Posedla Joyseat Review: Custom 3D Printed Saddles for Road and Gravel

Introduction

Posedla builds what it describes as the world’s first fully custom 3D printed saddle, and the Joyseat line is shaped around a single rider rather than a size preset. Instead of picking between small, medium, and large, a rider sends in a physical imprint of their sitbones, completes a short rider profile, and receives a saddle printed to that data.

The range splits into two clear directions. The Joyseat Road Ultra pairs a UD carbon shell and carbon rails with a flatter profile and thinner padding. The Joyseat Gravel Plus uses stainless steel rails and a nylon base for riders who value durability over grams. Both come from a Czech brand that makes the carbon and moulded parts in the Czech Republic and prints the padding in Germany.

This guide covers how the fitting process works, what separates the two models, and what to weigh before ordering.

How the Custom Fitting Process Works

Everything starts with the Smiling Butt imprint kit, a foam block that arrives by post. The rider sits on a flat chair or table with feet resting on the floor at roughly a 45 degree angle, then shifts around until the sitbones settle into position. The imprint is taken in underwear rather than padded cycling shorts so the foam records the contours as accurately as possible, and it is a one-shot measurement rather than something to repeat casually.

Gridding on the foam and QR codes around the box let Posedla read exact measurements from photographs of the imprint. An online configurator then collects the rest of the picture: riding position, body weight, and hamstring and lower back flexibility. Posedla combines these inputs with the imprint in what it calls its 3S process to decide the final shape, size, and stiffness of the saddle. Buyers also choose steel or carbon rails, a nylon or carbon shell, and a shape intended for road, gravel, mountain bike, or time trial use, with colour clip options and an optional name for personalisation.

Posedla Joyseat Road Ultra: Light Carbon for Road Riding

The Road Ultra is the lighter of the two. It uses a super light UD carbon shell and carbon rails, weighs in at roughly 220 g, and carries a rider weight limit of 110 kg. Its profile is flatter than the gravel model and its padding is thinner, which suits riders who spend most of their time in a forward road position and want a firm, supportive platform rather than extra cushioning.

Because shape, size, and stiffness are all determined by the individual fit profile, the Road Ultra is best understood as a road-specific build of a saddle that already matches the rider, rather than a stock shape softened or stiffened after the fact.

Posedla Joyseat Gravel Plus: Steel Rails and a Nylon Base

The Gravel Plus takes the opposite approach to weight. Stainless steel rails and a nylon base make it heavier than the carbon road version, but the build is more rugged and better suited to off-road riding, where durability and reliability matter more than saving grams. It also has no rider weight limit, which widens the range of riders it can suit.

Riders who split their time between tarmac and loose surfaces, or who simply want a saddle that can take more punishment, will find the trade-off easier to accept here than on a dedicated road build.

Manufacturing, Materials, and Sustainability

The carbon and injection moulded parts are handmade in the Czech Republic, the padding is printed in Germany, and the whole saddle is assembled locally in the Czech Republic with close quality control. That combination of a small European supply chain and printed cushioning is what makes a per-rider shape possible without a fully bespoke workshop.

The padding itself uses a proprietary zone TPU lattice that supports the sitbones precisely while minimising soft tissue pressure and hot spots, and the surface is non-slip so position stays consistent on rough ground. TPU is recyclable, the packaging is plastic free and made from recycled materials, and Posedla offers a route to replace and recycle the saddles themselves when they reach the end of their life.

Fit, Break-In, and Long-Term Comfort

The most interesting detail is that the saddle is expected to change after it is fitted. Posedla notes that after roughly 300 to 500 km the padding compresses slightly, which improves the fit rather than degrading it. The lattice is designed around the sitbones specifically, so the pressure that normally spreads across soft tissue is concentrated where the body is built to take it.

The two models differ here as well. The Road Ultra’s thinner padding gives a firmer, more direct feel under a rider pushing hard in a road position, while the Gravel Plus carries more cushioning for the stop-start, varied terrain that gravel riding involves. Neither is a soft saddle in the traditional sense, and riders who expect a plush feel from a custom build should reset that expectation before ordering.

Which Joyseat Model Suits Your Riding?

Choosing between the two comes down to discipline and rider profile rather than budget alone. The Road Ultra is the natural pick for road riding, where the flatter profile and thinner padding match a lower, more static position and where the 110 kg weight limit is comfortably within range.

The Gravel Plus is the more forgiving option for off-road use. Its steel rails and nylon base are built for the rougher treatment that gravel, dirt, and mixed surfaces deliver, and the absence of a rider weight limit means heavier riders are not excluded from the custom fit. The wider Joyseat range also includes shapes moulded for mountain bike and time trial positions, so riders outside the road and gravel categories can still order a saddle built around their own imprint.

Practical Considerations Before You Order

The timeline is worth planning around. A few weeks pass between sending the imprint and photographs and receiving the finished saddle, so this is not a purchase to make days before a big event. The imprint step also deserves care, since the foam records a single measurement and a poor impression will shape the final product.

Posedla offers a 60 day return window if the saddle does not work out. Returned saddles have their 3D printed padding recycled or reused as a test or display model, so the material is not simply discarded. Buyers should also confirm their rail and shell choices, their saddle shape category, and any colour or name personalisation before the order is finalised, because the custom nature of the build means there is little room to change these later.

Buying Advice

The Joyseat is aimed at riders who have already worked through conventional saddle options and still cannot find a shape that stays comfortable on longer rides. That is where full customisation earns its place: the imprint and rider profile replace the trial and error of buying and reselling stock saddles.

For road riders under the weight limit, the Joyseat Road Ultra is the lighter and more performance-oriented choice, with carbon throughout and a firm, flat platform. For gravel and off-road riders, or anyone who prefers a more durable build without a weight restriction, the Joyseat Gravel Plus is the more sensible pick. Both share the same custom fitting method, the same printed TPU lattice, and the same recyclable, plastic-free packaging, so the decision really comes down to the riding you do and how much weight you want to save.

Conclusion

The Joyseat line shows what happens when saddle design starts from a rider’s own sitbone imprint instead of a size chart. The Road Ultra delivers a light carbon build with a flat, firm profile for road use, while the Gravel Plus trades grams for steel rails, a nylon base, and no rider weight limit. Riders who have struggled with off-the-shelf saddles and are willing to complete the imprint process will find a genuinely different approach here.