If you are hire karting, you need nothing. Every circuit in this directory provides a helmet, and for a first few sessions that is genuinely the right answer.
Buy one when you are going often enough to want your own, or when you start racing and the regulations require a specific standard. That second case is where people get it wrong, because “kart helmet” covers several different approvals and buying the wrong one means being turned away at scrutineering.
The standards, and who needs which
Snell CMR2016 is the one for young drivers. CMR stands for Children’s Motorsport Racing, and the shells are built lighter to reduce the load on a developing neck. If your child is racing Cadet, Bambino, Mini or Junior, this is almost certainly the standard the regulations will name. Demon Tweeks list CMR2016 helmets separately, which saves filtering by hand.
Snell SA2020, and its predecessor SA2015, cover senior competition. SA helmets are tested for fire resistance as well as impact, because the standard was written for cars. They are heavier than CMR helmets, which is exactly why CMR exists. SA2020 helmets are listed separately too.
FIA 8859-2015 and FIA 8860-2018 are the top tier, and mostly relevant if you are racing at a level that demands them. The 8860 helmets cost several times what a club racer needs to spend.
BS6658:1985 with the BSI Kitemark is the old British standard, and it still matters because hire venues accept it. South West Karting states it for Karting at Haynes, and it is fairly representative of what leisure circuits will take.
The important point: check the current Motorsport UK yearbook before buying for competition. Accepted standards are withdrawn on a rolling basis, and a helmet that was legal three seasons ago may not be now. Retailers are generally good about labelling this, but the regulations are the authority, not the product page.
What hire circuits will actually let you use
More flexible than competition, and it varies by venue. From tracks we have checked:
- Karting at Haynes accepts BS6658:1985 with the Kitemark, and takes motocross helmets with goggles
- Nottingham Raceway asks for full face, and accepts motocross helmets with goggles and a chin piece
- Red Lodge Karting requires full face with a visor, subject to Race Director approval
- Rye House accepts full face helmets meeting recognised standards, and notes that tinted visors are daylight only
Two patterns worth taking from that. Full face with a visor is the safe default. And several circuits reserve the final decision for the Race Director, so if you are turning up with your own kit for the first time, arrive early enough for someone to look at it.
Open face helmets are refused nearly everywhere. Motocross helmets sit in the middle: usually accepted, usually with a goggles requirement, and never guaranteed.
Fit matters more than the badge
A helmet that does not fit properly is worse than a hire helmet that does.
Sizing is by head circumference, measured about an inch above the eyebrows, all the way round. Manufacturers’ size charts differ enough that you should check the specific brand rather than assuming a medium is a medium.
It should be tight when new. The liner compresses over the first few hours of use, so a helmet that feels comfortable in the shop will be loose in a month. When you have it on and shake your head, the helmet and your scalp should move together. If the helmet slides and your skin stays put, it is too big.
Check the cheek pads. They should press your cheeks noticeably. That feels odd initially and stops being noticeable quickly.
No pressure points. A spot that hurts after ten minutes will be unbearable after thirty. Different brands suit different head shapes, which is the real reason to try before buying rather than ordering on price.
For a growing child, the temptation is to buy a size up. Resist it. A loose helmet in an accident is the thing the standard is trying to prevent, and CMR helmets hold their value well enough second-hand that replacing one is less painful than it sounds.
What it costs
A hire-legal full face helmet starts around £100 to £150. A Snell CMR2016 junior helmet is typically £250 to £450. Senior SA2020 helmets run from about £300 up to well over £1,000, and FIA 8860 helmets are in the thousands.
For a first season of club racing, mid-range is the sensible place to be. The money is better spent on tyres and track time than on the lightest available shell.
The full kart helmet range at Demon Tweeks can be filtered by approval standard, which is the field to check before anything else. The Arai CK-6 is the CMR2016 helmet most junior drivers end up in.
Second hand: be careful
The polystyrene liner in a helmet is single use. It absorbs an impact by crushing, and once crushed it does not recover, even where the shell looks fine.
So a used helmet is only worth buying if you know its history, from someone you trust, and it has never been dropped hard or worn in an accident. Manufacturers generally suggest replacing a helmet every five years regardless of use, because the liner degrades with sweat, heat and time.
A cheap used helmet of unknown history is the one piece of kit where saving money is genuinely a bad idea.
Looking after it
Do not paint it, and do not put stickers on it unless you know the adhesive is safe. Solvents attack the shell.
Keep it in a bag rather than loose in a boot, where it will get knocked. Wash the liner if it is removable. Replace the visor when scratches start catching the light, because in a low winter sun that becomes a real problem.
The short version
Hire karting: use the track’s helmet, or a full face helmet meeting BS6658 with the Kitemark.
Junior racing: Snell CMR2016, and check the yearbook for the current list.
Senior racing: Snell SA2020 or the FIA standard your championship requires.
Whatever you buy: get the fit right, buy it tight, and never buy used without knowing its history.
Each track page on this site lists what that circuit accepts, where the operator publishes it.