You are talking about apples and oranges here - well, not really - seats and chamois.

But, they serve two different purposes. A chamois is primarily designed for absorbing moisture. A seat is for your "sit bones" to rest - ischeal tuberosities.

A chamois will not take the place of a good seat, which will likely be comfortable even without the chamois.

So, sorry to tell you this - but you need BOTH. A good saddle and a good chamois. And, a good saddle is not necessarily soft, but instead should provide the support, width and shape appropriae to your butt.

For starters go to an LBS and have them measure you with their ass-o-meter - true.. Then try out some appropriately sized seats and get some good quality shorts - or better yet, bibs, which MANY of us 50+ types wear.

Hope this helps.

Brooks is a good start, but not everyone loves them.

Are you having problems with your current saddle>