Six Most Affordable FIA Motorsport Helmets With Intercoms
Helmet buying guide
If you rally, or run in any event where the co-driver or team needs to talk to you, an intercom helmet saves a lot of wiring and fiddling. The speakers and microphone are fitted in the helmet at the factory, and a single plug connects it to the intercom amplifier in the car.
They do not have to be expensive. Here are the six lowest-priced FIA approved intercom helmets in our range, three open face and three full face, with what each one offers and what to check before you buy.
- An intercom helmet has speakers and a microphone fitted at the factory
- You still need an intercom amplifier in the car to connect to
- Open face suits closed cars, especially rally; open cockpit cars need full face
- FIA 8859-2024 is the newest helmet standard; many series still accept 8859-2015
- Check the plug type matches your amplifier before you order
What is on this page
What an intercom helmet is
An intercom helmet is a normal FIA helmet with speakers and a microphone built in, wired to a lead that comes out at the back or side. That lead plugs into an intercom amplifier fitted in the car, which links the driver and co-driver and can also connect to a radio.
The helmet on its own does nothing, so budget for the amplifier too if the car does not have one. The plug matters as well. Many helmets now use a Nexus connector, which fits ZeroNoise amplifiers and others with a matching plug, but check yours. Our ZeroNoise intercom guide explains the amplifiers.
Three open face intercom helmets
These are the three lowest-priced open face intercom helmets we sell that carry the newest FIA 8859-2024 approval, cheapest first.
1. OMP J-Rally. A composite shell with HANS posts fitted, an anti-dazzle adjustable peak and a fire-retardant lining. The intercom has ultra-slim speakers and an adjustable microphone boom, with a female Nexus plug on the lead. White only, sizes S (57 to 58 cm) to XL (61 to 62 cm).
2. Bell Mag Rally 2025. The 8859-2024 version of the Mag Rally, with a fibreglass shell, adjustable peak, antiglare sunscreen, HANS anchors and a ZeroNoise intercom with high-power speakers and a noise-cancelling microphone. It comes in titanium silver, and the size range runs from S (57 to 58 cm) all the way to XXXL (65 to 66 cm), which helps drivers with larger heads.
3. Sparco Flux RJ-i. The intercom version of the Flux RJ, with a fibreglass shell reinforced with a carbon fibre liner, two shell sizes and removable, washable linings in black or red. The shell comes in matt black or gloss white, with HANS posts fitted, in sizes XS (53 to 54 cm) to XXL (62 cm).
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If your championship still accepts FIA 8859-2015, there are two open face choices at a similar price to the Bell Mag Rally 2025: the previous Bell Mag Rally, and the Stilo Sport Plus, which is Stilo’s Sport Jet open face helmet with an intercom fitted and also carries Snell SA2020.
Three full face intercom helmets
Full face intercom helmets cost more, but they suit drivers who want chin bar protection, and they are the only option in open cockpit cars. These are the three lowest-priced full face intercom helmets in our range, cheapest first.
1. Stilo ST6 Rally Composite. FIA 8859-2024 and Snell SA2020, and up to 11% lighter than the ST5 Rally it replaces, from 1420 g in the small shell. The intercom has a noise-cancelling microphone and noise-reducing ear cups with removable spacers. It has six chin bar and crown vents and a revised aperture for better downward vision. Titanium finish, sizes XS (54 cm) to XXXL (64 cm).
2. Sparco Air Pro 1977 RF-5W. An RF-5W in a retro Sparco design, with a carbon-kevlar reinforced fibreglass shell, removable EPS padding and linings, provision for a drink system and HANS posts fitted. It is approved to FIA 8859-2015, not the newer standard, and uses a die-cast Nexus connector.
3. Bell GT6 Rally 2025. FIA 8859-2024 and Snell SA2020, with a carbon-glass composite shell, a wide visor aperture, HANS anchors and a ZeroNoise intercom fitted at the factory. The size range is unusually wide for a composite helmet, from 54 cm up to 67 to 68 cm.
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Open face or full face, and which approval
For a rally car, many crews choose open face. It is lighter, cooler, gives a wide view and makes it easier for the co-driver to read notes clearly. A full face helmet gives more protection to the jaw and face, and is required in open cockpit cars.
On approvals, FIA 8859-2024 is the newest standard and some championships now ask for it, while many UK club series still accept 8859-2015. Garreth’s advice is to check your series regulations before buying any helmet, and to buy the 2024 standard if the price difference is small, because it covers you for longer. Our guide to FIA and Snell helmet standards explains the approvals, and the helmet sizing guide shows how to measure.
Do I need an amplifier with an intercom helmet?
Yes. The helmet plugs into an intercom amplifier in the car, which links the crew and can connect to a radio.
What is the cheapest FIA 8859-2024 intercom helmet you sell?
In our range it is the OMP J-Rally, an open face helmet with a Nexus plug.
Can I use an open face intercom helmet in an open cockpit car?
No. Open cockpit cars need a full face helmet.
Will an intercom helmet work with my existing intercom?
It depends on the plug. Many use a Nexus connector, so tell us your amplifier and we will check.
The lowest-priced FIA 8859-2024 intercom helmet in our range, with a Nexus plug and HANS posts fitted.
Tell us which intercom amplifier is in the car and we will confirm the helmet connects before you order.
