The saddle is one of the most underrated pieces of triathlon equipment. Of course, you could have, a shiny new helmet, the perfect pair of triathlon shoes or some aero-optimised triathlon wheels, but none of that matters if you are uncomfortable on your saddle.
A saddle can be the difference between riding to the win and riding in pain. Comfort is king, so as the best triathlon saddles help you stay comfortable, aerodynamic, and injury-free, they are in turn helping you to go faster. Triathletes are some of the toughest athletes in the world in large part due to the fact that they stayed planted in the saddle for hours at a time (and then run a marathon afterwards, for those racing Ironman).
For this article, we tried and tested the best triathlon saddles, and crafted a list of our 10 favourites for men, women, beginners, and seasoned professionals, but before diving into it, let’s take a closer look at triathlon saddles, and what makes one different from another.
The shape of a triathlon saddle is hugely important, with some saddles being wider or narrower at certain points. There is no “best shape” for a triathlon saddle, so we will go into detail about each saddle and explain why its shape is better for certain riders over others. The overall width of the saddle will change the amount of support that you feel in the saddle – the wider the saddle, often the more support it will give. Again, “support” is not a better/worse term, but it is often more important for beginner-level triathletes.
Central cutouts are a popular trend in both triathlon and the best road bike saddles, but again, there is no “best cutout for triathlon.” Instead, it is mostly down to personal preference, how big you want your cutout, how deep it runs through the saddle, and which riders benefit most from it. We will go into detail on each and every saddle.
When it comes to the actual materials in the saddle, we can look at the texture and density of each saddle as a major reference point. Again, there is not a leading material, but there are certain trends that work better for certain triathletes. Those with an angled seat position, for example, might prefer a rougher or stickier saddle, while beginner-level riders may prefer a softer and smoother saddle so that they can easily change their seat position.
Without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the best triathlon saddles available today.