HHV® Micro Lattice Impact Helmet Pads – Hard Head Veterans

Generally good, mixed feelings

I have a large Army issued ACH helmet. Some pros and cons - My helmet is no longer wet and disgusting after a few days of wearing it in the field. Waking up in the cold early morning and not having to put on a soaking wet helmet is great. Almost worth the $200 but: - the front forehead portion of the helmet was so uncomfortable I took it out and use regular pads in that location. My head is a bit more longer than some, but it pushed so hard on the front that I kept almost all the other pads but the front forehead one. - There is not enough velcro to secure this inside an ACH with the dots. I had to adjust the pads, then align the dots, peel the dots off after aligning again. And even then the velcro dots are so small, even when you do get them aligned the retention is not that good. Just make whole velcro cutouts to match the pad. - The arrow shaped pads with the hinging edge should be just two separate pads. When I deleted the front forehead pad and used regular pads, it caused me to have to modify pads. - It is a tight fit to get it into a large ACH. If you are a medium, some of the pads will stick out the helmet. I would be interested if they sold just some of these pads as individual pads, made them look more like traditional ACH or IHPS helmet pads, and give just general room between the padding. You don't need all the pads for good air circulation. The main seller is that this holds no water and is washable. - $200 is steep for this. Although I am keeping mine, as I have cut them and used them a lot, I am still a little disappointed about some of these issues like being stingy on the velcro. - Yes the front head pad leaves a mark on your forehead. The box comes with a du-rag, but I feel like for $200 you could at least cover that forehead pad with something in the front. At least I can get my waves while I am in the field.

Functionally, the HHV micro-lattice pads are excellent. I installed the ¾-inch pads in my issued medium IHPS, and the fit is spot-on. They provide outstanding airflow, and the included moisture-wicking skullcap is a great addition for managing sweat. For comfort, I rate them an 8/10. Because they aren't made of traditional foam or cloth, they will leave marks on your forehead after extended wear. However, there is a short adjustment period; after about ten minutes, you stop noticing the lattice texture and they become comfortable. The most significant drawback is that the pads create an audible echo inside the helmet. I am hoping to acclimate to it over time, or that it will be entirely mitigated when running active ear protection. Overall, a highly functional upgrade if you can look past the echo

For Odd Shaped Heads

I have a very oddly shaped head. I have tried multiple ballistic helmet linings now. I stumbled across these pads earlier on when searching but didn’t want to spend the money. Finally I was running out of pads to test that would hold my ballistic helmet firmly on my head without causing pressure or twisting to one side. I bought a set and was excited to test them out. My expectations were far exceeded and I can now wear my ballistic helmet for hours without discomfort.