When you're on the market for a welding helmet, you should be aware of the safety features that is included. Of course safety is of utmost importance when you are working with any type of hot material. The different types of welding helmets are designed with special features to ensure that you remain safe during the welding process. These features are beneficial for your health as well as your safety.
Safety equipment can come in many forms, and welders are required to wear them in order to properly perform their job. The most common equipment is welding helmets, and they are generally made out of either plastic or rubber.
These helmets protect the head and face during the process. Many safety helmets today come with built-in face plates and visors, which help to prevent you from breathing in fumes from the welding torch.
You also need to ensure that there is a good vent and secured buckles to prevent it from getting caught on anything when welding. Making sure your body temperature is regulated is also very important; that the helmet stays cool during the welding process.
Another important thing to consider for the best welding helmet on the market is the quality of the material and the design of the helmet. A common mistake that many people make is buying a cheap helmet that does not offer overhead protection and then upgrading to a better one later.
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Top Quality Helmets For Welders in 2023
1. Lincoln 3350 Welding Helmet
If there is a company that has put effort upon effort in coming up with products to protect welders, it is Lincoln Electric. This company has for over 80 years working towards providing its experience to welders through the various innovative designs it has given out in its products. This helmet is no exception.
The Lincoln 3350 Welding Helmet darkens automatically the spark is lit. The lens is designed to give 1-1-1-1 optical clarity and instead of the usual haze of green, it provides the welder with natural color. This helps to reduce any strains the welder may be undergoing when using traditional helmets.
The function part is well taken care of by the addition of a carrier bag to help lug it around. Being Lincoln Electric, the beautiful form is one of the features of their designs.
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2. 3M Speedglas 9100 Welding Helmet
3M is widely revered in the manufacturing industry. A company that began in 1902 and served various industrial needs has to know a thing or two about safety procedures and equipment for its workers. With almost 110 years in business, that’s over a century of experience.
They’ve brought that experience to the design of this one in particular and the casual observer would imagine how it is filled with tech. Well, what the focused on instead is the ergonomics of the helmet.
The 3M Speedglas 9100 known for being light, and for providing excellent visibility, both inside and out. It even comes with side windows for increased visibility when you’re not welding.
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3. Hobart Impact 770756 Auto-Darkening Helmet
It seems all the big boys of the industry came out to play, and they’re not content at being second best. Here is a helmet from Hobart. They have been providing top engineering solutions for the market since 1917.
All their experience shows with this beautifully designed helmet. It has good coverage for shielding and also has space for a respirator. The lens is not the widest in the market but it is still adequate for anyone who isn’t looking for a VR device. It also comes with an on-off button to help minimize battery life.
The good thing about the Hobart Impact Auto-Darkening Helmet is that it comes with a shade dial. This allows you to adjust the transparency of the lens. It can be dialed to allow one to see while they’re in grind mode. It has quite a board shade range, which means finding the right one for you can take some time, but once you do it will be smooth sailing from there.
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4. Jackson Safety BH-3 Welding Helmet
The Jackson Safety BH-3 welding helmet's field looks like it’s not taking any chances with new entrants. If one is thinking of that, they might need to borrow the Tardis. Jackson Safety is one of those companies that is not a new entrant, neither did they need some form of time-traveling DeLorean to go back to 1927.
Jackson Safety designed this helmet for the professionals who will be welding full time on a large project say an aircraft carrier. The exterior design makes it wonderful to look at with the light orange contrasting the black. The inside is also amazing, getting headlined by a lense that offers 1-1-1-1 clarity.
The only problem with it is that you can’t work well with it when you want to grind or do some TIG welding due to visibility. Oh, and also since it is solar-powered, there are no options for a battery.
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5. Miller Digital Elite 281000 Welding Helmet
Here is something that looks like a cross between an off-roading motorcycle helmet, and battle droids from the Star Wars franchise. In fact, if one were not so keen, it would be very easy to mistake this for the Lincoln Electric Helmet. However, unlike the battle droids, this helmet does not lack any sense of self or of protection for the person wearing it.
The Miller Digital Elite 281000 comes with a lens with 1-1-1-2 clarity, which they call ClearLight. It also removes the lime green tinge that is common with other welding helmets. It also comes in four shading modes to allow work to be done, from grinding, TIG welding to the others on the market.
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6. Antra AH6-260 Welding Helmet
No one really knows how to feel about this design. While it is true that in this case, however the functions of this Antra AH6-260 helmet is much more important than how it looks, it wouldn’t have hurt to put some more effort into how it looks. The slab design with a few curves here and there makes one think of some droid that isn’t meeting expectations.
But that’s the exact opposite of what you get with this helmet. In fact, this is regarded as one of the best helmets for the price. This is because it has clear vision, has an incredibly lightweight, and has 4/5-9/9-13 shade settings. This is exactly the kind of thing you need if you’re not so keen on spending big.
All of this is backed up by a lens that has 1-1-1-2 clarity.
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7. ESAB 0700000800 Sentinel A50 Welding Helmet
If you’ve ever wanted something that will awe the people around you while simultaneously splitting their opinion, here’s something you can get. The Esab Sentinel A50 helmet looks like something out of the movies Interstellar and Oblivion, but also from game franchises such as Call of Duty and Halo.
Either way, it is a capable helmet with 1-1-1-2 clarity of the lens, which is amazing. The other amazing feature is that it has a color touchscreen that is backlit. This is used as a control panel to switch up your settings.
The Esab Sentinel A50 allows you to program in eight different settings that the helmet will be able to recall. Switching to any of those settings is just a touch away.
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8. Yeswelder Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
Not everyone starts out having a bucketload of money to get the best helmet there is out there. For some, it could be they’re just starting out, or they’re just doing this as a hobby, or a DIY experience that they’re not going to engage in much.
The Yeswelder Auto-darkening Welding Helmet that’s known on the market for being budget-friendly, and also offering one of the best views outside the helmet for the price point. The super large sensor is equipped with four viewing modes. The problem is, the inconsistency of these modes doesn’t instill confidence in terms of the amount of protection given.
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Buying Guide For Welding Helmets
Because welding can be a dangerous process, it’s a good idea to invest in the right safety equipment when you are shopping for a new welder. Exposing yourself to UV light from your welder could permanently damage your eyes. There are some top of the line helmets on the market that will keep you adequately safe while working.
While it might seem like every welding helmet is made the same way, there are different levels of quality to look out for. You want to make sure that the helmet is doing its job. While you might not be welding with no helmet on at all, you could still damage your eyes by not having the right helmet. Some things to take into consideration include:
Auto-Darkening Ability
There will be tinted glass on your helmet that will protect your eyes from the brightness of the welding arc. An infrared coating and ultraviolet coating will do the best job.
Size Of View Port
The view port is the window that you look through while you’re welding. You want to find a good quality welding helmet that still has a large port. This will allow you to properly see the work that you’re doing while still protecting yourself.
Power Source
If you’re new to welding, then you might not be aware that a welding helmet is powered. An internal battery with a solar backup panel will provide you with the best power possible.
You want to avoid wires being attached to your helmet if at all possible. This will only result in more accidents and having to pay attention to your helmet more than your work.
Price
The price range for welding helmets can really vary. If you’re a professional that’s going to be using your helmet day in and day out, it makes sense to invest in something that will keep you as safe as possible while still working in a comfortable manner.
If you’re occasionally welding, you can probably stick with something that’s middle of the road. Proper UV protection will be most important.
Frequently Asked Questions About Welding Helmets
Q: Do welding helmets come in different sizes?
Just like any other piece of safety equipment, a welding helmet will come in different sizes. What you choose really depends on what is most comfortable for you. It’s a good idea to try on a helmet before you make a purchase.
You want to make sure it fits snuggly on your head without being too tight. You don’t want the helmet to be so loose that it’s falling off or getting in your way.
Q: Will a welding helmet be heavy on my head while I’m working?
The overall weight of a welding helmet really depends on the product. Cheaper helmets tend to be a but heavier because they’re made with more affordable materials. A high end model will be made with effective but lightweight materials that will be comfortable.
Q: Can I use a solar powered helmet if I weld all day?
A solar powered helmet needs to be able to keep up with the amount of work that you do each day. If you’re working with a welder for long periods of time, it makes sense to buy a helmet that comes with a backup power source in addition to solar power.
Conclusion
These helmets come in different shapes and forms. Some represent droids from popular media, others have the curves and colors on them to entice the dollars out of our wallets, but only a few actually are worth spending money on.
Even though it seems like the design was rushed into production before the designer could come up with a masterclass, it still is the best on the market in terms of protection accorded, and the general quality of the product. Our top rated helmet is the Lincoln 3350 in particular.
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