Beach cruiser seats, saddles, or "the place where your bottom goes", often differ from other seats mostly because of how comfortable they are; unlike other bicycle parts found on beach cruiser bikes.
Here are some of the bikes comfrotable saddles we offer for sale online:
Our Diamond Beach Cruisers
These comfortable bike seats come in brown leather, black, tan, white and many other colors and the great equalizer is how nice your bottom feel. There are also saddles specific to women's bikes as well as men's beach cruiser bikes. If you ask a racer, or someone who rides a lot, they'll tell you that the saddle is an individual thing. You can't get just about any seat. Also, not every seat that is "good" will suit every rider. You can't just touch it, press it, and say "Yes, it fits". And with the plethora of both regular and custom beach cruiser seats available, there's an abundance of choices as well. The saddle on a bicycle is one of the most important factors in terms of comfort, so choose wisely.
However, with beach cruiser seats, things are a bit different. They are all comfortable, and they will make your adult cruiser bike as enjoyable as possible. All of them are wide, plush, and won't cause stress on areas that can't put up with a lot of it. But, why are beach cruiser seats so good? What makes them different from a regular bicycle seat? To help you understand, we'll first see how you would pick a regular bicycle seat. Then, we'll talk about why beach cruiser seats are much easier in this regard. They're just a part of what makes a beach cruiser bike very comfortable, but they play a big role. Regardless of whether you have an aluminum beach cruiser, an all black beach cruiser, or a beach coaster bike, you'll need a comfortable saddle. And banana seat options won't cut it - you need a plush and wide saddle.
How would you pick a regular bicycle seat?
There's a plethora of options, and there's also a plethora of riders. Buying a saddle that suits you, and your style, is essential if you want a comfortable, and safe bike ride. However, buying a "comfortable" saddle is a challenge, and a subjective thing. Ask twenty riders what they think is the most comfortable saddle, and you'll get at least fifteen different answers. That's not the story with beach cruiser seats and people who ride a beach cruiser, but more on that later.
Why is this the case? Well, when you're sitting on a bicycle, your whole weight is resting on a pair of bones. Those bones, known as the sit bones, are collectively called the ischial tuberosity. And various riders have these bones positioned differently. And that's just the start. Depending on your riding style, and your bike's set up, the pressure you experience varies. For example, a cross country rider has much more pressure than, let's say, a downhill rider. And beach cruiser bicycle seats are made to minimize that pressure and stress on your sit bones. That, and the comfortable position of a beach cruiser bike, make riding a beach cruiser bicycle a pleasure.
How difficult is it to choose?
Now, choosing the right saddle for you is a difficult, iterative process. For the safest possible method, you'll need to try out a few, and settle on a favorite. To begin with, take a look at your current one. Is it comfortable, but knackered? Or maybe you just want a lighter one? If this is the case, you can take a look at higher tier offerings from the same family. The upgrade you're looking for is in terms of materials and weight.
However, if the seat isn't comfortable, you're potentially in a bit of trouble. To begin with, try figuring out why it isn't comfortable. What about it doesn't work for you? If you're constantly correcting your position, try a saddle with a larger dip - that will keep you in one place. If it's too wide, try a more narrow one. Or if you sit on the nose, but it's a bit too hard, and narrow, try a wider, softer one. Take a good look at your current saddle, and see what about it doesn't work, and make yourself a checklist. Once you have that, see if you can try a couple of different ones. And by "trying a couple", we mean getting out on a bike and putting in a few miles with a different seat.
But, there's one huge downside to this. Unless you can ride it intensively for at least a few weeks, until it sets in, you might find that it just isn't comfortable after a month or two. In this case, you've spent your money, you've spent your time, and again, you end up with a saddle that just doesn't work for you.
What are the things to look out for with a saddle?
When you're looking at a saddle, there are a couple of things to be careful about. Sure, there are differences between, for example, a mountain bike saddle, and beach cruiser seats, but the fundamentals are more or less the same.
The cover material is commonly some kind of synthetic material, but there are a few options. However, more expensive seats might opt for real leather. What's important is to note that no seams, reinforcing panels, or sticky parts chafe. And with a mountain bike, you'll need something that endures any potential crashes, too.
The shell is what gives the saddle its basic shape. It also controls how springy it is. There are a few general types of shells. You'll find that many manufacturers have shells with a different width, even for the same model. This is so you can choose one according to your body. As far as material goes, the common solution is a nylon shell. However, you might find some carbon reinforced ones, or even full-carbon shells on more expensive, racing saddles. This saves on weight, and gives you stiffness.
You might find some grooves or hole cut-outs in some saddles as well. This is especially important for male riders, as it greatly reduces stress around some of your more sensitive nerves, veins, as well as the reproductive system. While we're at it, it's the padding that's also crucial, because that's what distributes the pressure across the saddle's surface. The most common padding material is polyurethane foam, and it comes in various densities.
Last but not least, we have the rails. They are what keeps the saddle clamped to the seatpost. A cheaper saddle will opt for steel alloy, while expensive ones go for carbon or titanium.
How are things simpler with beach cruiser seats?
Beach cruiser seats are a bit different. For example, you might not find exotic materials such as carbon or titanium. This isn't a downside. Instead, this helps keep the beach cruiser seats comfortable, as titanium and carbon are both very stiff. Let's go over the criteria for a bicycle saddle, and see what happens with beach cruiser seats.
Kicking things off with the cover material, beach cruiser seats often have a comfortable, breathable material. They are beach cruisers after all, and you'll be riding one in hot weather pretty often. A breathable material means that not a lot of heat will accumulate around it, making for a much more comfortable ride. The shell varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but it's commonly from a softer material, such as the nylon we mentioned. This adds a bit of comfort as well.
The padding on beach cruiser seats is generally thick polyurethane. Because of this, you don't really need grooves or hole cut-outs. You can also find beach cruiser gel seats as well, which replace the polyurethane with a gel layer. The upright seating position means that there's no health risk here, and you won't be struggling with comfort either. Last but not least, we have the rails, which are often steel alloy. As we mentioned carbon and titanium are exotic materials that are often unnecessary, add a lot of stiffness, and keeps the price down.
When you consider everything, you find that these seats are indeed made for comfort. And it's not just a single thing that helps, but the entire saddle is optimized.
Do you need to be picky when buying beach cruiser seats?
Not at all. A beach cruiser bike is commonly used as a means for transportation throughout your city, or for general riding. What this means is that it's already made to be as comfortable as possible. This is also true about the beach cruiser seats that come with it. When you combine the seating position when riding, with the comfort of the saddle, you'll find that just about any seat works great. Provided we're talking about beach cruiser seats, that is. A racing saddle won't work very good on such a bike.
It's also common for beach cruiser seats to be pretty wide, but the plush padding is well distributed. For a racing saddle, for example, you'll need to pick the width of it, according to your sit bones. Choose a saddle that's too narrow, or too wide, and you'll be sitting on the wrong part of the saddle. This guarantees discomfort, and potential health issues in the long run. But, with beach cruiser seats, comfort is guaranteed, regardless of your sit bones. It's just the way they're made, and this applies to most beach cruiser seats.
A couple of beach cruiser seats suggestions from us
Even though, as mentioned, choosing a beach cruiser seat is relatively easy, there are still some options that are better than others. There are some beach cruiser seats you'll commonly find on high end beach cruisers, and there are some that will fall apart after a week or two of daily riding. You wouldn't want to be going through two seats per month, would you? Let's take a look at a couple of options that you can choose from, and why they're so good.
In the list you will see that there are a couple of differentiating features between the seats. Be it the width, which is important, or the type of padding, which is also very important, they have their differences. But once you put those differences aside, you have a list of saddles that you pretty much can't go wrong with, regardless of which one you buy.
Velo Plush Beach Cruiser Saddle
This is one of the most comfortable beach cruiser seats you can find today. As you can see, it's fairly wide, has a plush surface, and is spring loaded. The material makes for a perfect balance between a breathable surface for those hot summer days, and a cover that will last you for a good while. There's a thick cushioning layer, and the pattern on the top will help with the grip. The steel rails and springs can't be easily damaged, and this is one seat you won't be switching out anytime soon. You can find it on higher-end cruiser bikes, such as our Peace Bicycles.
Planet Bike Comfort Web Spring
This one form Planet Bike is another interesting choice, but it's a bit heavy. At a bit over a kilogram, you'll be adding quite a bit of weight to your bike. However, with all the comfort it offers, it might be worth it. The steel rails are built to be durable, and you have a web spring base with coil springs. This is one of the more common suspension settings when it comes to beach cruiser seats, and it has been executed very well. You'll get all the suspension you need, and the thick foam padding just adds a bit more to it. We discussed the grooves found in some seats, and this one has a center recess. This guarantees comfortable relief and a better seating position. And to wrap it all up, you have a weather-resistant cover material.
Lumintrail Vented Bicycle Seat
This one takes the recess from the Planet Bike seat, and turns it into a full hole for an even more comfortable seating experience. It is much lighter as well, and you can ride it for a good while before you feel any sort of discomfort. The vented ergonomic channel will relieve any potential pressure from sensitive areas. The gel foam padding is one of the most comfortable options you'll find on beach cruiser seats. Now, this one isn't spring loaded, but it still gives you a comfortable riding experience without one. It does have a trick up its sleeve, though. You get a built-in seat cover. It's stored under the seat, and you can just pull it over the seat whenever you need to. It will protect your saddle and make sure it lasts you for a good while.
Lumintrail Wide Bike Seat
If you don't think you need a stress relief hole, and a recess is enough, this is a great option. It comes from Lumintrail, and is one of their widest options available. At 10.5" wide, it is comfortable enough for just about any cyclist. This is an oversized seat that has very comfortable gel padding. The gel will conform to your specific body shape, creating a saddle that fits you like no other. It also has coil spring suspension, which is more or less standard on beach cruiser seats at this point. Of course, the suspension system does add a bit of weight, but for many people the trade-off is well worth it, especially when you consider the comfort you'll be getting from the system. And, last but not least, you again have a built-in seat cover. It sits there, beneath the saddle itself, waiting for you to need it.
Serfas CRS-1 Beach Cruiser Seat
If you're after the widest, thickest beach cruiser seat, look no further. The Serfas CRS-1 is the largest saddle with rails you can get, and it has plenty of comfort to boot. If you think that your body type could use a wider seat, this one is 13.5" wide - more than any other seat you'll find. And it's not just the width, it's also pretty thick, and has progressive foam as a padding. This, along with the rear elastomer suspension make it incredibly comfortable for just about anyone.
You also get a moisture-wicking Lycra cover which will last for a good while. In order to protect the soft tissue, there's a Deep Groove design. The only downside is that you'll pay for all that width and comfort with the weight - it comes in at a touch less than 4 pounds! If you don't mind that, though, it's one of the best beach cruiser seats you can get.
Camping World Wide Comfort Cruiser Bike Seat
If you need something in the middle as far as width, comfort and weight go, this seat from Camping World is a good option to take a look at. It comes in at 10 3/4 inches wide, which is a respectable width when discussing beach cruiser seats. And this width won't mean that you'll be dragging a ton of saddle on your bike - the weight is 2.55 lbs. which is a decent number. Well, at least when you consider the amount of comfort you'll get from it.
The comfort and vibrations are taken care of by two main things. First, the padding. You get a tad over 2" of memory foam padding. This will ensure that you get as much comfort as possible from the saddle, and it fits your sit bones. Second, you get elastomer suspension beneath the shell. This is the lightweight alternative of coil springs, but it honestly works just as well.
Cloud-9 Wide Bicycle Seat
Another wide option, the Cloud 9 Wide Seat comes in at 11" wide. You might already be noticing a pattern in the widths of beach cruiser seats, as the most comfortable ones tend to be around 10 to 11" wide. With the Cloud-9 you also get a length of 11", and a very thick padding. The lycra top will ensure that the seat lasts you for a good while, and the padding is actually a fair bit thicker than the competition.
You get a gel padding, but not the common liquid gel found on some other options. Here you get a multi-stage gel, which is softer on the top and denser on the bottom. This will ensure the padding doesn't solidify, and you don't get any bottoming out on the padding. And to add to that, you also have coil springs on the underside, which eliminate bigger thumps and vibrations, something you'll see you can't live without.
Selle Royal Drifter Plus
Selle Royal are a very well-known brand in the world of bicycle seats. They have quite a few decent racing saddles in their lineup, but their comfort series is another stunning section of the portfolio. Compared to our other recommendations, they're a premium option. However, if you can afford it, their Drifter is one of the best beach cruiser seats on the market. RoyalGel will ensure that pressure peaks are reduced by up to 40%. The gel won't harden or age over time, and your saddle will be as comfortable as it was when you bought it first, even years later. Elastomer shocks absorb the majority of the bumps and vibrations. These shocks are also permanently non-deformable, so they'll maintain their properties even years later. And as an ace up its sleeve, you have an integrated clip system, compatible with things such as their saddle bags or blinking lights.
Zacro Gel Bike Saddle
Zacro's BS053 is a pretty good midrange option when we're discussing beach cruiser seats. You get artificial leather as a cover, which is pretty durable. It's also easy to maintain, as any dirt is simply wiped off. You won't be getting any stains on this seat. Beneath the artificial leather, you get PU and dual-density gel. This, as we mentioned with the Cloud-9, won't bottom out, and won't thicken out over time. It's maintains its softness, and you'll feel comfortable while riding. There's a dual coil suspension system that easily deals with larger bumps and holes in the road, so you won't feel them. And the best thing about it is its weight. At 1.5 lbs. this is one of the lightest comfortable beach cruiser seats you can find on the market nowadays. What else could you want?
Why are the beach cruiser seats especially important?
The saddle is often an overlooked accessory when it comes to beach cruisers. There are too many riders that buy a seat that's either too slim, or too stiff, and then blame the bike for the discomfort. Unlike a racing bike, a beach cruiser puts you in an upright position. You aren't leaning on the handlebars, but instead the largest contact point is the seat. This is exactly why you must make sure you have a comfortable seat. You might find yourself spending hours on end riding your bike - you don't want those hours to be uncomfortable, do you?
And, while we're talking beach cruiser seats, you might want to keep the weather in mind. A beach cruiser bike is generally used in a variety of environments. This means both riding in the dry sun, and riding in the rain if necessary, and if the bike is your main means of transport. Therefore, just wipe down your seat if its wet. And if you have something like a seat cover, just put it on once you've dried the seat. This will make sure it lasts you for a good while before you need to replace it.
Wrapping things up
As you see, as far as bike parts go, beach cruiser seats are actually incredible. They're extremely comfortable, they fit a variety of riders' body types, and they will last you for a good while. Even if you need to swap it out eventually, there's an abundance of beach cruiser seats that will fit you - you just need to choose one. They also let you attach accessories, such as an awesome saddle bag as well, and protecting them with a beach cruiser bike seat cover is incredibly easy too! And if that's your thing, you might look into a beach cruiser seat with backrest, or even beach cruiser custom seats - there are some stunning beach cruiser seats designs out there.
When you need to get one, you know that the chances of getting an uncomfortable bike seat are slim to none. The variations may come in the material of choice, or the construction, but they'll all let you ride them for a good while before you start to feel any sort of discomfort while riding. From the worst to the best beach cruiser seats, they're all incredibly comfortable, honestly. Whether you use your cruiser bike to bike to work, or to ride around town, you'll feel comfortable every minute of it. And regardless of whether you have one of those new, nice cruiser bikes or vintage bikes, beach cruiser seats can freshen up the looks of it!
Help! I just got an electra 7D female cruiser bike. Previously I have ridden mountain bikes. I have only
ridden it a couple of times and my tailbone is so uncomfortable. Now it hurts even when I am off the
bike. I don’t know which seat to try to help the issue. I am 5’2 and 112 lb and 60 years old. I know I
need to the the pressure off my tailbone. Can you help me choose a seat?
For years, I rode on a Bontrager Beach Cruiser bike saddle, and it was heavenly. The seat was well padded, not too
wide, and almost level, so it wasn’t poking into my crotch, or causing me to fall into a dent in the middle. Alas, it
fell apart, and I have been unable to find anything like it. Any suggestions? My main problem is that I am a fairly
small female, and, according to my PT, my “sit bones” are only 55mm apart, so the saddles with “humps” on them
don’t work at all for me. Please let me know if you have any ideas for me-thanks!
Sharon raises a good point about width. And in fairness to Andrej, he raises it too, though perhaps without enough
emphasis.
The stock seat on my cruiser really falls down comfort-wise somewhere between the first and second mile of riding.
It’s just too wide, and you feel like you’re trying to pedal from a kitchen chair or something. What I gain in comfort
for my, ahem, reproductive and digestive anatomy, I more than lose in comfort for my thighs.
Riders may want to investigate something in a medium width, as you’d see on a Dutch bike, a ride share bike, or an
English three-speed. When the original Brooks “mattress saddle” disintegrated on my 1970s Raleigh Sports, I
splurged on a Brooks B66, largely because it’s the most period-correct-looking seat you can buy for a bike like that.
Looks-driven decision notwithstanding, it is–for me–a far more comfortable seat than the wide, tractor-seat-shaped
seats you see on many cruisers.