Helmet color

I'm shopping for a helmet to use for autocross and the color choices are white or matte black. I was going to get white since I'm using a convertible and read that the black helmets will be hotter in the summer. Is there any truth to this? What would you reccomend?

Thanks,

I went with a white autocross helmet for that reason. My previous helmet experience was racing downhill mtn bikes and the dark-color = hotter-feel was my experience.

I absolutely went with a boring white helmet instead of tacticool matte black, just because I drive a Miata and I didn't want to cook my brain. My friend just replaced his 240 with an MR-S, and he's regretting the black helmet.

A mirror-finish disco ball style would be awesome, but it seems that market niche is being ignored for now. I went with white instead - cooler, often cheaper to buy.

How long is a auto cross run? 60 seconds? And you have air flowing while driving. Keep the helmet in the trunk or under a towel while you are not wearing it and you will be fine. I had a black (raw carbon fiber) motorcycle helmet that never bugged me. You ever look inside a helmet? There is at least an inch of foam that not only will keep your head safe, but act as insulation from a little heat that is transmitted from the surface. The 98 degree ball of brain sitting in your helmet is going to heat up the inside more then the sun.

And how long are you idling in grid between runs, with no airflow?

Was talking to some helmet manufacturer reps not long ago about this. As I recall, in testing they detected a less than 1degree difference in interior temperatures during solar heating tests. The thick layer of foam negates heat rise.

That said, I still prefer white, hoping for lowest heat.

11110000 wrote: A mirror-finish disco ball style would be awesome, but it seems that market niche is being ignored for now. I went with white instead - cooler, often cheaper to buy.

My old DH riding helmet was black-chrome. It looked awesome until I crashed on it a few times (now retired). The current one is bare carbon fiber as lower weight won out over temperature. Fortunately, unlike Moto or car helmets, DH helmets have a reasonable amount of venting, although fewer than a typical cycling helmet.

I always wanted to get a white helmet, spray black paint onto an old tire, then roll the top of the helmet into it while still wet to make tire tracks on it ....

Duke wrote: And how long are you idling in grid between runs, with no airflow?

If it is over 3 mins, that is long enough to remove the helmet and put it back on later. Anyway, it is just helmet color. Get white.

I have a gloss white helmet mostly because matte finishes typically look sorta rough after a while and are hard to clean properly. Now this:

gets down in my price range and is definitely in the running when I have to replace my SA2005. It's 48 ounces, the Pro Eliminator weighs in around 58 ounces and like the white it has a gloss easy to clean shell.

Own a Miata. Owned a matte black HJC. It was hotter than balls during summer months and I had to be VERY careful to put it in shade so it would be tolerable for my next run. Now own a gloss white Bell M4 and it's a treat.

11110000 wrote: A mirror-finish disco ball style would be awesome, but it seems that market niche is being ignored for now. I went with white instead - cooler, often cheaper to buy.

Don't despair. There are some really good mirror-like paints on the market and helmets are easy to paint. I suppose the Safety steward would frown on you gluing tiny pieces of mirror all over your helmet, though.

My helmet's black, I notice that the sun can heat the surface up a bit but you don't feel it inside.

I bought a gloss black helmet and painted it camouflage tan and OD green. It's for rallycross, so I don't care if it gets scratched up.

My track helmet (full face) came gloss black but I painted it matte black. But I drive cars with roofs, so color doesn't much matter. I just don't like white helmets.

GameboyRMH wrote: My helmet's black, I notice that the sun can heat the surface up a bit but you don't feel it inside.

Samr for me, that and I don't have a roofless car so with the liner and the balaclava the shell temperature isn't going to noticeably transfer.

I've had white helmets since the late 80's when I started racing. Then in the late 2000's I bought a Snell 2005 SA that was black, why? How the hell do I know? I hate it! As soon as the 2015's come out I will be going back to white. Plus my racing suit is two tone, white & red, what was I thinking?

I prefer one of those color-flopping paint schemes. My now-retired M2000 helmet was painted in a green/purple flop.

At any event, I'd see a sea of white and black helmets and one WTF helmet. No chance of accidentally grabbing the wrong helmet, on my end or anyone else's.