Overall, this puts in a superb performance at a very good price.

The Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow saddle is the most expensive saddle we’ve reviewed here at road.cc. With an RRP of £439.99 and a weight of just 119g, that works out to £3.70 per gram. Teaming up with Dallara, an Italian company that makes composite products for F1 cars, the saddle features Suspension Link Movement technology for a more comfortable ride and a ridiculously low weight.

With no padding, this saddle leaves no room for error and won’t suit everyone, but reviewer Simon found it surprisingly comfortable if it fits your anatomy. He described it as ‘the ultimate concept saddle, showcasing all of Selle Italia’s expertise.

Selle San Marco’s Shortfit 2.0 3D Carbon FX saddle is a short nose saddle that has a 3D printed cover which is a lattice of interconnecting ‘threads’, with spacing varying throughout to alter the cushioning in different areas to provide optimum comfort and support. As well as the different cushioning zones, the saddle has a central cutout to reduce pressure on the perineum. 

Tester George says, “I found it incredibly comfortable and supportive, which comes down to a combination of both the shape working well for my body and the makeup of the saddle.”

There are two versions of the Shortfit 2.0 3D saddle, the Carbon FX on test, and the Racing, with the only difference being the material used for the rails. The Carbon FX’s are carbon, while the Racing has stainless steel rails. 

The Specialized S-Works Romin EVO saddle is brilliant for riders with a low, aero riding position. This high-end model weighed just 131g on our scales and gives the stiffest pedalling platform in the range. The finish is very clean too – it’s an easy saddle to recommend.

Tester Liam writes: “What you’re getting from the Romin is a relatively long saddle, with a central cutout Specialized says helps maintain blood flow. This channel is narrower than found on their own stubbier saddles, such as the S-Works Power Mirror.

“The shape flows down from the rear and falls away at the nose. The idea is that the saddle supports you in an aero tuck, with your torso nice and low. My personal experience is that it does this very well. When racing, the saddle helps me to stay planted as I chew the bars, trying desperately to avoid getting dropped. On more relaxed rides, my road bike position still puts me down low at the front. This is where I’m most comfortable, so for my road riding, the Romin is perfect.”