Is it time to replace your race suit? Let’s get you track-ready. Kart Helmet Standards Explained: CMR, CMS, K And What Your Class Accepts
Kart helmets are the one product where we most often have to give a parent bad news, and it is nearly always the same two conversations. Either the helmet is a leisure lid that was never on the racing list at all, or it is a genuinely good kart helmet that this particular driver is too young to wear.
Both are avoidable in about two minutes, because Motorsport UK publish exactly which standards they accept and they split the list by age. Everything below comes from their National Competition Rules, Chapter 9, and is mapped onto the helmets we actually stock.
Two lists, not one
This is the whole thing. Motorsport UK accept one set of standards for national kart racing generally, and a shorter set for the youngest drivers. Straight from Chapter 9.
| Standard | National kart racing | Under 15, Cadet and Bambino |
|---|---|---|
| SNELL-FIA CMR2016 | Accepted | Accepted |
| SNELL-FIA CMS2016 | Accepted | Accepted |
| SNELL-FIA CMR2007 | Accepted | Accepted |
| SNELL-FIA CMS2007 | Accepted | Accepted |
| SNELL K2025 | Accepted | Not on the list |
| SNELL K2020 | Accepted | Not on the list |
| SNELL K2015 | Accepted | Not on the list |
| FIA 8878-2024 | Accepted | Not on the list |
So the CMR and CMS standards are the ones that appear in both columns. If you buy a helmet to CMR2016 or CMS2016, it is accepted whatever the driver’s age, which is why it is the safe answer for a family who do not want to buy twice. The K series and FIA 8878-2024 are accepted for kart racing generally but do not appear on the younger drivers’ list at all.
For international events, Motorsport UK point you at the FIA’s own regulations. And the car racing list is a different list again, covered in our helmet standards guide; do not assume a helmet that is fine in a race car is fine in a kart.
The under 15 rule, in plain terms
If the driver is under 15 years of age, or is running in Cadet or Bambino, the accepted standards are CMR2007, CMS2007, CMR2016 and CMS2016. That is the complete list.
The consequence catches people out because it runs against instinct. A Bell RS7-K at £615.60 is a serious kart helmet approved to Snell K2020, and it is accepted for national kart racing. It is not on the under 15 list. Meanwhile the Sparco Stealth CMR at £309.60 is approved to Snell-FIA CMR2016 and is accepted for both.
So the more expensive helmet is the wrong purchase for a twelve year old and the cheaper one is right. That is not a quirk of pricing, it is two different standards for two different jobs, and it is the single most useful thing on this page.
The 1550g weight limit
For those same drivers, under 15, Cadet and Bambino, there is a weight limit as well as a standards list. The rules state the weight of the helmet may be checked at any time during an event and must not weigh more than 1550g, or whatever other figure is specified from time to time.
Two things follow. It is checkable at the event, not just at first scrutineering, so it is not something to be optimistic about. And it is the reason the junior CMR helmets are built the way they are: a young neck is carrying that weight through every corner and every kerb, so the standard and the limit exist together.
In practice, buy a helmet that is on the under 15 list and the weight question is very unlikely to be your problem. It becomes a live issue when somebody tries to put a child in an adult helmet because it was in the garage.
Why the cheap ones are cheap
We sell kart helmets from £106.80, and we would rather explain that number than have somebody find out at sign-on.
The Sparco X-Pro at £106.80 and the OMP Circuit Evo 2 at £108.00 are approved to ECE 22-06. That is a road and leisure helmet standard, and it does not appear on either Motorsport UK karting list. These are practice, arrive-and-drive and indoor karting helmets, and for that they are good value and completely appropriate.
What they are not is a cheap way into competition. If your class needs a CMR helmet, the entry point is the Sparco Stealth CMR at £309.60, and there is no product between those two prices that will get you on the grid. Knowing that up front is the difference between one purchase and two.
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Full Face Karting Helmets, Full Face Track Day Helmets, Sparco Helmets
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The sticker nobody mentions
Buying the right helmet is not quite the last step. Motorsport UK require an approval sticker to be affixed to the outside of the helmet, roughly where the driver’s right ear is.
The detail that matters for planning: those stickers may only be applied by selected scrutineers, by ASN Technical Officials at Motorsport UK, or by selected manufacturers, and only after the helmet has been checked for conformity and condition. They are printed on foil, individually numbered, carry a fee, and once affixed cannot be reapplied.
So the sticker is not something you can sort out in the paddock on a whim, and a helmet that has had one peeled off is a problem. Factor it in when you buy, and if you are unsure how your club handles it, ask them before the first event and not on the morning.
What we would put them in
Prices include VAT and were correct on 13 August 2026.
| Helmet | Approval | Under 15, Cadet, Bambino | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparco X-Pro | ECE 22-06 | No, not a racing list standard | £106.80 |
| OMP Circuit Evo 2 | ECE 22-06 | No, not a racing list standard | £108.00 |
| Sparco Stealth CMR | Snell-FIA CMR2016 | Yes | £309.60 |
| Sparco GP KF-4W CMR | Snell-FIA CMR2016 | Yes | £360.00 |
| OMP GP-R K | Snell K2020 | No, national kart racing only | £363.60 |
| Bell KC7-EV CMR | Snell-FIA CMR2016 | Yes | £477.60 |
| Bell KC7-EV CMS | Snell-FIA CMS2016 | Yes | £477.60 |
| Arai SK-6 | Snell K2015 | No, national kart racing only | £494.40 |
| Stilo ST5 CMR | Snell-FIA CMR2016 | Yes | £510.00 |
| Bell RS7-K | Snell K2020 | No, national kart racing only | £615.60 |
Read the third column before the fourth. If you are buying for a driver under 15, everything marked no is off the table however good it is, and the money question only starts once you are inside the right column. We compared three CMR helmets and what the extra buys in this piece if that is the decision you are on.
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Common questions
My child is 12. Which standards can they use?
CMR2007, CMS2007, CMR2016 or CMS2016, and nothing else on the Motorsport UK list. A Snell K series helmet or an FIA 8878-2024 helmet is accepted for national kart racing generally but is not on the list for drivers under 15, Cadet or Bambino. There is also a 1550g weight limit for those drivers, checkable at any time during an event.
What is the difference between CMR and CMS?
Both are Snell-FIA youth karting standards and both appear on the Motorsport UK list for drivers under 15, Cadet and Bambino, and on the general kart racing list. We stock helmets to each, for example the Bell KC7-EV in a CMR version and a CMS version at the same £477.60. Your club may express a preference, so check the class regulations, but either is accepted nationally.
Can my child wear my car racing helmet?
No. Karting runs its own list of accepted standards, and the car list is separate. An FIA 8859 or Snell SA helmet from a race car is not on the karting list, and for a driver under 15 the only options are the CMR and CMS standards, with the weight limit on top.
Is the £106.80 helmet any good?
For what it is, yes. The Sparco X-Pro and the OMP Circuit Evo 2 are ECE 22-06 helmets, which is a road and leisure standard, and they are well made for practice, arrive-and-drive and indoor karting. They are not on either Motorsport UK karting list, so they will not get you through scrutineering at a race meeting. If competition is the plan, start at the CMR helmets instead.
What is the sticker on the side of the helmet?
A Motorsport UK approval sticker, applied near the driver's right ear once the helmet has been checked. It can only be applied by selected scrutineers, ASN Technical Officials at Motorsport UK or selected manufacturers, it is individually numbered and printed on foil, and it cannot be reapplied once it has been affixed. So do not peel one off, and sort it before your first event.
How do I size a kart helmet?
The same way as any helmet: measure the head and buy against the chart on that specific listing, because the ranges differ by brand. Some kart helmets are sold in single centimetre sizes, for example the Bell KC7 range runs 51cm to 59cm. Our helmet sizing guide walks through the measurement and the fit checks, and they apply to a young driver exactly as they do to an adult.
What we would buy
Driver under 15, or in Cadet or Bambino: a CMR or CMS helmet, and the Sparco Stealth CMR at £309.60 is the sensible entry. It is accepted on both lists, so it stays legal when they turn 15, and you are not buying again in two seasons.
Senior driver in national kart racing: the whole list is open to you, so this becomes a fit and comfort decision. The OMP GP-R K at £363.60 is good value and the Bell RS7-K at £615.60 is the one plenty of the paddock runs.
Practice, arrive-and-drive or indoor only, with no scrutineering in the picture: the Sparco X-Pro at £106.80 does the job honestly and there is no reason to spend more.
Final thoughts: age first, then money
Get the age column right and the rest is a normal shopping decision. Get it wrong and the price is irrelevant, because the helmet does not go out.
The range is under karting helmets, and the glove guide covers the separate karting clothing standard if you are buying a full kit. Ring 0115 9893488 with the driver’s age, the class and their head measurement and we will get it right first time.
