Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex sealant review

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex is a synthetic latex tubeless sealant that was one of the first ammonia- and latex-free options available. It has a foaming action that covers the whole inside of the tyre but, in our tests, it presented some issues in forming a permanent seal. So just how good is it when compared to other options among the best tubeless sealants? Keep reading to find out.

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex sealant – Technical details

Effetto produces two sealant versions, Végélatex and the Caffélatex pictured here. It was one of the first latex-free options back in 2007 when tubeless sealants were limited. In terms of ingredients, it's a liquid that contains synthetic polymers that mimic latex sealants and, while it doesn’t have the same eco-credentials as the fully biodegradable Végélatex sealant, the upshot is that it doesn’t contain any toxic chemicals.

Effetto states it is suitable for road and mountain bikes and claims to seal punctures up to 5mm. While the solution should seal punctures when used alone, Effetto also produces Vitamina-CL, which is an additive powder that could increase the maximum puncture size the solution can repair.

The amount of solution required is lower than most other brands with recommendations for a 25mm road tyre at 30ml, and only 60ml for a 29 x 2.1in tyre. The claimed lifespan is 1-4 months and temperature suitability ranged from -15 to +50-degrees.

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex sealant – Performance

To test sealant performance, we created a standardised puncture test to assess each contender. The same exact tyre on the same rim for each sealant. The tyre used was a Halo GXC, measuring 47mm. Tyre sealant was added in the amount suggested by the manufacturer, and the tyre was inflated to 40psi. This pressure was chosen to give a realistic tyre pressure for all areas of off-road riding. A digital tyre pressure gauge was used to ensure that the pressure was identical on each test. After that, the tyre was rotated sufficiently to ensure that it was distributed evenly throughout the tyre. The tyres were all punctured by driving a 3mm nail through the carcass. The wheel was rotated to assess if the sealant had successfully sealed the hole. If the sealant worked, the test was repeated using a 5mm diameter nail, and if successful on the larger hole the remaining air pressure was measured with a digital pressure gauge and the result was recorded.

The initial performance of Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex was good with no rapid loss of air on either punctures. The smaller puncture formed a seal reasonability quickly but the larger hole was bubbling with sealant for at least 15 minutes after the initial puncture. The air loss was minimal but there are some question marks hovering over longer-term use and sealing.

We did not test the sealant with Vitamina-CL added, which may have improved the sealing, but this costs £25. Effetto also produces ZOT! – a £12 product that claims to improve the sealing ability and will last between two and five applications.

When tested over a longer period, Caffélatex remained mostly liquid after three months but some areas had dried and were difficult to remove when it came time to cleaning and prepping for a top-up. Effetto produces an additional product to remove the dried Caffélatex which hints at the fact that this is a known problem. It costs £11.

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex sealant – Verdict

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex is available in 250ml, 1-litre and a huge workshop-sized 10-litre container. The 1-litre costs £28 and the smaller 250ml is £14. The prices compare well against other sealants but there are a few cheaper options available such as WTB TCS and Lifeline tubeless sealant, which are both just £23.

While it might represent reasonable value and performance, if you consider the potential additional expense of extra products, said value quickly diminishes. Should you add all the extra products, Vitamina-CL, ZOT!, Caffélatex remover and a 1-litre bottle it will cost £75.

At launch, Effetto Caffélatex stood out as a non-latex alternative and this appealed to many riders. Now that other sealants are now available with latex alternatives, it can’t quite match the best sealants available in terms of puncture resistance.