Effetto Mariposa created its Octoplus kit to serve as a universal and customisable padding kit for any road or cross-country helmet on the market. Made in Italy from high quality foam covered by a durable and sweat-resistant fabric, the padding takes the place of the original padding by sticking to Velcro tabs.

The company decided on an eight-pointed star as the most adaptable shape to fit the many shapes and contours of modern helmets. There is an additional eight spots (four large, four medium) that can be used for pressure points and four strips for the brow or elsewhere.

Ten adhesive Velcro tabs are included with the kit along with a chin pad.

Our take:

If you’re like me, then the first thing that wears out for a helmet is the padding, and if you’ve ever tried finding replacement pads, then you’ll know that it can be difficult. This is one of my major complaints that concerns every helmet on the market: after all, those pads are relatively inexpensive, and when the asking price for the helmet can be hundreds of dollars, the buyer deserves at least one set of replacement pads, yet they are rarely ever supplied.

Thankfully, Effetto Mariposa’s Octoplus kit addresses this industry-wide shortcoming. I was initially concerned that the star-shaped padding would be a poor fit for my aging Kask Mojito, but it proved to be as adaptable as Effetto Mariposa promises. I only needed a few minutes to finish the job and it immediately breathed new life into the helmet.

The only thing that will affect the appeal of this product is its availability because the price is fair and it works exactly as promised.

Price: AUD$24/US$20/€14
www.effettomariposa.eu