The Best Bike Seat Covers for All Saddle Types
The Best Bike Seat Covers for All Saddle Types
Why consider a bike seat cover? If you’re not ready to say goodbye to an older, but worn saddle, a cover is a great way to extend its life a little longer. Bike seat covers can also add more padding or panache to your ride, making your bike more customized to your needs and preferences. Saddle covers are also great for stationary bikes, as well as commuter bikes and beach cruisers, which may see more sunlight than the high-end mountain bikes or road bikes you keep in the garage. Thankfully, most bike seat covers are inexpensive, and there are models designed to fit any kind of ride.
The Best Bike Seat Covers
What to Consider
Whether you’re looking for a bike saddle cover that provides some cushioning or one that just protects your existing bike seat, there are a number of things you should consider before you make a purchase.
As always, consider your use. You’re not going to want an extremely wide seat cover for a narrow road or mountain bike seat. Conversely, if you’re riding a bike with a wider seat, a narrow bike seat cover won’t do. Make sure the saddle and cover sizes are properly matched.
Also, cushioned bike seat covers add padding and volume to a main contact area with your bike. If you’re riding with a thick, padded chamois, you may lose too much of the feel of the seat underneath you as you ride. However, with the right bike seat cover, you may not need a chamois at all!
Saddle/Cover Size
Bike seats come in a number of different sizes. Except for kids' bike seats, most are about 11 inches long. The main differences are in width. Bike seats for road bikes tend to be the narrowest, at as narrow as 5.5 inches at their widest. Seat covers for these saddles are either called small or narrow.
Larger seats, like those designed for cruisers or some stationary bikes, can be much wider, sometimes measuring up to 11 inches wide. Seat covers for these bikes are considered large.
Some of these seat covers are offered in multiple sizes—usually large and small—to meet the needs of different users.
Comfort
If you’re looking for a bike seat cover primarily for comfort, you’ll want one with ample padding. If you’re looking for one to just cover your seat, you’ll want one with less or no padding. That said, most seat covers have at least some padding.
For riders who plan to use the seat cover for long, hot days on the bike, look for a chambered seat cover with indents in the middle that allow for more ventilation. This design style will keep you cooler and less sweaty on hot summer days.
Padding
The padding on most seat covers is either made of gel or foam. Some use a combination of both. Some models even use memory foam as part of the padding. Memory foam is ideal to use in models designed for long-distance rides, as it not only provides padding, but conforms to your shape better than other materials.
Materials
Where a bike seat is typically covered with leather or a leather-like material, most seat covers use a variety of materials and are topped with a spandex-type material that allows the foam or gel underneath to flex better than a leather-type cover can.
Since seat covers use materials that are more prone to being penetrated by water than bike seats, some come with waterproof covers. These are also good to use when leaving the bike out in the sun for weeks and months as it will protect the seat cover from UV degradation.
Stability
An important factor in a bike seat cover is its stability or its ability to stay in place once it’s attached to the seat. This is usually accomplished with a strong band of elastic around the back and sides of the seat cover, a drawstring, and/or fasteners or ties under the mid or front of the seat cover. When attached properly, the seat cover shouldn’t slip atop the seat at all. When attached improperly, a seat cover may feel like it’s sliding around as you ride, which reduces comfort.
How We Selected
We evaluated the top-rated bike seat covers available through Amazon and Walmart, judging them on materials, durability, and versatility. All of the bike seat covers we've selected are user favorites, as well, with each receiving an average customer rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars.
For more accessories that can make every ride a bit more enjoyable, check out our picks for the best bike fenders, handlebars, and bike stems.
Whether you’re looking to improve your ride comfort, extend the life of your seat, or add some color and style to your bike, here are the best bike seat covers!
