The Five Most Affordable Karting Helmets
Karting helmets from £86.73
The cheapest karting helmet on this page is £86.73. Three of the five picks here price under £150, all approved to ECE 22-06 or ECE. ECE 22-06 is the European road motorcycle standard. It is accepted at most kart circuits for track days and open practice, but it is not a kart-specific Snell or FIA homologation. The first helmet on this page approved to a kart racing standard is at £258.
This guide covers five karting helmets from £86.73 to £363.60. The picks are sorted cheapest first and include every approval and size range, because the approval column is the one thing worth checking before price. If your event specifies Snell CMR 2016 or Snell K2020, the ECE helmets will not get through scrutineering.
- The cheapest karting helmet on this page is the OMP Circuit Evo 2 at £86.73. Three colour options at the same price. Approved to ECE 22-06.
- Three of the five helmets on this page hold ECE 22-06 or ECE, accepted at track days and leisure karting venues but not at licensed racing events that specify Snell K or CMR.
- The first kart-racing competition standard on this page is the Sparco Stealth CMR at £258, approved to Snell-FIA CMR 2016 for junior drivers aged 15 and under.
- The first adult karting competition standard on this page is the OMP GP-R K at £363.60, approved to Snell K2020.
- The Sparco X-Pro at £90.87 is the base model. Gulf and Martini Racing livery variants at £115.65 and £126.17 are the same ECE 22-06 shell with a different paint scheme.
Five helmets from £86.73 to £363.60
| Helmet | Price | Standard | Shell | Sizes | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMP Circuit Evo 2 | £86.73 | ECE 22-06 | ABS | XS to XXL (53 to 61 cm) | Track days and leisure karting |
| Sparco X-Pro | £90.87 | ECE 22-06 | Composite | S to XXL (55 to 62 cm) | Track days and leisure karting |
| Sparco Club X1 Carbon | £145 | ECE | ATM composite | XS to XXL (54 to 65 cm) | Track days and leisure karting |
| Sparco Stealth CMR | £258 | Snell-FIA CMR 2016 | GRP + carbon fibre | XS to L (53 to 59 cm) | Youth competition, drivers aged 15 and under |
| OMP GP-R K | £363.60 | Snell K2020 | Composite | XXS to XL (52 to 63 cm) | Adult karting competition |
Prices inc VAT, verified on the site 27 September 2026. All five instock and available to order.
OMP Circuit Evo 2, £86.73. The cheapest helmet on this page, sold in three colours at the same price: Matt Black, Fluro Yellow and White. The shell is ABS plastic, which is standard at this price point. ECE 22-06 approval. OMP describe it as a cost-effective helmet for events where a motorsport-specific approval is not required, such as track days and indoor karting. Sizes run from XS at 53 to 54 cm through to XXL at 61 cm. If you measure above 61 cm, the Circuit Evo 2 does not fit and the Sparco X-Pro at £90.87 covers up to 62 cm. Garreth would point a first-time kart day buyer with no competition plans at the OMP Circuit Evo 2 first. It does what is needed at the price and there is no point spending more until you know how much you are going to use it.
Sparco X-Pro, £90.87. Four pounds more than the OMP. The size run starts at S (55 to 56 cm), not XS, going up to XXL at 62 cm. If you have a smaller head measuring below 55 cm, the X-Pro will not fit and the OMP Circuit Evo 2 is the better choice. ECE 22-06 approval. A composite shell at this price is slightly lighter than ABS. Sparco also sell a Gulf livery version at £115.65 and a Martini Racing version at £126.17. Both are the same helmet with a different paint scheme. If the livery matters to you, the price difference buys exactly that.
Sparco Club X1 Carbon, £145. The shell is Sparco’s ATM composite with a carbon-effect finish. Worth being clear: the carbon is a visual finish on the composite material, not woven carbon fibre. The helmet weighs more than the name suggests. It holds ECE, the older European road standard. ECE 22-06 is the updated version; in practice both are accepted at the same leisure and track day venues. Sizes run XS (54 to 55 cm) to XXL (64 to 65 cm), the furthest any helmet on this page goes at the top end. If you measure over 63 cm, the Club X1 Carbon is the only helmet here that fits you.
Sparco Stealth CMR, £258. The first helmet on this page approved to a kart-specific Snell or FIA standard. Snell-FIA CMR 2016 is a joint Snell and FIA standard written for junior kart racing. It is intended for drivers aged 15 and under and is the standard most junior national karting championships and MSUK-licensed events specify for that age group. The shell is carbon fibre reinforced GRP, which is noticeably lighter than the ECE options below it. Sizes run XS (53 to 54 cm) to L (59 cm) only. There is no XL or XXL, which reflects the youth fit. If the junior driver you are buying for measures above 59 cm, this helmet will not fit. The gap from the Sparco Club X1 Carbon at £145 to this helmet is £113. That is the price difference between a leisure-venue helmet and a competition-legal one for junior racing.
OMP GP-R K, £363.60. Snell K2020. This is the adult kart racing standard. K2020 is a Snell standard written specifically for karting, distinct from the SA standard for circuit car racing. If you are competing in adult karting under MSA or club championship rules that specify a Snell K standard, this is the cheapest option on this page that qualifies. The shell is composite. Sizes run XXS (52 to 53 cm) through to XL (62 to 63 cm). Garreth’s view on the GP-R K is that if you are going to race in competition regularly, it is worth buying to the correct standard now rather than buying the ECE version and replacing it a season later. The ECE helmet and the Snell K2020 helmet are not doing the same job at a licensed event.
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Full Face Track Day Helmets, Full Face Karting Helmets, OMP Helmets
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Full Face Karting Helmets, Full Face Track Day Helmets, Sparco Helmets
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Full Face Track Day Helmets, Full Face Karting Helmets, Sparco Helmets
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£258.00 (No Tax)PayPal Credit0% pay-in-3Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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Full Face Track Day Helmets, Full Face Karting Helmets, OMP Helmets
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Which standard does your event require?
The right question to ask before buying is not what is the cheapest helmet, but what is the cheapest helmet that will be accepted at the events you plan to attend. At a track day or open-practice karting session at a private venue, ECE 22-06 is almost always fine. At a karting event run under a Motorsport UK or CIK-FIA licence, the scrutineers will be checking for a specific Snell or FIA approval.
The standards split this way:
ECE 22-06 / ECE: Road motorcycle standard. Widely accepted at track days and leisure venues. Not a kart-specific standard and not accepted at licensed racing events that specify Snell K or CMR.
Snell-FIA CMR 2016: Youth kart racing standard for drivers aged 15 and under. Required for junior karting championships under MSA and CIK-FIA rules for that age group.
Snell K2020: Adult kart racing standard. Required at licensed adult karting events that specify Snell K. Not the same as the SA standard used for circuit car racing.
If you have your event supplementary regulations, check the helmet section. If you do not have the regs yet, ring us on 0115 9893488 and tell us which circuit or event series you are heading to. Cameron keeps a record of what the major UK kart circuits and championship series typically specify, and will tell you what you need before you commit.
Sizing and fit
Helmet sizing is measured in centimetres around the widest part of the head, just above the eyebrows. Measure twice and use the centimetre figure, not a generic S or M from another brand. The size names and the centimetre ranges vary between manufacturers, so an L from OMP is not the same fit as an L from Sparco.
On the five helmets here, the OMP Circuit Evo 2 runs from XS at 53 cm up to XXL at 61 cm. The OMP GP-R K extends down to XXS at 52 cm at the small end, and the Sparco Club X1 Carbon reaches up to XXL at 65 cm at the large end. The Sparco Stealth CMR stops at L (59 cm), which is consistent with its youth fit. If you are buying for a junior driver at the upper end of the size range, or for an adult driver on a smaller or larger head, check the specific centimetre range before ordering. Do not assume a size name maps across brands.
Cameron’s approach on helmet orders is to check the head measurement against the manufacturer’s size chart for that specific model, not just the size name, because internal padding can vary between models even within the same brand. If you are between sizes, or buying a helmet as a gift and do not have a tape measure to hand, call us on 0115 9893488 and Cameron will go through the sizing with you. We carry helmet stock in the Nottingham showroom and you can come in and try before you buy.
What is the cheapest karting helmet on this page?
The OMP Circuit Evo 2 at £86.73, available in Matt Black, Fluro Yellow and White. It holds ECE 22-06 approval and fits XS (53 cm) to XXL (61 cm). It is accepted for track days and leisure karting events. For licensed karting competition, you need a Snell K or CMR approved helmet.
What is the difference between ECE 22-06 and Snell CMR 2016?
ECE 22-06 is the European road motorcycle standard. It is accepted at most track day and leisure karting venues. Snell-FIA CMR 2016 is a kart racing standard written for junior drivers aged 15 and under. It is the approval required for competitive junior karting under MSA and CIK-FIA regulations. The cheapest Snell-FIA CMR 2016 helmet on this page is the Sparco Stealth CMR at £258.
Can I use the Sparco Stealth CMR for adult karting competition?
No. Snell-FIA CMR 2016 is a youth standard for drivers aged 15 and under. For adult karting competition, you need a Snell K standard. The cheapest Snell K2020 helmet on this page is the OMP GP-R K at £363.60.
What is the widest size run across these five helmets?
The Sparco Club X1 Carbon covers the largest heads, running up to XXL at 64 to 65 cm. The OMP GP-R K reaches XL at 62 to 63 cm and the Sparco X-Pro reaches XXL at 62 cm. At the small end, the OMP GP-R K goes down to XXS at 52 to 53 cm. Ring us on 0115 9893488 if you are outside the typical range and Cameron will confirm the best fit.
