My Top Padded & Gel Seat Cushions for Exercise Bikes

By Robbie Ferri CPT

CPT & Indoor Cycling Instructor

When it comes to indoor cycling, sometimes the challenge is not producing a huge amount of power and smashing personal bests. It’s about getting comfortable on the bike and staying comfortable for the duration of your workout. One of the most common places many indoor cyclists find discomfort is on the saddle. 

When it comes to saddles, one size doesn’t fit all. We are all very different as far as shape and skin sensitivity levels. What works for you probably won’t work for many other cyclists. A solution for many people is a padded exercise bike seat cushion, and in this article, we want to tell you about three we highly recommend. We will be discussing the following:

• Padded Bike Seats, When To Use Them
• What Do We Look For In A Padded Seat?
• Our Recommended Padded Seats
• Padded Seats Buyers Guide

Padded Bike Seats, When To Use Them

Before speaking about what we look for in a padded seat, it’s important to understand when you should use a padded bike seat. 

When You Should Add A Padded Seat

• If you have a medical condition that requires a softer padded seat
• If you have discomfort or pain while riding and need a quick solution
• If you are new to cycling and getting used to bike saddles
• When your saddle shape is correct, but the seat doesn’t offer enough cushioning
• If you want to ride without padded shorts

When You Shouldn’t Add A Padded Seat

There are also times when you might want to use something other than a padded seat. Here’s when:

• If you’re getting used to a new saddle
• If you have had a professional bike fit, including saddle fitment

What Do We Look For In A Padded Seat?

Padded bike seats come in all different shapes and sizes, and it can be challenging to spot the good from the awful unless you know what you’re looking for. Here’s what you need to look for:

Design

The first thing we look at is design. Is it small and narrow to support the undercarriage, or is it wider to support the sit bones? You will also need the bike seat cushion to pair with the bike seat you are adding to it too. 

Quality

When it comes to a padded bike seat, the level of quality is very important. You want it to be made of a strong material that will last and not catch on the shorts or leggings you might be wearing.

Related: My Favorite Exercise Bike Seats

Padding

Then we have padding, and this is what gives the cushion that you are using the bike seat for. The majority you will find are gel padded. It’s important to look at the padding to ensure it’s in the right place and has some decent thickness. 

Attachment

Finally, we have the attachment, which is how it holds itself onto the bike seat. We look for a secure system and also a good grip so it stays in place nice and tight. Nobody likes a padded bike seat that doesn’t stay on properly. 

Our Recommended Padded Seats

Now for the exciting part, let’s start looking at some padded bike seats. Here are three we have been lucky enough to test and recommend to you.

Zarco Seat Cover

Zacro Padded Bike Seat Cushion

4.5

It fits perfectly on the Peloton seat and secures itself with a locking drawstring that makes certain that the seat padding does not move during your ride.

Price & Reviews

• Cost: $20
• Color: Black 
• Size: Narrow
• Padding: Average
• Attachment: Straps And Cord

Pros

• Excellent for narrow saddles
• Good price
• Looks great in a stealthy black
• Solid attachment

Cons

• Not great on wide saddles
• Enough padding, not as thick as others

Let’s start with the Zarco seat cover. This is a very popular option for many indoor cyclists. Coming in at only $20, it’s good value for money. It has a very narrow design with a wide V insert, so it’s perfect if you have a more racing-style saddle or find discomfort on the undercarriage. 

I found the padding to be more than adequate and was enough to make a very comfortable ride without being too much. It attaches in two ways; you have a cord attachment and also securing steps on the front. The grip underneath is also excellent, keeping it nice and secure even while using a high cadence. 

I was very happy with the result when I tested this seat cover. It added a lot of comfort, stayed nice and secure, and didn’t stand out too much. It even came with a waterproof cover for riding outdoors. Would I recommend it? Yes!

Rating 

9/10

Overall an excellent seat cover. I recommend it for indoor cyclists with a narrow saddle who are looking for a lot of padding and a solid fit.

Bikeroo Seat Cover

Bikeroo Padded Bike Seat Cushion

4.0

Built for both indoor and outdoor use, our bike seat cushion is adjustable with a drawstring and can fit any saddle - from oversized saddles to cruiser saddles, to senior saddles.

Price & Reviews

• Cost: $20
• Color: Multiple Colors
• Size: Wide
• Padding: Thick
• Attachment: Straps And Cord

Pros

• Excellent for wide saddles
• Good value for money
• It comes in many different colors
• Great for sit-bone support

Cons

• It doesn’t work well on thin saddles

Next, we have the Bikeroo, which was recommended to us as the go-to seat cover for wider saddles. It offers a narrow central indent making this ideal for heavy support on the sit bones. So perfect if you struggle with too much pressure on the sides of your behind.

It has very thick padding and is probably one of the thickest saddle cushions we have encountered. Like the Zarco, it attaches with both a cord and also straps on the front. We have seen online feedback saying it doesn’t stay on well, but we didn’t have a problem, and we think other users may have too narrow a saddle.

When testing with a wider saddle on our spin bike, we found the Bikeroo to be really good. The padding is very thick, but if you don’t have enough resistance in or pedaling quickly, it feels bouncy.

Rating 

8/10

The Bikeroo is a great cover if you want maximum padding and have a wide bike seat to put it on. It’s very comfortable and offers a lot as far as cushions go. We recommend avoiding this one if you have a narrow bike seat. 

X Wing Seat Cover

X WING Padded Seat Cover

4.5

It is compatible with seats that have a width of up to 8.0 inches and is a perfect fit for a seat with a thickness of less than 1.5 inches.

Note: This bike seat cover will not fit on wide bike seats.

Price & Reviews

• Cost: $15
• Color: Black And Grey
• Size: Medium
• Padding: Thick
• Attachment: Strap System

Pros

• Works for both wide and narrow bike seats
• Feels high quality 
• It sits very snugly with a velcro system
• Good all round support
• Price is great

Cons

• It can be tight to fit some bike seats

Finally, we have the X Wing bike seat cushion. This bike seat cushion works for both narrow and wide seats, and if you plan on riding various bikes, it’s perfect. It has thick padding and a long central chamber for ventilation and to take pressure off the undercarriage. 

It’s got a black and gray design which looks ok, but I feel it would have been fine without the detailing. It has a very interesting support system which can be challenging to get on, but with oversized straps fit tight and secures great with a lot of seat grip.

When testing this bike seat, I personally found it excellent. Once on the bike, it felt great. It does have very thick padding, but it’s not overly spongy. When we ordered this, it even came with a rear bike light which could be used on your outdoor bike if you have one.

Rating 

9/10

My personal favorite is the X-Wing seat cover. It works for lots of saddle sizes, offers plenty of padding and support, and the strap system is great. 

Padded Seats Buyers Guide

When it comes to finding the right bike seat cushion for you, it can be challenging. Here are the questions we recommend you ask yourself before buying.

What Size Is The Bike Seat?

We recommend using a bike seat cushion that is designed for the saddle that you are using. A wide cushion for a wide seat and a narrow cushion for a narrow seat. For anything in between, we recommend a medium. The wrong size will either not fit or offer bad support for your behind.

What’s Your Budget?

Bike seat cushions are as little as $9 and as much as $70. When looking for the right bike cushion, we recommend having a budget in mind so you don’t go too cheap or too expensive. 

Does It Come Recommended?

Whenever buying a bike seat cushion, we recommend checking the reviews to ensure that other cyclists recommend it. We would probably avoid it if it’s rated less than 4 stars on Amazon. Anything above 4 is great. 

A Final Note

A bike seat cushion can add a lot of value to your indoor cycling if you are struggling with comfort. It may not be common for everyone to use one. Some riders do require it. We hope this article helped you find the right bike seat cushion and you’re on your way to a very comfortable ride.