Review: SDG Allure Women’s Bike Saddle

When I started surveying women for their favorite bike saddle, the SDG Allure was the one seat that kept getting named time and time again. One of these ladies even claimed that she gave up using a chamois after switching the SDG Allure.

While I haven’t gone that far, I do think that the SDG Allure is one of the most comfortable women’s mountain bike saddles out there.

It is designed for women’s wider sit bones and their soft-tissue (aka a labia). It’s also designed to work on any bike: road bike, mountain bike, whatever….

SDG Allure Women's Saddle Review

May 2023: Updated to include info on the V2 release as well as updated pricing.


Review in a Nutshell

Pros:

  • Comfortable without being squishy
  • Cut-out for soft-tissue discomfort
  • Affordable
  • Designed for use on any bike
  • Comes in several color options

Cons:

  • Cut-out may still be too small for some women
  • May be too narrow for some women

Price & Where To Buy:


Get One For Each of Your Bikes

One of the coolest things about the SDG Allure is that it has been designed to work well for any cycling discipline. Personally, I’ve been riding with the saddle on my Ibis Mojo mountain bike, but the profile is slim enough to work well for road cycling as well. I think it would also be a great choice for cyclocross or commuting.

Fits a Wide Range of Bodies

Women come in all different sizes, as do their bottoms. That’s why it’s often hard to recommend a bike saddle. What works for me might not work for you.

That said, the SDG Allure seems to work well for a wide variety of women. In fact, I know more ladies that recommend this saddle than any other.

It’s possible that you might find that the SDG Allure isn’t the best pick for you, but it’s certainly one that you should try.

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Soft-Tissue Cut-Out

The cut-out on the SDG Allure has been designed to provide soft-tissue (aka labia) relief. Compared to many saddles, the cut-out is fairly large, and of the women I’ve spoken to who ride the Allure, 90%+ feel that it does a good job of providing adequate relief.

SDG Allure soft-tissue cut-out

Personally, I still find I get some soft-tissue discomfort and numbness on the saddle, though not enough to make want to remove it. That said, if you find that you have “outtie” anatomy, you might prefer a saddle with an even larger cutout. The Selle Italia Diva is one such option.

Comfortable without Being Overly Cushy

We all want a saddle that offers maximum comfort. But too often women actually go overboard, picking a saddle with lots of foam or gel padding. This can actually make matters worse and can cause a lot of chafing and sores.

The SDG Allure hits a sweet spot. It’s noticeably soft. If you push on the saddle with your thumb, you’ll notice the give to the foam. But on the other hand, it still offers plenty of support so you don’t lose power or risk sinking in the saddle.

Curved Nose Allows You To Shift Weight Forward

Steep climbs happen to be my specialty. The steeper, the better. This necesitates shifting my weight WAY forward on the saddle. Therefore, I’m pretty sensitive to the nose design of any saddle.

SDG Allure Nose

Fortunately, the nose of the SDG Allure curves down slightly–just enough to be able to comfortably sit on the tip for short periods of time. I also found that I was less likely to catch baggy shorts on this tip when shifting my weight backward again than I am on other saddles without a tilted tip.

143 mm Width May Be Too Narrow for Some Women

The SDG Allure has a wider rear than many unisex saddles to accommodate women’s wider sit bones. That said, it may still be too narrow for some, and is in fact, one of the narrower women’s-specific saddles out there.

SDG Allure Saddle Rear

I personally found the saddle width was just right for me, but I prefer narrower saddles. If you already know that you have wide sit bones, or you don’t feel like your existing saddle is a little too narrow at the rear, then you might want to consider a saddle like the Terry Butterfly (155mm) instead.

Titanium Rails

The saddle used to come in two different versions: one with CroMo rails and one with Titanium rails. As far as I can tell, it is currently only being offered with Ti rails, and that’s what I tested.

This is nice since titanium is lighter than CroMo, though the latter has less flex.

SDG Allure Titanium Rails

I personally haven’t noticed any flex on my saddle, even when mountain biking more technical terrain. Still, if you plan on using the saddle primarily for downhill riding for instance, you might prefer a saddle with CroMo rails.

Super Attractive Pricepoint

Bikes aren’t cheap; nor are bike components. That’s why we love the SDG Allure; it’s fantastically affordable, especially when compared to the competition.

We also didn’t find that affordable equaled “cheap” as the saddle has held up well, even after a few crashes. I first wrote this review in 2019, and am still using the saddle 4 years later. It’s been super durable.

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Allure V2 Update

SDG has now released the Allure V2. It’s largely the same saddle reviewed here, but with a couple of updates that improve upon it.

First off, the cut-out is now larger. That’s a plus for most of us! The exterior cover is also more durable, and comes in additional colors.

The only thing that’s a bummer and that wasn’t addressed with the update is that the saddle is still only offered in one size–143mm..

Bottom-Line: A Saddle We’d Recommend for Any Female Rider

Given the number of women that we know that love this saddle, and my own experience using it on my mountain bike, I would recommend the SDG Allure to any lady that’s looking for a new saddle. It works for nearly any discipline (even downhill mountain biking), and for women of all kinds of body types. It’s comfortable and exceedingly affordable when compared to the competition.

The only women I wouldn’t recommend it for are those that already know that they have extra wide sitbones or extra soft-tissue that needs a larger cut-out.

More Help To Keep Your Bum Comfy

About The Reviewer

kristen bonkoski

Kristen Bonkoski

Kristen Bonkoski is the founder and owner of Femme Cyclist.

An avid cyclist for a few decades now, she took to cycling during her late teen years — a time when she needed something to help boost her self-esteem and confidence.

Mission accomplished, the sport has become an important part of her life.  Kristen’s favorite disciplines are mountain biking and bike commuting, although you can also find her cranking out a century on her road bike and touring with her husband and son.  If it has to do with two wheels, she enjoys doing it.

Kristen is a certified USA Cycling coach, and she runs Rascal Rides, a website about biking with kids.

IG: @kristenlbonkoski

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