OMP Review: Karting Gloves, Shoes & Racing Seats for Sim Racing (2026)

OMP by the Numbers

• 1973: the year brothers Claudio, Piergiorgio and Roberto Percivale founded OMP -- short for Officine Meccaniche Percivale -- in Genoa, Italy, starting with rollbars before expanding into driver suits, gloves, boots and helmets in the 1980s.
• 2019: the year OMP's parent company, Racing Force Group, acquired a majority stake in Bell Racing Helmets Group, putting OMP and Bell under the same holding company.
• $15: the price gap between the two current KS-4 glove variants (roughly $44-49 for the suede-palm version vs. $59 for the "ART" version) -- despite retailers disagreeing on which one is actually CIK-FIA Level 2 homologated.
• $475-$1,329: the price range this site's own seat guide compresses into a single line ("OMP-style fixed bucket"), spanning the entry TRS-E up to the premium HTE-R containment seat.

The Current Lineup Compared

Every Piece of OMP Gear Here Is Real Motorsport Equipment, Not a Sim Peripheral

Unlike Fanatec, Simagic, Moza or Ascher Racing, OMP doesn't design or market a single product specifically for sim racing. The KS-4 glove, the Sport/KS-1R/ONE-S shoes, the TRS-E and HTE-R seats -- all of it is genuine real-car or karting equipment, built to FIA or CIK homologation standards for actual track use, that sim racers buy because the grip, thin-sole pedal feel and seat geometry happen to transfer directly to a rig. That's exactly why this site's own guides keep reaching for OMP as the authentic, FIA-grade alternative to a dedicated sim brand -- but it also means there's no OMP spec sheet written with a sim cockpit in mind, no sim-specific sizing chart, and no OMP customer support line that will answer a question about mounting a seat to an aluminum-profile rig instead of a real chassis.

The KS-4 Naming Trap: Two Gloves, Same Name, Conflicting Certification

The KS-4 name covers two genuinely different gloves, and the difference isn't a features tier the way it might be with another brand's lettered variants. Discovery Parts lists the original suede-palm KS-4 at roughly $44-49 as CIK-FIA Level 2 homologated -- legal for sanctioned karting competition. GSM Performance, meanwhile, lists the newer KS-4 ART version at roughly $59 -- ten to fifteen dollars more -- with no FIA or CIK homologation claimed at all, describing it as aimed at indoor karting rather than competition. For a sim racer, either glove works fine on a wheel rim. But if you're buying a KS-4 assuming the higher price means a more certified glove, that assumption is backwards according to these listings, and it's exactly the kind of detail this site's own gloves guide glosses over when it just says "the OMP KS-4 is the best mid-range pick" without naming which KS-4.

From Rollbars to Racing Force Group: Half a Century in Genoa

OMP started in October 1973 as Officine Meccaniche Percivale, when brothers Claudio, Piergiorgio and Roberto Percivale began building rollbars in Genoa, Italy -- at a time when most rollbars sold in Italy were of English origin. Driver equipment came later: suits, gloves, boots and helmets entered the lineup in the 1980s, growing the brand from a chassis-safety supplier into the full racewear catalog it sells today. Ownership changed in 2008, when brothers Paolo and Alberto Delprato took majority control, and the company's reach expanded further in December 2019, when OMP's parent, Racing Force Group, acquired a majority stake in Bell Racing Helmets Group -- putting two of motorsport's best-known safety-gear names under one holding company.

Which OMP Product Should You Buy?

Want the cheapest real-motorsport glove that still grips a wheel rim well -- the suede-palm KS-4 at roughly $44-49 is the pick, and it's the one with an actual CIK-FIA Level 2 claim behind it if that matters to you; skip the ART version unless the lower certification doesn't bother you. Need shoes with a thin, pedal-feel sole on a budget -- the OMP Sport at under $130 covers it; the KS-1R at $369-520 is the mid-range step up this site's own shoes guide already names, and the ONE-S is there if you want a flagship FIA-homologated rating you'll likely never need in a rig. Building a budget cockpit and want a genuine race-seat shape rather than a gaming chair -- the TRS-E at roughly $475 is what this site's own sim racing seat guide has in mind with its "OMP-style fixed bucket" line; save the HTE-R's extra bolster and extra few hundred dollars for an actual race car. For broader pedal- and switchgear-focused gear from brands built around sim racing specifically, see our sim racing gloves guide and sim racing wheel rim roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the OMP KS-4 karting glove FIA-homologated?

It depends which KS-4 you buy, and retailers don't agree. Discovery Parts lists the original suede-palm KS-4 (around $44-49) as CIK-FIA Level 2 homologated -- legal for sanctioned karting. GSM Performance lists the newer KS-4 ART version (around $59, the one most sim-focused retailers now stock) as having no FIA or CIK homologation at all, aimed instead at indoor karting and sim use. If you need a race-legal glove for actual on-track karting, check the specific listing's homologation claim before buying -- don't assume the higher price means more certification.

What's the difference between the OMP TRS-E and HTE-R racing seats?

The TRS-E is OMP's entry-level fixed bucket, a tubular-steel-frame seat running around $475 -- it's the model this site's own sim racing seat guide has in mind when it mentions an "OMP-style fixed bucket" as the budget alternative to a full Sparco bucket. The HTE-R is a step up, a side-mount (W-fixing) containment seat that lists from roughly $823 up to $1,329 depending on fabric, with deeper bolsters built for real motorsport cornering loads. For a sim rig bolted to an aluminum-profile cockpit, the TRS-E's lighter frame and lower price make it the more common sim racer's pick; the HTE-R is overkill unless you specifically want race-seat containment.

Can you use real OMP motorsport gear for sim racing?

Yes, and that's exactly what sim racers already do -- OMP doesn't sell a single product branded or built specifically for sim racing. The gloves, shoes and seats that show up as budget picks across this site's gear guides are genuine real-motorsport and karting equipment: FIA- or CIK-homologated items designed for an actual car or kart, repurposed for a rig because the grip, thin-sole pedal feel and seat geometry happen to translate directly. That's different from brands like Fanatec or Simagic, which design hardware for a sim rig from the ground up.

Who owns OMP Racing?

OMP Racing -- full name Officine Meccaniche Percivale -- was founded in 1973 in Genoa, Italy, by brothers Claudio, Piergiorgio and Roberto Percivale, starting with rollbars before expanding into driver suits, gloves, boots and helmets in the 1980s. Since 2008 the majority share has been held by brothers Paolo and Alberto Delprato, and in December 2019 OMP's parent, Racing Force Group, acquired a majority stake in Bell Racing Helmets Group, putting both brands under the same holding company.

The Bottom Line

OMP is the real-motorsport brand this site's own guides already reach for as the authentic, budget-friendly pick -- the KS-4 glove, the Sport-to-KS-1R-to-ONE-S shoe range, and the TRS-E-to-HTE-R seats cover gloves, footwear and seating at prices well under the dedicated sim brands. The catch is that none of it was designed for a rig in the first place, and the KS-4's two variants show why that matters: check the specific model's actual certification before assuming a higher price buys you more of it. For the rest of a budget-minded cockpit, our sim racing seat guide, sim racing shoes guide and sim racing gloves guide cover how OMP's pieces fit in alongside the rest of a rig.