Personal protective equipment is an important part of all motorsports, perhaps especially important in karting and go-karting where you sit very unprotected in a hard seat.

Your most important go-kart protection is of course your go-kart helmet but in a strong second place you will find your go-kart rib protector.

When you compete in karting and go-karting, you sit in a very tight chair without padding, sitting as tight as possible is important to get the right feeling and feedback from the kart, but it can easily bruise and damage your upper body from the go-kart chair.

A rib guard will protect you especially in the event of an accident, but it also provides good support and protection during normal driving.

A good rib protector is characterized by a good fit (follows your body shape) and does not interfere with driving.

The most popular rib protector in our experience is the Tillett P1, this protector is used by many high level competitors and is appreciated for its slim/lightweight design.

Other popular manufacturers of rib guards are Sparco, Alpinestars & Bengio.

If you participate in international competitions, you need a rib protector that is approved according to FIA 8870-2018. These protectors have an extra chest plate that protects the chest and not just the ribs.

This protector can be used in all classes/competitions and we recommend it to anyone who prioritizes safety.

The rib protector should sit as close to the body as possible and is therefore used under your karting suit.

Another popular and important protection for go-karts is the neck protector, which is placed around your neck, between the helmet and shoulder area. The neck guard reduces the amount of movement you have in your neck, and therefore reduces the risk of neck injuries in accidents.

Neck protectors for karting can be divided into two groups: hard neck protectors and soft neck protectors.

The soft neck protectors are made of a harder foam that is covered with fabric.

These soft protectors are often a little cheaper and can also be more comfortable. However, they do not have a stabilizing section down the back, as the hard protectors do. This means that some drivers find that the soft protectors fit worse, and move around more while driving.

A hard neck guard will always give you the best safety. Our most popular manufacturers of go-kart neck protectors are Bengio, Tillett and Alpinestars.