PAS 015 and VG1 are the two European safety standards most riders meet on helmet labels. PAS 015 is a British standard for equestrian helmets, certified products usually carrying the BSI Kitemark; VG1 01.040 is a European interim standard created when the older EN 1384 standard ran into problems. In general terms, both are rigorous, genuinely protective standards, and both appear on the accepted-standards lists of major competition bodies — which list applies to you depends on your governing body, so check its current rules.
Because the labels are alphabet soup to most buyers, this guide explains what each standard is, why there are two of them, and how to check your own helmet against competition requirements.
What Is PAS 015?
PAS 015 is a standard for equestrian protective helmets published by BSI, the British Standards Institution. It sets out performance requirements and test methods for riding helmets — in general terms covering impact absorption, resistance to penetration, the strength and effectiveness of the harness and retention system, and related protective qualities.
Helmets certified to PAS 015 commonly carry the BSI Kitemark. The Kitemark matters because it signifies more than a one-off test: it is a certification mark indicating that the product was tested to the standard and that the manufacturer’s production is subject to ongoing checks. PAS 015 has long had a reputation as one of the more demanding benchmarks, and British bodies have historically built their rules around it.
PAS 015 has been revised over the years, so labels show an edition year. Governing bodies sometimes specify which editions they accept. As with all of this, the label inside your helmet and your federation’s current list are the two documents that settle any question.
What Is VG1, and Why Was It Created?
VG1 01.040 2014-12, to give it its full designation, is an interim European specification for equestrian helmets. Its backstory explains its existence: the earlier European standard, EN 1384, was withdrawn from the EU’s official list of harmonised standards some years ago, which left manufacturers and competition bodies needing a usable benchmark while slower standards processes caught up. VG1 was produced to fill that gap, drawing on the established European test approach.
Being “interim” describes its administrative status, not its protective quality. VG1 sets real performance requirements and real testing, and helmets certified to it are proper safety helmets. Major bodies, including the FEI and British organisations, have accepted VG1 helmets for competition since its introduction.
The practical consequence of this history is that European-sold helmets from the last decade may carry VG1, PAS 015, both, or a newer EN 1384 edition, depending on when and where they were made. All of those can be legitimate — what matters is matching the label to your governing body’s accepted list.
How Do PAS 015 and VG1 Compare in What They Test?
Both standards test the same fundamental jobs of a riding helmet. Each requires the helmet to absorb impact energy in laboratory drops, to resist penetration by a pointed striker, to stay on the head through a retention test, and to keep its harness and fittings effective. A fall from a horse delivers energy in ways these tests are designed to reproduce in controlled form.
Where they differ is in detail — the exact test configurations, thresholds, and additional checks each document specifies — and in the certification system standing behind the label. Those details are real, and standards specialists argue about them, but they do not translate into a simple consumer verdict like “one is twice as safe.” Both clear a high bar; neither is a fashion standard.
It is also worth knowing what sits beyond both: helmets, under either standard, can add protective features the standards do not require, such as rotational-impact systems like MIPS aimed at the twisting forces in a fall. Standards define the floor. Manufacturers may build above it, and riders may choose those models — but the certified floor comes first.
Which Competitions Accept PAS 015 and VG1?
In general terms, both are widely accepted. The FEI’s helmet rules reference an accepted-standards list that has included PAS 015 and VG1 (with conditions about accompanying certification marks) alongside ASTM/SEI and other national standards. British bodies — British Eventing, British Showjumping, British Dressage, the Pony Club and others — publish their own lists, which have long included both standards, sometimes specifying that VG1 helmets must also carry a quality mark such as the Kitemark.
The detail that catches riders out is that these lists are living documents. Standards get revised, acceptance conditions change, and a helmet that was legal last season can fall off a list — the long phase-out of helmets certified only to older standards is the standing example. “It was fine last year” is not a compliance strategy.
So the rule for competition riders is procedural rather than technical: before each season, check the current accepted-standards list of every body you compete under, and compare it against the labels in the helmet you actually own. Organisers and officials can check labels at events, and the time to discover a problem is at home, not at the secretary’s tent.
How Do You Check Your Own Helmet Against the Rules?
Find the label. Inside every certified riding helmet — under the lining or at the back of the shell — is a label naming the standard or standards it meets, the certifying mark, the maker, and the date of manufacture. Photograph it when the helmet is new, so the information survives sweat and fading.
Then do the comparison: read your governing body’s current helmet rules, note exactly which standards and marks it accepts, and match them against your label, character for character. If your helmet carries multiple standards, it only needs one of them to be on the list. If it carries none of them, it is a schooling helmet at best — and if it carries no standard at all, it should not be on your head anywhere.
Finally, fold the standards check into the checks that matter more day to day: the helmet fits, the harness is sound, it has never taken a fall, and it is within its service life. A helmet that passes the rulebook but fails your head was never really compliant with the point of the rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which is better, PAS 015 or VG1?
A: Neither is simply “better” for a buyer to choose between. Both are rigorous, genuinely tested standards covering impact, penetration, and retention; they differ in test detail and in the certification systems behind them. What decides which you need is your governing body’s accepted-standards list — a helmet carrying either, with the required certification mark, is a proper safety helmet.
Q: Is VG1 still accepted for competition?
A: In general terms, yes — VG1 has been widely accepted by the FEI and British bodies since it was introduced, sometimes with the condition that the helmet also carries a certification mark such as the BSI Kitemark. But acceptance lists are updated over time, so verify against your own governing body’s current rules before the season rather than assuming.
Q: My helmet only says EN 1384. Can I still compete in it?
A: It depends on the edition and on your governing body’s current list. The original EN 1384 ran into regulatory problems in Europe, standards were revised, and bodies have progressively tightened which editions they accept. Check the exact edition printed on your label against the current rules of the body you compete under — this is the single most common source of helmet-rule surprises.
Olivia
Writer at Helmet Today, covering helmet reviews, fit and riding safety.
