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Are you looking for the best mountain bike saddle? We researched over 50 models and purchased 16 to test and compare them side by side. The saddle is one of only three spots where your body makes intentional contact with your bike, arguably the most important from a comfort standpoint. Finding the right model can dramatically improve your experience on the bike. Our diverse selection was tested over the course of several months, thousands of trail miles, and hundreds of hours of pedaling. We scrutinized every aspect of each model's design, construction, comfort, and performance and analyzed how they stand up to each other. Whether you're a casual rider or a hardcore racer, there's a mountain bike saddle to suit your needs and budget.
There are some women-specific saddles on the market, like the WTB Koda Titanium included in this review. However, most mountain bike saddles are considered to be a genderless product, and any of these saddles are suitable for any rider.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on November 6th, 2023, to include new models from Specialized, SQlab, and WTB.
The WTB Volt Chromoly has been a staple in WTB's saddle range for many years. It is an incredible value, considering the level of comfort and performance it delivers. Not only is the Volt Chromoly a good value, but it's also very comfortable, with a classic design that has stood the test of time. A slightly cradled shape that rises gently toward the tail provides a comfortable and supportive platform, with medium density padding, shallow anatomical groove, and “Comfort Zone” cutout in the shell to reduce pressure in the center. At 239g for the 135mm width we tested, the Volt Race is also lightweight, considering the price. Testers found this saddle to offer exceptional versatility, with applications ranging from all disciplines of mountain biking to road riding.
The Volt is offered in three sizes, 135mm (tested), 142mm, and 150mm, to accommodate a range of sit bone widths. We were very impressed with the comfort and performance offered by a saddle at this price point, and we think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value in a mountain bike saddle.
The Spank Oozy 220 is a reasonably priced mountain bike saddle that impressed us most with its comfort. It comes in 144mm width, which worked well for our testers and should suit a wide range of sit bone widths. It has a shallow pressure relief channel that relieves the perineal area and a relatively flat side-to-side profile. It has a classic shape, though with an extra-wide nose that feels great when you get your weight forward on steeper climbs. The wings of the saddle have pressure zone contours that do a wonderful job of cradling the sit bones, and a little rise in the tail gives added support and helps to keep you in the sweet spot. The medium-density padding feels just right and stays comfortable on any length of ride. Additionally, the low-friction synthetic cover material combines with the snag-free shape to allow for unobstructed freedom of movement.
Our biggest concern with the Oozy 220 saddle is its weight. It's among the heavier saddles we've tested, tipping the scales at 280 grams — about 80 grams heavier than its lightest rivals. It's also only available in one width, and while we found it to be supremely comfortable, that may not work for everyone. Beyond that, we found little not to like about this reasonably priced saddle.
The Spank Oozy 220 seems pretty ideal for just about any type of mountain bike riding, and we'd even be willing to mount this saddle up on our gravel bikes for its comfort.
The WTB Koda Titanium was initially designed with the female rider in mind, but our testers found this comfortable saddle to be well-suited for male riders as well. This saddle impressed us most with its unbeatable comfort. WTB has employed their classic slightly cradled saddle shape on the Koda Team, a design that keeps the rider in the sweet spot and provides a little support as it rises gently towards the tail. An anatomical channel on the top of the saddle and a “Comfort Zone” cutout in the shell help to reduce pressure on the perineal area. This saddle has softer padding than our other top-performing saddles, which could reduce pedaling efficiency slightly, although we were too comfortable to notice. The Koda Titanium weighs in at an impressive 203g and is one of the lightest saddles we tested.
If we had to find fault with the Koda, it's that it is only available in medium to wider widths, 142mm (tested) and 150mm. Riders with narrow sit bones or those preferring a narrower saddle will probably want to look elsewhere, as will riders who prefer a stiffer and less cushy platform. For everyone else, we think the Koda Titanium is the most comfortable saddle out there and worthy of a look, regardless of your gender.
The SDG Components Bel-Air V3 is an excellent all-around bike saddle that particularly stands out in the metric of durability. For a mountain bike saddle, durability is not always on a buyer's radar, but many of us are rough on our bike saddles depending on how often we crash or how rowdy our bike transportation gets. The Bel Air V3 offers a vacuum-sealed, seamless top with welded edges that stood up to everything we threw at it and came out looking almost as good as it did off the shelf. Most importantly, the Bel Air offers this durability in a package that still is incredibly comfortable, whether on a cross-country ride or a more technical endeavor. Its nylon glass base gifts riders with excellent power transfer in each pedal stroke, and we were very impressed with this saddle's uphill pedaling performance, where its shape allowed for multiple pedaling positions, though some riders prefer to be locked into one.
Our biggest concern with the SDG Bel Air V3 saddle is its size options or lack thereof. Comfort is still our most important metric, and if this saddle doesn't fit your sit bones, you're out of luck. Our testers' sit bones, fortunately, worked with the Bel Air's size and subsequently loved the saddle, so we'd recommend this option to anyone looking for an exceptional saddle with an emphasis on durability… as long as this saddle fits you.
The Tioga Spyder Outland is an attention-grabbing and unique-looking mountain bike saddle. The design of this saddle is intended to reduce weight while also distributing the rider's weight over a flexible web of material that is suspended over a carbonite skeleton of sorts. The result of this innovative design is the lightest saddle in our test, weighing in at 202g with the included anti-slip pads and a featherlight 178g when used without. While it looks like it might not be all that comfortable, the Spyder Outland's flexible web seat cover surprised our testers with a comfortable and suspended feel, different from most other saddles we tested. On the trail, this saddle performed well, with a narrow width and tapered tail that provided excellent freedom of movement.
The Spyder Outland is only offered in one width, and at 125mm, it is the narrowest saddle we tested. This width won't work for everyone, but if you have narrow sit bones or prefer a narrower saddle, then this could be a good option for you. The Tioga Spyder Outland may scare some people off with its distinctive looks and unorthodox design, but this saddle delivers an impressively lightweight and surprisingly comfortable package, assuming you need or want a narrower saddle.
The unique construction and material of the Tioga Spyder Outland makes it lightweight and durable.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
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Testing saddles in stunning coastal California terrain.
Credit: Heather Benson
Why Trust GearLab
Our testers drew on their decades of cycling experience when researching products for this review. We spent hours searching the internet to find the best and most popular mountain bike saddles before selecting 11 to test and compare side-by-side. We launched a deep-dive investigation into each saddle's shape and construction, performed a drag test to examine durability, weighed each model, and most importantly, we spent a bunch of time in each saddle while mountain biking. Each option was taken on all rides, from backyard laps to all-day backcountry epics. Saddles were frequently swapped between laps for a more direct side-by-side comparison. We made sure every saddle's comfort was assessed fairly by taking rides on them when our seat areas were fully rested.
Our testing of mountain bike saddles is divided across five rating metrics:
Comfort (30% of overall score weighting)
Performance (20% weighting)
Durability (20% weighting)
Weight (20% weighting)
Versatility (10% weighting)
Our bike saddle review is led by our Senior Mountain Bike Review Editor Jeremy Benson and Review Editor Zach Lovell. Benson has been mountain biking since the early '90s and has called the Lake Tahoe, CA, area home for the past 19 years. He is also the author of Mountain Bike Tahoe, published by Mountaineers Books. Lovell started mountain biking two decades ago and has been living and pedaling in mountain biking capitals such as Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO, and Bellingham, WA, ever since. While his grade point average was tested, he even went to college in Gunnison, where mountain biking, among other outdoor sports, was a daily necessity rather than beer pong. Whether testing out a bike product or just enjoying a ride, Lovell and Benson collectively spend over 22 hours a week in the saddle throughout the season. This much time on the bike makes them acutely aware of saddle fit, shape, padding, and performance for all applications and able to discern even the most subtle of differences between products.
It seems like a quality product that should stand the test of time. The cover appears to be well bonded to the shell, with reinforced edges on the wings.
At 243g, the Phenon Comp won't win any awards for its weight, but it's respectable and there are lighter versions available.
Mountain bikers spend lots of time in the saddle, a comfortable one can make all the difference in the world.
Analysis and Test Results
Over several months, our testers pedaled their oversized leg muscles as hard as they could while testing the various saddles in our test selection. The wealth of trails across the Western US provided an impressive variety of rides to put these saddles through their paces, from Lake Tahoe to Crested Butte to the Southwestern Desert. Fickle mountain and desert weather also provided an array of trail conditions to examine each saddle's performance in many contexts, whether on the dry slickrock of Utah or the thunderstorm-soaked alpine trails of the Rockies.
Our gear-obsessed testers thoroughly used and abused each saddle, putting more than one hundred miles on each option, often switching between them mid-ride or between laps for comparison. Every aspect of each saddle's performance was scrutinized to identify strengths and weaknesses, and each model was rated on five predetermined metrics: comfort, performance, versatility, durability, and weight. The scores from these ratings were combined to determine our overall winners and top-performing mountain bike saddles. We also performed a weighted drag test for each saddle to objectively examine durability. Read on to find out how these saddles compare to each other and to find the best one to suit your needs.
Value
At OutdoorGearLab, it is our goal to find the best and highest-performing products in any given test. We feel that it is a bonus when those products are also a good value. Hands down, the best value-to-performance ratios in our test were the WTB Volt Chromoly and Spank Oozy 220.
Long rides, short rides — the right mountain bike saddle can make all the difference in the world.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Comfort
A bike saddle must, first and foremost, be comfortable to sit on. While the level of comfort needed will depend on what type of biking you're doing and how much performance you demand, every biker is considerate of their hindquarters. A variety of factors play into the comfort of a mountain bike saddle, including width, length, padding, shape, and anatomical cutout (or lack thereof). Comfort is subjective, of course, but we did our very best to determine which saddles are the most comfortable and why. One important factor in the overall comfort of any saddle is the fit, so be sure to get the appropriate width for your sit bones. Getting the appropriate width saddle makes all the difference in the world. If you're not sure what works best for you, we recommend having your sit bones measured at a shop. You can also do this at home, and there are helpful tips online.
In the end, the most comfortable saddle in our test was the WTB Koda Titanium. The Koda was designed for women, but it turns out that it's excellent for anyone. Its short length, medium width, softer padding, slightly cradled shape, and anatomical depression made it a tester favorite, a saddle that everyone wanted to keep.
Comfort is always subjective, and various manufacturers come up with wildly different designs to address it. The Koda Team up top and the Tioga Spyder is below.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
During testing, we also discovered that a comfortable saddle doesn't have to be expensive. The WTB Volt was no slouch in the comfort department and costs less than half as much as most of its competition. The Volt Race's slightly cradled shape, medium width, and anatomical groove proved to be quite agreeable, especially for extended periods of seated pedaling. Likewise, the Spank Oozy 220 impressed us with its pressure relief channel, pressure zone contours, wide nose, and a slight rise in the tail.
Top view of the Volt shows the teardrop shape and the shallow anatomical groove.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Performance
Most saddles perform their duties in a relatively similar way, but in the performance metric, we rate them on a combination of factors, including their shape, padding, and general level of comfort out on the trail. The more comfortable a saddle is, the better, but only as long as that comfort doesn't hinder your pedaling ability and your freedom to move about on the bike as needed when climbing and descending. Some saddle shapes are designed to allow the rider to move back and forth more freely and prevent snagging on baggy shorts, and believe it or not, some perform better than others out on the trail.
The less you notice your saddle, the better.
Credit: Heather Benson
Another of our top saddles in the performance metric is the WTB Volt, a long-standing model in their saddle range. The Volt has a great classic shape that is quite comfortable when seated, with a medium length and width that allows for plenty of freedom of movement. One of the best things about WTB saddles is that they also age well and seemingly only get more comfortable over time. The Volt is the kind of saddle that you mount on your bike and never think about again, and that's about as good as it gets.
Set it and forget it, the Volt Chromoly is a great saddle at a great price.
Credit: Heather Benson
We were also impressed by the performance of the SDG Components Bel-Air V3. It has a smaller and shorter profile than other options and offers a nylon glass base that offers excellent power transfer. The V3 also allows for multiple pedal positions, so we got the most out of the saddle on long flats and on the uphill grinds. The Ergon SM Pro also has a great design, and despite its softer feel, it still optimizes power transfer while climbing and seemingly disappears on the descents.
Testing the Scoop Race Shallow on a lovely spring day.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Versatility
Mountain bike saddles are generally made for one purpose, and that is mountain biking. Some saddles proved themselves to be more versatile than others, however, and are much more than one-trick ponies. Certain models are better for enduro, shuttles, or downhilling, while others are great for absolutely everything. Testers wouldn't hesitate to mount a few of the saddles in our test selection on every bike in their fleet — the road bike, gravel bike, trail bike, and shuttle rig. Those select few competitors scored much higher in this metric due to their overall comfort and better all-around performance.
The SQ Lab 60X proved itself to be a versatile performer as a saddle designed specifically with electric mountain bikes in mind but still holds its own on a human-powered bike, whether on the trail or cruising around town. Its active rails move up to 7 degrees left and right, following your pedaling motion, whether electricity is fueling your pedal stroke or not.
Credit: Zach Joseph Lovell
The SDG Circuit Ti Alloy is also a fine mountain bike saddle, but it lost a little ground in this metric for several reasons. Its moderate width and tapered tail allow for great and natural freedom of movement, but the flatter profile tends to put a little more pressure in places than testers would have liked. We felt this saddle would be well suited to riders who don't spend much time seated while pedaling or grinding up climbs but possibly ride chairlifts, shuttle, or who happen to like a stiffer or less contoured seat.
Comparing a wide and shorter saddle (R) with a longer and narrower saddle (L).
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Durability
The durability of mountain bike saddles is an important yet subtle metric to consider. In general, most models offer a similar level of durability, assuming you never crash and are gentle with your bike transportation. Since crashes and rough transit do happen, many manufacturers of mountain bike saddles have tried to negate the impacts of said crashes by incorporating abrasion-resistant materials in key places. The most common places for your bike saddle to impact the ground in the event of a crash are on the wings or the tail, and the highest-scoring saddles in our durability metric have abrasion-resistant materials sewn in to protect them from potential damage. Outside of the material itself, durability is also impacted by how that material is attached to the saddle - some brands use methods such as stapling, while others use more refined techniques such as vacuum sealing.
Our highest-rated saddle for durability is the SDG Bel Air V3. This is an impressive option with a completely seamless, vacuum-sealed microfiber top with welded edges. We put every saddle through the paces, including a weighted pull test where we drug each saddle with a weight for 30 feet on concrete. The Bel Air V3 looked nearly brand new even after all of our test rides, and we were shocked to discover minimal damage after our weighted drag test.
The Spyder Outland performed great on the trail, it was comfortable with a shape that was easy to move around.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Both of the WTB saddles in our test selection, the Volt Chromoly and the Koda Titanium, have the same microfiber seat material with a protective layer of abrasion-resistant material stitched on the outer parts of the tail on both sides. This material has taken its share of hits, and one of our testers has a two-season-old Volt that has seen plenty of hard crashes and has held up impressively well.
The abrasion-resistant material on the tail of the Volt.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
The SDG Components Circuit Ti-Alloy | SDG Circuit Ti-Alloy also scored well for durability due to its microfiber top and kevlar reinforced sides that wrap from the tail of the saddle almost to the nose on both sides. The SQlab Ergowave Active has a similar kevlar reinforcement that wraps entirely around its tail.
Weight
The weight of a saddle is the least subjective of all the metrics we rated for mountain bike saddles. In cycling, everything is subject to weight scrutiny, and saddles are no exception; in general, lighter is considered better. A mountain bike is the sum of its parts, and saving a few grams anywhere you can will help to keep that overall weight down. A saddle is an easy (and often less expensive) place to make some weight savings.
To measure this, we weighed each saddle on our trusty digital scale to determine the item's weight. Please bear in mind that these weights represent only the model tested. Most of the saddles we tested come in a range of constructions and corresponding price points that may affect their weight.
In the end, some of our award-winning saddles, the WTB Koda and the Tioga Spyder Outland, basically tied for top honors in the Weight metric at 203g and 202g, respectively. However, the Spyder has an edge since it can be used bare bones without the addition of the Anti-Slip padding at a shockingly low weight of 178g.
There's no substitute for a comfortable mountain bike saddle.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Conclusion
From a comfort standpoint, a mountain bike saddle is one of the most important pieces of equipment on your bike and can dramatically improve your everyday riding experience. Getting one that fits you right, performs well, and meets your budget is significant. Our team of mountain bike testers put in lots of time on the trail riding with these saddles, and we hope our detailed reviews and comparative analysis will help you in your quest to find the best mountain bike saddle for you.
