When shopping for a racing helmet, you’ll quickly discover that there’s more to choosing the right lid than finding one that fits comfortably and looks suitably badass. Flip a few helmets over, and you’ll encounter certification labels from organizations such as Snell and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Both represent standards for motorsports safety, but they aren’t simply two different ways of saying the same thing. So which one do you actually need?

The answer depends largely on how you plan to use the helmet. A driver competing in a sanctioned racing series may be required to meet a specific certification, while someone doing track days or autocross may have considerably more flexibility. There are also differences in how Snell and FIA develop and apply their standards, along with variations in which types of helmets and motorsports each certification is intended to cover.

Before you invest in a helmet, it’s worth understanding what those stickers actually mean. Here we’ll give you the low-down on Snell and FIA certifications and how to determine which standard is right for you. We’ll also dig into the latest helmet offerings from Simpson Racing and Stilo to see how a helmet’s intended use-case can influence its design, and take a closer look at which racing series typically require or accept each standard.

The Snell Standard

As we noted in our deep dive on the Snell SA2025 safety standard, the Snell Foundation is a non-profit organization named after William “Pete” Snell, an amateur sports car racer who was killed in a crash during a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racing event in 1956 when his helmet failed to protect his head.

Specifically relevant to the U.S. market and U.S.-based motorsports sanctioning bodies, for decades the Snell Foundation has established common safety standards for racing helmets through collaboration with helmet manufacturers, sanctioning bodies, and competitors. Since 1970, these standards have been updated every five years – SA2025 is the most up-to-date safety standard, while SA2020 was previously the most current standard before it.

Snell considers any helmet with a certification standard that’s ten years old or older to be expired, not only due to the natural degradation of the materials used in a helmet’s construction, but also because outdated helmets simply do not benefit from the latest advances in safety tech. That means that any Snell-rated helmet with a certification of SA2015 or older is now ineligible for use in any racing series that uses Snell standards.

“Safety is always evolving – new technologies come out and are applied to helmet design, and new forms of testing are introduced. These standards ensure that the helmets that racers are using in competition are as up to date as possible,” Mara Henderson of Simpson Racing explains. “These standards require drivers to upgrade their helmets on a regular basis to ensure they’re getting the highest level of safety out on track. There are folks out there who would probably wear the same helmet indefinitely if given the choice, so these standards prevent situations where racers could put themselves in danger with an outdated helmet.”

Snell’s certification standards not only incrementally raise the bar for common safety attributes, such as the allowable amount of energy that can be transferred to the driver’s head in an impact, they also introduce new areas of safety emphasis over time. Recent examples include Snell’s focus on multi-impact protection (i.e. how effectively a helmet continues to protect the driver in subsequent impacts after an initial impact) as well as intrusion resistance. The latter is evidenced by this incident that occurred during a Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model oval-track race earlier this year and outline in the Facebook post at left.

“This helmet was outfitted with our new visor design that was part of our Snell SA2025 update, and it likely saved this driver’s life,” Henderson tells us. “Things like this really drive home the fact that these updates can make a profound difference in how on-track incidents play out.”

The FIA Approach to Helmet Safety

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is an internationally-recognized organization which also focuses on establishing safety standards. Helmets are within the FIA’s purview, but unlike Snell, the FIA also establishes safety standards for seats, harnesses, head and neck restraints, and other racing equipment.

Although there are series that hold races within the U.S. which use FIA safety standards (like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Formula 1, for example), FIA helmet ratings are generally applicable to racing series and sanctioning bodies that primarily operate outside of the United States – think World Endurance Championship (WEC), World Rally Championship (WRC), and the like. While the FIA’s helmet safety standards do not adhere to same rigid update and expiration schedules as Snell, many of the FIA’s latest certifications closely mirror the latest Snell standards and may exceed them in some aspects of performance.

“FIA certifications are used in racing environments where the highest safety requirements are needed,” says Isai Moreno of Stilo Helmets. “The majority of series and sanctioning bodies that use the FIA helmet standards are in Europe, but they’re now also starting to creep into the U.S. market.”

FIA 8860-2018 is the organization’s latest safety standard for helmets, while 8860-2018 ABP also includes advanced ballistic protection as part of that standard. Mainly aimed at competitors racing in open cockpit vehicles, the ABP standard was introduced by the FIA following an incident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, where a steel suspension spring detached from Rubens Barrichello's car and struck Felipe Massa in the forehead area of his helmet at high speed, fracturing his skull.

Although 8860-2018 ABP is considered the most advanced and comprehensive helmet safety standard for the FIA, it’s important to note that FIA 8859-2024 is actually a more recently-introduced standard. While 8860-2018 is geared more toward Formula cars, 8859-2024 is the current benchmark standard designed for the vast majority of national-level motorsport, club racing, and rally events. It replaces the older FIA 8859-2015 standard and introduces better energy absorption, higher impact resistance, higher g-force limits, and other improvements that go above and beyond the 8859-2015 requirements.

Choosing the Right Racing Helmet

Stilo ST6

Moreno notes that while the Stilo ST6GT 8860 and ST6GT Zero 8860 are designed to meet the FIA 8860-2018 standard (and the ST6 “FN” variants of these helmets can be upgraded to meet the FIA 8860-2018 ABP certification), helmets like the ST6 Composite and ST6 Carbon carry both FIA 8859-2024 and Snell SA2025 certifications, making them a smart choice for racers who plan to compete in multiple series where different helmet safety standards may be required.

“While there are certainly grassroots racers out there using the ST6, this helmet is generally geared at pro-level racing. You have provisions for hydration systems and communications built into the non-FN versions of this helmet, along with a lot of customizability when it comes to fitment with the replacement cheek pads and top pads. We see these helmets being used in everything from karting and rally to GT3-class IMSA racing, NASCAR, and IndyCar.”

Alongside the inherent flexibility of the ST6’s design, Stilo’s latest closed-face helmet can also be outfitted with an array of different head-and-neck restraint anchors, visors, aerodynamic kits, and forced air systems.

Turning our attention more specifically to American racing series and sanctioning bodies that use Snell standards (like SCCA, NASA, NHRA, and the USAC to name a few), Henderson points out that Simpson Racing offers a range of helmets which meet the latest safety certifications at a number of different price points.

“It’s important to keep in mind that while our helmet lines offer racers options at various cost levels and may be geared toward different types of racing, all of our latest helmets carry the same Snell SA2025 safety certification. Safety is always our top priority with our helmet designs.”

She cites the Bandit as a popular choice for grassroots and intermediate-level racers, due not only to its sharp design and affordability, but also its versatility.

Simpson Bandit

“The Bandit is really a jack-of-all-trades type of helmet because it works well in a variety of different racing disciplines. No matter what the rulebook says, it’s ready to go so long as your sanctioning body uses Snell standards. It’s great for drag racing, a lot of competitors in Formula Drift use the Bandit, and of course plenty of road racers and autocrossers have chosen the Bandit as well.”

The Bandit has also been updated this year with a new visor design. The inlay lays flush within the seating, which reduces wind noise and improves the helmet’s aerodynamic profile. And like the Stilo ST6, the Bandit also features removable cheek pads and top pads to help racers get a more customized fit, which can be particularly useful if you’re in between two different sizes.

For asphalt racers seeking a more aggressive look and lightweight design, Henderson recommends checking out Simpson’s new Kingsnake helmet line.

Simpson Kingsnake

“The Kingsnake is essentially the successor to the Diamond Back, and it’s geared toward racers at intermediate and pro levels of competition. It has that aggressive, angular look that made its predecessor a motorsport icon, and it has more of an oval shape than the traditional round shape of a helmet like the Bandit. It also features that recessed visor design, but the Kingsnake’s feature set includes both top and rear ventilation as well as provisions for top and left offset forced air systems.”

The Kingsnake’s cheek pads and top pads can also be swapped out for pads of different sizes to get a more tailored fit, while its removable gel earcups are compatible with all Simpson communication kits. The Kingsnake is currently offered with a composite shell in black, matte black, white, and pearl white colors in six different sizes ranging from extra-small to double extra-large. Additional variants of the Kingsnake are expected in the coming months as well.

Meanwhile, if you’re plan to race in an open cockpit vehicle or out in the dirt, Henderson suggests taking a closer look at the Vudo helmet line.

Simpson Vudo

“The Vudo has a distinctive design with a lower chin spoiler that’s really dialed in for open cockpit racing. It also has that recessed visor design you’ll find on the latest Bandit and Kingsnake helmets, but the eye port is shorter and wider, which really lends itself to circle track and off-road disciplines. It also features top and rear ventilation channels instead of ventilation at the front of the helmet, which is great for circle track and off-road racing because it prevents dirt and other debris from entering the helmet.”

“A lot of Simpson equipment is made right here in Texas – I don’t think many people know that,” Henderson adds. “So there’s a lot of pride that goes into our work. The best part of my job is knowing that I’m helping ensure that the people I love will be here to race again tomorrow.”

Also geared toward intermediate and pro-level competition, the Vudo offers plenty of customizability thanks to its removable cheek pads, top pads, and gel earcups, as well as the availability of top and left offset forced air systems. Like the Kingsnake, the Vudo is offered black, matte black, white, and Pearl White colors and in six sizes ranging from extra-small to double extra-large. But the Vudo also further distinguishes itself from both the Bandit and Kingsnake thanks to its availability with an exposed carbon fiber shell, which reduces the helmet’s weight and gives it an even sharper look. Both the Vudo and Kingsnake are also hand-built to order in New Braunfels, Texas.