Best Racing Helmets

Snell SA, Snell M and FIA: what the labels mean

Snell is a non-profit that writes helmet standards and tests samples. The letters mark the use. SA is Special Application, for competitive auto racing. M is for motorcycling and K is for karting. Snell's FAQ lists two major differences between SA and M. The SA standard requires a flammability test, and M and K do not. SA and K also allow a narrower field of view than M, so some SA helmets may not be street legal.

Snell SA2025 took effect on 1 October 2025. Compared with SA2020, Snell lowers the peak acceleration limit from 300 g to 275 g for most head forms, and says its impact velocities and peak g values are the same as or more severe than FIA 8859-2024. Snell's cover document (revised 25 April 2025) gives a proposed schedule for SA2020. Label shipments end on 30 October 2026, and production and shipping of SA2020-labelled helmets must stop by 31 December 2026. Fast Racer already has an SA2020 clearance section.

The FIA runs its own system. FIA 8859-2024 is the current standard for premium helmets (Technical List 107), and FIA 8860-2018 is the advanced standard. A helmet can carry a Snell SA2025 sticker, an FIA label, or both. Pegasus notes that not all SA2025 helmets are submitted to the FIA and the reverse. SFI also has helmet specifications, 31.1 and 41.1, that some organisers accept alongside Snell.

Is SA2020 still fine? Yes. NASA's 2026.3 rulebook requires Snell SA2015 or newer for racing now, and SA2020 or newer from 1 January 2027. SCCA Time Trials accepts the latest and two preceding standards. The phase-out is hitting SA2015. PCA's HPDE Committee now ends SA2015 helmets 10 years from manufacture: 30 June 2026 for helmets made in 2015 (or with no date label), 31 December 2026 for 2016, and 31 December 2027 to 2029 for 2017 to 2019, per Diablo Region's notice updated 25 February 2026. Some region pages still show an older 1 July 2026 cut-off, so ask your region. Check your organiser every season.

Can you use a motorcycle helmet? What organisers say

It depends on the organiser, and sometimes the region. NASA's 2026.3 Club Codes and Regulations accept a helmet meeting Snell 2010 (SA2010 or M2010) or ECE 22.06 or newer, for cars or motorcycles, at HPDE and Time Trial. Once you race under NASA's racing rules, section 15.17.3 requires Snell SA or an FIA 8859 or 8860 helmet, and says ratings other than SA, for example M2015 or M2020, are not acceptable.

SCCA Time Trials accepts M-rated helmets at Safety Level 1, listing SA2025, M2025, SA2020, M2020, EA2016, SA2015, SA2010 and M2015 among accepted standards. At Safety Level 2 it requires SA2015 or later, SFI 31.1, or FIA 8859 or 8860. Track Night in America says it follows the SCCA Track Events Rulebook and links a list of approved labels that we could not read, so check that page.

Hooked on Driving says no motorcycle helmets. Its FAQ requires a Snell SA-rated auto racing helmet within 10 years of the event date and says a DOT rating does not qualify, and its check-in page and 2026 event listings ask for a Snell SA2020 or newer helmet. PCA is a patchwork. Diablo Region says motorcycle helmets are not allowed at its HPDE days, Milwaukee Region says helmets with a DOT, K or M rating are not allowed, and Peachstate Region allows Snell M helmets in its first two run groups but advises SA2020 or newer.

That mixed rule set is the strongest reason to buy an SA helmet. SA2020 and SA2025 helmets were accepted at every organiser we checked, and they come with factory M6 inserts for a head restraint. State and insurer rules can add to the organiser's. NASA's magazine says New Jersey requires a full-face helmet with a Snell SM or SA 2020/2025 rating at sanctioned events from 1 January 2026, and Diablo PCA says its motorcycle helmet ban is partly an insurance matter. Rental helmets may be available for a first event. A Hooked on Driving listing shows rental at $50 a day, including a balaclava.

Open face or full face

Full-face helmets cover the chin and carry a shield. NASA's racing rules say a full-face helmet with an impact-resistant shield is required in open cars (formula cars, sports racers and similar) and highly recommended for all vehicles, and eye protection is required. SCCA Time Trials requires full face in vehicles without a windshield. A Hooked on Driving event listing requires closed-face helmets with a visor for convertibles.

Open-face helmets such as the OMP GP-I give a wider view and more airflow. Pegasus says the GP-I cannot be made to take a face shield and recommends it mainly for closed-cockpit cars. Motorsport Australia's Schedule D says a full-face helmet is highly recommended for drivers of open cars in speed events. If you drive a convertible, buy full face.

Head restraint posts and fire-rated lining

If you will wear a HANS-style restraint, buy a helmet with factory M6 threaded inserts. NASA's magazine says the Snell 2015 standard built them into SA2015, and Pegasus says SA2025 and FIA 8859-2024 testing checks that the inserts can take head restraint loads. Every pick here either lists factory M6 inserts or posts, or is FIA 8859-2024 homologated. The anchors that screw into them are usually sold separately and often come with the restraint. See our head and neck restraint guide.

For FIA events, the FIA says the helmet, tether and anchor must all be FIA approved and compatible, and helmets approved to FIA 8858-2002 or 8858-2010 have not been valid since 31 December 2023. In the UK, Motorsport UK's standards sheet v9.0 (January 2024, which predates SA2025 and FIA 8859-2024) lists FIA 8860-2018, 8860-2010 (valid to 31 December 2028), 8859-2015, Snell SA2015 (valid to 31 December 2026) and Snell SA2020, and for use with a restraint the anchors must be FIA 8858-2010.

SA testing includes a flammability test, and SFI Spec 31.1 is titled Flame Resistant Motorsports Helmets. NASA's magazine warns that household cleaners can inhibit the fire-retardant properties of racing helmet fabrics, so use cleaners made for racing helmets.

Sizing and fit

Pegasus suggests measuring head circumference about an inch above the eyebrows and just above the ears. If you will wear a Nomex hood, measure with it on, or add about a quarter inch for a single-layer hood and half an inch for a double. Size charts differ by maker. In Pegasus's charts Bell runs 54 to 68 cm, OMP 56 to 63 cm, Stilo 54 to 64 cm and Arai 53 to 62 cm.

Snell's guide says to check size, shape and strap. The helmet should be snug all the way round and should not shift on your head. Snell also says to wear it five to ten minutes to find pressure points, and not to leave more than two fingers under the strap. In a Rennlist thread from 2022 to 2024, posters found the same size fits differently across brands and Bell models. One found the M8 ran large and the GT6 fit better, and another found the RS7 too narrow. Try before you buy, and buy a little snug because liners pack out.

If you wear glasses, check that the padding does not push the frames, as one Rennlist poster warned. The Bell M8 and OMP GT-EV are sold with wide eyeports for that reason.

Replacement, care and UK and Australia

Snell recommends replacing a helmet after five years of normal use, and says unused helmets stored in good condition do not expire automatically. Snell certified helmets are built for one severe impact, so replace after a crash. Snell also warns that aftermarket accessories, such as cameras or audio kit, can invalidate its certification if fitted wrongly. Organisers set their own limits, for example Hooked on Driving's SA2020-or-newer rule (within 10 years of the event date) and PCA's 10 years from manufacture for SA2015 helmets. Snell has also warned about counterfeit Snell labels sold on eBay.

For competition, Motorsport UK accepts FIA and Snell SA standards. Motorsport UK's v9.0 sheet (January 2024) lists the standards above but predates SA2025 and FIA 8859-2024, so check the current Yearbook. Motorsport Australia's 2026 Schedule D (last updated 1 January 2026) lists FIA 8860-2018, 8860-2010 (not valid at Level A after 31 December 2028), 8859-2024, 8859-2015 and Snell SA2015, SA2020 and SA2025 (with FIA 8858-2010 tether anchors) as Level A helmets. Its Level B, allowed at some speed events, also includes ECE 22 and AS/NZS 1698 helmets, and it lists Snell M ratings only for Superkart competition. UK track-day operators set their own helmet rules, and we could not confirm the current wording for MSV Trackdays.