The Mojito has been a part of Kask’s helmet range since it was first debuted by Team Sky back in 2012. Since then, the helmet has gone through two further iterations, landing us at the aptly named Mojito 3. It’s hard to pinpoint precisely where the Mojito sits in the range today, as it is not the brand’s most ventilated helmet (that accolade would go to the Valegro), and it is not its most aerodynamic (this would be the Nirvana). Instead, the Mojito 3 seems to straddle the middle ground as a lightweight, versatile option for those on a budget.
At 210 grams, the Mojito 3 is one of the lightest helmets at the mid-tier price point, 43 and 68 grams lighter than the Van Rysel FCR and Specialized’s Propero 4, respectively. Retailing for £140 / €150 / AU$250 / US$170, it also falls towards the lower end of the price spectrum for premium helmets.
Although the Mojito 3 may not be the brand’s flagship model, it is hard to overlook it as Kask’s most important offering. Since its launch, Kask claims that more than one million Mojito helmets have been sold globally (no figures were provided for the namesake cocktail). With this third generation, is the Mojito’s legacy set to continue?
The Short of It: The Mojito 3 is an exceptionally comfortable helmet. Its Octo Fit retention system accommodates a wide range of head shapes. Although the styling might feel retro compared to other helmets, it is hard to look past the Mojito 3 if you want to keep cool on a budget.
Good Stuff: Octo Fit retention system, lightweight, well-ventilated.
Bad stuff: Styling, lack of glasses stowage, debatable safety.
Price: £140 / €150 / AU$250 / US$170
Initial thoughts
Low weight is one of the first things that demands attention when handling the Mojito 3. At 210 grams, it stands out even amongst pricier options like Specialized’s S-Works Prevail 3, which is claimed to be 40 grams heavier.
Even with its feathery construction, the Mojito 3 feels well-built and sturdy. The glossy, hard shell extends around and up the internal surfaces of the helmet and into the vents. This not only makes the helmet look more ‘premium’ but also helps prevent the more delicate internal EPS core from accidental knocks and scrapes.
This outer shell is available in 10 different colour variations, from the simple and classic all-black or white to some incredibly eye-catching fluorescent yellow and orange models.
Upon inspecting the Mojito 3, my other thought is that the styling feels a little dated compared to other second-tier helmets that make up this review series. Some of the original Mojito’s DNA remains in this third iteration. Given that the original Mojito pre-dates the aero revolution, cycling has gone through a lot of sartorial changes since then.
For me, this is most easily seen at the back of the helmet, where the pointed rear harks back to a time before aerodynamics were a consideration, and in the angular ridges that travel the length of the helmet and just miss the mark from a styling perspective. In years gone by, this styling decision hasn’t affected sales, but now, eyeing the Mojito 3 up against some of its rivals, a style-conscious rider may be less likely to pick the Kask.
Fit and feel
If there is one thing that Kask has absolutely nailed with the Mojito 3, it is the fit and retention system. The Octo Fit design allows the cradle height, position and rotation to be independently adjusted. This level of customisation allows the best fit for riders with irregular-shaped skulls and those who really want to choose exactly how the helmet sits on their heads.
The Mojito 3 certainly sits at the more round end of the helmet-shape spectrum. As someone with an ovalish head, I was initially concerned that the almost circle-like profile of the Mojito 3 wouldn’t agree with me. However, after one quick fitting session to move the cradle and pads into the right place, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the Mojito felt.
The only drawback I have found is that the cradle height adjuster can be easily bumped out of position when fitting and removing the helmet. Finding the correct placement again is straightforward, but this might be an issue for riders who like to dial in their fit and leave it.
Of all the helmets I have for review, the Mojito unquestionably offers the most significant degree of adjustment. In most other helmets I have tested, I have needed to set the cradle height at, or very close to, the limit for it to sit comfortably in the correct position on the back of my head. The cradle position I opt for with the Mojito 3 puts it in the middle of its range, allowing it to set the cradle lower on the back of the head than most other helmets. The Mojito 3 is worth a look for riders with specific fit requirements.
Elsewhere, the helmet also impresses with good coverage on the sides of the head, with only a small gap between the helmet and the tops of my ears. There was plenty of space for me, but this could be something that those with shallower heads may need to be aware of. The Mojito 3 is undoubtedly one of the deeper helmets I have tested, with the Van Rysel FCR, Specialized Propero 4, and Met Rivale all shallower, whilst the Trek Circuit Wavecel is comparable in this respect.
The Mojito 3’s form factor will appeal to riders who dislike the bulbous profile of some other helmets on the market. The shell sits close to the head, looking and feeling relatively minimal when fitted. This is most noticeable at the rear of the helmet, where it nicely conforms to the shape of the head without any big voids or extended aero profiles.
A trademark of Kask helmets is the faux-leather chin strap; as much as this is a differentiating feature for Kask, it also has its merit. The faux leather sits on your skin nicely (especially for men with beard stubble) and doesn’t absorb sweat throughout a ride, making it a welcome inclusion in the comfort of the Mojito 3. This doesn’t mean it is free of downsides – the strap is difficult to adjust and almost impossible to do whilst on the fly. If you adjust the chin strap, it also takes a little while for it to settle in the new position, and until this time, the looped-back section of the strap will not sit flat.
As I have made clear throughout this series of helmet reviews, I am not a fan of Y-shaped ear splitters. This isn’t because of their fit but because they can be challenging to adjust and they often prevent the ability to adjust the height they sit at altogether. The Mojito 3 uses more classical ear splitters that are easy to adjust with the helmet fitted, allowing the splitter’s height to be adjusted to some extent.
Overall, fitting the Mojito 3 is simple and quick. The level of adjustability makes the helmet feel more akin to a cap than a helmet.
No MIPS, but an improvement over the Mojito X
Kask is one of a small number of manufacturers that have decided to avoid using the MIPS rotational impact protection. Instead of licensing the MIPS system, Kask tests its helmets against rotational impact forces using its WG11 testing protocol.
To clarify, in the context of Kask, WG11 is the name given to the brand’s in-house testing protocol. It is not to be confused with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Working Group 11. Although they share the same name, they are unrelated testing protocols that evaluate helmet performance differently. (Kask has taken some criticism that its name similarity implies it complies with CEN protocols.)
But any WG11-certified helmet has been tested and certified only to meet the brand’s rotational impact standards. These tests aim to replicate the potential rotational forces associated with an impact better than traditional helmet testing procedures. Like any helmet sold to the public, the Mojito 3 must conform to regulatory test standards in various markets in which it is for sale, but those standards focus only on linear impact energy and do not have a rotational impact component.
Another feature of Kask’s WG11 testing is that it uses a more human-like head form than typical testing tends to use. Depending on which model is chosen, head forms for helmet testing can have a coefficient of friction up to four times higher than that of skin on a human head. Kask has addressed this issue within the WG11 protocol by using its own head form that more closely mimic the surface friction of a human head, which the brand believes translates into more useful test data.
Compared to the model the Mojito 3 replaced (the Mojito X), Kask claims to have significantly improved the impact protection of the helmet across the board. Compared to the Mojito X, the figures for the Mojito 3 are reportedly a 32% improvement for rear impacts, up to 25% better protection for frontal impact, and a 12% improvement for top impact. Kask also claims that these increases in protection result in the Mojito 3 exceeding EN 1078 (EU market) testing requirements by 48%.
This is all well and good; however, it raises significant questions about why Kask designed its own testing protocol that differs from the rest of the industry. Kask designs both the helmet and the testing protocol that it then uses to tout the helmet’s safety, effectively making it both judge and jury. With no externally supplied rotational energy management system like MIPS, it is fair for consumers to be dubious about WG11 helmets. In this respect it feels like Kask is marking its own exam paper; an exam it also happens to have written.
Unfortunately, the Mojito 3 and most other Kask helmets have not been independently tested by Virgina Tech, preventing any direct safety comparisons from being drawn with its competition. In this respect, the best we can do is draw some conclusions from the WG11 helmets that have been through the doors of Virginia Tech. The premium Elemento has a respectable five-star rating. But the Valegro, also a WG11-certified helmet, has a meager three-star rating; out of 253 helmets Virginia Tech has tested, the Valegro comes in 223rd, just 20 spots from the bottom of the pile.
This certainly won’t help consumers when trying to convince them of the merits of WG11. Still, it is worth noting that helmet manufacturers and independent testing facilities like Virginia Tech don’t all agree on the best testing protocol. Even though the Valegro does underperform by VT standards, it passes Kask’s WG11 testing protocol with the lower-friction head form.
As much as WG11 aims to eliminate the need for MIPS, many consumers are now familiar with the brand and look for the technology when purchasing a helmet. By omitting MIPS from its helmets, Kask will naturally have a more challenging time convincing riders to purchase a WG11 helmet over one with MIPS, and this could be a deal-breaker for more than a handful of potential customers. If the Kask offered MIPS-equipped options, the Mojito and Kask’s broader range would likely be more widely selected.
Ventilation
Using its own rating system, Kask awards the Mojito 3 four out of five stars for ventilation, with the Nirvana, Elemento, and Valegro all receiving five stars. I feel that giving the Mojito this rating may be more related to its position in the range than its actual performance.
It might be winter here in the UK, but that hasn’t stopped me from putting the Mojito through its paces, and the amount of airflow the Mojito 3 facilitates is impressive. Most aerodynamically concerned helmets like the FCR and Rivale restrict airflow just enough that even when the temperature drops, I don’t usually need to wear a skull cap. On my first ride with the Mojito, it was around 3 ºC (37 ºF), and before I had reached the end of my road, I turned around and returned to pick up my skull cap.
For an additional £50 / €50 / AU$75 / US$80, Kask offers the Winter Cap. This Merino wool thermal liner with protective earflaps acts as an integrated skull cap, which is worth the investment in the colder months if the Mojito 3 is the only helmet you use.
As you might expect from a helmet with 12 well-sized front-facing vents, the Mojito 3 has no difficulty drawing air in. With reasonably deep internal channelling, the air is free to travel across your head and out of one of the five exhaust vents.
Even though there is a lot of inherited genetic material from the Mojito X, the cooling properties are something that Kask reworked. According to the brand’s own testing, the Mojito 3 offers an additional 0.5 ºC of cooling at 18 km/h (11 mph), which increases to a significant 1 ºC at 36 km/h (22 mph). Having not tested the Mojito X, it is impossible to verify these claims, but the Mojito 3 feels airy, with passing air easily keeping my head supplied with fresh cooling throughflow.
This helmet will excel as the temperature rises or on particularly hilly routes, where the speed is lower and cooling is more necessary.
Glasses stowage is a miss
One area that does let the Mojito 3 down is its inability to hold glasses. This is an unfortunate issue that, for me, would be a deal-breaker with the Mojito 3. Even though there are six well-sized vents across the front of the helmet, none are positioned to accept glasses. This may be an issue that only afflicts the small sized helmet with the larger sizes looking better suited to accept glasses however, on my small test helmet this was a real issue.
As the Mojito 3 is a helmet that will best align with climbers, this inability to stow glasses seems like an oversight by the designers. The issue is that the natural vents in which you would place the arms of the sunglasses are too wide, causing the arms to flare, putting the glasses in a position where they immediately slip out.
With some fiddling around (with both hands) I was able to feed my glasses into two of the rear exhaust vents – not something I am a particular fan of but better than having no stowage at all. The reality is that out on a ride I found it impossible to stow my glasses in these rear vents without the arms of the glasses jutting against my head.
Sitting around a cafe, or whilst you are getting ready to begin a ride, this placement is fine but if you want to stow your glasses whilst riding then this is a miss. The only way I could manage it was by removing both hands from the bar to align both arms of the glasses so that they would reluctantly slide past my head. However this was not easy and rather uncomfortable, with more than a few hairs pulled out in the process. On open roads with other road users, it’s not acceptable to expect riders to do this.
The lack of stowage for glasses forced me to place them on the back of my head/neck, which is less preferable as they can get covered in sweat and displaced on faster descents. Whether glasses stowage matters to you may seem an issue of style, which is entirely personal. But it can also be seen as one of function. I began to think that from a functional point of view (WG11 aside), the Mojito 3 answered all the questions I asked about it except this one. It’s Mojito 3’s biggest stumbling block, and I hope it is addressed in any future Mojito models.
If glasses stowage is not a concern for you, the Mojito 3 is a strong contender as a mid-priced, vented helmet. However, I know I am not alone in wanting to be able to stow my glasses. This is a real issue because I will most likely reach for this helmet on mountainous rides when I want to remove my glasses.
My final verdict
Kask almost nails all the basics with the Mojito 3. The most impressive quality of the helmet is its glove-like fit. Although the helmet has a rounder internal profile, the movable rear cradle pads help it conform well even to more oval-shaped heads.
The stumbling block for most will be Kask’s proprietary WG11 testing protocol. Trusting a helmet’s rotational impact protection based on the word of the manufacturer is likely a step to far for some prospective consumers. With only two models independently tested by Virginia Tech and with a mix of results it is hard for people to buy in to WG11 like they have with Mips.
Considering the growing widespread understanding around safety and impact protection, especially in the context of rotational impact injuries such as concussion opting to invest in a helmet that isn’t ‘proven’ in this space or at the very least directly comparable will likely make the Mojito 3 a harder sell than the original model that pre dates the widespread uptake of Mips by other manufacturers.
If you are first and foremost looking for a comfortable helmet, the Mojito 3 is worthy of being on anyone’s shortlist for a mid-tier helmet. The little details, like the faux leather chin strap and the reflective strips on the rear of the helmet, add to its premium feel.
The Mojito’s ventilation makes it an ally for climbers. However, without real aero design cues and no wind tunnel data available, it is hard to see the Mojito as an attractive all-rounder in all but the hottest conditions. Options like the Specialized Propero 4 or Abus’ PowerDome present a more legitimate all-arounder options.
If the Mojito 3 could accommodate sunglasses stowage, it would be right up there with the helmets I would consider for a mountain raid. As it stands, the Mojito just misses the mark for my needs on a ride. However, if you aren’t bothered by the lack of glasses stowage, the Mojito 3 is a solid option for a lightweight vented helmet at a competitive price.
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