How to choose a helmet for karting?
A karting helmet is much more than a protective gear. It's a reflection of your personality! Choosing a helmet is an important step, which is why we have created this guide to help you find the one that best suits your needs.
First of all, it is important to know that there are two categories of karting helmets:
1° Helmet with ECE approval.
These helmets can also be used for indoor karting but also on a scooter or a motorcycle thanks to their ECE approval.
Therefore, if you start to drive regularly in indoor karting or during simple sessions on outdoor tracks, these helmets will be perfect and this especially for a question of hygiene.
On the other hand, it is necessary to know that these helmets are not approved for the official races in outside.
On Racing-Fashion, you will find three brands that offer them:
Karttech : Currently displayed at 48,30€, the Karttech Panthere is the helmet with an unbeatable quality-price ratio. With its modern design, it is available in matte black. In addition, it is available in both child and adult sizes!
Sparco : Do we still need to present Spraco ? Internationally known and recognized brand! The advantage compared to the karttech is that the Sparco Club is available in matte black but also in glossy white. In addition, mirror or smoke visors are also available.
LS2 : Chinese trendy brand, the LS2 helmet is available in black/orange (Java) or in black/yellow (Jink). With its double visor, you don't even need to change it!
2° Helmet with karting homologation
it is necessary to distinguish several types of standards that allow to compete in different championships:
SNELL SA2015: allows you to participate in almost all karting competitions in the world, as well as many car races.
SNELL CMR: allows drivers under 15 years of age to participate in all karting competitions, at regional, national and international levels.
Even for indoor karting, these helmets are regularly chosen. And this because it offers a level of comfort far superior to the ECE: padding, lightness, optimal ventilation, different choice of visor, ...
On Racing-Fashion, you will find three brands that offer them:
Stilo: the most recent, the least expensive but certainly not the least good. Stilo, Italian brand mainly present in Rallye, entered the market only a short time ago. The helmet is available in matte black and glossy white.
Bell : Of Belgian origin, this brand was recently bought by the OMP group. The manufacturing continues to be made in Bahrain. The RS7 is designed for children while the KC7 is for children.
Arai : iconic Japanese brand and perhaps the most prestigious in the world of karting. Two models are offered: CK6 for children and SK6 for adults.
The quality of these 3 brands is very similar. The difference will be mainly on the design and on the comfort that you will personally get from the helmet when you will slip inside.
3° Choose your size
You have found the motorcycle helmet that suits you best? Be careful, your efforts are in vain if it is not the right size! If it is too small, it will be particularly uncomfortable (mainly in the ears), and if it is too big, it will not provide the expected protection...it could even come off in case of an accident.
Here are some tips on how to choose the right size for your helmet:
Start by taking your measurements! Using a tape measure (or a piece of string that you will measure afterwards) estimate the circumference of your head: The circumference of the head should be measured 1 cm above the eyebrows and at the largest point at the back of the head, without taking the ears.
With this dimension in hand, you can refer to the "head circumference/supplier size" correspondence table.
It will tell you which size you should adopt, depending on the brand of motorcycle helmet, or even the model of helmet you are interested in. It's a very simple manipulation !
4° Visor
This subject of discussion comes back eternally: the fog
Let's be honest, the ventilation of ECE approved helmets is not as efficient as the one of karting approved helmets.
So you will always have to keep your visor slightly open (mainly indoor) when you ride with an ECE helmet. The helmets with karting homologation are equipped with an anti-fog visor.
In addition, they have the possibility to put Tear-offs. These are indispensable in competition. This stack of transparent films to be torn off as soon as the screen is obstructed by impurities (insects, oil, etc.) preventing to see clearly, is therefore addressed to external drivers. The helmets predisposed to receive them are equipped with characteristic lugs.
5° Protection
Given the importance of the helmet, we strongly advise you to buy a helmet. Sparco, Alpinestars, Bell,...offer you various solutions