The Best Dropper Posts of 2023

The Wolf Tooth Resolve is a new dropper model from Wolf Tooth Components. It features a short overall length and low stack height, a self-bleeding cartridge, the option to buy with travel-reducing spacers installed, a sensible seat clamp design, and is one of the best models on the market. After addressing some initial stickiness, our test post performed reliably and smoothly with light action, quick return speed, and a good feel when making small changes to saddle height. This performance is enhanced when paired with the beautifully machined Wolf Tooth Remote Pro lever, which is one of the best available. At 514 grams for the post in the 160mm length, the Resolve is also one of the lightest posts around outside of the super-light XC posts (the Fox Transfer SL and BikeYoke Divine SL).

Installing the Resolve is a snap and easier to fit in most frames with the short overall length/stack height, and attaching the saddle is very easy with the bottom of the seat clamp attached to the post. This feature makes the two-bolt design much easier to use than the two-piece (top and bottom) standard. The visual seat angle reference is also always a welcome touch. It comes in three travel lengths, 125, 160, and 200mm, and it can be shimmed to reduce travel for fitment purposes. Wolf Tooth will pre-install shims for you in 5mm increments (or you can order them to do it yourself or bring it into your local shop) so you can maximize your drop on your specific frame. Additionally, the post is fully self-serviceable (with the right tools and good mechanic skills), and every part is available from Wolf Tooth. You can even swap the lower portion of the post for a different diameter if you ever change bikes and need a different size.

The first impression of the Resolve wasn’t perfect with some sticking near the top of the stroke. After troubleshooting seat clamp tension and air pressure, we reached out to Wolf Tooth for assistance. They suggested cleaning the stanchion with alcohol and lightly greasing it with suspension grease (we used Slick Honey). After this, the post returned to normal function and was smooth throughout its travel, always went to full extension, and continued working well for the duration of testing, even through weeks of super wet and muddy conditions. In terms of micro-adjustability and smoothness, the Wolf Tooth Resolve is solid – not as quite smooth, predictable, and precise as the Fox Transfer or BikeYoke Revive, but similar in feel to the Crankbrothers Highline 7. It does require a bit more compression force than some, but nothing excessive and it may actually contribute to the ability to make small, precise adjustments, especially while climbing. The self-bleeding feature also means that it should never develop sag over time.

The Remote Pro lever is a standout on its own, with three horizontal mounting options, the ability to adjust the start angle, and short throw/light action, making it easy to find the perfect ergonomics. The medium size paddle is easy to find, there are no sharp edges, and the machined texture provides traction with or without gloves in all weather conditions.  

The Wolf Tooth Resolve is a great post that performs solidly and sports an exceptionally smart design, low stack height/overall lengths, an easy-to-use clamp design, and self bleeding cartridge. If you are looking for a user-serviceable, reliable, relatively smooth, and easy-to-install option, the Resolve should be on your list. And riders using any post should certainly consider the Remote Pro when considering any lever upgrades.

You can find out more in our full review of the Wolf Tooth Resolve dropper post.

The OneUp V2 Dropper is our pick for the best value dropper post, and it provides the widest range of travel and fitting options. It comes in a whopping 6 travel lengths between 90 and 240mm and all 4 post diameters (including 27.2 for gravel and XC bikes). At $230, the reasonably-priced OneUp V2 is smooth and performed reliably throughout the test period.

The setup for the OneUp V2 is quite simple. The barrel end of the cable slots into the bottom of the post and gets clamped at the remote where it is easier to deal with. Maximizing travel with the V2 Dropper is made easy thanks to the relatively short overall lengths and the super low, 33mm (compressed) stack height. The travel is also adjustable in 10mm increments and can be reduced using small pins, and it is fairly easy to do yourself using the procedure on their website (thanks to OneUp for providing detailed instructions in written form). OneUp also gets bonus points for their excellent online dropper post length selector tool, which also lets you know which competitors’ posts will fit your frame. The OneUp V2 uses a slotted head design to make saddle installation easier and although it is an improvement over most standard two-bolt designs, the larger heads (in the slots) make it slightly less functional than the slotted design on the Fox Transfer.

The latest OneUp V3 Remote ($45) uses a textured rubber thumbpad (which is replaceable and has a variety of color options) with a great shape and profile. The lever clamps are sold separately for $14.50, and they offer options for I-Spec, MMX, and a 22.2mm bar clamp. The V3 lever sits very close to the bar and is easy to keep out of the way with three horizontal positioning options to get it right where you need it. While it does not allow rotational adjustment, the position, ergonomic shape, light action, shorter throw, spring-loaded return, and tidy cable management make it among the best levers tested.

On the trail, the OneUp V2 post and V3 Lever perform reliably and flawlessly. It is worth noting that the V2 post compresses very quickly making it slightly more difficult to make precise micro-adjustments to saddle height. While not a deal-breaker by any means, it does require some getting used to compared to the Fox and BikeYoke posts, as well as the similarly priced PNW Loam post. Either way, it gets out of the way quickly when you drop it, returning consistently with an adjustable air spring to dial in the return speed to your liking.

With its reliable performance, low cost, a huge range of sizes, and adjustable travel lengths, the OneUp V2 Dropper is a great value that should appeal to riders of all sizes and budgets. The short overall length and stack height along with adjustable travel means most riders should be able to maximize drop on their setups, making it a particularly attractive choice for riders on small frames to replace stock posts to get more travel. For those with gravel and XC bikes, they also make the OneUp V2 27.2 in 90 and 120mm lengths.

The Fox Transfer Factory impressed with its smooth travel, light action, and a great seat clamp design, as well as maintaining relatively low stack height and overall lengths. At $359, it is towards the higher end of the price spectrum, and it doesn’t have a ton of fancy features or adjustment options (or any really). It is also the second heaviest post in the test (only lighter than the RockShox Reverb AXS). But the performance on the trail is simply outstanding.

The Fox Transfer comes in 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters and 5 travel lengths, increasing by 25mm between 100 and 200mm. The Performance Elite version uses the same internals but lacks the Kashima coat and retails for $309. While it is hard to quantify if Kashima is actually lower friction, the gold bling certainly helps it stand out. 

Setting up the Transfer is straightforward due to the standard design and lack of adjustment options – put the barrel on the end of the cable and onto the actuator, feed the cable through the housing, clamp in the lever, and go. Saddle installation is very easy as well thanks to the pivoting clamp bolts.

The Fox Transfer 1x Remote we used is similar to the post – no fancy bells or whistles, but a simple, ergonomic design with light action. The metal thumbpad is lightly textured for a bit of grip, and two mounting holes allow you to shift the lever laterally to find the right position. The low profile design is easy to keep out of the way, and the relatively short throw and light lever action make for easy post actuation.

On the trail, the Fox Transfer Factory performs reliably and extremely smoothly. It drops quickly when necessary but remains precise when making small adjustments with a consistent return speed. The Transfer does not have an adjustable air spring but the fixed spring rate seems pretty perfect anyway. While some people may prefer greater adjustability, we found it to work great while having one less thing to need to fiddle with.

We’ve seen complaints about reliability issues with the Fox Transfer post, but ours has worked perfectly at all temperatures and conditions throughout our test period. In fact, along with the Bike Yoke Revive 2.0, it’s one of the smoothest posts we tried. So smooth that it made many of the other posts we tested feel sub-par in comparison.

The Fox Transfer Factory isn’t the cheapest, lightest, most adjustable, or easily serviceable, but it still managed to seriously impress us with its overall performance. Given the range of sizes, relatively low stack height, and shorter overall lengths, most riders should be able to find a Transfer that works for them.

Exhibiting reliable, smooth performance and as the lowest cost post in our test, the PNW Loam Dropper is easily one of the best values around. With its solid, consistent feel, the PNW Loam post is a great option for most riders looking to upgrade from a stock post regardless of your budget.

The setup for the PNW Loam is about as standard as it comes. You install the saddle on the standard two-bolt design, attach the barrel nut, pull the cable through the housing (hopefully already in your frame), connect the cable to the lever, cut/crimp, and go ride. The overall length of the 150mm version is pretty good at 440mm (in line with the Wolftooth Resolve 160 (which has 10mm more travel) and Fox Transfer 150, though about 20mm longer than the OneUp V2 150) and the stack height is a reasonable 50mm (compressed) which is a bit taller than some other models we tested. Should you need to reduce the travel for ideal fitment, the Loam features a nifty tool-free travel reduction option. While most people won’t use this outside of the initial setup, it is a nice touch that will make fitting for folks right on the edge of the maximum travel length easy and straightforward.

The PNW Loam Lever Gen 2 utilizes a replaceable/customizable rubber thumb pad and a larger, rectangular shape. This is a quality remote lever, but we found the position of the lever is slightly less ergonomic than some due to the set angle, even with the three horizontal positioning options. The Loam has a reasonably light action (in line with the OneUp V3 lever but requiring more effort than the Fox Transfer) and the pad color can be customized along with the collar on the post if that’s something you’re into. Just be careful that your fingers are not covered in grease when you set the post up – especially if you have one of the lighter color pads like the bright orange we tested.

On the trail, the PNW Loam post fades into the background, exactly as a dropper post should. It works, and it works well. Return speed can be adjusted to dial it how you like, and the moderate compression force needed to lower makes micro-adjustments to saddle height straightforward.

At just over $200, the on-trail performance of the PNW Loam Dropper post hits well above the price point. The Loam should be shortlisted by any riders on a budget who are looking for an affordable and smooth dropper, and chances are you’ll be able to find an option that fits you and your bike. If you’re on the fence about upgrading your post, the PNW Loam is a top option that significantly outperforms its low price. For those with gravel bikes or older bikes with external cable routing, PNW also makes a variety of other models to suit your needs.

Check out our full review of the PNW Loam dropper for more info.

The Bike Yoke Revive 2.0 uses a unique, non-IFP (internal floating piston) design, as well as a Revive Valve to keep the post going up and down smoothly by allowing excess air to bleed into the shaft instead of into the oil. It also performs flawlessly and is one of the smoothest and most intuitive posts on the market, losing a tiny bit to the competition only due to its relatively long overall length and stack height. But, if it fits you and your frame (likely easy for anyone on a size medium or larger), the Revive provides top-of-the-line performance and an additional guarantee of reliability through the easy-to-use Revive Valve.

The Revive 2.0 comes in the standard 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters as well as the Revive Max 34.9 and Revive 27.2 (80mm travel only) to cover all possible sizes. It comes in 125, 160, 185, and 213mm drop lengths that should suit most riders’ needs, and while the stack height is quite reasonable at 42mm (compressed), the overall length is a bit longer than some others due to the 32mm long actuator at the base of the post.

Installing the Revive is a fairly standard procedure, although the cut end of the cable is at the post and needs to be inserted into a barrel which is a bit fiddlier than other posts. The seat clamp is a standard 2 bolt and barrel design and the Triggy Alpha remote has two horizontal positioning mounts and the option to adjust the lever angle. While the lever does have a slightly longer throw, it is light action, highly adjustable, relatively ergonomic, and the perforated machined thumbpad even matched the Hope Tech 3 brake levers on the test bike. 

The BikeYoke Revive 2.0 has an adjustable return speed, allowing pressures of 210-290 psi and providing an incredibly smooth, controlled stroke. It is worth mentioning that adjusting the air pressure requires an adaptor supplied by BikeYoke with the post, but you can get around this by removing the Reset Valve. After setting up the post initially, the Revive proved to be the smoothest post in the test group, slightly smoother even than the Fox Transfer. It is actually uncanny just how smooth this post really is. The high-end feel of the Revive post makes small imperfections in the feel of other posts much more noticeable.

The most unique feature of the Revive is the Revive Valve, a reset feature that bleeds air out of the system if your post develops sag over time. It takes just a 4mm hex key and mere seconds to reset the post if/when needed. This helps keep your post running smoothly, consistently, and reliably.

If the longer insertion length works for you, the Bike Yoke Revive 2.0 is arguably the smoothest, most intuitive, reliable design on the market and should absolutely be considered if you are looking on the higher end of the dropper post price spectrum.

For more information about the unique design of the Bike Yoke Revive, check out our deep dive into the original model just after it was released.

The RockShox Reverb AXS is the electronic version of RockShox’s longstanding Reverb dropper post. It was one of the first electric droppers on the market, and while it is very expensive, it is arguably one of the best droppers available. It isn’t plagued by any of the issues of the hydraulically-actuated version, like temperature sensitivity and more challenging installation (due to hydraulic fluid in the hose and remote), and it works impressively well.

The Reverb AXS comes in 30.9, 31.6, and 34.9mm diameters as well as 27.2mm in the Reverb XPLR AXS that’s made for gravel bikes. The larger diameters all come in 100, 125, 150, and 170mm drop lengths which should work for most people. Unfortunately, for the long-legged folks, it does not come in a 200mm length. The overall lengths are pretty reasonable, but it does have a longer stack height of 62mm (compressed) as a result of the taller silver collar and the motor/battery housing at the top of the post. It is also one of the heavier options with a measured weight of 655 grams (150mm length) for the post and 54 grams for the remote. For comparison, that is 162 grams heavier than the OneUp V2 and remote in the same drop length.

Given the lack of cables and/or hoses, setting up the Reverb AXS couldn’t be any easier. Simply insert the post into the seat tube, attach the remote to the handlebar, charge the AXS battery (takes about an hour), and then pair the two together (like pairing to a Bluetooth speaker). Attaching the saddle is super quick and easy too with a single T25 bolt to clamp the saddle rails as well as a super user-friendly tilt adjustment. The battery locks into place at the back of the post securely and firmly. Pressing a button on the post shows battery life, and it lasts a surprisingly long time. During testing, it was 42 hours of ride time (according to Strava) before the battery indicator turned red. The Reverb AXS remote uses a CR2032 watch battery, which SRAM says should last over two years and it is cheap to replace (less than $10 for any two pack). You can also use the SRAM AXS app to see battery percentages for both the post and remote.

Electronics aside, the Reverb AXS remote is quite different from any cable-actuated post remote. It is ergonomic, sits close to the bars, and has extremely quick action. Instead of pushing a lever to pull a cable, it is essentially just a light press of a button. Your thumb barely needs to move, and while it takes a few minutes to get used to, it makes regular remote levers seem archaic pretty quickly. The AXS remote, combined with the quick action of the post, provides an incredibly precise feel on the trail. For the post to continue dropping, you need to keep your thumb on the lever, so a quick tap on the lever won’t drop the post the entire way but does make it super easy to micro-adjust the saddle height. Because of the light action and ease of dropping 5-15mm with a quick tap, we found ourselves making those smaller adjustments notably more than with other posts.

The Reverb AXS has one of the fastest return speeds among the models we tested (second to the Fox Transfer SL), topping out audibly but not excessively hard. It isn’t adjustable, but for those who like a quick return speed, it will be just right. The overall action is quite smooth but requires moderate force to compress compared to some other models. The Reverb AXS includes SRAM’s “Vent Valve” to remove air from the internals located at the bottom of the post, which is easy enough to access with no cables to speak of. Our test post has not developed any squishiness at all, but the relief/vent valve is a good feature to have to avoid more complex maintenance. Ours has worked flawlessly through the test period, however.

Should you buy an $861 seat post? That’s entirely up to you and how much disposable income you have. That said, if you have the means, we think it’s one of the best droppers available and doubt you’ll be disappointed by the performance and quick, precise feel of the RockShox Reverb AXS.

For more info, check out our complete technical overview of the RockShox Reverb AXS near its launch.

The Bike Yoke Divine SL is the German brand’s top-of-the-line XC dropper. Weighing in at 451 grams for the post, the Divine SL is the second lightest post in the test and will save at least 50 grams off any trail/enduro option. Given its XC focus, it is only currently offered in shorter drop lengths of 80, 100, and 125mm.

Setting up the Divine SL is straightforward but does require the plastic sleeve tool included with the post to attach the cable nut assembly at the bottom of the post. This takes a few minutes longer than the direct cable end connection on most posts, but is very straightforward and poses no difficulties – just don’t lose the plastic tool to remove and attach the cable nut inside the bottom of the post tube, or the nut and plastic plunger piece!

The Divine SL has what Bike Yoke calls the “Tech-Climb” feature which adds a small amount of suspension action to the post, but only when it is in a middle position – fully extended or dropped are still locked. While this seems like an interesting feature, it managed to go completely unnoticed and didn’t seem to impact its performance either positively or negatively. Pressing on it by hand, you can feel about ½ to 1 cm of motion, and perhaps not noticing it while riding could be considered a success. Bike Yoke does say that reducing the air pressure in the post will increase the action of the Tech-Climb feature but even when lowered to 250psi, it didn’t seem to change the action much. Like the Revive 2.0, accessing the air valve at the top of the post to adjust pressure does require the use of the included adapter.

The Divine SL shares some of its internals with the Revive 2.0, and it is similarly smooth in its action. It doesn’t have the Revive feature, but Bike Yoke says it is designed to fully reset the hydraulic system with every full drop, much like the Wolf Tooth Resolve, and we never experienced squishiness or noticeable play. The micro-adjustability and smoothness were not quite as strong as the Revive 2.0 or Fox Transfer (non-SL version), but still near the top of the class for the posts in this test.

With max travel of 125mm, the Divine SL probably won’t be on everyone’s shortlist, but it is a strong contender for riders looking for a shorter travel, superlight, XC dropper post. The Bike Yoke Divine SL is very smooth, quick and snappy, and very lightweight, making it a great choice for XC riders looking to add an infinitely adjustable, high-performance dropper to their lightweight rigs.

At $300, the Crankbrothers Highline 7 sits directly in the center of the price range for the cable-actuated posts in this review. For a slight premium over some lesser-priced competitors, it performs exceptionally smoothly, features an easy-to-use pivoting bolt seat clamp, and everything except the cartridge is serviceable with very standard tools. It does have a longer stack height and overall length and fixed compression/extension speed, but the Highline 7 is a solid mid-range option for riders looking for smooth, controlled action in a post they’ll be able to pull apart and keep running for quite a while.

The Highline 7 comes in both the standard 30.9 and 31.6mm diameters and 100, 125, 150, 170, and 200mm drop lengths. The overall lengths and stack height are a little bit longer than most other models we tested, so that is something to bear in mind depending on your frame. For anyone with smaller seat tube diameters on their gravel or XC bikes, Crankbrothers also makes the Highline XC Gravel in a 27.2mm diameter that comes in 60, 80, 100, and 125mm lengths. Crankbrothers also makes the affordable Highline 3 dropper that retails for just $200.

Setting up the Highline 7 is very easy – you don’t even need a barrel for the end of the cable as it connects directly. We did not test the Crankbrothers Highline Remote, so we can’t comment on it, instead testing it with the Wolf Tooth ReMote Pro, which posed no problems. The rear bolt of the seat clamp pivots, making saddle installation easier than a standard 2-bolt design.

On the trail, the Highline 7 is reliable and has a very consistent, smooth feel in both compression and extension. It isn’t adjustable and the fixed rate is a touch slower than other posts like the BikeYoke Revive, Fox Transfer, PNW Loam, or OneUp V2, and it has a less audible top-out. While it isn’t too slow, necessarily, some may find themselves wanting the ability to speed it up.

Even with the slower speed, the Highline 7 is super smooth, probably the smoothest action of the low-to-mid price point posts tested. And, being fully user-serviceable with very standard tooling, along with including quality components like Trelleborg seals and IGUS LL glide bearings and keys, it should be easy to keep the smooth feel for the lifetime of the post. While the longer stack height and overall length, combined with the slightly slow compression and extension speeds, didn’t make it stand out compared to the best, we think most riders who can make the fit work and are looking for a serviceable, exceptionally smooth, controlled, and reasonably priced post will be very happy with the Crankbrothers Highline 7.

The Fox Transfer SL Factory is an extremely lightweight, two-position dropper post intended for XC and gravel riding. To achieve such light weight, the Transfer SL uses a much simpler mechanical spring (as opposed to a hydraulic cartridge), that only stops in two positions, fully up or fully down. Weighing only 441 grams for the 150mm travel option tested (less than 3 grams per mm travel), the Transfer SL is a good option for XC, gravel, or particularly weight-conscious riders, provided they get along with the two-position approach.

Given the lightweight focus of the Transfer SL and the intended audience of cross-country and gravel riders, it comes in sizes that line up with the bikes it’s designed to be used on. In the 30.9 and 31.6mm diameter, it comes in 75 and 100mm drop lengths. In the 31.6mm diameter, it also comes in 125 and 150mm lengths for weight-conscious trail riders. For those riding bikes with 27.2mm seat tube diameters, the Transfer SL 27.2 is available with 50 or 70mm of drop. In addition to the Factory version we tested, the Transfer SL Performance Elite skips the Kashima stanchion and retails for $329. Likewise, the Transfer SL 27.2 comes in both Factory and Performance Elite configurations at the same prices.

Setting up the Fox Transfer SL involves clamping the cable end in the cutout at the bottom of the post and running it through the plastic end cap, which was comparably easy to the standard barrel at the cable end used in most of the droppers tested. Unlike the BikeYoke Divine SL, the Transfer SL cannot be cut down to reduce the overall length/weight, and it has the longest overall length of any post in the test at 485mm for 150mm of drop (17mm longer than the Crankbrothers Highline 7). This shouldn’t pose too much of an issue on most XC frames but it is longer than average and should definitely be noted depending on the insertion length on your frame.

We tested the Transfer SL with Fox’s Transfer 1x Remote. It’s a simple lever but it works well with light actuation force and good ergonomics. Fox does offer a drop bar compatible lever for $55 for gravel riders who want a short travel post. 

While riding, the mechanical spring gives the Transfer SL the fastest return and drop speed of any post in the test. The spring only works to extend the post and doesn’t support the rider’s weight. It is so easy to drop, in fact, it feels like the floor is falling out from underneath you. It is impressively smooth, but the drop speed takes some getting used to, as does the fact that it will come back up to full extension if you don’t lower it all the way down. If you like to ride with your saddle in any position other than fully up or down, the inability to stop it anywhere in its travel will surely be missed. It is also worth noting that the two-position nature of the Transfer SL is not super visible in Fox’s marketing materials, but it is something that prospective buyers should definitely be aware of.

Fox claims that most XC and gravel riders surveyed ride mainly with their posts in a fully extended or compressed position and the Transfer SL Factory is a well-performing, quite snappy option if you do the same. This post is incredibly lightweight and sure to help you keep the weight of your race rig or gravel bike as low as possible while still enjoying the benefits of a dropper post.