Having the best bar tape might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking about how to upgrade your bike, but it makes a much bigger difference than you might think. Alongside your saddle and pedals, the handlebars are one of the key contact points on your bike, so even a change as seemingly small as rewrapping your bars can offer up noticeably more comfort and control. Swapping to a high-quality bar tape can give you better grip, reduce the vibration that fatigues your wrists and arms, and even extend the lifespan of your cockpit. And if that’s not enough, it’s also a great way to give your bike a fresh pop of colour.
Because your hands are in constant contact with the bars, the quality of your bar tape can have a direct impact on the overall quality of your ride. Even if you’re headed for the smoothest tarmac around, you’re never going to be completely without a bit of road chatter, and that can cause a fair amount of fatigue after a long day in the saddle. So it’s an easy and relatively affordable upgrade that can make your bike rides much more enjoyable. Sure, you could upgrade to the best road handlebars, but without the right tape, you run the risk of compromising their overall performance.
With so many options on the market, from ultra-cushioned designs to thin, race-ready finishes, finding the right bar tape can feel quite overwhelming. That’s where we come in. Whether you’re chasing better road feel, want to be more comfortable as you ride, or simply want to refresh your bike’s aesthetic, scroll down for our pick of the best bar tape available right now, or head to the bottom for our guide on how to choose the right tape for you.
Best bar tape
➕ Super comfortable padding
➕ Generous sizing
➖ Patterned perforations look untidy on the bar
➖ Limited colour options
Plush, wide and genuinely easy to work with, the Genus tape leans hard into comfort without making wrapping a faff. The perforated leather-effect finish isn’t just for show either, it adds grip and makes lining everything up almost foolproof. Throw in premium alloy bar ends and slick packaging, and it’s a properly luxurious option that justifies its higher price tag.
➕ Direct bar feel
➕ Good grip in wet and dry
➖ Price is at the upper end of the spectrum
➖ Plastic push-in bar end plugs
If you want maximum road feel, this is about as stripped-back as it gets. At just 2mm thick and seriously lightweight, it’s built for control, with a tacky texture that holds up in all conditions. It’s simple, race-focused, and comes in enough colour options to still let you add a bit of personality.
➕ Loads of colours
➕ Aluminium expander bar plugs included
➖ Comparatively high price
Loud colours meet serious performance here. The thick foam backing smooths out rough roads, while the ultra-tacky surface keeps your hands planted even in the wet. It manages to balance comfort and feedback well, and the colour-matched alloy bar ends are a nice premium touch.
➕ Sticky finishing texture
➕ Secure screw-in bar end plug
➖ Comparatively high price
A reliable all-rounder with options to suit different preferences, thanks to multiple thickness choices. The Durasoft Polymer construction hits the sweet spot between cushioning and bar feel, while the grippy finish works with or without gloves. Plenty of colourways too, from subtle to properly bold.
➕ Comfort
➕ Good price
➖ Limited colours
➖ Shorter than average length
Built for long days in the saddle, this thick, gel-backed tape does a great job of muting road buzz. The silicone backing makes fitting and removal refreshingly clean and hassle-free. It’s not flashy, but if comfort is your priority, it quietly gets the job done.
➕ Superb dampening qualities for its thickness
➕ Great value
➖ Difficult to clean
A classic for a reason. The EVA and cork mix delivers a soft, durable feel that works just as well with bare hands as it does with gloves, while the added gel takes the edge off vibrations. It’s simple, effective, and comes with that timeless speckled look.
➕ Comfortable without being bulky
➖ Tricky to wrap correctly for desired smooth finish
➖ Short in length
Designed with distance in mind, this tape focuses on comfort and a tidy finish. The tapered edge helps it wrap neatly, while the textured surface adds grip when you need it most. Easy to adjust thanks to the silicone backing, and available in plenty of bright colours.
➕ Good levels of grip
➕ Good length
➖ Won't appeal to those looking for bold colours
With its dual-density build that combines cushioning EVA with a grippy outer layer, the Presa smartly balances comfort and control. Perforations improve its breathability and score subtle style points without going over the top. It’s understated, but very capable.
➕ Hard-wearing
➕ Looks great
➖ Inflexible leather is harder to fit
➖ Not the most comfortable
This is all about feel and longevity rather than outright comfort. The leather gives a firm, direct connection to the bike and will age beautifully over time, developing a unique patina. Not the softest option out there, but if you value durability and classic looks, it’s hard to beat.
Last updated on 02nd April 2026
All the featured products were checked to confirm they are still relevant and current. Guide formatting was also refreshed to meet current best practices and ensure the best reader experience.
How to choose the best bar tape
What kind of bar tape do I need?
You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
As with any purchase, you need to have a grasp of what you want to get out of the product you're buying, and the same goes for bar tape. Bar tape, while a seemingly basic purchase at first glance, will throw up many different options, each of which serving a subtly different purpose, such as comfort, road feel and feedback, style, colour, wet-weather grip, dry-weather grip, durability, and more.
So to get it right the first time, you'll need to have a think about what you prioritise. To help you decide, here are a few common scenarios.
- If you're riding full gas, tearing through tight corners in a short criterium, you might prefer a thin, grippy tape that offers increased road feedback and a more responsive feel.
- If you're riding long distances or riding over rougher ground, you might prefer a thicker tape that offers increased vibration absorption.
- If you're commuting all-year-round, and want a basic bar tape that will stand the test of time, you might want to look to leather tape for its durability.
- If you prioritise style over everything, then the best bar tape for you might be cotton or leather, since it offers a retro aesthetic.
- If you want to bling up your bike with a colour-matched style, look for synthetic tape available in various colours.
What is the best bar tape material?
Bar tape material has come a long way since the early days, but none of the early materials have been made entirely redundant. Over the years, we've seen cotton, cork, leather, vinyl, foam, and more. Cork and leather have been popular for decades for their levels of grip, comfort and for a classic look, but they do have limitations. The most commonly found bar tapes nowadays are made using synthetic materials which can be combined with foam or gel for padding.
These modern bar tapes offer improved comfort, all-weather grip and are available in a wider range of colours or designs.
What is tacky bar tape?
Whether you're battling storms all year round or do your best to avoid the rain, grip is an important consideration when choosing the best bar tape for you.
Synthetic materials such as polyurethane can be made to have a tacky finish to provide grip in both wet or dry conditions for gloved or bare hands. Textured surfaces or perforations can also be used to give some extra purchase to the handlebar.
An element of breathability is also important to allow sweat and moisture to be drawn away from the hand and help maintain good levels of grip.
How thick should bar tape be?
Bar tape comes in a variety of thicknesses to suit feel and comfort. The most common range is around 1.5mm to 4mm, although there are options outside of this, and the general rule is the greater the thickness, the greater the comfort.
Traditionally, the best bar tape for racers is at the thinner end of this spectrum, because it offers a closer road feel and a direct response on the bike. Conversely, gravel riders or endurance riders usually prefer thicker bar tape, which will lessen road buzz for more comfort and reduce potential numbness in the hands over a long distance.
For rides such as the Paris-Roubaix or gravel riding, an even thicker bar tape can be used to reduce fatigue and help with control on rough surfaces. To add additional comfort to a favourite bar tape, gel inserts can be added under the tape, and some will even opt to wrap their bars with two rolls, doubling the thickness, although this will add an element of bulk to the handlebar.
What length bar tape do I need?
Along with thickness, the length of the tape is also an important consideration, especially if you're using wide bars with more real estate to cover. If you pair a long tape with a narrow bar, you can be generous with your overlapping, increasing the thickness, or you can wrap it to the ideal thickness and cut off any excess. The same cannot be said the other way round; if you pair a short tape with a wide bar, you'll have to spread your tape more thinly, meaning smaller overlaps when wrapping, and thus, less overall thickness.
Which colour bar tape will last the longest?
Most bar tape is available in a wide range of colours and styles to suit all tastes and fashions. Whether you want to play it safe with a simple black, colour match with details on your bike, or stand out with an eye-catching fluro hue, there will be a bar tape that suits.
Remember lighter colours will quickly show dirt and grime and require a little extra care to keep looking at its best. If you're looking to simply fit and forget, then a classic black will stay looking good for the longest time.
Can I reuse bar tape?
On the underside of most bar tapes (with the exception of cotton) is a tacky strip that helps it grip to the bars and remain in place, and the way in which this tackiness is applied can be important.
If you're a serial tinkerer when it comes to your bike setup, you might find that you need to unwrap your bar tape to move your shifters or replace brake and gear cables.
Some tapes use a sticky strip which means that they can only ever be wrapped once, and the tape will rip and tear when it comes time to remove it so that cheap job of replacing your brake cables quickly means you need a new roll of bar tape too.
The best bar tapes use alternate solutions such as a silicone strip, offering enough tackiness to hold, while also being re-wrappable and leaving no residue behind when removed.
How we test?
Testing is the backbone of the tech department at Cyclingnews and how we test is taken seriously, so read on to find out more.
Between reviewing bikes, testing handlebars, swapping between groupsets and experimenting with setups on our personal bikes, the Cyclingnews tech team gets through a lot of bar tape.
All bar tape is scored on ease of application, comfort and bar feel when riding, grip in various conditions and durability. The best way to do this is to log as many miles as possible across a range of different surfaces and conditions.
