Best women’s road bike saddles: Say goodbye to numbness and discomfort

Riding an uncomfortable saddle is something we have likely all had to deal with, but it doesn't need to be that way. While saddle discomfort has long been an issue in women's cycling, this guide aims to help you find the best women's road bike saddle for your needs. 

Saddle comfort can be a silent barrier to entry for female cyclists. Women come in all different shapes and sizes, especially down there, therefore, what might suit one rider in testing may not suit another, as saddles are a very personal thing. Therefore, this guide includes saddles liked by many different testers, not just one. 

For example, our tester Charlotte has fairly wide sit bones (or ischial tuberosity to give it the technical name), so opts for around a 150mm width saddle. Relieving frontal soft tissue numbness and friction is her priority, so she tends to opt for a saddle with a decent cutout as well as a wider width at the back. This allows for forward hip rotation when riding hard and comfort when sitting more upright when relaxing or climbing. 

These days, the best road bike saddles from most of the top brands will also often be an item you can buy and return within around 30 days to ensure it's right. Other companies will also offer saddle testing where they will send out a test saddle (like with the Selle SMP saddles I had) and it's also worth asking bike shops and online retailers if returns are allowed for saddles after a testing period.

It's also worth mentioning that finding the best women's bib shorts will also help with comfort.

Quick list

Best women's road bike saddles available today

Best women's road bike saddle

Designed with Specialized’s Body Geometry technology and crafted from titanium rails with a cut-out and the option of different widths, the Power Expert short nose saddle is a brilliant option for anyone wanting a specific width saddle with a decent size cut-out in the middle. Not only is this a popular option for women but a lot of men really like this saddle too, thanks to its ability to relieve numbness. 

Full disclosure, this has been my saddle of choice for the last five to six years. When using this saddle, I noticed how much more supported my sit bones feel than other saddles I’ve used. Finding this one really was the turning point of no longer having to tell coaches I needed time off to rest my southern regions. With this saddle, I can easily perch on the nose, which makes it great for racing and riding in an aggressive position. I’ve also used it on my cyclocross bike, trail bike and XC bike. 

Not only is it my pick as the best women's saddle, but it's actually designed as a unisex option. Therefore it’ll suit the vast majority of people. In terms of pricing, it’s reasonable when compared to other similar saddles at £115.00 / €150.00 / $190.00. There are other versions of this saddle, namely the S-Works Power with FACT carbon shell and rails, but I really like the comfort of the titanium rail option. 

Best carbon fibre saddle

The Pro Stealth Superlight is not the cheapest option because as the name suggests, it is super light. Starting at 130g and consisting of a one-piece rail and base that are carbon fibre make it a featherweight option. But so many women, in spite of it being a unisex saddle, seem to love this offering from PRO, so I just had to test it out to see what all of the hype was about.

I truly cannot believe how much I liked this saddle. I was really surprised by how comfortable it was to perch on the end, which is something I’ve often struggled to do or just found much too uncomfortable on other saddles. But when moving forward during efforts it was super comfy thanks to the wide as well as flat nose and generous cut-out that runs fairly far along the saddle. I also found that the padding, which is fairly minimal, was so comfortable, even after 4 plus hours of riding.

All in all, I think this is a really fantastic saddle and I’d even go as far as to say I would purchase this myself and maybe swap my Specialized Power Expert saddle for. However, when fitting the saddle, it’s important to note that the rails are not the standard size due to being oval, so you will need a different seatpost clamp that's compatible. The PRO Stealth is also available in a ride range of variations, so if full carbon is overkill for you, other Stealth options are well worth a look.

Head over to our Pro Stealth Carbon Saddle review for more details.

Best top performance saddle

This saddle is loved by many, including during previous testing here at Cyclingnews.

It is popular for good reason too. With the Mimic memory foam centre (where the cut-out is on the regular Power saddles) and an option of two widths, it’s a comfortable option for women needing extra cushioning at the front.

Not only did it gain an impressive five stars during our review but a lot of bike fitters have suggested this saddle to friends and women I have spoken to who have struggled to find a saddle that is comfortable and fixes their issues. If it's trusted by bike fitters and has helped many women find comfort on the bike, it’s definitely worth a try.

At $275.00, it is a little on the pricey side compared to the $155.00 Power Expert, but if you can afford it, manage to get one to try out or find one in a sale, it’s definitely worth trying. 

If you want to find out more about why we love this saddle, check out our Specialized Power Pro Elaston with Mimic saddle review.

Best value

Featuring a combination of carbon-reinforced nylon shell and alloy rails, this saddle from Fizik has been designed specifically with endurance riding in mind. This is also another short-nosed option that benefits from Fizik’s proprietary Type 2 foam formulation, which is noticeably thicker around the ischial area at the back for added support. 

This saddle has to be one of my favourite saddles I’ve ever used. It was seriously comfy thanks to the supportive width (I used the 150mm). My sit bones felt very well supported when I was sat more into the back of the saddle. Then when I was doing efforts, I felt sitting towards the nose of the saddle to be no issue at all. In comparison to the other saddles, I felt the wider cut out (it has the widest cut out compared to all the other saddles of this style I tried) really improved numbness and pain in my soft tissue region at the front.

With regards to the pricing, I feel £99.99 / €109.00 / $109.99 RRP is a really brilliant price for such a comfortable and high-quality saddle. The weight is also good at 241g for a 150mm width, which certainly doesn't compare to the super light nature of saddles such as the PRO Stealth Super light at 146g, but that is considerably more expensive.

Guy reviewed the Fizik Vento Argo R5 but it still covers plenty of relevant points.

Best long nose saddle

Moving away from the popular short-nosed saddle with the LUCE, which looks a lot more like the classic longer-nosed saddles but with the option of two widths, 145mm and 155mm. The saddle itself features carbon rails (oval again, so make sure your clamp is compatible) and a carbon-reinforced nylon shell for flexibility and comfort.

Now, I have to say, this saddle wasn’t quite the right fit with my anatomy as I prefer a short nosed saddle with a much bigger cut out. But for a more classic style, it was much more comfortable than I thought it would be. I did notice the difference in terms of relieving pressure and preventing numbness thanks to the small cut-out section within the middle and I felt that the wider width (I tested 155mm) was very comfy and supported my sit bones without any pain or numbness for hours. But in terms of perching on the edge of the saddle, I personally was not as comfortable but this won’t be an issue for some due to body differences. 

To round it up, I feel that this saddle is a great option for road racing and general comfort. In terms of pricing, I feel that £164.99 / €179.00 / $199.99 it's a reasonable RRP given the comfort offered as well as the high quality of the product, especially given it’s made from carbon. It's a really solid option that women should definitely try.

Best for padding

In terms of finding a generously padded saddle that still benefits from a middle cut-out to go on a bike that doesn’t look too bulky nor add a ridiculous amount of weight to your bike, then this will be a really great option to consider. With the option of either AISI or carbon rails (the latter allowing for weight savings), there's also some choice depending on your budget.

I knew this saddle wouldn’t exactly be for a rider like myself as I want a light option with minimal padding. But in terms of comfort, the gel padding and cut out of this saddle is something a lot of female riders will love, especially those who don’t want a lightweight, short-nosed option. It’s also important to note that this saddle is not usually yellow and red, this is just the test saddle in case that puts you off.

Overall, for £115 / €120 / $150 I feel this saddle is pretty good value given the comfort and padding provided. A more generic highly padded saddle would be less in terms of pricing but the comfort is very unlikely to match that of the Well M1. Therefore, it’s well worth contacting Selle SMP to have a test saddle like this one sent out to you if you think this could be one for you.

Best 3D printed saddle

We all know that if something is 3D printed then it’s automatically cool, right? Engineered using zonal cushioning and featuring carbon rails, this really is a beautifully designed piece of equipment, arguably art. But, how does this cool saddle fair after many hours? Surprisingly well actually. 

From the off, I have to admit I was sceptical this saddle would squish my vulva as it doesn’t feature a cut out like some of the other Fizik Argo saddles. However, where the cut-out would normally be, the cushioning is much softer, similar to that of the Mimic, below. Therefore, I didn’t feel anywhere near the pressure I thought I’d feel. I did feel it marginally but the actual support of the saddle and overall cushioning effect from the 3D technology was very good. I moved around and found sitting more upright perfectly comfortable, it was just when trying to perch more forward I was a tad uncomfortable due to the lack of a cutout.

With everything said, I think this is a great saddle. It is, however, another saddle with oval rails, meaning you will need to have a seat post clamp that is compatible with oval and at £249.99 / €299.00 / $299.99 it is rather expensive. 

Best narrow saddle

Not all women are built the same, which is why this narrower saddle (width 138mm) is a great option for women who have narrower sit bones and, therefore, aren’t going to fit the other saddles in the list. This option features a cut out that runs along the length of the nose, and with the option of either AISI 304 or carbon rails. Having spoken to a lot of women, the Dynamic is a bit of a cult classic in terms of women’s saddles.

Because this saddle is the wrong width for me, I will instead focus on the rest of the saddle, rather than unfairly criticise it. What I can say is that the pressure often felt on the soft tissue/vulva area was very much reduced, thanks to the cut-out section that runs along the middle of the saddle. I was really impressed and could easily see why so many women have raved about how comfy they find this model. 

All in all, this saddle is a great option for female riders with narrower sit bones. It’s not particularly padded either, which makes it a good choice for those wanting minimal padding. However, it is on the pricier side of saddles with an RRP of £205.00 / €210 / $270.00 which is much more than other popular saddles such as the Fizik TEMPO ARGO R5 at £99.99 / €109.00 / $109.99 RRP. 

How to choose the best women's road bike saddle

There are a few things to think about when choosing a saddle for your needs. Here, we'll run through some key considerations.

Whatever your gender, when it comes to choosing a saddle, first try to figure out what your needs may be. Getting your sit bones measured from the off will be hugely useful as most saddles come in a range of widths to match up to your sit bone measurement. 

Then think about the issues you may be having with your current saddle and what features on other saddles do you think may fix this. For example, if your current saddle does not have a cut-out and you suffer from numbness in your vulva region, then a saddle with a cut-out is a great shout. 

The best way to know what you need is to go and get your sit bones measured and have saddle mapping if possible. Luckily, a lot of bike shops have the equipment to measure your sit bones which will honestly make a world of difference in terms of your saddle fitting and supporting you correctly. Therefore, it’s great to prioritise trying to get this done.

But as previously mentioned, a lot of retailers and brands will allow you to test out the saddles via a trial period, or via a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s worth enquiring to see if this is an option when looking for a new one.

FAQs

How we test women's saddles

After an initial period of research, testing consisted of bringing in a range of saddles that were highly regarded by fellow female cyclists which were then tested and ridden, usually over several months, to get a clear understanding of their capabilities and limits.

Our testers used each saddle for a number of training miles to see how it felt: allowing for a longer period to get used to it and for any issue to crop up over time. 

We are committed to a robust testing process as documented in more detail in our guide to how we test.