I've gotten a LOT of emails with questions about SFI ratings and safety needs for our women's race suits...most of them boil down to the question, "How safe is safe enough?"
That question doesn't have a simple answer and it can have profound implications. It's true, most safety companies out there have something for every budget, and many people don't want to spend the money on safety equipment if the rules don't require it.
Here are some things to think about...
MOST RACERS SHOULD BE IN A SFI 3.2A/5 RATED SUIT
It's true, we offer both SFI-1 and SFI-5 safety protections. While our SFI-1 is a great option for a girl or woman starting out who may be price conscious, SFI-5 is the safety standard for anyone who has been in this sport for more than a season or racing anything other than a stock streetcar.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? -
It all boils down to the safety ratings (aka burn time). If you aren't sure what SFI means, it's the foundation that mandates the safety ratings for all racing safety equipment manufacturers. Basically, each manufacturer has to send SFI Foundation their suits and they light every single element of the suit on fire to see how long the fabric lasts before a second degree burn is reached. They then assign a safety rating.
SFI 3.2A/1 = SFI-1
FABRIC- A SFI 3.2a/1 or SFI-1 as most people call it is the base level. It's a single layer cotton suit with a flame resistant coating on top.
BURN TIME- SFI mandates a 3 second minimum burn time.
UPSIDE- Low price. Good for anyone who might be just starting out or in a stock streetcar that is doing bracket racing or a track day every once in awhile. Our SFI-1 suit is priced at $399.
DOWNSIDE- The fabric coating can wear off over time. As little as 8 washes can compromise it, any exposure to fluids or being stored improperly. The fabric is not very breathable and can feel stiff. Not ideal for anyone in a race car or alternative fuel car.
SFI 3.2A/5 = SFI-5
FABRIC- A two layer (or sometimes 3 depending on the manufacturer) Nomex material. The fibers in the Nomex are inherently flame resistant so there isn't a coating to wear off over time like the SFI-1.
BURN TIME- SFI mandates a 9.5 second minimum burn time
UPSIDE- The fabric is much softer, breathable and comfortable to wear. The amount of protection is over triple that of the SFI-1 suit.
DOWNSIDE- As with many things in life, you get what you pay for. The technology behind the fabric makes it much more costly to manufacture so the price is higher. Ours is priced at $829.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD DO TO BE SAFER?
Yes. There are many other factors to think about that extend beyond the protection of the suit. It boils down to having as many layers of protection as possible between you and a flame. You also want to make sure that there is a balance as you want to be as comfortable as possible in the seat without excess bulk.
One thing you might think about adding are FR flame-resistant under layers. Long before I started this company and knew what I know now about safety, I made the mistake of wearing leggings and nylon bras underneath my suit. Had I gotten into a fiery situation, that would have been detrimental as any synthetic fibers (as they have a much lower burn time than cotton) likely would've melted onto skin when exposed to heat. Now that we know better, we offer a full line of no-melt, no-drip bras, underwear, socks, pants and shirts. You can find those here.
If you want to know more about safety, check out our blog postshereandhere.
