Fox Transfer vs OneUp Dropper V3

Dropper posts are inherently not the flashiest bike parts in the world. They’re a utilitarian piece that rarely get praise when functioning perfectly, but will catch flack at their first misstep. Reliability and user serviceability are paramount to making the ultimate dropper post, and today we’re looking at our two favorite options in the market. The Fox Transfer and OneUp Dropper posts have both been redesigned this year, and have consistently been two of the most popular aftermarket dropper posts year after year. The Fox Transfer has always been positioned as a premium option, especially when considering the Factory level with the Kashima coating. While OneUp has historically been a budget oriented option, offering quite the bang for the buck, V3 of their dropper post is aiming to be more premium and contend with the Fox Transfer market.

Both the Fox Transfer and OneUp Dropper V3 are going to offer some of the best performance you can get from a dropper post, and it definitely looks like they’ve been copying each other’s homework over the years. These posts share some very similar features and specs, and both offer a very premium feeling, leaving every customer who gets their hands on these posts very satisfied. With that being said, there are some big differences between them, making the choice pretty straightforward for most riders. We’ll be focusing more on the Performance Elite version of the Fox Transfer, as it’s a very similar price point to the OneUp Dropper and functions completely identically to the more expensive Factory version.

The OneUp Dropper V3 in its natural habitat

Both the Fox Transfer and OneUp Dropper V3 are going to offer some of the best performance you can get from a dropper post, and it definitely looks like they’ve been copying each other’s homework over the years. These posts share some very similar features and specs, and both offer a very premium feeling, leaving every customer who gets their hands on these posts very satisfied. With that being said, there are some big differences between them, making the choice pretty straightforward for most riders. We’ll be focusing more on the Performance Elite version of the Fox Transfer, as it’s a very similar price point to the OneUp Dropper and functions completely identically to the more expensive Factory version.

Like we mentioned earlier, the OneUp dropper post has always represented value, and been a true bang for your buck product, but their quality has crept up through the generations, and so has their price. Because of that, V3 of the OneUp dropper has gotten spiffed up and is a bonafide premium product now, and contending with the likes of the Fox Transfer. The OneUp Dropper offers a very wide range of diameters and lengths, more so than the Transfer, so if you’re in need of a 90mm or 27.2 dropper post, then your decision couldn’t be any easier.

A comparison isn’t complete without a weigh in, something that some mountain bikers care a lot about, while others couldn’t care less. That being said, this could be the largest discrepancy between them, and could sway riders from one post to the other. I weighed both posts in one of the most popular sizes, 31.6mm diameter and 210mm length, and the OneUp Dropper V3 weighs in at 542g and the Fox Transfer weighs 612g. For those of you that don’t want to do the math, that’s a 70g difference, or .15 lbs. Considering how heavy a capable enduro bike can get, shaving weight somewhere like a dropper post can be a pretty alluring option.

Inside each of these posts, you'll find user serviceable internals, and both of them are very straightforward to service for a home mechanic. Both OneUp and Fox have very well layed out service instructions on their site that I was able to follow and get both posts apart with no issue at all. If you're familiar with servicing any other dropper posts, the procedures are going to be very similar and shouldn't take more than half an hour from start to finish. The most difficult step is reinstalling the saddle, something I wish was redesigned every time I have the pleasure to wrestle into place.

While the rest of the categories are important, the all out performance of the post when raising and dropping are paramount, and I would argue it supersedes all other categories. Both of the posts feel great, and we’re going to super nitpick the differences between them, but know that neither of these are bad posts. To put it bluntly, the Transfer just feels a bit smoother than the OneUp Dropper, primarily on the way down. When sitting on the seat, the Transfer is more willing to get into its travel than the OneUp, and doesn’t feel like you’re fighting any real resistance besides the air pressure in the post.

Additionally, you’re able to adjust the air pressure of the Transfer via a Schrader valve, letting you tune how fast the post comes up and how easily it drops. Inside the OneUp post, there’s a sealed cartridge that will spring the post up, but you are not able to adjust the amount of pressure in the cartridge. Interestingly enough, the previous generation of the OneUp Dropper had an adjustable air cartridge, but I’m assuming that they switched to the sealed cartridge to save weight. When the Transfer is at maximum psi, it does extend a bit faster than the OneUp Dropper post, making me wish that I could squeeze a few more pounds of air in that cartridge. The OneUp is definitely plenty fast, but if it was a race to the top the Transfer is going to pull out ahead.  

Last but certainly not least is the price. Coming in at $269.99, the OneUp Dropper V3 is about $20 less than the Fox Transfer, which costs $289.99. You don’t necessarily need to use the brand’s in house lever, but that’s what I tend to do, and the Fox Transfer Lever comes in at $69, while the OneUp lever costs $60 with a clamp, widening the gap in price between the two set ups. That’s all some people need to know, especially considering that there isn’t a clear winner between the two when looking at all the categories.

The long Fox Transfer actuator is partly to blame for the overall longer post

Let’s summarize everything we’ve covered here, because it feels like these two droppers have traded equal blows in this fight, so let’s go to the 12th round to declare our winner. We’ll break it down into six categories so that you can choose which ones are more important to you. Those categories are adjustability, serviceability, weight, performance, compatibility, and price.

If there's one thing that this break down proves, is that both are fantastic dropper posts, and I'd be stoked to run either of them on my personal bike. If the most buttery smooth dropper out there is what you're looking for, then the Fox Transfer is our recommendation, but if you're looking at the whole package, then the OneUp Dropper V3 comes out on top for me.

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