Chamois cream is a perplexing topic, causing great confusion for new cyclists. But once you know, you know! Chamois cream (aka chamois butter) is a simple way to increase comfort on the bike and prevent painful saddle sores. While it’s not an absolute necessity for everyone, once you try it, you’ll never ride without it!
The confusion nowadays is because you have so many different products to choose from! There are tried-and-true chamois creams, brand new chamois creams with funny names, all-natural creams, and more. And you can get them in tubs and jars, tubes and packets, even sticks and sprays.
To make it easier for you, here are the best chamois creams that I’ve found:
- Chamois Butt’r Coconut – A natural formulation from the makers of the original butt butter. You can’t go wrong with this stuff.
- Enzo’s Buttonhole – For that minty sensation to make you feel like a Euro pro, without the premium price tag.
- Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil – A lightweight, versatile liquid skin protectant with no mess.
- Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme – You can find this in any drugstore, but it’s hard to tell it’s not actually chamois cream. Not just the best value, it’s cheap!
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Table of Contents
The Best Chamois Creams
After many years of riding, on different bikes, with different saddles, in different conditions, and debating with others in group rides and race parking lots, I’ve determined these are the best chamois creams available.
(Side note: if the idea of “chamois cream” is a mystery to you, read everything about chamois cream in my “Chamois Butter – Exposed!” article.)
Best Overall: Chamois Butt’r Coconut
Chamois Butt’r is the original chamois cream here in the USA. Hailing from the cycling mecca of Colorado, it’s been around since 1988. And it’s still made in the USA today.
While the original was (and still is) good, they have a new one called “Chamois Butt’r Coconut” which is even better. It utilizes organic coconut oil and shea butter to deeply moisturize your skin and reduce friction in your nether regions.
Other key ingredients are vitamins A & E, aloe vera, and tea tree oil. These additives help to nourish your skin, and their natural antiseptic properties prevent bacteria buildup that could lead to saddle sores.
Chamois Butt’r is entirely free of parabens, phthalates, gluten, and artificial fragrances, making it a good choice for cyclists with sensitive skin or allergies.
And it just plain works. With its creamy consistency, and lack of cooling tingly sensations, it’s very popular and basically everyone likes it. (It’s the vanilla ice cream of the chamois cream world.)
You can apply it anywhere you experience chafing. It will stay in place, providing protection for long rides, yet it easily washes out with soap and water. It leaves no greasy residue.
You can buy Chamois Butt’r in different size tubes as well as single-serve packets. You get the best price when you buy a big 8 oz tube, but the little packets are great to carry with you during long events just in case.
The 8 oz tube retails for $19.99, or about $2.50 per ounce. A box of 10 packets is $12.49 – about $4 per ounce.
Buy online: Compare prices at Amazon.com and PerformanceBike.com
Best Minty Sensation: Enzo’s Buttonhole
If you’re familiar with Assos, you know they make a great chamois cream famous in part for the cooling, tingly sensation it creates wherever it touches. If you like that feeling, I recommend Enzo’s Buttonhole instead.
Enzo’s is a newer entrant to the market, but I find it to be just as good as Assos. And it’s half the price!
Enzo’s Buttonhole is made in the USA. It contains high-quality, natural ingredients such as sunflower seed oil and cocoa seed butter, which are known for their soothing and moisturizing properties. It also contains melaeuca oil (aka tea tree oil), to cleanse your skin.
The cream also contains a small amount of menthol, which can help reduce discomfort during long rides, but most notably, it creates a cooling sensation. There’s also peppermint oil, so the whole experience is quite minty and tingly!
It’s great on a hot summer day!
[Update: They have also released a “no tingle” version, in case you really like the texture but don’t want the tingle.]Like any good chamois cream, Enzo’s Buttonhole is thick enough to last for hours, leaves no greasy residue, and washes out easily post-ride.
Just be careful because this comes in a tub, not a tube. So there’s potential for double dipping if you don’t scoop the right amount first try.
Buy online: Compare prices at Amazon.com and BikeTiresDirect.com
Best for Triathletes: Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil
Here’s a completely different take on chamois cream. In fact, it’s not a cream at all!
Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil is a thin oil that comes in a spray bottle. The idea is to condition and lubricate the skin itself, rather than relying on a layer of cream between your skin and chamois. It might scare some people because it’s different, but it works.
Crotch Guard contains natural ingredients such as sunflower oil, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil, which provide effective lubrication to your skin, as well as keep your undercarriage clean and fresh. This helps to reduce friction and prevent bacteria growth, which together can prevent chafing and saddle sores. It also contains vitamin E to soothe your skin.
Because this comes in a spray bottle and soaks in quickly, it’s very much a “no mess” application. You still have to spray it onto your hands and then rub it in, but once applied, it virtually disappears. All you’re left with is a silky smooth feeling!
This totally prevents that soggy diaper feeling you might get when using a lot of typical chamois cream! It’s also not going to wash away quickly from rain or sweat. (They claim it lasts for up to 8 hours!)
It’s super versatile. You can use it on other body parts where it wouldn’t make sense to glob on some chamois cream, e.g. armpits, inner thighs, nipples, etc. So it’s great for runners and triathletes, as well.
The only potential downside is that it’s liquid, so if you break the cap it could spill and leak. And sometimes you’re not allowed to travel with large bottles of liquid.
Buy online: Compare prices at Amazon.com and Dermatect.com
Budget Pick: Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme
If you’re on a tight budget, he best value – by a landslide – goes to Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme.
For two reasons. First, even though it’s sold in the drugstore, it looks and feels like real chamois cream. Second, it’s downright cheap!
Queen Helene’s contains mineral oil, water, beeswax, paraffin, cocoa seed butter, and lanolin. The ingredients are fairly similar to Chamois Butt’r Original, so it shouldn’t be surprising how well it works.
The real surprise is how you can buy a hefty 4.8 oz jar for less than $4. Some bike-specific products are $20 for a smaller jar!
It does lack special stuff like extra antibacterial ingredients. And there’s no menthol or peppermint oil.
But in many cases, for ordinary, everyday cyclists, Queen Helene’s works just as well as the other brands. It might not be the best in extreme conditions, but how often are you riding in extreme conditions?
Buy online: Compare prices at Amazon.com and Walmart.com
Honorable Mentions
Because all butts are different, here are some other options to consider. These are good chamois creams, they just didn’t quite make it to the top spots.
Assos Chamois Creme
The Assos company has been around since the 1970s. They have a long history in Europe, and their chamois cream uses high-quality, natural ingredients such as shea butter, almond oil, and chamomile extract. It also contains a small amount of menthol, which can provide a cooling sensation to help reduce discomfort during long rides, and witch hazel, for skin cleansing.
It’s not too thick, not too thin. It’s that just right consistency to stay in place during your ride. It leaves no greasy residue and washes out easily.
You’ll hear about Assos a lot and many will say it’s the best there is. I think part of that is because it’s been around for a long time, and it works well, so if a cyclist is using this and it works, why bother trying anything different?
The main problem is simply that it’s more expensive than other brands. I think you’re really paying a premium just for the name.
Plus, some people don’t like the tingly, cooling sensation from the menthol.
But $20 for a jar is not outrageous, so if you’re interested, try it out.
Buy online: Check current price at Amazon.com
Bodyglide Cycle Glide
Bodyglide is a well-known brand, especially with runners. In addition to their original anti-chafing stick, they also make a “Cycle Glide” product.
The product comes packaged like a stick of deodorant. This makes for an easy, no-mess application. Wipe it on and it stays put. It won’t run or drip anywhere. You can apply it without getting any on your hands.
It’s more wax-like. It’s not really a lotion or cream.
So not only is there no mess, it’s efficient – a little goes a long way.
It’s also versatile. You can use it on various body parts: all over your feet, your inner thighs, on your taint, on your chest, underarms, just about anywhere!
So it’s great for runners and triathletes.
The one and only problem is, you don’t want to have to reapply during ride! Can you imagine wiping the stick on your sweaty butt and then ever using it again?!
Buy online: Check current price at Amazon.com and REI.com.
Doc’s Natural Chamois Cream
Doc’s Skincare was founded by Joshua Barton, MD, a practicing physician, competitive cyclist, and all-around lover of endurance sports.
As such, Doc’s chamois cream is made of natural ingredients only – namely, aloe vera juice, coconut oil, tea tree oil, and witch hazel. This provides unrivaled protection against fungal and bacterial build-up!
There are other ingredients, but there are no parabens and no petroleum-based substances.
[I like the idea but need further testing to see how it stands up to long days in the saddle.]If you’ve tried other chamois creams, and you’re still dealing with skin irritation issues, try this!
Buy online: Check current price at Amazon.com
Honorable Mentions Continued...
How to Choose a Good Chamois Cream
I think you’ll be happy with one of my top picks, but I also want you to know what to look for, so you can make your own decision. Because chamois cream is a personal decision, not unlike buying a saddle!
So here’s a reminder of what to consider when purchasing.
How it feels on your skin
It’s very important that any chamois cream feels good and works with your body. We’re talking about feeling good in the sense that it does not feel bad. Most importantly, there should be no adverse reaction! If you have allergies, be sure to carefully review the ingredients list prior to purchase.
If you like feeling a cooling sensation, then you can choose one that provides such an experience!
On the opposite note, many companies have released women’s versions of their products, formulated for correct pH balance. Assos, Chamois Butt’Her, and even DZ Nuts have released women-specific products.
Is it long lasting?
You don’t want something that washes away easily as you ride and sweat. You want those protective properties to last. Good chamois cream should have no trouble keeping you comfortable for a 3-4 hour ride.
If your rides are 1-2 hours at most, it’s easier to get away with a cheaper alternative such as Queen Helene’s.
Non-staining and easy to wash out
You want a chamois cream that is easy to wash out. One that won’t stain clothes or leave behind any residues.
Though you want it to be long-lasting during your ride, you want to be able to erase all trace of it post-ride.
This is not an issue for most chamois creams. All my top picks are good in this regard. But watch out for anything that contains petroleum (Vaseline, Bag Balm, etc.). That’s bad news for fancy fabrics. Even worse news for your saddle!
Price
Most chamois creams cost about $20 for a container. The question is, “how much am I getting for my money?” Sometimes you’re getting 8 ounces, sometimes just 4 ounces.
My top picks – Chamois Butt’r and Enzo’s Buttonhole – are about $20 for 8 oz.
If you really need to save money, go with Queen Helene’s.
Packaging
Typically, chamois cream comes in a tub or a tube. If it’s in a tub (a jar), it’s easy to get every last drop, but there’s the danger of double-dipping. Tubes are usually the most convenient and there’s no worry of contamination. (But with a tube, you probably won’t get every last bit squeezed out.)
Some brands offer single-use packets. Packets are good in certain cases when you need to carry extras to re-apply during an event.
Your riding conditions
Finally, your actual riding conditions play a role in what type of chamois cream you need. Things like the length of your rides, the types of riding you do, and of course, weather conditions.
For shorter rides, there is not much to worry about. For longer rides, it’s more important to choose a long-lasting chamois cream. For very long rides, especially if you’re touring and have less access to full showers, it’s critical that you get something really soothing with some antibacterial agents like witch hazel and/or tea tree oil.
Similarly, the hotter it is, the more you sweat, the harder it is for chamois cream to stay in place. Same issue if it’s pouring rain.
Also consider chamois creams with a cooling sensation or minty tingle. That might feel great on hot summer days, but you probably don’t want to use that during cold winter months!
All things considered, chamois cream is a relatively small part of your overall cycling budget. You could buy 3-4 types and see which you prefer.
Why Trust Me
I’ve been riding for many years. That has given me plenty of opportunity to test many different chamois creams.
Just check out my detailed write-ups to see my personal experience with Enzo’s Buttonhole, Crotch Guard Skin Care Oil, and Bodyglide.
I’ve also tested products that are not chamois creams, as chamois cream. For example, see my reviews of Udderly Smooth and Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter Creme. I’ve also tried Vaseline and Bag Balm, which I wholeheartedly do NOT recommend as chamois cream.
Finally, there’s the DIY chamois cream recipe I created.
I’m not a professional racer in the Tour de France, and I’m not a chemist, but I’m a cyclist, and I know chamois cream.
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
these are good but why didn’t Aquaphor make the list?
@Brad
That’s a fair question. There are certainly other drugstore alternatives that are acceptable – e.g. Aquaphor, Noxema, and Nivea Creme – but they don’t quite have the same feel as Queen Helene’s.
To me, Queen Helene’s could pass for chamois cream. (As long as you get the “creme” rather than the thinner “lotion” that comes in the squeeze bottles.)
But I’m not specifically saying not to use Aquaphor, so if that’s what you like, go for it!