The Best Auto Racing Helmets For Track Days

While tremendous strides have been made in recent decades, auto racing remains an inherently dangerous activity. Though the introduction of safety measures like on-board fire suppression systems, roll cages, window nets, “SAFER” barriers, HANS devices, and fire suits have all helped to mitigate the risk of injury associated with careening a track-prepped car around a closed circuit, one racing safety staple that remains a vital piece of any track-day head or auto enthusiast’s kit is the auto racing helmet.

From casual kart competitors to professional Formula One drivers and everything in-between, today’s auto racing helmet market runs the gamut. While this ultimately enables drivers to select from a diverse array of purpose-built auto lid offerings from a wide range of price-points, it can also make finding the right helmet for you feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. So, to help you hit the track with the best possible brain bucket, we’ve pored over the best models from the most trusted names in the business to bring you the very best auto racing helmets.

Introduced in 1908, the earliest auto racing helmets were essentially cloth and/or leather items — which were arguably more hat than helmet — that provided minimal protection and were similar to the first football helmets of the same era. These helmets remained the status quo in auto (and motorcycle) racing until the dawn of the 1950s when the first hard shell auto racing helmet designs began to emerge.

In 1954, Bell designed the 500 TX helmet that in ’57 became the first mass-produced hardshell auto racing helmet. In addition to a handful of extremely-iconic cars, the ’60s also saw multiple outfits working on full-face helmet designs, though it would be another decade or so until they too would see mass production. In the decades that followed more and more innovations were made in the area, including the use of liner materials that more efficiently absorbed energy, composite shell constructions, fire-retardant materials, and bolstered comfort and eye protection.

Regardless of what kind of lid you’re looking for, there are a number of areas that should be taken into account when in the market for an auto racing helmet.

Helmet Type: While all auto racing helmets perform the same basic function of protecting your noggin in the event of a crash, today’s helmet market boasts brain buckets built for specific types of driving/racing. There are basic track day helmets for casual enthusiasts, and while they don’t need to meet the same stringent standards as race lids, these nonetheless offer solid protection and are usually reasonably priced, granted they lack some of the high-end amenities of top-shelf race lids.

Race helmets are top-of-the-line offerings, boasting the most advanced materials and construction and bestowed with all the latest and greatest tech and peripheral accessories like HANS posts and comms, and hydration systems. Lastly, there are rally helmets which are dedicated race helmets, though designed specifically for off-road and rally use.

Materials: The next major area to consider is the type of materials used. This will play a pivotal role in the level of protection a helmet affords, as well as how much it weighs. The main types of materials used on modern helmets are fiberglass, carbon fiber, and composites, the latter of which boasts the most complex construction and is usually comprised of a combination of fiberglass, carbon fiber, and kevlar.

Ventilation & Aerodynamics: Airflow properties are hugely important on racing helmets. Wearing a thick, padded, hard-shelled, hat can get hot fast, so a well-ventilated helmet with solid airflow channels will make a big difference in keeping you cool while behind the wheel, enabling you to better focus on the task at hand. In a similar vein, a helmet’s aerodynamic properties are also important, especially for open cockpit mediums where the helmet isn’t protected from behind a windshield.

Safety Standards: The next big area to think about before buying a helmet is safety standards. For auto racing helmets the two main standards are SNELL and FIA. These are rating standards that determine if a helmet is up to snuff for racing duties. If you want to race at a track, your helmet will need to meet (at least) one of these ratings. There are multiple SNELL and FIA ratings so be sure to do your homework before pulling the trigger on a purchase.

Fitment: For a helmet to properly do its job it has to precisely fit your head. Most helmets are offered in multiple sizes (and multiple shell sizes), with some affording additional adjustability for an even more precise fit. Not only is it important to get a helmet in your size, but just as important is buying a helmet that fits the shape of your head. Different manufacturers will make helmets geared toward slightly more round or more oval crowns, so it’s important to measure your head and then figure out what company and model is most conducive to your protecting your dome.

Accessories: While this area is most applicable to helmets of the race variety, accessories are nonetheless another important aspect to pore over before making your purchase. Different helmet models afford different accessories such as HANS (Head and Necks Support) systems, ventilation or hydration setups, communication equipment, visors, duckbills, and tear-offs, just to name a few.

Simpson Diamondback

Best Affordable Helmet: Famously worn by Top Gear’s “The Stig,” Simpson’s Diamondback helmet is something of a modern-day icon in the motorsport world. Made in America, this variant features a shell with an Italian composite construction and an aerodynamic profile and shape with a fully-sealed recessed eye port. The unique-looking track day lid is frontal head restraint-ready and is offered with a side-pipe option (for an added fee) and supplementary dedicated comm systems. And, while it maintains its iconic appearance, recent years have seen this brain bucket treated to a host of updates such as better stability at speed and improved impact resistance. Sadly, this helmet is no longer offered in a carbon fiber-shelled version. 

Arai GP-7

Best Track Day Helmet: Made by hand in Japan, the Arai GP-7 is a high-end track-day helmet that incorporates a host of features from the brand’s top-of-the-line Formula 1 lids. Equipped with a ventilation system that features a trio of intake ports and a pair of exhausts, the helmet utilizes the same shell shape as Arai’s GP-7SRC F1 model, though it’s been brought to life using the company’s Peripherally Belted Complex Laminate construction. Other noteworthy elements include drink system compatibility, improved FCS cheek pads, pre-Installed M6 threaded washer/nuts for accommodating HANS devices, a wider field of vision, and a redesigned hardware system that includes a new positive shield latch mechanism and a new pivot layout. In typical Arai fashion, the overall craftsmanship and fit and finish of this helmet also serve as major selling points. 

Bell GTX3 Carbon

Best Open-Wheel Helmet: The Bell GTX3 Carbon is a wildly advanced racing lid that combines the features and protective capabilities of normal track and race models with an aerodynamic shell that makes it perfect for karting, Formula racing, and other open-wheel, open-cockpit class racing. Offered with eight different liner color options, the GTX3 Carbon is constructed around a multi-density, multi-piece liner covered in an all-carbon fiber shell that sports an integrated rear wing and a front chin splitter. On top of a synthetic rubber gasket, the helmet also features rear-facing side chin bar vents and air exhaust ports that create a Venturi air effect in order to migrate the entry of dust and dirt into the lid while still maximizing ventilation and airflow. Rounding out this helmet is an optical-grade injection-molded Double Screen Anti-Fog shield, and M6 terminals for FHR anchor attachment points for HANS devices. 

Sparco RJ-i Carbon

Best Rally Helmet: Whether its racing seats, driver suits, or steering wheels, Sparco’s Italian-made racing gear has earned a reputation for delivering world-class protection and performance — and the Turin brand’s auto racing lids are no different. Benefitting from more than 40 years of advanced research and development, the Sparco RJ-i Carbon is a high-end rally lid that’s pieced together around a lightweight carbon fiber shell with an underlying carbon-Kevlar composite base layer. The RJ-i Carbon boasts a laundry list of impressive amenities such as a flexible boom mic and ear cup speakers, a Mil-Spec Nexus connector, premium anodized aluminum chin strap hardware and a removable and washable lining that’s available in multiple color options. SNELL and FIA-approved, this helmet also comes outfitted with pre-installed HANS clips, making it ready for even professional-grade rally competition. And, as you’d expect on a nearly $2,000 carbon fiber helmet that was handcrafted in Italy, the overall craftsmanship and build quality on this Sparco brain bucket is simply phenomenal. 

Schuberth SP1 Carbon Fiber

Best Track Day Helmet: Made by a brand that’s trusted by a slew of high-profile F1 and IndyCar drivers, the Schuberth SP1 Carbon Fiber is a state-of-the-art race-spec brain bucket that harnesses the German firm’s decades of experience producing super elite protective gear. Made by hand in Italy by a team of experts, the helmet boasts an autoclave-cured carbon fiber shell paired with a 3D-injected Pinnock-equipped visor and an underlying EPS liner. Weighing as little as 3lbs while offering world-class levels of protection, the SP1 Carbon Fiber — which is Schuberth’s first-ever helmet to achieve both FIA and SNELL certifications — sports a highly-calculated, extremely-aerodynamic shape that allows it to easily cut through the wind, plus an unparalleled 12 ventilation ports help to ensure the driver stays cool no matter how heated the wheel-to-wheel action gets. This helmet also comes prewired for communications systems. 

Stilo ST5 FN VB 8860 Carbon APB

Best Overall Helmet: If money is no object and you’re simply looking to get your hands on one of the very best helmets that money can buy, than you almost certainly want the Stilo ST5 FN VB 8860 Carbon. Appropriately touted as “ the highest specification helmet ever developed,” the ST5 FN VB 8860 Carbon was developed utilizing a spare-no-expense approach, and features a high-tensile carbon fiber shell that benefits from the sue of super-state-of-the-art Advanced Ballistic Protection. As if its design, materials, advanced tech, and build quality weren’t enough on their own, the ST5 FN VB 8860 Carbon is also further elevated by the fact that Stilo offers this fully-Italian-made, handcrafted brain bucket with a huge range of configurable options for amenities such as hydration systems, electronics kits, and integrated eject units. And, despite being a full-faced, full-feature auto racing lid, this model manages to tip the scales at a very svelte 3lbs. It admittedly doesn’t come cheap, but Stilo’s ST5 FN VB 8860 Carbon APB really is the very best of the very best.

The Best Driving Gloves For Every Occasion

If you’re interested in modern auto racing helmets than there’s a very decent chance you’ll also posses an appreciation for wheelman gloves — the latest and greatest of which you can find in our guide to the best driving gloves for every occasion for a curated selection of everything from retro-inspired mitts to modern F1-style gloves.