Italian brand Kask has a gem of a helmet in the Mojito, a lightweight and relatively inexpensive design that fits brilliantly – to my head anyway.
Thanks in part to its sponsorship with Team Sky, Kask is now widely recognised as a leader in the lid market. The Mojito is now its mid-range helmet after being used by the pro team up until 2014, so still carries a lot of the ventilation tech and lightweight construction you'd hope for from a pro-level model.
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Even though the design hasn't changed much since 2012, it's still a classy piece of kit. Suitable for hot summer days, its cooling is almost unparalleled – in fact, the only helmet I've felt draws air through more effectively than this is the super Giro Aeon – which is largely down to the 26 holes that perforate the outer.
Unlike the Giro, however, is how the Mojito manages to have a small footprint on your head – that is, it doesn't sit atop your head like a mushroom. Instead, it looks a little like the leather-style head protection the pros used back in the 70s, only with 21st century protection standards, if you take a front-on view. The main benefit of this is it doesn't crawl into your peripheral vision, so you can genuinely forget you're wearing it at all after a while.
Fitting is secured via a dial adjustment system at the rear, which like most other adjustments systems these days, clasps to the back of your head to draw the internals of the helmet to you. It's an effective system, pulling the helmet down and around your cranium, ensuring a secure fit. More than that, it's very comfortable, with plentiful pads lining the inner shell too.
That comfort is burgeoned by the leather chin strap too. OK, it's an attachment to more traditional fabric straps, but I found the introduction of the leather to the contact patch around the chin a very comfortable addition. It adds a couple of grams, no doubt, but the comfort benefits by far outweigh any deficit in this area – especially when the going gets sweaty. And let's not forget that 220g for a medium is still seriously light.
This is a comfortable, cool and lightweight helmet, retailing at £110 – and in some spots a lot less if you're willing to scout around for a bargain. But even at full price you're getting a lot of helmet for your money. And, perhaps significantly for some, it's available in more colourways than I care to list, which is great for the colour-matchers out there.
> Read our buyer's guide to cycling helmets
Flaws? The padding – which, as I've said, is very comfortable – can collect a lot of sweat. Admittedly, that's partly what it's designed to do, but if you're a bit of a 'sweathead' like me, the surface area can absorb more than it allows to evaporate. The result is eventually a need to squeeze them out by pressing the helmet against your head, so you free up extra 'sweat capacity' – a process one of my riding mates described to me as 'minging'…
Still, this only goes for hot days or on rides of particularly hard intensity – so it's only a small downside – just be sure to tilt your forehead away unless you want suncream-infused sweat deposited on your face and in your eyes.
Other than this, the Mojito remains a very high-quality helmet, at a price point that really is competitive even though it doesn't follow the latest in aero profiling and Mips technology.
Verdict
An excellent helmet that, although missing the very latest technology, is still hard to top
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Kask Mojito
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Keen sportive riders, club cyclists, non-club cyclists who like to ride fast and stay cool...
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Features:
- Dial adjuster
- Cranial support
- Leather 'Eco' chin strap
- 26 ventilation holes
- Huge variety of colours
Sizing:
M - 48-58 cm
L - 59-62 cm
Weight:
M - 220g
L - 250g
Certifications:
CE EN 1078 - CPSC 1203 - AS/NZS 2063
It's tip top in this regard, and I'd expect it to last for multiple seasons.
Cool, lightweight and well-fitting – it's a great all-rounder if you're not interested in aero. Only the pads' ability to absorb so much sweat instead of letting it evaporate off bring the score down.
At 220g, the medium size I tested certainly isn't a burden; you almost forget you're wearing it.
Lovely hemet to wear – thanks, in this case, to the padding, and to the excellent cranial support system.
An RRP of £110 is decent value for what's on offer here, but Mojitos have been known to have decent discounts applied to them as well – keep an eye out for these.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well in all conditions.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Cooling, low profile, light weight, and the chin strap.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The padding that is almost too good at collecting sweat.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes – I have.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
It's a pro-level helmet, now masquerading as a mid-range lid – it's excellent.
About the tester
Age: 26
I usually ride: Specialized Allez Sport My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding
8 comments
As a beardy cyclist, the leather chin strap is excellent as beard hair doesn't get trapped as it does with fabric straps #MarginalBeardyGains
I have one but don't wear it.
I have one of these and I really like it. The main thing for me is the shape and the fit - it really works well with my head. Yeah it's not as aero as some, but I'm a big fatty who doesn't race so that's not a major concern for me. The ventilation is really good and I've found it very comfortable for long hours in hot weather. When it's cold and wet (and overheating is not an issue) I tend to use Kask's infinity helmet - not for any aero benefit but because you I can control the ventilation and it reduces the amount of rain that gets through.
How a helmet feels is hugely dependent on the shape of your head, and different brands have differing shapes so fit different shaped heads better. Best bit of advice I had in relation to helmets was to just try on as many as you can find until you find the brand that fits you best.
To be clear, it's not real leather (it's "eco" as the article briefly notes in the Verdict)
I absolutely love Kask's mid-to-high end helmets. They are so much better made and designed than the competition. That said, if you have an oval-shaped head (in horizontal cross-section) like me the Mojito has a bump at the middle on the front (seen in the last picture) that can get uncomfortable on your forehead. I sold mine for this reason. As always try before you buy and be conscious of this design feature when you do. The Protone, by contrast, doesn't have this issue for me but it's considerable more expensive.
I've got a Mojito and it's a comfortable, well fitting lid...however, I was surprised to find that a replacement set of pads costs in excess of £17. Would Sir like to bend over? I won't be buying another Kask.
It's a helmet! How can it be so far ahead of its competitors?
Most mid range helmets do a good job.
I have a Bell Sweep - good helmet. Need to replace it soon, so will try a few, but I'd be amazed if any of the helmet vendors were that far ahead of each other.
Great helmet; had one for a few years and still in good nick (ie the lining isn't disintegrating). Thought it was better than the more expensive model when I bought it.
I'm pleaseed with mine.
And if you are unfortunate to damage yours beyond use in a crash (like I did), Kask will sell a replacement at half RRP. Which helped cushion the blow, so to speak.