8 Best Welding Helmet Reviews – Complete Buying Guide for 2022

Why You Should Buy One?

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Top 8 Welding Helmet Reviews

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Welding Mask Buyers’ Guide

Selecting the Right Welding Mask

When it comes to selecting the right welding mask for your needs, you have to make some choices. Before you can make these choices, however, make sure that the products that you are considering adhere to ANSI Z87.1 – 2003. These are standards that your helmet must meet to ensure adequate protection under certain circumstances.

First, decide between a passive and auto-darkening lens. Passive lenses are more affordable, but they should be lifted when positioning the electrode. Many beginners may struggle with this as you must flip the lens into position before striking an arc.

Pay attention to the helmet’s less reaction time, viewing size, and number of sensors. More sensors mean that you have better coverage of different viewing angles. Adjustable sensitivity and delay controls will give you more adjustability concerning brightness triggers and how long the lens stays dark after the arc stops.

Quality vs Price

If you want solid quality but don’t want to overspend, consider sticking to models in the $200 to $300 price range. Products in this category are generally considered to have all the features that a welder may need. You can also be sure that your helmet will provide enough protection and have a long lifespan.

You will be able to find high-quality helmets between $100 and $200. It is important to remember, however, that you may be limited in terms of the number of arc sensors as well as delay and sensitivity adjustability. Products priced in this range may also have a slower switching speed.

If you can’t spend more than $100, make sure that you have an acceptable shade range. If you are a casual welder who welds once a month or less, you may be able to find something in this price category that is suited to your needs. Cheaper models don’t typically have a durable construction.

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Different Types of Welding Hoods (Masks)

The type of welding mask you need depends mainly on the welding processes that you plan on employing. Let’s take a look at the components of different product types.

Welding Helmet Lenses

A lens does far more than protect your eyes against heat, impact, debris, and chemicals. Welding lenses also ensure that you don’t suffer from eye strain, fatigue, or exposure to radiant energy. Choosing the right lens style comes down to your type of working environment.

Some applications require lenses that specialize in protecting the eyes, face, or both against flying particles. For other jobs, you may only need goggles, especially if there is no danger of flash burn. There are different types of goggle lenses as well.

UV and IR protection lenses offer protection against radiant energy exposure, also called optical radiation. For arc and laser welding and cutting, you need this type of lens. Since the eyes and the skin can be damaged by exposure to optical radiation, make sure that the lens covers your entire face.

Lenses for impact protection are necessary when there is a risk or splashes, sparks, or flying particles. The form of the lens depends on your environment. In some cases, a goggle that seals around the eyes may suffice. In other cases, you may need full face, overhead, and neck protection.

Clear polycarbonate lenses don’t only protect the eyes from debris, but also UV radiation. This is especially important for indirect exposure in the workplace.

Auto-darkening Helmets

If you perform a wide variety of welding operations, auto-darkening helmets may be the best type of hood for you. Not only does this type offer different shades of protection, but it also allows you to keep your mask down at all times. Since you don’t have to switch the position of your lens, it prevents neck strain and eliminates the need for wearing additional safety lenses underneath the helmet.

Auto-darkening doesn’t occur until the arc is struck. The shorter the time that the shield takes to change shades the better. Some lenses can take as little as 1/20,000 of a second. If your helmet is ANSI-compliant, the lens will offer you protection against radiant energy exposure, even if the lens is not dark. This means that it will always block out ultraviolet and infrared rays.

Auto-darkening shields can either work off solar power or batteries. If your shield uses batteries, it has a little computer on the inside that darkens the lens.

Solar shields, on the other hand, use the light of the arc through a solar cell. Helmets that get their power from solar energy have the benefit that you don’t have to remember to switch them off when you are done.

Custom Welding Helmet Designs

Nowadays, welding helmets don’t only ensure that your skin and eyes are completely protected, but they are also a way to add some personality to your work attire. Paying a little more for your hood can ensure that your protective gear looks cool and that it steps things up a notch regarding functionality, comfort, and protection.

Before investing in a custom welding shield, make sure that the customization process added real value to the product. Welding headgear should comply with industry standards and compliance regulations. It should also be comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

When looking at a custom welding hood, it is important to keep certain aspects in mind. The model should have a lightweight and durable construction to ensure optimal comfort and protection. It should also contain a half-mask respirator to prevent you from inhaling fumes.

The color and design of the gear are also important. Black is a popular color, but it absorbs a lot of the heat that the welding process generates. Silver, on the other hand, reflects some of this heat. We recommend you find a mask design you wouldn’t mind wearing while you are working.

Welding Goggles

For the most part, all welding goggles look the same. When choosing a pair, however, you will face some decisions. It is important to make sure that the goggles you choose adhere to the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Goggles come in varying fixed shades. The shade you choose depends on the type of welding that you intend on doing. The most common shades are 5, 10, and 14. They should also be scratch resistant and provide 99.9% protection against UV rays.

Glasses with a fixed shade of 5 are only suitable for low-intensity processes such as torch cutting. Their shade level is too light to offer complete protection against a bright arc, and you will run the risk of inflaming your corneas.

A fixed shade of 10 falls in the middle of the shade range. Many people prefer this shade as it is clear enough for accurately positioning electrodes while offering solid protection against arc eyes. When it comes to every day and high-intensity welding, these glasses may not provide sufficient protection in the long-run.

The darkest that you can buy are 14 shade lenses. They are so dark that you can use them for all types of welding.

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Different Price Points Expectations

Protective shields are available at many different price points. Welding masks between $200 and $300 are generally considered to be comprehensive enough for serious welders. There are many high-end units at this price point, but judging from reviews, benefits, and features, we consider the Digital Elite from Miller Electric to be the best you can expect.

The Digital Elite brings a wide range of high-end features to the table, including a 9 square inch viewing area, a wide shade range of 8-13, and a solid nylon construction that is compatible with a hard hat.

It also has a grinder mode, which is particularly handy. Without a grind mode, the shield will go dark whenever you are grinding, especially if you have it a high sensitivity setting. A grind mode offers you complete protection from UV and IR rays as well as protection against flying debris and splatter without the shield going dark.

For the price, this hood offers tons of value. It is durable, reliable, and is sure to have a long lifespan. It is perfect for the novice welder and experienced steelworker alike. If you are looking for a high-quality product that is affordable, this unit from Miller Electric is for you.

Although units in this price category don’t generally offer the best in terms of quality and durability, there are some high-value hoods to be found here. An example of this is the Metal Man, a solid and high-quality shield that is fit for the professional.

The Metal Man comes with a shade range of 9-13, a viewing area of 3.78” x 2.05”, and a grind mode. For less than $100, this would generally be all that you can expect. The Metal Man, however, offers much more.

With this hood, you can dial-adjust its sensitivity and delay. You also get a snug and comfortable fit as this product features five-point adjustable headgear. Fitted to the inside is a removable and washable sweatband.

The Metal Man is solar powered with two additional replaceable batteries. This means that the dark shield is activated by a bright arc and not a computer. It also has an automated power switch, so you don’t have to remember to switch it off after use.

With its wild design, this mask offers excellent value for money. In fact, since it offers such a wide variety of benefits, it may even be preferable than some products listed in the $200 – $300 price range.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to Adjust A Welding Mask?

After making sure that the battery is securely in place, you can start adjusting your mask by setting the shield delay time. This is the time your shield takes to change from dark to light after you are finished welding. This is a personal preference, and you should do some experimenting to find a setting that feels comfortable.

The second adjustment is your shade setting. This is the level of darkness that your shield reaches when you are welding. This adjustment depends on the welding process and should be the darkest level recommended.

In some cases, you will be able to set the shield’s sensitivity. This setting also depends on your welding operations. You want it to go dark whenever there is an arc strike, but you may not want the shield to go dark for, say, a plasma cutter.

Lastly, adjust the headband to a tightness to keep your helmet in place. It should fit comfortably, and you should be able to see through the lens without any obstructions.

How to Clean a Welding Helmet?

Cleaning your mask is incredibly important to ensure that you can see through it clearly and also to enhance its lifespan. The grime that forms from welding can have a detrimental effect on your equipment in the long-run. Before you start cleaning your mask, check your user manual for the correct procedure to remove your lens system.

For regular smoke and dust contamination, rinse your lens off with water and wipe it with a soft paper towel. If there is stubborn grit that sticks to the lens, you can remove it with window cleaner and a soft brush.

The Best Place to Buy One

Although you can buy a mask from your local hardware store, they will likely only have a limited number of models available. Buying online through Amazon will allow you to choose from hundreds of models. It will also be easier to compare prices and specifications.

An additional benefit of shopping for a hood on Amazon is that you can see exactly what buyers think of the products and the seller’s customer service. If you don’t like what you see, you can click away and buy somewhere else. Amazon sellers often have free shipping and return options, which can save you a lot of money and effort.

How to Choose a Welding Mask?

To choose a shield, you need to know what your specific requirements are. Your welding processes largely determine the shade range and other things such as auto-darkening sensitivity.

After considering your welding processes and working environment, decide whether you want a passive or auto-darkening lens. When you choose a passive lens, the only decision you have left is what shade you want. In many cases, ten is the most versatile, as it is the most versatile darkness between 8 and 14.

If you decide to go with an auto-darkening lens, find a product with a wide darkness range. You’ll also need to decide whether you want solar or battery power. Each one has its pros and cons; for example, you don’t have to remember to switch off a solar-powered unit.

How to Test an Auto-darkening Model?

To test an auto-darkening model, strike an arc by tapping the rod. The goal here is to make a spark. Even a 1/3,600 arc should be enough to darken the shield without hurting your eyes. Alternatively, you can take a lighter and light it close to the exterior of the shield, which would also cause it to darken.

If the lens doesn’t go dark, there may be several reasons. First, check the on/off button inside the helmet. If the helmet is switched on, replace the batteries with new ones. You can also check the troubleshooting section in your user manual to see if you can find the cause.

As a last resort, you can also take it to your local welding shop to see if the people there can help you find the reason your lens doesn’t go dark.