Best road bike saddles 2022 - lightweight and high-performance perches

Switching to a high-performance, lightweight saddle is one of the easiest ways to upgrade to save weight and improve comfort. Few component changes constitute a genuine upgrade as much as a new seat. The best road bike saddles can lop a substantial amount of weight off your bike, and make for a more comfortable ride at the same time.

• High-performance, lightweight saddles feature high-tech materials such as carbon fibre, titanium and lightweight foam padding

• Most lightweight saddles aren't cheap, but we've found several for under £100

• These are almost all firm seats for flat-back riding positions, but some brands do offer wider versions for more upright touring and gravel applications

• Lightweight rails need careful set-up; make sure your saddle clamp has no sharp edges

• Want something more conventional? Check our our guide to the best general-purpose saddles

Contents: the best lightweight high-performance saddles

• Nine Muses: the very best performance saddles
  • Best overall: Repente Prime saddle — ~£180.00
  • Best for women: Specialized Women’s Romin Evo Pro With MIMIC — £127.00
  • Best for racing: Specialized S-Works Romin EVO saddle — £255.00
  • Best on a (generous) budget: Selle San Marco Concor Racing — £94.99
  • Best bargain: Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow — £82.99
  • Best for total weight-weenies:Tune Skyracer — ~£240
  • Best for gravel: Fizik Antares R3 with K:ium rails — £114.99
  • Best short-nose saddle: Fizik Vento Argo R1 saddle — £148.00
  • Best money-no-object saddle: Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror — £390.00
• 20 more excellent lightweight saddles
  • Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive Saddle — £249.00
  • Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo saddle — £274.99
  • Giant Fleet SLR saddle — £129.99
  • Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow — £269.00
  • Selle Italia SLR Boost TI316 Superflow — £189.99
  • Fabric Line S Pro Flat — £104.99
  • Selle Italia SLR Boost Lady Superflow — £139.44
  • Repente Latus M — £188.99
  • Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio — £247.41
  • Prologo Dimension 143 CPC Tirox saddle — £144.99
  • Cadex Boost — £244.99
  • Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo — £249.00
  • Repente Aleena 4.0 — £320
  • Prime Primavera Carbon — £84.99
  • Specialized Women’s Ruby Pro — £95.00 (168mm width)
  • Fizik Luce R1 Carbon — £164.99
  • Fabric Scoop Flat Pro — £99.00
  • Selle Italia SLR Tekno — £292.99
  • Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow — £169.99
  • Prologo Zero C3 Nack — £252.44
• Stuff you need to know about lightweight saddles

Nine Muses: the very best performance saddles

The usual caveat applies here: saddle choice is personal and what fits the road.cc team's various bums may not fit yours. That aside, though, these are the best high-performance saddles you can currently buy.

Best overall: Repente Prime saddle — ~£180.00

Weight: 166g Hairsine ratio: 0.74

The Repente Prime gets our nod for best overall saddle for its combination of sensible weight, not-too-ridiculous price and excellent comfort; it's a great place to sit, even on an indoor trainer. And if you want more cushioning — for gravel riding, for example — then you can just swap out the padding for one of Repente's other covers. Damn clever.

Tester Big Dave writes: “I've previously tested Repente's top-end Aleena saddle and I got on well with it. The Prime, overall, is better: I found it more comfortable, it's better value and it's still very light.

“Repente's USP is the Repente Locking System. The base and the cover are two separate units; the cover locates into three holes in the base and is held in place with circlips. It's easy to unclip the cover and remove it, and because all the Repente saddles use the same system it's possible to swap the Prime cover for one of the others in the range. The base stays in place on your bike, so there's no need to fiddle about with your saddle position if you swap between covers.

“I found the Prime saddle, with its gently curved profile, a very comfortable place to sit. The Prime cover is more heavily padded than the more expensive Aleena, and has a similar cutout to keep the blood flowing to your undercarriage. It did that better than nearly any other saddle I've tried, most noticeably on the indoor trainer where you're holding the same position for a long time. That often leaves me feeling a bit numb, but it was never a problem with the Prime.”

Read our review of the Repente Prime saddle
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Best for women: Specialized Women’s Romin Evo Pro With MIMIC — £127.00

Weight: 182g Hairsine ratio: 0.93

Specialized's Women's Romin Evo Pro with MIMIC is a performance-orientated saddle that offers comfort and support for any kind of road ride. Fans of the company's Oura saddle are likely to be satisfied by this replacement: it's light, stiff and looks at home on any road racing bike.

Read our review of the Specialized Women’s Romin Evo Pro With MIMIC

Best for racing: Specialized S-Works Romin EVO saddle — £255.00

Weight: 131g Hairsine ratio: 0.66

The Specialized S-Works Romin EVO saddle is brilliant for riders with a low, aero riding position. This, the top-end model, shaves weight and also gives the stiffest pedalling platform of the range. The finish is very clean too – it's an easy saddle to recommend.

Tester Liam writes: “What you're getting from the Romin is a relatively long saddle, with a central cutout Specialized says helps maintain blood flow. This channel is narrower than found on their own stubbier saddles, such as the S-Works Power Mirror.

“The shape flows down from the rear and falls away at the nose. The idea is the saddle supports you when you're in an aero tuck, with your torso nice and low. My personal experience is that it does this very well. When racing, the saddle helps me to stay planted as I chew the bars, trying desperately to avoid getting dropped. On more relaxed rides, my road bike position still puts me down low at the front. This is where I'm most comfortable, so for my road riding, the Romin is perfect.”

Read our review of the Specialized S-Works Romin EVO saddle
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Best on a (generous) budget: Selle San Marco Concor Racing — £94.99

Weight: 187g Hairsine ratio: 1.19

The rebirth of a classic design from the late 1970s, the Selle San Marco Concor Racing Fluoro Flash Edition is a firm, light, racing-orientated saddle.

It's firm enough to provide a solid power base but offers enough flex to provide stability even on the longest of rides. It's a well made, supportive ride at a reasonable price.

Read our review of the Selle San Marco Concor Racing
Find a Selle San Marco dealer

Best bargain: Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow — £82.99

Weight: 130g Hairsine ratio: 2.05

The value for money winner of the Selle Italia saddles we've included, this carbon-railed saddle is feathery 120g but still boasts a layer of padding, albeit a thin, firm layer.

Find a Selle Italia dealer

Best for total weight-weenies:Tune Skyracer — ~£240

Weight: 66g Hairsine ratio: 0.98

Tune's Skyracer is a featherweight carbon saddle that provides surprising comfort. The cutout works well to relieve pressure and tester Liam was happy to use it for longer hill climb training sessions. The price does make it an expensive way to save weight, though.

The Skyracer uses a bare carbon construction that will please the weight weenies. At 66g it beats many of the hill climb favourites and the maximum rider weight of 100kg is impressive. It's also more comfortable than it looks Liam was still able to enjoy longer hill climb training sessions in relative comfort, though wouldn't want to do his normal road riding on it.

Read our review of the Tune Skyracer

Best for gravel: Fizik Antares R3 with K:ium rails — £114.99

Weight: 175g Hairsine ratio: 1.09

For riders with intermediate flexibility, the Antares is a light, comfortable road saddle with a good depth of padding. The K:ium rails — Fizik's hollow titanium alloy — help keep the weight down while it's comfortable thans to the Wingflex feature it shares with other saddles in the family.

Your weight is carried primarily on your sit bones which are easily supported by the wide rear section, but the dense foam and flex in the shell do a good job of cushioning the road shocks and vibrations. The padding remains thick all the way up the nose, allowing you to move forward for those long turns in the drops or big climbs in comfort, a welcome change for a lightweight saddle.

Read our review of the Fizik Antares R5 with K:ium rails
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Best short-nose saddle: Fizik Vento Argo R1 saddle — £148.00

Weight: 186g Hairsine ratio: 0.77

The Fizik Vento Argo R1 is a short saddle that's suitable for those who like to ride in an aggressive position without moving around much. It's lightweight and features a cutaway centre to keep pressure off sensitive tissues. The padding isn't especially deep but it is comfortable and the build quality is high.

As with other short saddles, the Fizik Vento Argo R1 pretty much dictates your seating position without discussion. You can't wriggle forward and back very far along the nose during your ride because that nose is too short to allow it. Comparisons are bound to be drawn to the shape of Specialized's Power saddles, and it's true that they're a similar shape.

This is a saddle that emphasises stability but there's still a healthy amount of cushioning on offer. Equally important, the shell flexes enough that hitting sharp-sided holes in the road doesn't result in a battering. In fact, you get a surprisingly smooth ride here without any noticeable movement caused by the motion of pedalling.

Read our review of the Fizik Vento Argo R1 saddle
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Best money-no-object saddle: Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror — £390.00

Weight: 193g Hairsine ratio: 0.27

Specialized's S-Works Power with Mirror saddle is a new 3D-printed design with a honeycomb structure that offers a superb level of comfort, although you do have to pay handsomely for it.

You only have to glance at the Mirror saddle – which gets its name because it "perfectly reflects your anatomy", according to Specialized – to see that it's very different from the norm. There's nothing particularly unusual about the carbon composite rails or about the carbon base with a cutaway centre, but rather than foam on top of that, you get a 3D-printed polymer lattice. It looks a little like the inside of a beehive – minus the bees, obvs. I can't say I counted them myself but the matrix apparently consists of 14,000 struts and 7,799 nodes (intersections between those struts).

Tester Mat Brett was impressed. "I've used this saddle loads over the past three months – short rides, long rides, road, gravel – and it has never disappointed. It feels comfortable at the start of a ride and it still feels comfortable hours later. Very little road buzz gets through and there's enough shock absorption to take the edge off any bigger hits that come your way. The textured surface is a little more grippy than most too, helping to keep you in position."

Read our review of the Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror
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20 more excellent lightweight saddles

Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive Saddle — £249.00

Weight: 216g Hairsine ratio: 0.34

Blending 3D-print technology with a tried and tested shape yields a lightweight and comfortable performance saddle. The Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive saddle is expensive, yes, but for those who like the Antares shape, the high-tech construction has some real benefits.

Tester Leon writes: “I was initially sceptical about messing the construction of such a vital part of your bike’s fit, but, now that I've covered some real miles on the Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive, and really deliberated over my opinion of it, I'll admit it: I'm a fan.

“The construction allows for more cushioning to be engineered into the bits that you are in contact with. The honeycomb-like structure includes the outer layer that you can see, plus the airspace underneath it, which takes the place of more traditional saddle fillers. I can really appreciate just how much more give there is in the new model compared to my old Antares. That doesn't mean it feels like a sofa, but it's able to mould and depress really effectively when it needs to, and in all the key directions too.”

A step up to carbon fibre rails lops a claimed 42g off the weight and adds £50 to the price.

Read our review of the Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive Saddle
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Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo saddle — £274.99

Weight: 167g Hairsine ratio: 0.48

Tester Stu writes: “Fizik has gone with the whole 'less is more' ethos with its Arione 00 Versus Evo saddle. Stripped back to a mere 167g with minimal padding and lashings of carbon fibre, it is still surprisingly comfortable with a great balance of stiffness and flex.

“Though the whole shell feels stiff, it does a decent job of allowing just enough flex to take out any harshness or road vibration. This is helped by the Mobius carbon fibre rail. Rather than having two rails plugged into the front and rear of the saddle, the Arione 00 uses a single rail which makes up a complete loop around the base of the saddle. It adds stiffness front and rear but allows the shell to flex around the sides, so the saddle can move with you a little as you pedal.

“Three to four-hour rides were carried out in plenty of comfort on my own race bike, and I really enjoyed the balance of plenty of stiffness under heavy pedalling efforts and shock absorbance when the road surface was far from ideal.”

Read our review of the Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo saddle
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Giant Fleet SLR saddle — £129.99

Weight: 184g Hairsine ratio: 0.89

Giant's Fleet SLR saddle is great for getting low at the front of the bike while staying comfortable at the back. The large central cutout and stubby design are very well shaped, and the price is good too.

Shortened saddles are becoming a common sight on road race bikes, as they can really help with aggressive positions. The Fleet SLR features a central cutout, a wide, short nose, carbon rails and contouring to help you stay comfy when riding head down.

The shape of the Fleet SLR really works. The rear section is supportive, the cutout offers excellent pressure relief and the swooping drop from back to front is brilliant when hammering along. You feel well supported and free to push forward.

Read our review of the Giant Fleet SLR saddle
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Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow — £269.00

Weight: 119g Hairsine ratio: 0.67

The Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow is the ultimate statement saddle. Engineered in partnership with an F1 constructor, it is a carbon fibre chassis for your sit bones that's jaw-droppingly expensive at full price, breathtakingly light, beautifully finished and actually surprisingly comfortable.

It looks a million dollars and certainly the SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow could be the most expensive saddle we've ever seen. At its RRP of £439.99, its weight of 119g makes it £3.70 a gram. Not only is it gloriously expensive but Selle Italia also claims it is "the most futuristic full carbon saddle of all time." Teaming up with Dallara, an Italian company that makes composite products for F1 cars, the saddle features Suspension Link Movement technology for a more comfortable ride and a ridiculously low weight.

Read our review of the Selle Italia SP-01 Boost Tekno Superflow
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Selle Italia SLR Boost TI316 Superflow — £189.99

Weight: 166g Hairsine ratio: 0.71

The Selle Italia SLR Boost TI316 Superflow is a short-nosed, very light saddle that's designed to take the pressure off your soft tissues when you're in an aggressive position and to shave a few grams off the weight of its longer-nosed cousin. It does both of these, but at the cost – for tester Simon at least – of some all-round comfort. There's also reduced margin for error in its setup because of its small size, and it's also expensive for a steel-railed saddle.

Read our review of the Selle Italia SLR Boost TI316 Superflow
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Fabric Line S Pro Flat — £104.99

Weight: 186g Hairsine ratio: 1.09

Fabric's Line S Pro Flat saddle is a stubby saddle that performs brilliantly in aggressive aero positions. The short nose with generous padding makes it easy to tuck down in the drops for long periods of time. A nylon base and soft padding create a lot of give that help to isolate you from road buzz, though the soft feel won't be for everyone. This is one for TT, triathlon and slammed race bikes.

Picking a saddle is very personal, and while our tester got on with the Fabric Line S Pro Flat during fast, aero riding, not everyone will. The wide rear end holds you forward and doesn't allow much movement, while the soft base and padding won't suit everyone either.

Fabric's range of saddles is vast, though, and it has a 60-day money-back 'fit guarantee' that allows you to try the saddle and swap it for another if you don't like it. We strongly recommend heading to a local Fabric supplier to chat about your position and take their advice.

Read our review of the Fabric Line S Pro Flat
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Selle Italia SLR Boost Lady Superflow — £139.44

Weight: 197g Hairsine ratio: 0.74

At just 197g, the Selle Italia SLR Lady Superflow Saddle is a seriously lightweight option aimed at female riders looking for high performance, which it delivers alongside decent levels of comfort despite its overtly firm character.

On the bike, it looks very smart, with a sporty look which is backed up by its performance. On her first ride, tester Lara had a brief moment of panic at how firm the saddle felt, but the combination of an excellent shape, pressure relief channel and the gel padding made it surprisingly comfortable for four-hour-plus rides.

The shape shows just how much experience Selle Italia has in producing a good saddle. The smooth, contoured structure gives incredible support to the sit bones, and yet no pressure at all on sensitive areas.

Read our review of the Selle Italia SLR Boost Lady Superflow
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Repente Latus M — £188.99

Weight: 145g Hairsine ratio: 0.82

The Repente Latus M saddle is a very light, extremely well made carbon saddle with a wide and stubby design. There's noticeably plush shock absorption to the broad rear section, but the cutouts don't allow you to sit that far back without pressuring your inner thighs. As a result there's not much real room for movement. If the shape suits you, you should be fine; if it doesn't, it's incredibly uncomfortable.

At just 140g the Latus M is very light, despite the full-width hull. That carbon hull is, like the ovalised rails, made from T700 unidirectional carbon fibre, and Repente makes all the usual claims of 'stiff yet flexible' for its layup. In this case they're entirely justified – sit up on that broad tail and the smooth shock absorption is palpable, while there's no sense of the saddle bending or flexing as a whole. Repente actually recommends it for off-road as well as on, and it would seem a good fit for gravel riders.

Definitely a case of 'try before you buy'.

Read our review of the Repente Latus M
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Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio — £247.41

Weight: 182g Hairsine ratio: 0.48

The Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio is a short saddle that's perfect for fast rides. It offers a decent level of comfort that's better suited to shorter outings, and is reasonably light at 182g. As you might expect from an expert Italian saddle manufacturer, it's a very high quality saddle that would look stunning on your Sunday best.

The Selle Italia Flite is a classic racing saddle that is still on sale today despite being released back in 1990. Bicycle technology has moved on a fair bit since then, and to celebrate the Flite's 30th anniversary, Selle Italia has given the classic design a modern makeover.

The result is the Flite Boost – a big evolution over any iteration of the Flite that's come before it. Its stubby profile is thoroughly on-trend, and it's one of the most beautiful saddles I've come across in some time, with a timeless design (much like the 90s original).

Read our review of the Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio
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Prologo Dimension 143 CPC Tirox saddle — £144.99

Weight: 201g Hairsine ratio: 0.68

The Prologo Dimension 143 CPC Tirox is a saddle for people who know exactly where they want to sit and want to be kept there. It's short, fairly wide and surprisingly comfortable, delivering an excellent, unobtrusive ride feel without fuss or gimmicks.

At 245mm long, the Dimension 143 CPC Tirox is significantly shorter than your typical performance saddle, so it won't suit riders who like to slide backwards and forwards a lot; there's basically nowhere to slide to. That's standard for short saddles, though, and the good news is that the position that the Dimension provides is really very comfortable indeed.

Read our review of the Prologo Dimension 143 CPC Tirox saddle

Cadex Boost — £244.99

Weight: 141g Hairsine ratio: 0.65

Cadex is the components brand of bike-manufacturer Giant and they've created something pretty special with the Boost saddle, according to tester Stu Kerton, who says it's "a seat that seems to be able to deliver on comfort and stiffness at exactly the same time thanks to its construction and design. True, it's pricey, but compared with some of the saddles I've used, not over the top. The only downside to its short length is that you might not have enough fore and aft adjustment."

Read our review of the Cadex Boost saddle
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Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo — £249.00

Weight: 167g Hairsine ratio: 0.53

Fizik has gone with the whole 'less is more' ethos with its Arione 00 Versus Evo saddle. Stripped back to a mere 167g with minimal padding and lashings of carbon fibre, it is still surprisingly comfortable with a great balance of stiffness and flex. You're going to have to pay for the performance, though.

Fizik's '00' range is its showcase of what is achievable in terms of design with top end materials. The Arione 00 Versus Evo has a shell made from high modulus carbon fibre which is unbelievably stiff considering how thin it is, with the central channel literally just about a millimetre thick. Even the main sections either side of the channel are just 4mm thick too.

Though the whole shell feels stiff, it does a decent job of allowing just enough flex to take out any harshness or road vibration. This is helped by the Mobius carbon fibre rail. Rather than having two rails plugged into the front and rear of the saddle, the Arione 00 uses a single rail which makes up a complete loop around the base of the saddle. It adds stiffness front and rear but allows the shell to flex around the sides, so the saddle can move with you a little as you pedal.

Read our review of the Fizik Arione 00 Versus Evo

Repente Aleena 4.0 — £320

Weight: 130g Hairsine ratio: 0.48

The Repente Aleena 4.0 is an innovative saddle that backs up its unique functionality with a beautiful design. It's very light and comfy in a race-saddle way, and the interchangeable covers allow you to modify the feel of your saddle without changing its position.

The main news here is the Repente Locking System. Repente saddles are modular, with a separate base and cover. The base is made in an autoclave (a pressurised oven) and it's almost entirely T700 carbon fibre; it has carbon rails and a wide central channel, connected at the nose and the tail. The only bits of the base that aren't carbon are the three alloy mounting points for the cover, which has three corresponding alloy pins. You poke the pins through and secure in place with a small clip. There's a rubber O-ring between the base and the cover for a bit of extra cushioning over and above what the base and cover provide.

Talk of the Aleena's clever details would be moot if the Repente didn't work as a saddle, but it works very well.

The base has been designed to offer a bit of flex, controlled by the bridge at the rear, and when you concentrate on your sit bones you can feel a little of that mobility when you're riding along. Most of the time you won't be concentrating on your sit bones though, unless your sit bones are hurting. And that wasn't the case for me here: even though the padding on the Aleena (and the Comptus, which I also rode) is pretty thin the Repente didn't ever feel uncomfortable.

Read our review of the Repente Aleena 4.0

Prime Primavera Carbon — £84.99

Weight: 132g Hairsine ratio: 1.98

The top of Wiggle/CRC's range of own-brand saddles, this is an excellent deal for a 132g saddle with carbon fibre rails. We haven't tested this particular model, but we liked its cheaper kid brother, the titanium-railed Cosine Sprint.

With its central cutaway this should be a shade more suitable for endurance riding than the Sprint Titanium, but it's still very much a saddle for going fast.

Specialized Women’s Ruby Pro — £95.00 (168mm width)

Weight: 192g Hairsine ratio: 1.44

There aren't many performance saddles aimed at women. Saddle makers tend to go for width and padding when making women's saddles, which doesn't make for low weight.

In a small field, this is an excellent saddle. It's available in a choice of widths to suit your style of riding and just as importantly your sit bones too. It's very light thanks to its carbon fibre rails. In comparison with most female specific saddles, it's a pared down seat, ideally suited to aggressive road riding and racing.

With the trademark BG cut-out, it's designed to relieve pressure where it's needed without sacrificing ride efficiency. Hollow titanium rails help keep the weight down, and at just 192g for the 143mm size, it's definitely one of the lightest women's saddles on the market. The cushioning is placed exactly where you need it to support your sit bones, alleviating any discomfort or feeling of pressure.

This saddle is at its most comfortable when riding in a stretched forward position, but still gives all-round day long comfort too. There was little feeling of loss of power, with the saddle remaining a background feature of the ride, rather than making its presence actively known. Given the choice of widths, this is a good option for any female road rider looking for a comfortable performance saddle.

Read our review of the Specialized Women’s Ruby Expert
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Fizik Luce R1 Carbon — £164.99

Weight: 175g Hairsine ratio: 0.76

At 175g, this is the lightest women's saddle we're aware of thanks to its carbon fibre-reinforced shell and carbon rails. When she tested the regular Luce R5, tester Sarah found it very rideable and definitely worth a try for a regular rider if you want something not too squashy.

The Luce has a little give but is pretty firm, which could be a turn-off, but don't be too hasty: Fizik looks to have put a lot of work into this saddle for women.

The Regular-width Luce has a sitting area shape measuring 144mm wide from wing to wing, and narrowing down to the nose. The nose is a little narrower than the Selle Italia Diva – 5mm in fact – meaning less friction on the thighs. This narrower nose will definitely appeal to some.

It quickly it felt comfortable and not too firm. Sarah found she didn't have to shuffle around to find a good position, so the profile of the saddle worked well for her, giving the impression that her sit bones were comfortably supported. Yes, it's a firm ride, but the cushioning is where you need it.

Read our review of the Fizik Luce R5 saddle
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Fabric Scoop Flat Pro — £99.00

Weight: 190g Hairsine ratio: 1.25

Fabric offers three versions of the 143mm wide Scoop: flat, shallow and radius. If you want something wider, there’s the 155mm Cell, while the 134mm ALM is your choice if you want something narrower. There isn't much padding, but there is loads of flex in the one-piece base and it's this flex that really provides the core of its magnificent comfort. The carbon rails provide a surprising amount of flex too.

The real beauty of the Fabric Scoop is the construction. The waterproof microfibre cover isn't stitched or stapled into place, it's moulded to a one-piece nylon base. It's really very impressive and if you get the chance to fondle one in your bike shop you really should, it's a marvellous bit of design.

Read our review of the Fabric Scoop Flat Pro
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Selle Italia SLR Tekno — £292.99

Weight: 96g Hairsine ratio: 0.70

The Selle Italia SLR Tekno is an extremely lightweight saddle although its lack of padding makes it feel firmer than most so it has to fit you very well if you're going to stay comfortable on longer rides.

The SLR Tekno's main selling point is its weight. Ours hit the scales at just 96g (Selle Italia claim 90g). You could reasonably say that anything under 200g falls into the lightweight category, sub-150g is superlight, and below 100g is nuts.

We can't say this is among the most comfortable saddles we've ever used but it's far from the least. It feels firm but we could live with it easily enough, especially when used on a bike with a fairly flexible 27.2mm diameter seatpost. We know of people who rack up 100-milers on this saddle and think nothing of it. We'd save it for race day. I'd certainly use it for a crit or a short road race where weight is a more important factor than long-ride comfort. You might be saving just 100g or so over a regular lightweight saddle, but if you're a weight weenie focusing on marginal gains it all counts.

Read our review of the Selle Italia SLR Tekno
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Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow — £169.99

Weight: 137g Hairsine ratio: 0.96

The Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow saddle is an updated classic that's lost weight and some of the usual depth of cushioning, and gained a slightly flatter and wider shape. It’s a lightweight saddle with a fairly shallow amount of padding, but the flex in the shell, especially through the central section, means it feels firm rather than harsh.

At its £344.99 RRP this is the most expensive saddle we’ve ever tested, but it can sometimes be found a lot cheaper than that eye-watering figure.

Read our review of the Selle Italia Flite Tekno Flow
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Prologo Zero C3 Nack — £252.44

Weight: 164g Hairsine ratio: 0.54

The Prologo Zero C3 Nack is a light, thinly cushioned and beautifully finished saddle, although it's an expensive one. The fairly shallow cushioning means that the it’s quite a firm saddle, although flex in the base – not loads, but some – helps smooth over road vibration and takes the edge off bigger hits.

We didn't find its firmness to be a problem, though. It was perfectly comfortable for both short and long rides, although it's safe to say that if you're after a soft, deeply cushioned saddle, this isn't the one for you.

Read our review of the Prologo Zero C3 Nack
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Stuff you need to know about lightweight saddles

In the last few years saddle designers have become very adept at blending features that both reduce weight and improve comfort. Most of the improvements have come from composite materials that allow carefully tuned flex in a very light hull so the saddle better absorbs shock and moves with you as you pedal.

On top of a lightweight hull, you'll usually find a thin layer of very dense foam and/or gel. This helps spread your weight over the hull, but with modern flexible hulls it's less important than it used to be. Some very light saddles do without it altogether, and even manage to be fairly comfortable anyway.

The search for better foams and gels has even led to saddle makers branching out into other fields. A few years ago, Selle Royal, owner of Fizik, span off a subsidiary company to make memory foam pillows and mattresses incorporating the Technogel material it originally developed for saddles.

Lighter rail materials make a big difference to saddle performance too. The slight flex of titanium rails helps absorb shock, while carbon fibre rails save save a lot of weight.

You’ve never had a wider choice of saddle shapes and widths. Companies like Specialized and Bontrager make their performance saddles in a range of widths, Fizik tailors its designs to a rider’s flexibility and Charge offers saddles in three width classes and each model in three different shapes.

To help navigate this thicket of choices and find the right saddle for you, you’ll probably want to quite literally get your bum into a bike shop and get fitted for your saddle with one of the measuring devices many saddle makers now supply their dealers. This will tell you the spacing of your sit bones, the first thing you need to know to get a saddle that fits and will therefore be comfortable.

If it’s on offer, take up any chance to test-ride a saddle. The only way to be sure a saddle is right for you is to ride it for long enough for your bum to get used to it.

A typical stock saddle on a £1,000 bike weighs about 300g, so for each of the saddles here we’ve calculated the Hairsine ratio – the grams saved per pound cost. This gives an indication of value for money, at least from the ‘lighten your bike’ perspective. Most of the saddles featured here are 200g or less.

Explore the complete archive of reviews of saddles on road.cc