Specialized Power Pro with Mirror

Specialized's Power Pro with Mirror saddle is its latest design with a 3D-printed upper, a honeycomb structure designed to keep your sit bones comfortable and supported. The comfort is great – after a bit of bedding in – and I got on well with the shape. It's one hell of a lot of money, though.

We first took a look at the Power with Mirror saddle back in 2020 when Mat reviewed the S-Works version.

This Pro version is a bit cheaper and a bit heavier as it has titanium rails as opposed to the carbon fibre of the S-Works, and a nylon-injected base (with 15% reclaimed carbon fibre) instead of the full carbon fibre of the more expensive model.

The upper is exactly the same over both models, though. The Mirror pad is 3D-printed from a liquid polymer creating a matrix of 14,000 struts and 7,799 nodes, according to Specialized (I haven't counted them), which can deliver the right amount of support and comfort depending on where they are positioned on the saddle.

As we always say with any saddle review, when it comes to comfort it’s entirely subjective – what I find comfortable might, to you, feel like sitting on a bed of nails, or what is uncomfortable for me might make you feel like you’re floating on a cushion of air. Here, straight out of the box, I wasn't too sure about the Power with Mirror's comfort.

There was plenty of movement – in fact I'd say more than you'd find on most race-orientated saddles with traditional padding, so it wasn't that it was overly firm or anything.

For the first 100 miles I didn't really get on with it; in some places I had hot-spots from pressure, and some numbness. I stuck with it, though, and I'm glad I did because from then on either I adapted to the Mirror or it adapted to me.

Like Mat, I was originally worried that it was going to be too soft as I generally like quite a firm saddle. The Mirror pad compresses a bit when you sit on, but Specialized has managed to stop just shy of making the saddle 'bouncy'.

Once the saddle and I had made friends I covered another 300 to 400 miles on it on various bikes for all kinds of riding. Some hard, shorter efforts of an hour or so, and lengthier rides out into the countryside, and it suited them all.

When you're pedalling hard the saddle upper doesn't flex any further than it does just from sitting on it, so you don't feel like the power is wasted, but there is just enough give there for it to be comfortable on longer trips.

Most importantly, it takes out the road vibrations without losing any of the feedback you get from the bike.

Specialized says that titanium rails bring more durability to the Power Pro, making it trail-ready. I used it about 50 per cent of the time on my gravel bike and it was here that I found it to work very well thanks to the Mirror pad acting like some form of minimal suspension.

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I spend a fair amount of time in the drops, so another bonus is the short-nosed design as I find it's more comfortable when in a crouched position, with less material in the way.

Price and weight

Since Mat tested the S-Works version the price has jumped up to £390, with this Power Pro coming in 100 quid cheaper at £290.

Okay, not cheap at all, but it is certainly very well made and the Mirror upper is looking to be highly durable, showing no signs of wear and seeming resistant to daily scuffs and scrapes.

At 254g on our scales it's no bloater, if not exactly what I'd consider a lightweight saddle.

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There aren't many 3D-printed saddles on the market to compare it with, although Fizik does offer the Adaptive range, which are a similar design. Its Vento Argo R1 Adaptive is probably the most similar shape and build, with a carbon fibre-reinforced nylon base, but it does have carbon rails. It's priced at £299.99.

On sites such as Aliexpress there are other options out there – this ZTTO 3D-printed liquid polymer saddle with titanium rails and what looks to be a nylon/carbon fibre base costs around £105, plus fees. We haven't tested it, though, so can't say how it compares.

Conclusion

It took a bit of getting used to, but overall, I'm impressed with the comfort levels and the shape of the Power Pro with Mirror. It feels different to a standard padded saddle, but in a good way, offering that feeling of suspension thanks to the small amount of movement in the upper, while still being supportive.

Verdict

A high ticket price, but it's a cleverly designed saddle with great comfort and support