SQlab 6OX Ergowave Active 2.2 Saddle

The SQlab saddle line-up has always been shaped by ergonomics and rider comfort, as this is very much a science-first company that puts a lot of research behind its products. One aspect that has almost defined an SQlab saddle design is the long nose, there to give you more room to move forward on the saddle during steep climbs. Many SQlab riders have apparently been asking for versions with a shorter nose however, better suited for more aggressive riding disciplines that demand more freedom of movement around the saddle area – and that is just what the company delivered earlier this year with the 6OX 2.2. We took delivery of a sample a few months ago, and here’s how we’ve been getting along with it.

SQlab 6OX 2.2 Ergowave Highlights

• 3cm shorter saddle nose compared to regular 6OX
• “Ergowave” shape with step saddle concept – more support for the sit bones, less pressure elsewhere
• Enhanced grip material – no-slip material ensures more defined sitting position and more efficient power transfer
• “Active Technology” allows side-to-side movement to follow rocking motion of hips when pedaling
• Available in 13/14/15/16cm widths
• Impact resistant microfiber cover
• Rails: hollow CroMo
• Length: 248mm
• Weight: 261-282 grams (depending on width)
• MSRP: $179.99 USD

Initial Impressions

At SQlab, everything starts with saddle width. The company claims to have been the first to develop a sit bone measurement system that allows each rider to find their optimum saddle width. We don’t have any specific data to back up the “first” claim but we do know that SQlab has been using the system for years and years by now. If you’re shopping at an SQlab dealer, they will help you do the measurement there, if not, the company can mail you a simple kit that allows you to do it at home (by sitting on a piece of corrugated cardboard and measuring the distance between the resulting sit bone indentations, essentially). Our tester (yours truly) landed on 14, so that’s the size we opted for. The 6OX 2.2 saddle is available in widths ranging from 13cm to 16cm, which should cater to pretty much everybody.

Unpacking the 6OX 2.2, the typical SQlab shape was on full display. The company calls it a “step saddle concept”, which basically means putting more material towards the rear of the saddle to better support the sit bones. There is also a pronounced channel in the middle of the saddle, there to relieve your more sensitive areas of any unwanted pressure. However, unlike many SQlab saddles, the nose is notably shorter here – 3 centimeters shorter compared to the v2.1 of the same model. This move came about as a result of riders asking for it, in search of a saddle shape that would be better suited to more aggressive riding disciplines.

Another interesting aspect of this saddle is the “Active Technology” – a flexible rail mounting system that lets the saddle to flex side-to-side to accompany the rocking motion of your hips and pelvic bone as you pedal. There are three different inserts supplied with each saddle, to allow you to tune this side-to-side flex to your liking.

A final word on the materials used: the top cover of the saddle is equipped with a grippier finish on the rear portion of the saddle. This is said to help keep you in place which in turn promotes better power transfer and provides extra support on steep climbs.

On The Trail

Saddles are of course a highly personal piece of kit, which is one of the reasons we don’t tend to do many saddle reviews here at Vital – what works for one tester can be totally wrong for somebody else. Having said that, making sure your saddle fits the width of your sit bones is a very logical step towards better comfort for any rider, and there are several other features of the 6OX 2.2 saddle that we think will work for many people. First up, the “step saddle concept”. We found two really helpful aspects to this design principle; a high degree of comfort and great support while pedaling and climbing. Supporting you by the sit bones really helps take the pressure off other areas, and we found the 6OX 2.2 extremely comfortable from the very first ride. Without having done long-term tests of every other saddle we’ve tried over the years, it’s hard to declare an outright winner, but for this tester at least, it’s probably the most comfortable saddle he’s ridden to date.

SQlab claims that having extra support towards the rear of the saddle is also great for power transfer. We’re usually weary of such claims, but in this case, we’ve found them to be true. A more conventional saddle shape can sometimes leave you feeling like you’ll slip off the rear a bit, which can lead to all kinds of unwanted tension in your body. Being able to “relax into” the saddle as you push the watts is a great feeling, and even more so on steeper climbs. We’ve often run our saddles tilted slightly forwards in the past, in an effort to achieve exactly this feeling, but here you get it “out of the box” without having to alter your natural seated position on flat ground at all. Certainly the best of two worlds. The grippy cover material also contributes to a better connection with the saddle during pedaling. The “Active Technology” concept that lets you dial in a certain amount of side-to-side flex in the saddle is something we value too. The flex is less pronounced here compared to other saddles we’ve tested with similar tech, so we ended up running the softest insert available as this tester does indeed appreciate the benefits of this approach.

What about the overall shape then? The shorter nose is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to more aggressive riding. The rearmost portion of the saddle is still quite wide and flat though, and the way it rises up may not jive with the most demanding body language. Then again, if you ride bike parks and big jumps on the regular you’re probably a lot less concerned with pedaling ergonomics anyway, so chances are this saddle wouldn’t be on your shopping list to begin with. For all-mountain and enduro riders, it hits the nail on the head – and for e-bikes, even more so; the extra support at the rear of the saddle will really help as you burn through your watt-hours on the way up the mountain.

For reference, we also tested the SQlab 611 saddle, with the typical long nose. We received the “Fair On Trails” version, a special edition with custom graphics which supports the “German Mountain Bike Initiative” (Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V.), an organization committed to the promotion of popular and competitive mountain biking throughout Germany, as well as the free use of all trails, while taking into account nature and social compatibility. €10 of every Fair On Trails edition saddle sold goes to this initiative. This saddle offered many of the same benefits as the 6OX 2.2, but the lack of the grippy cover material really made a big difference on the trail. The long nose IS useful on very steep climbs, but for our kind of riding, we think the benefits of the shorter nose of the 6OX 2.2 far outweigh any drawbacks. And as just mentioned, the more slippery cover of the 611 Fair On Trails edition really drove home the importance of the more grippy cover material and the more pronounced "step" shape featured on the 6OX 2.2.

What’s The Bottom Line?

SQlab has been making ergonomically optimized saddles for many years, and in many ways the 6OX 2.2 is the culmination of their MTB experience to date. The distinct shape provides for exceptional comfort and plenty of support both on the flats and while climbing, which helped us find a more relaxed position on the bike with less discomfort noted at the end of our rides. The shorter nose adds an extra degree of freedom of movement around the front of the saddle – particularly useful for more aggressive riding. It’s available in 4 different widths to suit each rider’s individual anatomy, which is another SQlab approach to ensuring better comfort. In terms of durability, the quality seems very high and the saddle shows little to no signs of wear after about three months of testing. That's a good thing, because this is certainly a saddle that is going to stay on this tester's personal bikes for the foreseeable future!

More information at: www.sq-lab.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord