AK47

looking for a new helmet. I used to have Gforce helmet, was not a fan of it, bulky and heavy. What helmet do you have?

price probably matters the most. looking for something in the cheap range and at least SA 2005 rating...

Bill Dearborn

You will not find a light cheap helmet.

Bill

pkincy

Cheap helmets are made for cheap heads.

Bluefire

Deciding on how much to spend on protecting your head is a personal decision.

I'll say two things about helmets::

1. An SA2005 is only good for 2 more years.
2. If you run a harness, your helmet should be HANS (SAH) enabled.

That is all.

AK47

well cheap is a relative term. And then no reason to spend 1k for something that is used 4 times a year in a non-competitive environments.

out of curiosity, what helmets you guys have?

Olitho

Here are three pages of recent helmet discussion:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...l-helmets.html

I challenge anyone to find a study the proves a correlation between cheap helmets and lower safety. There are none that I have ever seen. They all pass the same standards. Perhaps some are safer than others, but who are we to believe, the advertising guys hired over at Ogilvy?

The studies I have seen appear to not distinguish that any one helmet is better than another, but they do say almost any head protection helps on impact even a padded baseball cap. Obviously caps are not allowed nor appropriate, but the point is just get a decent helmet and that should presumably include all that have passed the tests.

The price of a helmet is largely dictated by:
The brand image
The features, ventilation, visor, aero, HANS prep, etc.
The weight
And it is worth mentioning again the brand development of the selling firm.

ukrbmw

I've been getting saferacer ad selling a Carbon Fiber helmet for 350 or 399 - that might be your best bet for something lighter. I think it was also SA2010. Check out their website.

rfn026

"I challenge anyone to find a study the proves a correlation between cheap helmets and lower safety."

This is absolutely true. Both the Snell and FIA tests are pass/fail. There has never been any testing done - ever - to prove that some helmets are safer than other helmets. They either pass the test or they don't.

The expensive ones may be lighter - but that doesn't mean they're safer. Here's an article I wrote last year on the subject. I might point out that both Snell and the FIA liked the article. The helmet companies hid under the porch. Privately though they agreed I was correct.

I've made a standing offer to any helmet company to show me a scientific study that their helmet is safer than any other helmet on the market. So far no one has gotten back to me. I don't expect they will.

The idea that if you pay more you get increased safety is a myth. You may get a lighter helmet. You may get a helmet that fits better. You won't though get a safer helmet.

Richard Newton

c4cruiser

There are lots of good helmets out there. What you didn't say is whether or not you want an open-face or a full-face style. That makes a difference no only in price but how easy it will be to put it on or remove. If you wear glasses, that can make a difference but either style will work.

For track use, I would suggest a full-face design as the face shield will keep marbles on the track from hitting you in the face. For autocross, an open face design will be fine as speeds can be slow depending on the course design.

I bought this Pyrotect SA2010 helmet last year and I have found it to be very comfortable and easy to put on and take off. You can order the posts for a Hans device if you go that way.

I had used open-face helmets before so it took a little getting used to, but this one is every bit as light as my old Bell Mag-4 open face helmet.

pkincy

I autocrossed quite happily with an open face helmet. When I moved to competitive road racing, I got a piece of stern advice from my race car fabricator that I appreciated and took to heart.....and that was, "Don't ever let me see you in an open face helmet again, you are not Dale Earnhardt!"

Another piece of advice I got and took...."Don't ever buy a helmet you have not tried on." It is all about fit and weight. Hopefully you live in an area where there is a supplier that keeps a large stock of helmets in inventory. If not go to the store at your favorite race track. They will have a good inventory and if they don't travel farther to a larger race track.

Black89Z51

I bought a SA 2010 helmet off eBay. It's a Pyrotect helmet. Pretty basic, had mounting holes for my head/neck restraint. Price was pretty good as well.

Jawnathin

Get an SA2010. As noted earlier SA2005s are expiring soon and you'll find yourself shopping again very soon.

Just get a helmet from a reputable brand that is styled the way you like. A light helmet is better, but anything truly light won't be cheap. I found once I broke it in and got used to it, I don't even notice the helmet on.

Also, be sure to get the right size, a loose helmet is very distracting and unsafe.

UrbanKnight

Simpson Bandit here... Got it for 260 from Amazon's open stock...

We spend hundreds and thousands on our cars, I'll always spend decent money on safety too.. Although not a fan of paying retail price, so amazon and their open stock wins for me, saved almost $100 on the helmet

Bad Karma

Picked up a GForce Carbon Fiber full face and I'm loving it. It is hans ready as well. It was around $300.

PCMusicGuy

I tried on the GForce Carbon full face and thought it was great for the price. I only passed because of the stupid flame graphics.