General Helmets

[Sam]

Hi All

Looking at buying my first karting helmet, I've been looking online to clarify whether it needs to meet certain approvals or not without luck.

I will be mostly outdoor karting doing the occasional arrive & drive and open race, will my helmet need to meet approvals?

 

[Adam]

Hey Sam! Your helmet will need to be SNELL certified for MSUK events.

Snell helmets certification - Standards

Snell certified helmets - K2020 list

Snell certified helmets - K2015 list

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I currently have an SK6 and bought this bundle a few years back:

Arai SK-6 Helmet, Iridium Visor & Deluxe Helmet Bag Bundle – MK Racewear

mkracewear.co.uk

 

[Sam]

Thanks as always Adam - is Snell required even for the arrive & drive sessions and occasional rental kart races? The cost of some of these seem high for a novice at the stage I'm at.

 

[Adam]

Thanks as always Adam - is Snell required even for the arrive & drive sessions and occasional rental kart races? The cost of some of these seem high for a novice at the stage I'm at.

No worries fella!

Hmm it depends on the event I believe. Stuff like Club 100 you'll need an approved lid. Some events etc may even be able to provide one on the day.

In all honesty the best helmet you can afford, the better off you are right? If you can stretch to an approved lid then I would. You can't put a price on safety! That and a rib protector of some sort is a must imo. Or spend £200 now and then have to fork out on something approved at an extra expense later on.

 

[Daver5]

I bought 1 of theses for my first race (10 years ago)

Nice and light and met requirements (then)

 

[Coddy]

It depends how much you value your head.

I for one would not put my son out on a cheap helmet. If you are under 16 you also need to wear the correct class of helmet.

Regarding a 10 year old helmet, it is recommended not to use a helmet older than 6 years old. UV weakens helmets.

 

[Sam]

Thanks all

In the end I went for a £90 OMP helmet from Demon Tweaks, I confirmed with my local track that they accept all face covering helmets with clear visors, no need for SNELL approved - unless of course I am taking part in MSUK events.

Currently the helmet will only be used for arrive & drives and open races in rental karts, nothing too serious yet! When the time comes I'll invest more heavily into a SNELL approved helmet.