The Best Seats for Adult Tricycles: Replace a Hard Stock Saddle

The Cloud-9 is built around the problem trike riders actually have: sitting upright for a long time. Its memory foam is layered in stages so the padding supports you before it bottoms out, and a cutout in the center takes pressure off the area where an upright rider usually goes numb. Steel rails sit on an elastomer suspension that soaks up road buzz, which matters on a trike because all three wheels hit every crack.

At 10.5 by 10.75 inches, it is larger than the Bikeroo and LCYMD, and smaller than the Sun Trike Western and the MOONCOOL. That makes it a middle choice: big enough to support an upright rider, small enough that it rarely rubs the inner thigh. It weighs about 3 lb, which is heavy for a saddle but not an issue on a trike, where the seat is not something you lift.

It mounts on standard rails, so it works with a seat post and clamp. The caveat is that it needs that rail mount. If your trike uses a bolt-on seat bracket or a rear support bar, check the mount before you order, because the Cloud-9 will not bolt to one without an adapter.

This is the one seat here made for trikes rather than bicycles. A western saddle spreads a rider's weight over a large flat area, with 16 inches of width and 12 inches of length. On an upright trike where you never lean forward, that area supports you the way a recliner does, and the width keeps pressure off the sit bones.

Compared with the Cloud-9, it offers a lot more surface but less engineered cushioning, and the shape is more of a chair seat than a saddle. Compared with the MOONCOOL, it has no backrest. It is a good fit for trikes sold with a similar seat, as it comes with the mounting hardware.

The key point is the support bar. This saddle does not include the rear support bar, which is the part that attaches the back of the seat to the trike frame. If your trike has one, the saddle can be a straight swap. If not, you will need to source one, and you should check with a trike dealer first. It is also a very wide seat, so it may rub if you pedal with your knees close in.

The Bikeroo goes the other way from the wide seats in this guide: 7.8 inches at the widest point and 10.2 inches long. That is a standard comfort-bike width, narrow enough to stay out of the way of your thighs. A deep center cutout and thick memory foam take pressure off the middle and keep the weight on the sit bones.

It is smaller than the Cloud-9, and much smaller than the Sun and MOONCOOL, so it is the choice if a wide seat has rubbed you raw. The trade-off is less support under a heavier or very upright rider, because there is less seat to spread the weight over. Compared with the LCYMD, it has a bigger owner record and a deeper cutout.

It includes a seat adapter, two hex keys and a wrench, and it mounts on standard rails, so it fits any post that takes a rail saddle. The faux leather cover is easy to wipe, and the tilt is adjustable. Make sure the width suits you: if you find yourself sliding to the edges of a 7.8 inch seat, step up to the Cloud-9.

The B67 is a different kind of seat. It is hand-made in England from vegetable-tanned leather, with coil springs under a wider rear portion, and it stretches and molds to the rider over a few hundred miles. The leather breathes, so it stays cooler than vinyl or foam. For an upright rider with a regular riding habit, a leather saddle can turn from stiff to personal.

Compared with the foam saddles, it has no memory foam and no cutout, and it needs a break-in period. Compared with the Cloud-9, it will feel firmer at first and improve, rather than start soft and flatten. The springs give some cushion over bumps, which is useful on a trike, but they also bounce, and some riders find that distracting.

It uses a single-rail design that attaches to a modern micro-adjust seat pillar. That is a specific mount, so confirm that your trike's post and clamp take a single-rail saddle before you order. Leather also needs care: keep it dry, and use a leather dressing if it is left in the rain.

The LCYMD has the biggest owner base in this guide, and it is a simple, no-surprises seat. Thick high-density foam sits over built-in cushioning, with a vent in the center to keep air moving. It measures 9.7 by 8 by 3.7 inches, so it is mid-sized: wider than the Bikeroo, much narrower than the Cloud-9.

Compared with the Bikeroo, it has less of a cutout and a flatter shape, and compared with the Cloud-9 it has no suspension beyond the cushioning. It is a good first upgrade for a rider who just wants a softer seat without changing the posture or mount. A saddle adapter and a wrench come in the box, and a waterproof cover is included for rain.

It is a full replacement saddle, not a cushion that slips over the old one, so it needs to fit your post with the included adapter. On a trike, check the post diameter. The nose is narrow at the front, which suits knees-in pedaling but gives you less support than a wide seat.

The MOONCOOL is the only seat here with a backrest, and on an upright trike, a backrest turns the seat into something closer to a chair. The padded back moves up and down so it can sit where your lower back needs it, and it can be removed if you want a plain seat. A 12 by 12 inch pad with memory foam and a dual shock system spreads weight across the sit bones.

Compared with the Cloud-9, it is larger and has support behind you; compared with the Sun Trike Western, it is smaller but comes with a backrest. It fits a standard 7/8 inch (22.2 mm) seat post, which suits most adult trikes, and it is sold for use on tricycles and exercise bikes.

Two things to check. First, the backrest needs room behind the seat: if your trike has a rear basket frame or a rack right behind the post, the back may hit it. Second, its 4.2 rating is the lowest of the group, so tighten the mount well and check it after a few rides. If you pedal with your knees in, the 12 inch width may rub.