Gel saddles.

[12boy]

My preference is for narrow leather saddles in terms of ride comfort. In order to avoid numbness I prefer to have all my weight on the two sit bones as softer saddles which feel good initially press all around those bones and press on the nerve, causing numbness. I like leather because it absorbs sweat and does not heat up like plastic. A hard, lightly padded plastic shell type saddle works about as well and weighs a lot less, but I find the metal saddle bag loops to be very useful. BTW, the rails of the leather saddle provide cushioning as the leather part is like a hammock supported by two springs and adjusting the tilt can relieve pressure on the hands and wrist . As said by so many, what works for you may be very different than someone else so trying different types may be a good strategy albeit expensive . For example, my riding buddy can go for hours on a Brooks B17 narrow but it's just a little wide for me, while he calls my narrower ones ass hatchets. Having found a leather saddle that I like, I now have five for my five primary bikes.

 

[8mph]

I have a Selle Royal Rio gel saddle on my tourer at the moment, I find it comfy but heavy. I opted for a Madison foam padded leather saddle on tour this summer to save on weight.

 

[Blue Hills]

No and I think the general view is that gel saddles don't work.
A long time ago, I used a unicanitor saddle - https://www.sportreviews.co.uk/unicanitor-saddle-review/ which has zero gel, just a plastic shell.

At the time, it was quite comfortable and used it for a few seasons. However, I re-used it for a rebuild many years later and it was agony.
In the meantime, I had switched to a saddle with a firm plastic under shell, but a very thin layer of padding - this type work for me.

Thick gel saddles, don't support you where needed and the gel gets to your soft tissue places where support is not needed.

But if cheap - always worth a try

Got to disagree with you sharky.
My favourite saddle is/was gel of some sort - A Selle Royal, whose saddles, often pretty cheap I rate. It was an old LookIn - cost £15 - far too cheap so of course discontinued in favour of more exotic avante garde creations. They boasted that the saddle used something called "Royal Gel" - no idea what that is but it was very effective. And no cut-outs, which in my view aren't really needed if the saddle is well designed.
The main things you need in a saddle I think are good design, well-made, fits your particular behind.
Like much in cycling you don't need to pay a bundle for a good product - am quietly confident about the Aldi one I picked up today.
Some in this thread seem to be referring to gel covers - those are definitely a bad idea. Get the right saddle to start with.
It is of course vital to ensure that the pressure is on your sit bones, not on something more. er, functional. And set the saddle up right - in my experience pretty much level and without any extreme difference in the height gap between saddle and bar - 2 inches max for my style of riding.

 

[silva]

Just bought one from Aldi, £7.99, memory foam, so nothing to lose by trying it when the weather improves. I have not ridden my bike for 10 days due to weather conditions when I had time to ride. If happy with it, I will buy two more for my other bikes, bearing in mind that all my rides are only up to 45/50 miles max, mostly under 40 to be honest.

"memory foam" is much like a snowman, if you give it a hit it shows a dent. The snowman is the foam, the dent is the memory and it's read-only until the polystyrene desintegrates and the story ends with yellow dust and it's back for sale in Aldi

 

[Blue Hills]

"memory foam" is much like a snowman, if you give it a hit it shows a dent. The snowman is the foam, the dent is the memory and it's read-only until the polystyrene desintegrates and the story ends with yellow dust and it's back for sale in Aldi

Evidence? Experience?
I do worry about your childhood memories of yellow dust snowmen though.

 

[silva]

Evidence? Experience?
I do worry about your childhood memories of yellow dust snowmen though.

Just saying what I experienced with product parts labeled as "memory foam".
Alot, if not all (consumer), polyurethane-based materials are plain crap.
So crap that people have to throw away new products that were never used, just stored, with moisture / water absorption breaking down the polyurethane. The breakdown proces is named "hydrolysis".
I repair various stuff, couple months ago I had yet another such "memory foam" labeled product, shoe inner soles. When I decided to replace these, the removal spilled yellow clouds, very fine powder.
Just saying. Don't like / whatever it? Ignore it. It's your money.

 

[Dave7]

I am with @Dogtrousers on this. I bought a nice Sella Italia that looked the business but didn't help.
I now have a Fizik which doesn't look comfy but fits me well and gives no problems**.
**a good bike fit helped a lot.

 

[Kajjal]

As above get one of the correct size and type that fits you well.

 

[welsh dragon]

When I started cycling I had gel saddles. They were the most uncomfortable things I had ever tried. I dreaded going on my bike to be honest.

In the end I bought a Brooks 67S saddle and Have never looked back. It is the most comfortable saddle. I love it. As some say you either have a Brooks bum or you don't. I do

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Brooks bum - aged and leathery , needs cream applying after rain, and needs tensioning every now and then to prevent sagging.

 

[welsh dragon]

Brooks bum - aged and leathery , needs cream applying after rain, and needs tensioning every now and then to prevent sagging.

The saddle or my bum?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Popped into my local Aldi, aww, my favorite saddle has been replaced with cut out models, they are a bit larger in the bum area than the ones I like.
I did buy a narrower cut out model last year, but I find it very cold in the nether regions in winter
Just as well I've got enough of my favourites to last me the rest of my cycling life.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Popped into my local Aldi, aww, my favorite saddle has been replaced with cut out models, they are a bit larger in the bum area than the ones I like.
I did buy a narrower cut out model last year, but I find it very cold in the nether regions in winter
Just as well I've got enough of my favourites to last me the rest of my cycling life.

Duck tape over the cut out for the winter win.

 

[Sharky]

Duck tape over the cut out for the winter win.

Done that with my skid lid as well during the colder months to cover the ventilation holes