Most Comfortable Bike Seat: 7 Saddles for Upright Riders

If your bike seat hurts after ten minutes, you have probably already tried the obvious fix: a bigger, softer saddle, maybe a gel cover on top. And it still hurts, or it hurts somewhere new. That is because comfort on a bike seat is mostly a width problem, not a padding problem, and the number on the box is not the number that matters.

Below are seven saddles built for riding upright: on a city bike, a hybrid, a cruiser or an exercise bike at home. Each one has its width, weight, price and what is wrong with it.

The short version

Saddle	Width	Best for	Price (Sept 2026)
Brooks C67	200 mm	Upright riding, no break-in, rain-proof	$130
Brooks B67	205 mm	Upright riding on rough roads, with springs	$160
Selle Royal Respiro Relaxed	227 mm	The widest here, for a fully upright commute	about $90
WTB Comfort	174 mm	A cheap, sensible width for a hybrid	$65
Terry Cite Y Gel	173 mm	Cruisers and short upright rides	$60
Terry Liberator X Gel	163 mm	Long upright rides for sensitive riders	$90
BiSaddle Health+	100 to 240 mm, adjustable	When you do not know your width yet, rated to 350 lb	$199

Prices are the makers’ list prices on 19 September 2026. Selle Royal lists in euros (€89.90), so the dollar figure is approximate.

Why the number on the box lies a little

Saddle width is measured across the widest point of the shell. But a shell curves down at the edges, and the part that falls away steeply is not somewhere your sit bones can rest. One maker publishes a rule for this: the usable area of a saddle runs up to the outer points from which the saddle drops more than 1 cm downwards. Two saddles both listed at 200 mm can offer different amounts of flat seating surface, which is why a flat-topped saddle can feel wider than a rounded gel one carrying the same number.

The other half of the equation is you. The width you need is your sit bone spacing plus an allowance, and the allowance depends on how upright you ride. The bike-fitting trade writes it as width of sit bones plus an amount defined by the manufacturer, and the amounts differ: one saddle maker says a 120 mm sit bone width suggests a 140 to 150 mm saddle, with the lower end of that range for a forward lean and the upper end, or more, for upright riding. Our guide to how to measure sit bone width takes five minutes and a piece of cardboard.

The seven saddles

1. Brooks C67: the upright pick that needs no breaking in

The C67 is Brooks’ vulcanised rubber saddle in its widest shape: 200 mm wide, 268 mm long, 485 g, designed, in the maker’s own words, for an upright riding position. The top is a sheet of vulcanised natural rubber stretched over the frame, so the sit bones rest on a surface that flexes rather than on foam that compresses. Brooks rates it for all weathers and says it needs no break-in period, which is the whole reason to pick it over the leather B67 below.

What is wrong with it. There is no foam: the top is a rubber sheet, so it does not sink under you the way gel does, and if gel is all you know the first ride can feel hard. It also weighs nearly half a kilo, which matters not at all on a city bike. $130.

2. Brooks B67: the sprung leather classic

The B67 is the same width idea in vegetable-tanned leather on a sprung steel frame: 205 mm wide, 260 mm long, 850 g. Brooks makes it for what it calls an upright riding posture and for upright touring bikes, and the springs take the edge off potholes. Brooks says the leather moulds to the shape of the rider as the miles go by.

What is wrong with it. The break-in period is real, and at 850 g it is the heaviest of the six fixed-width saddles here. $160.

3. Selle Royal Respiro Relaxed: the widest

At 227 mm the Respiro Relaxed is the broadest saddle on this list, made for what Selle Royal calls its Relaxed riding position, the 90-degree, sit-straight-up one in its three-way scheme (45° Athletic, 60° Moderate, 90° Relaxed), with a top designed to keep you cool. If you sit bolt upright on a Dutch-style bike or an upright exercise bike, this is the shape that matches.

What is wrong with it. That width is a liability the moment you lean forward: the rear of the saddle catches the backs of your thighs. Only buy it if you really do ride upright. The maker lists it in euros, at €89.90.

4. WTB Comfort: the cheap sensible one

The WTB Comfort is 174 mm wide, 270 mm long, 390 g and $64.95, with a padded top and a wide rear designed for sit bone support. It is the saddle to try first if you ride a hybrid with your hands on flat bars: wide enough to support most sit bone spacings once you add the upright allowance, narrow enough not to rub.

What is wrong with it. WTB itself pitches the padding at casual rides of under five miles, so it is a commute-and-errands saddle, not a two-hour one. It comes in one width only, so if your sit bones measure at the high end you will want the Brooks or the Selle Royal instead.

5. Terry Cite Y Gel: for cruisers

Terry’s Cite Y Gel is 274 mm long and 173 mm wide, weighs 479 g and costs $59.95, with a centre cutaway and a thin gel layer. Terry describes it as made for an upright position and for half-day rides, which is honest about what a thin gel layer can do.

What is wrong with it. Terry itself rates it for half-day rides, and says it is designed for men or for riders with narrower sit bones. If your sit bones measure wide, the Liberator X or the three 200 mm-plus saddles above are the better fit.

6. Terry Liberator X Gel: for longer upright rides

The Liberator X is narrower, 249 mm by 163 mm, 411 g, $89.95, with a wider contoured rear and a large cutaway. Terry pitches it at riders who sit slightly more upright, cover distance and are sensitive on a saddle. If you ride for hours and the 200 mm saddles above feel like too much seat, this is the shape.

What is wrong with it. At 163 mm it is not a wide saddle. A rider with widely spaced sit bones who sits fully upright will sit on its edges.

7. BiSaddle Health+: the adjustable one

The Health+ is two halves on an adjustable steel frame, so the back width runs from 100 mm to 240 mm and the front from 50 to 75 mm, and you set both with the supplied Allen wrench. It weighs 917 g. It is the only saddle on this list whose maker publishes a rider weight limit, 350 lb, which for a lot of readers of this site is the number that decides the purchase.

What is wrong with it. It is heavy, it looks like a piece of medical equipment, and adjustability means you have to do the adjusting. It is also the most expensive here at $199.

About padding

Two of the makers above say something about padding that is worth more than any marketing line. WTB, describing its own plush Koda saddle, writes that thick padding lets the sit bones sink in for a cradled feel that maximises comfort for short distances but can end up causing more discomfort on lengthy rides. BiSaddle, which sells padded saddles, says the correct width is infinitely more important than extra padding.

Both are sellers talking about their own category, but they agree with each other: thick padding helps on a short ride and starts to press on soft tissue on a long one, because the tissue between the sit bones is now carrying weight. Fix the width, then decide how much padding you want on top of it.

Which one is yours

• You sit bolt upright, on a Dutch bike, a cruiser or a recumbent-style exercise bike. Respiro Relaxed, B67 or C67, in that order of width.
• You ride a hybrid or a flat-bar bike, hands out in front, back at a slight angle. WTB Comfort first for short rides, Liberator X if you ride for hours.
• You ride an upright exercise bike at home and want the seat to stop being the reason you skip it. C67, or WTB Comfort for short sessions. Six of the seven saddles here list a standard steel rail; Selle Royal gives no rail spec for the Respiro, so check before you buy.
• You do not know your sit bone width and do not want to guess. Health+, then measure and set it.

Whichever you pick, the frame it goes on has its own limit, which is a separate document: our guide to heavy duty exercise bikes lists ten models by their rated user weight.

Before you order

1. Measure your sit bones first, on corrugated cardboard, sitting the way you ride. Ten minutes, no cost.
2. Add for posture. Leaning forward, add about 20 mm; upright, add more. The makers’ own charts differ, so use the chart of the brand you are buying.
3. Check the rail clamp on your bike. Six of the seven list a standard steel rail and the Respiro page gives none; if your exercise bike has a moulded seat on a plain post, none of them will fit without an adapter.
4. Ride it indoors first and check the return terms. A width you have only read about is a hypothesis until you have sat on it for an hour.

More of our measured buying guides are in the sports gear section.

Where these numbers come from

Widths, lengths, weights and prices are from each maker’s own product page on 19 September 2026, linked on the saddle’s name. The usable-width rule, the sit-bone formula and the padding quotes are from the pages linked in the text, and all three of those companies sell the products they are describing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most comfortable bike seat for a heavier rider?

For upright riding, a saddle 200 mm or wider that supports the sit bones: the Brooks B67 (205 mm, sprung leather, $160), the Brooks C67 (200 mm, rubber, no break-in, $130) or the Selle Royal Respiro Relaxed (227 mm, about $90). The BiSaddle Health+ adjusts from 100 to 240 mm at the back and is the only one here that publishes a rider weight limit, 350 lb.

Is a wider bike seat more comfortable?

Only if you ride upright enough to sit on your sit bones. A wide saddle under a rider leaning forward rubs the thighs and puts the pelvis on the narrow front of the seat. Match the width to your sit bone measurement and your posture: upright riders can go wide, riders leaning over the bars want 145 to 160 mm.

Does more padding make a bike seat more comfortable?

Not for long rides. Thick gel lets the sit bones sink in and feels plush on a short ride, then the padding presses on soft tissue. One saddle maker says width matters infinitely more than extra padding; another warns that plush foam on its own comfort model is for rides under two hours. Get the width right first, then choose padding.

How do I know what width bike seat I need?

Measure the distance between your sit bones on a piece of corrugated cardboard, then add the amount the saddle maker recommends. The additions differ by brand, roughly 20 to 30 mm, and by posture: the more upright you ride, the more you add.