helmet recommendations

[veehexx]

back from another trackday yesterday and it's time for a new helmet.
my current one is juts a cheap motorbike one in XL (62cm) i bought when starting out trackdays 5-6 years ago but noticed that its getting tight and uncomfortable around the forehead and excessive hamster cheeks. Yesterday just seemed to be the most uncomfortable its been and was noticable even on track. i was getting mild headaches due to the pressure.
grab the tap measure and i'm 60.5cm so my current one should still fit.
maybe it's a top-down headshape issue; current helmet is for round headed folk, and i'm more oval shapped.

I'm about 1.5-2hours from DT so not really a quick lunchtime visit over there moreso when i've not commited to a budget. Looking at their website theres the sparco and OMP available so i'm wondering what others have found works for different head shapes - the bikers seem to say different brands for different heads so i assume the same is true for car helmets too, but which ones are they?

[brillomaster]

Are you any closer to grand prix racewear at silverstone, or alex reade motorsport at brands hatch? Nothing really beats trying them on, really. Just have to find a motorsports place thats not a million miles away.

[BobM]

veehexx said:

back from another trackday yesterday and it's time for a new helmet.
my current one is juts a cheap motorbike one in XL (62cm) i bought when starting out trackdays 5-6 years ago but noticed that its getting tight and uncomfortable around the forehead and excessive hamster cheeks. Yesterday just seemed to be the most uncomfortable its been and was noticable even on track. i was getting mild headaches due to the pressure.
grab the tap measure and i'm 60.5cm so my current one should still fit.
maybe it's a top-down headshape issue; current helmet is for round headed folk, and i'm more oval shapped.

I'm about 1.5-2hours from DT so not really a quick lunchtime visit over there moreso when i've not commited to a budget. Looking at their website theres the sparco and OMP available so i'm wondering what others have found works for different head shapes - the bikers seem to say different brands for different heads so i assume the same is true for car helmets too, but which ones are they?

You definitely need to try them. I was going to get one of the Sparco open face lids but when I went to Demon Tweeks I was very much between the Sparco sizes and ended up with a Bell which fits fine.

Also a biker and the different brands are different shapes although I've found more recently there are even different shapes within brand.

[RSbandit]

I bought a Bell GT5 carbon helmet a couple of years ago, really good quality helmet v comfortable but obviously not cheap but you can't put a price on your head right?! Used MSAR motorsport in SE London, Malcolm extremely knowledgeable...at the time due to Covid he sent me a couple of different ones to try on....trying on is a must.

[anonymous-user]

RSbandit said:

I bought a Bell GT5 carbon helmet a couple of years ago, really good quality helmet v comfortable but obviously not cheap but you can't put a price on your head right?! Used MSAR motorsport in SE London, Malcolm extremely knowledgeable...at the time due to Covid he sent me a couple of different ones to try on....trying on is a must.

Another vote for Malcolm (MSAR) he sorted me out with a flex HANS system (I needed one that would cope with an extremely reclined seating position and F1 spec devices are REALLY expensive) and will give you good advice to boot.

[Cambs_Stuart]

Another vote for trying them on. I found out I've got a surprisingly large head!
Stating the obvious, if you wear glasses, make sure they can be accommodated. I've got a really comfortable shark helmet that I can't wear with glasses for any length of time, but my cheapo Sparco X1 I can wear all day.

[Racing Sombrero]

I had an Arai bike helmet when I was karting but felt very snug round the cheeks. Ive now got a bell sport 5 recently for sprinting and track days. Very comfortable and tried it on at alex reade at brands hatch when I was down there for an event to get the right size.

[Krikkit]

Unless you want an FHR-compatible helmet it's probably worth just going to your nearest big bike gear shop and try their ranges - JS Accessories and SportsBikeShop have loads of branches nationwide and loads of lids to try.

[andy97]

Different manufacturers have a different view of what a “standard size and shape” head is!
Some manufacturers will have longer front to back dimensions, compared to side to side or vice versa.
I bought a large Bell helmet a few years ago but it was tight on the forehead; eventually I managed to try a few different helmets on and found that a medium Sparco was the best fit and most comfortable.
You have to try them on.