Choosing a Helmet
Discussion
So this a well worn topic in the track day forum, but I was hoping for some advice from people who raced rather than those who are just trying to meet track day regulations.
Next year I’ll be making my first forays into motorsport (through the Caterham Academy) and I am trying to work out which helmet to buy. I am trying to keep costs to a minimum, so that I have more money left over for testing.
I am looking for the cheapest helmet that is safe and comfortable for me.
Now before any gives the standard responses of “buy the most expensive one you can afford” and “how much is your head worth?”, please note that these are not helpful. More expensive does not mean safer. I am not bothered about saving a few grams here and there, so I am not going to fork out on carbon fibre unless it is demonstrably safer.
From what I see, the only assessments of helmet safety are the Snell and FIA standards. As long as they are certified it doesn’t make a difference. If I am wrong, please tell me, but also please provide evidence.
So:
1. Am I wrong to buy the cheapest FIA certified helmet that I find comfy?
2. If I’m right, can anyone recommend safe but cheap brands? I have read mention of hedtech and V2, can anyone comment?
3. If I’m wrong, how do I assess a helmet’s safety?
4. Which FIA standard should I be using: 8860-2010 or 8859-2015?
Thank you to anyone who has read through my monologue and can provide any advice.
Next year I’ll be making my first forays into motorsport (through the Caterham Academy) and I am trying to work out which helmet to buy. I am trying to keep costs to a minimum, so that I have more money left over for testing.
I am looking for the cheapest helmet that is safe and comfortable for me.
Now before any gives the standard responses of “buy the most expensive one you can afford” and “how much is your head worth?”, please note that these are not helpful. More expensive does not mean safer. I am not bothered about saving a few grams here and there, so I am not going to fork out on carbon fibre unless it is demonstrably safer.
From what I see, the only assessments of helmet safety are the Snell and FIA standards. As long as they are certified it doesn’t make a difference. If I am wrong, please tell me, but also please provide evidence.
So:
1. Am I wrong to buy the cheapest FIA certified helmet that I find comfy?
2. If I’m right, can anyone recommend safe but cheap brands? I have read mention of hedtech and V2, can anyone comment?
3. If I’m wrong, how do I assess a helmet’s safety?
4. Which FIA standard should I be using: 8860-2010 or 8859-2015?
Thank you to anyone who has read through my monologue and can provide any advice.
The blue book will tell you what standards it needs to meet, when I bought mine last year Snell SA2015 was the latest. The blue book will be supplied with your ‘go racing’ pack and is also available to download for free online.
After years of ‘hand me down’ Bell helmets from my Dad I bought a ~£200 HANS helmet from one of the manufacturers you mentioned and sent it straight back. I now believe that you do get what you pay for up to a point after which diminishing returns kicks in. I spent twice as much on a Sparco which was among the cheaper of the well known brands and have been very satisfied with it. It made me more comfortable, safer and faster than I would have been with the ‘cheap’ helmet (which, by the way, felt comparable in build quality to the 1000 baht (£20) helmets which I tried on in a Thai Tesco supermarket.
After years of ‘hand me down’ Bell helmets from my Dad I bought a ~£200 HANS helmet from one of the manufacturers you mentioned and sent it straight back. I now believe that you do get what you pay for up to a point after which diminishing returns kicks in. I spent twice as much on a Sparco which was among the cheaper of the well known brands and have been very satisfied with it. It made me more comfortable, safer and faster than I would have been with the ‘cheap’ helmet (which, by the way, felt comparable in build quality to the 1000 baht (£20) helmets which I tried on in a Thai Tesco supermarket.
By the way the same old rule holds true- try them on for size and fit. It’s very important. Most online vendors are very sympathetic to this and will swap sizes without hassle.
In my case, the cheap helmet seemed to have been sculpted around Lego man (no nose and no lower jaw). Bell helmets fit well but depending on model I may have to buy a medium or a large. Sparco similar story to Bell. Dad had to buy extra cheek pads to make his Arai fit but of those I have tried I like the Bell and Sparco.
Basically expect to send the first one back. It has to fit, that is the most important thing. If you can rotate the helmet on your head it’s probably too loose. If it’s tight around the top it’ll give you a horrible kind of brain freeze headache after a while.
In my case, the cheap helmet seemed to have been sculpted around Lego man (no nose and no lower jaw). Bell helmets fit well but depending on model I may have to buy a medium or a large. Sparco similar story to Bell. Dad had to buy extra cheek pads to make his Arai fit but of those I have tried I like the Bell and Sparco.
Basically expect to send the first one back. It has to fit, that is the most important thing. If you can rotate the helmet on your head it’s probably too loose. If it’s tight around the top it’ll give you a horrible kind of brain freeze headache after a while.
Hi
Personally I'd go to a supplier and try them on there and then - as mentioned above the different brands seem to suit different shape heads..
I can wear a Bell or a Sparco, my brother is Arai shaped for example..
Demon Tweeks, Grand Prix Racewear, Merlin - and others - find one somewhere near and make the trip.. much easier than mail order IMHO.
Personally I'd go to a supplier and try them on there and then - as mentioned above the different brands seem to suit different shape heads..
I can wear a Bell or a Sparco, my brother is Arai shaped for example..
Demon Tweeks, Grand Prix Racewear, Merlin - and others - find one somewhere near and make the trip.. much easier than mail order IMHO.
Agree with sentiment that you get what you pay for but most important thing is comfort. They should be close fitting but anything too tight in a certain area will give you a headache.
I went midrange with a Bell and it has been fine, definitely buy latest FIA standard otherwise you will need to replace sooner.
Lastly, you used to be able to buy helmets with removable padding, not sure if this is still the case with latest FIA regs but if you can, whilst a bit more expensive, it is definitely worth it. I didn’t and my helmet absolutely stinks. I’ve tried cleaning it but has no real/lasting affect. 3yrs of racing and padding is covered in salt stains from sweat and is really not a nice thing to put On !! Ok you forget about it when racing but could be more pleasant !!
I went midrange with a Bell and it has been fine, definitely buy latest FIA standard otherwise you will need to replace sooner.
Lastly, you used to be able to buy helmets with removable padding, not sure if this is still the case with latest FIA regs but if you can, whilst a bit more expensive, it is definitely worth it. I didn’t and my helmet absolutely stinks. I’ve tried cleaning it but has no real/lasting affect. 3yrs of racing and padding is covered in salt stains from sweat and is really not a nice thing to put On !! Ok you forget about it when racing but could be more pleasant !!
As above, rather than worrying about the price of the helmet, fit is more important.
You mentioned FIA 8860-2010 helmets. This spec is for the highest level of FIA international events, and these will be extremely expensive. You'd be spending a couple of grand at least.
I would be looking for a FIA 8859-2015 helmet that fits well - likely to be £350 upwards. Bu if the V2 or Hedtec fit well, I wouldn't have any issue with using them. Try on with the balaclava.
You mentioned FIA 8860-2010 helmets. This spec is for the highest level of FIA international events, and these will be extremely expensive. You'd be spending a couple of grand at least.
I would be looking for a FIA 8859-2015 helmet that fits well - likely to be £350 upwards. Bu if the V2 or Hedtec fit well, I wouldn't have any issue with using them. Try on with the balaclava.
Edited by df76 on Wednesday 8th August 13:20
Old saying, if you have a $10 head buy a $10 helmet! Try not to buy on price but on fit, have a budget by all means but don't buy just cheap!
As others suggest try them on and see what fits well and is comfortable in a balaclava! I have an OMP shaped head however I will be buying a new one next year so will allocate some time at Autosport in January to try on some and go from there, you can occasionally get a good deal there still but nowhere near as good as you could get in the olden days!
As others suggest try them on and see what fits well and is comfortable in a balaclava! I have an OMP shaped head however I will be buying a new one next year so will allocate some time at Autosport in January to try on some and go from there, you can occasionally get a good deal there still but nowhere near as good as you could get in the olden days!
To answer your question is the manner you asked it.....
Any helmet that passes the FIA standards clearly meet their minimum standards. Obviously some may exceed it by a long way, some just scrape through but you know it meets the minimum.
Fit is the key consideration and they are shaped differently. If you want to try the full range of helmets from the £200 versions through to £1000+++ then Autosport in January is the best place. If you can't wait until then, you may need to visit a couple of places and/or mail order a few to try. Visiting somewhere would be preferable, but they may be more limited in their range.
Beyond fit there may be other features which may or may not be important to you - size/shape of visor slot, material of visor (e.g. double glazed to avoid fogging), helmet ventilation, ability to changes visors for dark ones etc.
Any helmet that passes the FIA standards clearly meet their minimum standards. Obviously some may exceed it by a long way, some just scrape through but you know it meets the minimum.
Fit is the key consideration and they are shaped differently. If you want to try the full range of helmets from the £200 versions through to £1000+++ then Autosport in January is the best place. If you can't wait until then, you may need to visit a couple of places and/or mail order a few to try. Visiting somewhere would be preferable, but they may be more limited in their range.
Beyond fit there may be other features which may or may not be important to you - size/shape of visor slot, material of visor (e.g. double glazed to avoid fogging), helmet ventilation, ability to changes visors for dark ones etc.
Thanks for all the advice. This has been really informative. I’ve been talking of going to the Autosoport show since my teens but never actually did it. Having listened to what everyone has said, I’ll be heading there in January to try on as many helmets as possible. I’ll make sure I have a balaclava with me, or maybe just buy all my Nomex underwear there.
Df76- thanks for explaining the standards.
CharlesElliot- thanks for talking bigger picture. I hadn’t even thought of extra features, but double glazed to avoid fogging seems like a sensible idea.
Df76- thanks for explaining the standards.
CharlesElliot- thanks for talking bigger picture. I hadn’t even thought of extra features, but double glazed to avoid fogging seems like a sensible idea.
One thing to add, cheaper helmets are often heavier. Obviously carbon kit will be lighter but it's noticeable how much heavier some cheaper brands are over the well established makes using traditional materials.
There's obviously a fatigue issue there but also much more momentum round your head in an accident, irrespective of using HANS this has to be worth considering.
OK, a second thing to add, Simpson Hybrid protects more effectively than conventional HANS in a side impact which is, lets say, not exactly unheard of in Academy racing.
There's obviously a fatigue issue there but also much more momentum round your head in an accident, irrespective of using HANS this has to be worth considering.
OK, a second thing to add, Simpson Hybrid protects more effectively than conventional HANS in a side impact which is, lets say, not exactly unheard of in Academy racing.
STOP!!!!
Later on in the year, Caterham will introduce you to Mr Dave Kimberly of Demon Tweeks. Not only will he look after you to make sure everything fits and you buy the right kit, he will also provide you with a magic Caterham discount route when you buy all your racewear. If you look at the Caterham Academy drivers, you will see that most of them have a special OMP Caterham liveried race suit. It's all part of the service. Don't do anything until Abi tells you to.
Later on in the year, Caterham will introduce you to Mr Dave Kimberly of Demon Tweeks. Not only will he look after you to make sure everything fits and you buy the right kit, he will also provide you with a magic Caterham discount route when you buy all your racewear. If you look at the Caterham Academy drivers, you will see that most of them have a special OMP Caterham liveried race suit. It's all part of the service. Don't do anything until Abi tells you to.
I went down to MSAR south London about 8 years ago, they were really good and had a few for me to try on. They made their recommendations and ended up ordering one at the right size, rather than trying to flog me something they had there and then. Still have the same lid and it's been ace (a Bell sport 4 or possibly 5....?!?).
I was talking to a friend of mine and he has suggested that the V2 helmet one of his customers bought looks on the face of it to be better quality than the helmet he bought himself from one of the mid range suppliers.
I think my bell helmet expires at the end of the year so I’m very tempted to give the V2 a go, will at least try to get to autosport and try one on if they’re there
I think my bell helmet expires at the end of the year so I’m very tempted to give the V2 a go, will at least try to get to autosport and try one on if they’re there
I was looking at the MSA approved standards, it seems that the SNELL standards all expire within five years, see 10.3.1 below. Looking at the Demon Tweeks listing, and as I'm sure will be the case with other retailers, whilst quite a few helmets have the double standard of SNELL SA 2015 & FIA 8859-2015 some helmets are SNELL rated only, I suggest steering clear of those.
10.3.1. Standards. Helmets bearing one of the under
mentioned ‘standards’ may be approved by the MSA
subject to other criteria being met. See also
drawing 10.3.1.
(a) ALL MSA NATIONAL EVENTS
FIA 8860-2004 (Not valid after 31.12.20)
FIA 8860-2010
FIA 8859-2015
SNELL SA2005 (Not valid after 31.12.18)
SNELL SA2010 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SNELL SA2015 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SNELL SAH2010 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SFI Foundation 31.1A, 31.2A (Not valid after
31.12.2018)
10.3.1. Standards. Helmets bearing one of the under
mentioned ‘standards’ may be approved by the MSA
subject to other criteria being met. See also
drawing 10.3.1.
(a) ALL MSA NATIONAL EVENTS
FIA 8860-2004 (Not valid after 31.12.20)
FIA 8860-2010
FIA 8859-2015
SNELL SA2005 (Not valid after 31.12.18)
SNELL SA2010 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SNELL SA2015 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SNELL SAH2010 (Not valid after 31.12.23)
SFI Foundation 31.1A, 31.2A (Not valid after
31.12.2018)
I really wouldn't look to save money on your helmet. Its the most important bit of safety kit. The fit is very important and is critical to it protecting you in an accident. I think that you would be best to go to GRP or Demon Tweeks and try on the various makes to find one that fits you properly, each brand has a different head shape, fit and range of sizes, the opening is often different too, so some may be difficult to get over your head.
The older/cheaper ones are often heavier which can be tiring when racing with the cornering G forces. I remember one race at Brands many year ago when I had forgotten my race helmet!!! and just didn't have enough time to go home to get it, a fellow racer very kindly offered his Bell helmet which was heavier than my Arai and by the end of the weekend my neck was absolutely f
ked from the strain of wearing the heavier helmet!!! Also you will also probably have to use a Hans device and they vary in weight depending on whether they are carbon fibre or plastic. I opted for the carbon fibre Hans for this season having not raced for a few year and never with a Hans as the plastic ones seemed so heavy. I don't notice it when racing as its so light, unfortunately its almost twice as expensive as the plastic hans!!!!
For many years I have used Arai for both motorcycling and racing and they are generally not the cheapest!!! Recently I have moved over to Bell as I think that they helmets are really well made and finished, the visors are easy to change too.
The older/cheaper ones are often heavier which can be tiring when racing with the cornering G forces. I remember one race at Brands many year ago when I had forgotten my race helmet!!! and just didn't have enough time to go home to get it, a fellow racer very kindly offered his Bell helmet which was heavier than my Arai and by the end of the weekend my neck was absolutely f
ked from the strain of wearing the heavier helmet!!! Also you will also probably have to use a Hans device and they vary in weight depending on whether they are carbon fibre or plastic. I opted for the carbon fibre Hans for this season having not raced for a few year and never with a Hans as the plastic ones seemed so heavy. I don't notice it when racing as its so light, unfortunately its almost twice as expensive as the plastic hans!!!!For many years I have used Arai for both motorcycling and racing and they are generally not the cheapest!!! Recently I have moved over to Bell as I think that they helmets are really well made and finished, the visors are easy to change too.
I have a HedTec, I quite like it, some people find it a bit uncomfy, but i guess it depends on head shape. My needs were 2 fold... cheapest helmet I could find (wasn't sure if motorsport was for me and second hand helmets don't sell well!) and latest standard I could get for my money. I also made sure it was suitable for HANS mounts. I don't need this yet, but at some point the MSA will make it mandatory, rendering a lot of helmets useless!
A couple of additional comments to add to the advice already posted from someone who's been in a similar position, although in an old tin top:
1/ I was warned off carbon fibre helmets by a friend of mine who road tests bikes for a living as they have a tendency to amplify noise and resonate. No first hand experience and these tend to be expensive anyway, but thought it worth passing on. Be interesting to hear if others agree.
2/ Try the helmet on in the car you will be driving to check it fits comfortably within the roll over protection. I'm a tall chap and I used to have a Sparco. No problem at all, but when the A/FR certification expired I bought a SNELL2010 Stilo open face and noticed that the external dimensions are significantly larger. Thankfully this is not a problem in my competition car but I found that I simply didn't fit comfortably in my road car (at a recent hill climb school and had no choice as my comp car wasn't ready).
1/ I was warned off carbon fibre helmets by a friend of mine who road tests bikes for a living as they have a tendency to amplify noise and resonate. No first hand experience and these tend to be expensive anyway, but thought it worth passing on. Be interesting to hear if others agree.
2/ Try the helmet on in the car you will be driving to check it fits comfortably within the roll over protection. I'm a tall chap and I used to have a Sparco. No problem at all, but when the A/FR certification expired I bought a SNELL2010 Stilo open face and noticed that the external dimensions are significantly larger. Thankfully this is not a problem in my competition car but I found that I simply didn't fit comfortably in my road car (at a recent hill climb school and had no choice as my comp car wasn't ready).
I didn't notice any difference in noise when I moved to a CF helmet but I use an open face so it may be different to a full face. Bikes are different beasts to cars though with the helmet getting hit by different airflows and the engine (usually) revving far higher.
What I did notice was the huge effect having less weight on my head made to my neck muscles and I can only think it would be very beneficial in the event of a sudden stop.
What I did notice was the huge effect having less weight on my head made to my neck muscles and I can only think it would be very beneficial in the event of a sudden stop.
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