Best women’s bike saddles ridden and rated
As one of the few areas where a female-specific product can significantly enhance comfort, here is our guide to the best women's saddles
The best women’s bike saddle will allow you to ride comfortably as long and as far as you like.
Many women have a tempestuous relationship with the best bike saddles. We love bikes, and we need to sit on the saddle to enjoy them, yet many of us struggle to find a perch that provides the comfort we need.
The S-Works Power is popular among both male and female riders. Its big cutout and short nose suit an aggressive riding style. In fact, the Power is so popular that it is available in numerous versions.
Fitted to many of Liv's range of road bikes, particularly the Langma, one of our best women's road bikes. The Liv Alacra SL saddle has gained a notable following, thanks to affordability, excellant support and overall comfort.
While not a women's specific saddle, the Cadex Amp impressed our US editor, Rook. Even tempting her off, her tried and tested Ergon SR women's specific saddle after a pretty serious 352-mile race.
You need two things from your saddle when gravel riding: good shock absorption and the ability to move around freely. Both are covered excellently by the Selle Italia Flite Boost Gravel thanks to its high flex levels, large cutout and extra padding.
Michelle Cycling Weekly's Digital Editor is a big fan of the Romin Evo, noting that the shape is very comfortable regardless of finish. While she prefers the Romin Pro Evo, the standard Evo features Specialized's Mimic tech, which is designed to work with female anatomies.
While CW Digital Editor Michelle didn't like the Fizik Luce during testing due to having a racer position, she did notice improvements when in a more upright position and was able to get further back on the saddle.
Designed originally for female riders, the power is a hit with both genders
Our expert review:
The Specialized Power saddle is a firm favourite here at Cycling Weekly. While our full review is by Nick Busca due to its Unisex design, both our US Editor Rook and Digital Editor Michelle have complimented its performance. The short nose makes it perfect for riding in a low, aerodynamic position, while the generous cutaway in the centre helps to relieve pressure on your soft tissue.
It does lock you in one position, but we’ve found that position plenty comfortable, so it’s been no problem cycling the whole day without shifting around – other than standing up on the climbs.
The design has proved so popular that Specialized has developed a huge range of different models to suit an incredibly broad spectrum of riders. There are widths right down to 130mm for the narrowest of sit bones and all the way up to 168mm for those who are more widely spaced.
There are also options for different levels of padding and many different price points for varying levels of fancy materials and low weights. The design is also available in a futuristic lattice construction and with a soft insert plugging the gap, which we’ll get into next.
Read our full Specialized S-Works Power women's bike saddle review
Our expert review:
While you may not consider Liv for a saddle, the Alacra Sl is a solid choice and earned a Cycling Weekly Editor's Choice award way back in 2021. The Alacra is also fitted to some of Liv's road bike range, like the Liv Langma, which Hannah reviewed last year and awarded five stars.
At 248mm long, it's "semi-short," somewhere between a short saddle and the more traditional long-nosed designs. I liked the extra length, and the cut-out width suited me well. The saddle has a subtle curve, rising at the back, dipping in the middle, and tapering at the nose. Whether I used it on my road or gravel bikes, it offered a comfortable level of support. I'm happy to report that I experienced no unpleasant chafing, and Liv has really nailed the shape.
While I found the Alacra mostly comfortable, its single 155mm width was a bit narrow, which is frustrating. I'd love to see a slightly wider 168mm, similar to the Specialized.
Read our full Liv Alacra SL women's bike saddle review
Despite being only 242mm long, the Amp feels like a much longer nosed saddle
Our expert review:
As soon as you hold the Cadex Amp, you are immediately impressed. At just 131g/4.6oz, its sleek raw carbon finish shows off its exquisite craftsmanship and oozes speed.
Initially, I was sceptical of its “unisex” claims, but that quickly changed. From the first ride, the Amp proved to be exceptionally comfortable. Its carbon fibre construction, paired with foam, creates a supportive shape that effectively absorbs road vibrations. Despite my decades of experience and having tackled some challenging events, I still experience soreness. However, the Cadex's heavily curved shape significantly reduced friction, and not once during the testing did I feel the need to stop using it.
My main concern is the rails' durability. I recognize that integrated rail construction significantly contributes to the Amp's comfort. Yet, the blend of lightweight design and rugged or gravel roads raises questions about its long-term durability, especially when factoring in replacement costs.
Read our full Cadex Amp saddle review
There is a lot to be said for a pressure relief channel
Our expert review:
The Selle Italia Flite Boost Gravel Ti 316 Superflow not only has one of the longest names, but it is also available in an eye-watering 16 variants across its road and gravel platforms. Despite the extensive range, Selle Italia have been clever in their choices, skillfully combining the best features of their Endurance range with the expertise and innovations from their MTB versions.
The Superflow channel alleviates pressure on the perineum while in the drops, which is especially crucial on choppy terrain, while a blend of gel inserts and titanium rails enhances shock absorption. The surface material, Fibra-Tek, provides greater resistance to gritty wear and tear.
I was truly impressed by the Flite's comfort. Its Superflow shape and available widths ensured that weight was distributed through the sit bones correctly. I discovered that the shorter length still facilitated good movement, although it positions your weight slightly less forward if you prefer to rest on the saddle's nose during steep climbs.
Read our full Selle Italia Flite Boost Gravel TI 316 Superflow review
Our expert review:
I have tested several versions of Specialized's popular Romin saddle, including the Romin Evo Pro, for which I scored higher than the Mimic. So why am I featuring the Mimic and not the Evo Pro, I hear you ask?
Firstly, what is Mimicry? It is basically a combination of materials layered up in a way that helps relieve pressure on soft tissue.
What I really like about the Romin is its overall shape and longer nose, which lets me move around on the saddle. For some women who describe their labia as more ‘outie’ than ‘innie,’ an empty cutout can leave a space for them to ‘fall into,’ leading to chafing and swelling. The MIMIC insert still offers that pressure relief but helps to guard against that. For me, a cut-out is essential and like the Romin Evo Pro, it needs to be long and wide, which is why I slightly preferred that model.
That certainly does not diminish how good the Romin Mimic is; it is the saddle that ultimately led me to the Evo Pro. Its wide, rounded contouring is ideal for those who like to move around in the saddle. It's essentially the antithesis of the Power, which holds the rider in one fixed position.
Read our full Specialized Romin Evo Pro Mimic women's bike saddle review
Our expert review:
The Fizik Luce is long and flat, with a much wider rear and a narrow nose. This should allow for plenty of movement, so riders can rotate into an aerodynamic position when it suits them and roll back onto their sit bones when in a more relaxed stance. It comes in two widths, 144 and 155mm, and Fizik was particularly proud of how it made the 'wings' at the rear flexible so that they move as the rider pedals.
While my experience with the Luce was not favourable, as I prefer a much larger cutout, I can absolutely see how it could work for some. Some of the issues were the bike and the position I adopted on that bike. It has a racer geometry and leads me to lean forward into quite an aero position, which simply doesn't suit the Luce's design. What I attempted during testing was to force myself to sit more upright to find where the Fizik does work. Certainly, if your bike has a more upright position like those offered on the best endurance bikes, the Luce could be a really good option.
Coming in quite a bit more expensive than the Liv Alcara SL and only just under the Specialized Romin, both highly rated saddles, I wouldn't make the Luce your first choice, but if neither of those works out, the Fizik is waiting in the wings.
Read our full Fizik Luce S-Alloy women's bike saddle review
Cycling Weekly has a team of experienced testers who evaluate bikes, components, clothing, and accessories across various price ranges. Our expertise ensures a consistent and thorough perspective in our product scores, detailed on our How We Test page.
Testing saddles, helmets, shoes, and clothing can be challenging. The right saddle depends on individual anatomy, riding style, and flexibility—what works for one rider may not work for another. Our reviewers aim to communicate both the specifications and their experiences with each saddle, considering how different bikes and body types can influence performance.
During testing, our team often endures discomfort, particularly if they are not well-suited for them. Therefore, we carefully select saddles to ensure a better fit for our reviewers, allowing for more accurate feedback. This is particularly true when we are testing 'unisex' or women's specific saddles. To offer the best perspective and informed reviews, our women's saddle reviews are always undertaken by a female rider, whether one of our in-house tech team or a freelancer. For 'unisex' saddles, where possible, we always try to have two riders on them, one male and one female, to obtain the best possible overview of these types of products.
Michelle is a racer, having competed in road, track, and time trials over the years. She has also been testing bikes for many years, which means she has had to endure both good and, unfortunately, rather too many poor saddles in the pursuit of the perfect perch.
While Rook has competed at the elite and UCI levels, these days, she chooses to be less competitive and focused on adventure. That still means she puts some serious time in the saddle like her 13-hour slog to complete the 352-mile Unbound XL gravel race.
Rachel's first love is mountain biking, but if you think that means she doesn't know about saddles, you would be wrong. Rachel has put serious time in the saddle both on the road, as an indoor trainer, and, of course, off-road to become European and UK 24-hour Champion on multiple occasions.
You have a better chance of getting your saddle right in the first instance if you take some time to look at your riding style and current discomfort before you shop.
We've got a detailed guide to choosing the right saddle for you here - but here are some quick tips to help you make the right choice:
Get your sit bones measured: To offer adequate support, your saddle width should be wider than your sit bones. Most local bike shops offer a sit bone measuring tool (Selle Royal, Selle Italia, Fizik and Specialized all have these tools to be used by their dealers). To be clear, sit bone width has nothing to do with jean size - so don't base your saddle width on your clothing tag.
Consider how you sit on the bike: If you sit in an aggressive position - low and stretched out - then you will probably suffer more with soft tissue discomfort. These riders very often get on well with saddles that have a flat and short design and a large pressure relief area. If you sit further back in a more upright position, you'll likely want a curved saddle with more padding at the rear.
Soft tissue variation: Cobb Saddles did some very interesting research where they found correlations between the self-assessed physical appearance of a women's vulva, and the type of saddle she'd be likely to get on with. In summary, they found that 'innies' tended to like saddles with a narrow nose, whilst 'outies' liked those with a wider nose and relief channel.
Measuring sit bones
How to measure sit bones
Using a saddle that is the right width is one of the most important determinants of rider comfort. A saddle which is too wide or too narrow can see your weight being supported by areas and tissues which are really not best for that task. Ideally, you want your weight to be wholly supported by your sit bones. The width of these bones varies from person to person, but as a general rule, women’s tend to be a little wider, by nature of having wider hips designed for childbirth.
As your sit bone width reflects your underlying bone structure, it can bear little relation to your clothing size, so don’t just assume what yours might be. There’s a range of different ways that your sit bone width can be measured: from pressure mapping in a high-tech bike fit to bone measuring tools most local bike shops will be provided by their saddle suppliers.
Or a rather more rudimentary – but still effective – way to do it at home is with a piece of corrugated cardboard. Place it on a step or a chair so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees when sitting and measure the distance between the deepest point of the two indents.
As a general rule, these sit bone measurements equate to the saddle widths below, but each manufacturer will have their own suggestion, so make sure to consult their sizing guide.
Sit bone width
Saddle width
95mm
130mm
120mm
145mm
135mm
155mm
150mm
170mm
On-the-bike position
If you ride in an aggressive position, with your stem set up long and low, you’ll probably benefit from a shorter nose saddle. When bent forwards in that position, your hips likewise rotate forward, which can result in an uncomfortable pressure on your nether regions if the nose of the saddle is too long.
Conversely, if you ride in a more upright position, a long nose saddle isn’t likely to cause those issues, with your weight centred much more towards the rear of the saddle. Also, if you do like to move around (and not just because your current saddle is uncomfortable) a longer nose saddle provide a greater range of positions to cycle through.
Soft tissue variation
Soft tissue varies to a much greater extent than men’s, and so is a hugely important factor when it comes to choosing a saddle. In general, ‘innies’ tend to prefer saddles with a narrower nose, whilst ‘outies’ tend to get on with wider noses and relief channels.
But when it comes to relief channels, there is again a strong degree of variation. Some women will get on perfectly well with the complete freedom of an empty cutaway, while other will find that their soft tissue can ‘fall in’, which can lead to swelling on long rides. To solve this, there are saddles with very soft inserts, such as Specialized's Mimic line, which are designed to solve this exact problem - providing extra relief without causing problems with swelling.
Saddle height
Having your saddle height set incorrectly can cause all sorts of problems. Too high and you risk straining your joints and chafing as you lean from side to side to make the pedal strokes. Too low, and you again risk joint problems, putting too much pressure on your knees.
Bear in mind that different saddles have different stack heights, so you may need to adjust the height of your seat post when you make a change.
Good shorts!
If you're still struggling with discomfort, ensure your shorts aren't the cause. Good cycling shorts should feature a seamless chamois of an adequate width - and they need to fit to be effective.
Returns policy
Cut down the chance of feeling like you've wasted your money on an improper perch by checking out the returns policy. Some companies let you try before you buy, occasionally using a test saddle, whilst others offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Since saddles come in different prices for the same design, you might want to buy the budget model for a specific saddle and ride with that for a while before splashing out on a new high top-of-range saddle with the same shape and carbon rails.
When it comes to saddles, most (but not all) women will find a female specific design more comfortable.
Statistically, most women have wider sit bones than most men - so the rear of the saddle usually needs to be wider.
Cut outs and relief channels were initially designed to meet men's needs. However, the industry noticed that women tended to prefer them so now the majority of women's saddles come with some sort of gap or groove. The ideal shape is very much down to personal preference.