We went through the exact same thought process you are experiencing now, 3 months ago. We stopped using the foam neck brace in March and straight after had 2 shunts in as many weeks. Worrying when you see your son shaken like a rag doll with no protection.
It was either back to the foam neck brace or a Leatt. There are not that many drivers currently wearing them however, we were influenced by one driver, who's father happens to be one of the most respected designers of F1 cars. We thought, if it's good enough for him as an alternative to foam or not wearing one at all, it would be good enough for us.
The dealer we purchased our Leatt from was very helpful. It's not just a case of strapping it on and away you go, there are a number of adjustments to make to ensure it fits correctly. The current karting Leatt could be used from 8 to 16 years old with the number of alternative adjustments available.
So far, we cannot give any definitive feedback as to how effective they are, thankfully we have not been involved in any accidents that would in anyway give the Leatt a meaningful test. He has no issues with comfort and does not notice it's there, we as parents have some comfort that something is better than nothing.
I am not advocating one way or the other, we made our decision based on the limited information available as to the most suitable protection and I think that's the big issue. Given the number of people karting and particularly in cadets, it's hard to believe that we have no idea of what offers the best protection, foam, Leatt or not wearing a neck brace at all.
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