The best dropper seatpost you can buy
In our opinion a dropper seatpost is a must-have for any mountain bike! We’ve tested eight of the most interesting models and found several surprising and innovative products!
The first generation of dropper posts revolutionised the way we ride, allowing us to seamlessly transition from climbs to descents without having to get off the bike, delivering non-stop fun! The latest generation of dropper posts feature internal routing, impressive design, and exciting new technologies. In a market dominated by powerhouse brands, there are now some new players stepping up. Could this be the year of the underdog? It’s time to test eight of the best to find out.
What makes a good dropper post??
[emaillocker id=132050]A good dropper post should be light, reliable, and offer fast and easy-to-control height adjustment. The remote should be ergonomic and intuitive, falling easily to hand without looking, and offer a good choice of fitting options too. In use, the best posts offer a quiet and smooth action with minimal rotational play at the seat.
| Model | Mechanism | Travel | Ride height | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9Point8 Fall Line | Cable | 75 • 100 • 125 • 150 | 58 mm | 618 g | € 499 |
| Easton Haven Dropper | Cable | 100 • 125 • 150 | 65 mm | 554 g | € 445 |
| KS LEV Intrega | Cable | 100 • 125 • 150 | 51 mm | 605 g | € 450 |
| Magura Vyron | Wireless | 150 | 57 mm | 617 g | € 400 |
| Nukeproof Oklo | Cable | 125 | 77 mm | 824 g | € 220 |
| RockShox Reverb Stealth | Hydraulic | 100 • 125 • 150 • 170 | 68 mm | 621 g | € 495 |
| Specialized Command Post IRCC | Cable | 75 • 100 • 125 | 66 mm | 620 g | € 449 |
| Thomson Elite Covert | Cable | 100 • 125 | 66 mm | 669 g | € 450 |
Anatomy of a good dropper post
Infinite Adjustment: Some posts have predetermined stops in the top, middle, and bottom, while some models offer infinite adjustment. Infinite adjustment allows you to stop the post at any point in its travel to fine tune the ride height.
Remote Lever: All the posts in the test feature a bar-mounted remote, allowing you to drop the post without taking your hands from the grips. Some remotes are designed to run on the top of the bar, while some can be mounted underneath out of harm’s way. The best remotes are unobtrusive, easy to locate, and offer a smooth action.
Ride Height: Differences in seat clamp head design mean that posts with identical drops may vary significantly in ride height. If you are a short rider with a tall frame, you need to ensure that your chosen model of seatpost has enough clearance.
Seat Clamp Head: Not all seat clamp heads are created equal. Fitting a seat to some of the posts on test requires the dexterity of a brain surgeon and at least twelve fingers. A good seat clamp will allow fitment of the seat with minimal stress and also allow easy independent adjustment of angle and position.
Seatpost Diameter Most dropper posts come in either a 30.9 or 31.6 mm seatpost diameter, allowing them to be fitted to most current frames on the market. Shims can be used to increase the seatpost diameter to allow posts to be fitted to 34.9 mm frames.
Travel: Dropper seatposts are now available in a wide range of drops, from 100 mm right through to a whopping 200 mm, but most manufacturers have settled on a 125 – 150 mm drop as a solution that works best for most riders. Very tall riders may want to look for manufacturers that offer longer travel.
Weight: Dropper posts are getting lighter and lighter, but there are still significant differences among the brands. A good post will be lightweight and reliable.
Adjustable return speed: Some of the best posts allow you to adjust the return speed of the post, moving from slow and lazy, to family-jewels-threateningly fast to suit your riding style!
Cable, Hydraulic, or Electronic?: Cable-operated posts are simple and easy to fit, and allow you to run a shifter-style remote for a clean cockpit with a 1x drivetrain. Hydraulic posts have the benefits of being sealed from mud and rain, do not suffer from cable stretch, and usually require less maintenance once fitted. The latest wireless electronic posts offer effortless fitting, but do rely on batteries and need to be charged up occasionally.
After comprehensive weights and measurements were taken, we fitted each post to a number of different bikes with varying cable routing to determine how easy each was to install and adjust. Then, after months of hard use, we observed if there were any issues with rotational play, poor performance, or loss of function.
Read our detailed impressions to each dropper post on the following pages. Simply press “Next” or jump directly to the individual products or the conclusion.
[/emaillocker]