Selle Italia Launches Sustainable Italian Made Saddle for $50
Selle Italia has launched its first sustainable saddle with the new Model X Green Superflow.
The saddle is the first product to be made from the brand's new Green-Tech production process focusing on speed, lessening environmental impacts and lower costs.
The new production method uses an automated system that Selle Italia claim is the only one of its type. The saddles are made without glues and polyurethanes and use materials with small environmental impacts.
As the first saddle to emerge using its new technology, the Model X Green Superflow features a simplified assembly using just three different pieces. With no glue involved in the manufacturing, Selle Italia instead opts for a co-molded construction design using mechanical connections to bring the components together. Selle Italia claims the saddle offers improved comfort over similarly priced saddles as it uses two materials of different flexibility in its construction.
The Italian production of the saddles means Selle Italia has been able to reduce its CO2 output. With complete control over manufacturing, it can reduce waste and cut down emissions from transporting products made overseas. Selle Italia also mentions Italian production has helped avoid some of the supply issues affecting the whole industry.
The Model X Green Superflow weighs 315 grams and will cost $50/€50. You can find out more here.
46 Comments
Delving deep into their website and tech specs, there is no information on the materials used or where they were sourced. Is the leather from a tannery which pours chemicals into a river, is the plastic recyclable?
I applaud the effort but if companies want to avoid being accused of greenwashing, then they need to offer full disclosure on their products when making such claims. Why just one saddle in the range if the commitment is to truly make a difference?
@pinkbike please can you start doing some reviews around this topic such as most eco-friendly sealant, lubes, tyres, brake pads etc. You have a point of influence that could help the industry drive forward to greater accountability and away from greenwash marketing.
As far as know in terms of sourcing Selle Italia/San Marco uses domestic production as well Fizik/Brooks. The majority of saddles if not made by those two are made by velo.
On materials
$25-50 USD most seats really cheap and very hard to salvage in any meaningful way
$50-90 quality is better on mid range OEM these can be salvage but the foam is still hard to fix
$110 + the Undercarrage is glass nylon or carbon fiber/nylon with EVA or high density more less the same up to the 300-350 range. The only difference is material of rails and sometimes the premium seats are bit more sculpted
$350+ the undercarriage is actually carbon fiber and resin, but foam is same as the $100-300 range. Considering how rigid CF is coupled with cost I find these kinda silly
I'm of the opinion Selle Italia monolink (or rail, I forget) was really on to something as personal clamping on CF is bad idea. I find a lot Selle Italia SLR that have delaminated from overnighting.
What does '100% full sustainable' mean?
What materials are used in this saddle?
Are there any tradeoffs made to have a more "green" saddle?
What is the end-of-life for a saddle like this?
Are the stated reductions in CO2e compared to production overseas or compared to other saddles Selle Italia is making domestically? How big are those reductions?
What else is Selle Italia doing?
Progress, not perfection guys. Share it all instead of hiding behind marketing terminology in the hope that the rest of the industry will join in making improvements and learn from everyone's mistakes.
I've posted pictures on my profile if anyone want to look at the process
us.selleitalia.com/en/saddles/model-x-green-superflow