Best Head and Neck Restraints

Do you need one? What organisers actually require

It depends on the organiser and on your car. A stock car with factory 3-point belts does not normally need one. The moment you add a racing harness, many organisers require a head and neck restraint. Rules change and regions differ, so read your organiser's current rulebook.

NASA's 2026.3 Club Codes and Regulations (28 April 2026) say in section 15.17.8 that a restraint carrying an SFI 38.1, FIA 8858-2002 or FIA 8858-2010 (or higher) label is mandatory for all drivers under its racing rules. The HPDE and Time Trial equipment list in section 11.3 does not name a restraint, but section 11.4 says the section 15 standards apply to safety equipment you add, so ask your NASA region how it treats a harness. Porsche Club of America's Driver Education minimum standards have required a head and neck restraint with any multi-point harness since 1 January 2019, for driver and passenger (as published by the NCR PCA region). A Hooked on Driving HPDE listing at Pineview Run in August 2026 requires a certified restraint (SFI 38.1, FIA 8858 or newer) for all occupants of any car with an aftermarket harness and roll bar or cage.

SCCA Time Trials treats a head and neck system as 'highly recommended' at Safety Level 2 where belts and seats suit one. SCCA's Race Experience rules require a head and neck restraint certified to SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858-2002 or 8858-2010, with the label affixed to the device. In the UK, Motorsport UK's guidance says an FIA-homologated restraint has been mandatory in national circuit race, sprint, hill climb and stage rally events since 1 January 2016, with exceptions for older cars, and a Motorsport UK FHR approval sticker is needed from 1 January 2018. That guidance is from 2018, so check the current Yearbook. Motorsport Australia says FIA-approved restraints (Technical List 29) must be worn in competitions on the FIA calendar, and national events follow its Schedule D.

Frontal, hybrid or no-yoke: what the designs do

A HANS-style frontal restraint (HANS, Stand 21, Zamp, Stilo) is a rigid collar that rests on your shoulders under the harness shoulder belts. Tethers link it to the helmet. In a frontal crash the tethers limit how far the helmet moves forward relative to the collar. Motorsport UK describes a frontal head restraint as a system designed to reduce injury by limiting forward head movement.

A hybrid (Simpson Hybrid) straps to the torso with a front buckle and does not rely on the harness to hold it. The FIA guide says the seating position angle does not affect which Hybrid you pick, and that Hybrids are sized by chest circumference. A no-yoke design (NecksGen, Schroth Flex) sits on the shoulders with a lower collar and smaller front section.

All the frontal designs here are specified for a harness. The FIA guide says the belts must be at least five-point harnesses, and NecksGen states a 4+ point harness is required. Do not wear a HANS-style device with factory 3-point belts. Only designs that their maker tests and markets for 3-point belts, such as the Hybrid S and NecksGen's REVX Carbon (per NecksGen's blog), address that case, and you should read the maker's installation guide first.

Rennlist owners of the earlier NecksGen REV (a 2017 thread, so not the REV2 Lite) described it as comfortable and easy to release. They also noted limited head rotation when strapped tight, and one said it rolled forward a little when the belts sat near horizontal.

Sizing, angle and belt setup

HANS-style devices are sized by neck and by collar angle. Pegasus lists HANS IV neck sizes as Small 12.5 to 16 in, Medium 14 to 17 in and Large 16 to 20 in, and says a driver with large neck muscles may need one size up. For angle, Pegasus suggests measuring your chest angle from vertical in the car. Under 25 degrees points to a Model 20 and 25 degrees or more to a Model 30. Comfort decides the final call.

The FIA guide gives a check you can do in the car. With the harness tight and in the racing position, the collar should sit between 60 and 90 degrees from horizontal. If the device pushes your head forward and the collar leans past 90 degrees, you need a more upright model. If the collar leans back below 60 degrees, you need a wider angle. The FIA says the second case is common in reclined seats and may be dangerous in a rearward crash.

Belt setup matters as much as the device. The FIA guide says the shoulder belts should be roughly 20 to 25 degrees apart when viewed from above, and never outside 10 to 25 degrees. For side angle it prefers belts about 20 degrees below horizontal with a HANS in a saloon car. NecksGen's guidance is 0 to 10 degrees below horizontal for its devices. Follow the guide for your device.

Tether length should leave a little slack. NecksGen asks for 1 to 2 in of slack when seated, belted and looking straight ahead, and the FIA says tethers should not be fitted very short and tight. Pegasus notes that foam collars are for comfort only and add weight to the helmet.

Certification, tethers and expiry

SFI 38.1 is a US standard. Manufacturers certify their own products to it under licence, and SFI does not approve or endorse them. The standard uses a Hybrid III dummy and a sled pulse with a nominal 68 G peak and a 63 km/h (39.1 mph) velocity change. Initial validation needs two frontal tests and one 30 degree right-frontal test. Limits are 2,500 N of upper neck tension or compression in the first 80 ms and 3,200 N from 80 to 120 ms, with Nij no higher than 1.0. The label is punched with the month and year of manufacture.

Under SFI 38.1, devices are inspected for recertification every five years after original certification, and only the original manufacturer can do it, not dealers. NecksGen's recertification page says it replaces the tether and applies a new SFI sticker. NASA's CCR says SFI-certified devices more than five years old should go back to the maker, and that an FIA-certified device does not need recertification, even if it also has an SFI tag.

FIA 8858-2010 devices are listed in FIA Technical List 29. The end date in that list is the last date a model may be manufactured, not an expiry. The FIA's guide states the validity of a device has no end if it is in good condition and has not suffered a severe impact. Tethers are separate. The FIA says to replace tethers after a frontal or angled frontal impact, or sooner if worn, and an 8858-2010 device can only use 8858-2010 tethers.

Tether life from the makers is shorter. Pegasus, a HANS dealer, says to replace HANS tethers after a crash, when torn or frayed, and at least every two years. NecksGen says every two years and at every recertification. After a severe accident the FIA recommends replacing the helmet and the device. Pegasus does not resell used devices and does not recommend buying one.

Helmet compatibility and anchors

Every device here connects to M6 threaded inserts in the helmet shell. NASA's magazine says the Snell 2015 standard built them into SA2015, so all SA2015 helmets have them, and Pegasus says SA2025 testing checks that the inserts can take head restraint loads. No Snell or helmet maker source we read approves anchor posts on M-rated motorcycle helmets, so treat a motorcycle helmet as unsuitable for a restraint unless its maker says otherwise. See our racing helmet guide.

Anchors are not always in the box. The HANS IV kit includes posts for one helmet, the Hybrid S does not, and the Stand 21 listings do not say anchors are included. Each helmet you plan to wear needs its own anchors, and one device can serve several helmets. For FIA events the FIA requires that the device, tether, helmet and anchor are all FIA approved and compatible, and helmets approved to 8858-2002 or 8858-2010 have not been valid since 31 December 2023. Motorsport UK's standards sheet (v9.0, January 2024) accepts Snell SA2015 and SA2020 helmets with FIA 8858-2010 tether anchors at national events, and marks SA2015 as not valid after 31 December 2026.

If you share a device with another driver or a passenger, both helmets need anchors and your sizes need to be close. Pegasus says similar-sized drivers can usually share one device. The rule of equal restraint at PCA events means a passenger in a harnessed car also needs a restraint.