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When it comes to safety when welding, the most important piece of equipment you should invest in is a good quality Welding Helmet. 

Arc Flash is the result of UV light being exposed directly to you, causing the same burn you would experience from a sunburn.  While Arc Flash can affect your entire body, your eyes are extremely vulnerable.

That’s where welding helmets come into play.   Everyone has a different opinion on what makes a quality welding helmet.  Some people prefer auto-darkening, while others want just a standard shield.  

No matter what your opinion is, there are a few things that you should consider before buying.  For instance, If you get an auto-darkening helmet, How fast does it adjust when you strike an arc?  Does it have shade variability?  And most importantly, how big is the viewing area?  

Because we care about our readers and don’t want you to experience arc flash, or if you already have, don’t want you to experience it again, we have reviewed several helmets to find you the Best Welding Helmet possible.  And depending on your budget, we’ve found the helmet for you!

 

 

Budget-Friendly

Tekware Moto 90

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Best Value

Miller 281000 Digital Elite

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Premium

Optrel Crystal 2.0

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Budget-Friendly Welding Helmets

The Helmets listed in this category are what we would consider beginner or hobbyist friendly helmets.  They are lower priced but high in features. Perfect for someone that doesn’t weld often enough and wants to stay below $100.

 

YesWelder (Affiliate Link)

 

YesWelder has a line of welding helmets that focus on making your safety top priority.  

By equipping their Helmets with True Color view, you will have less eye strain than traditional helmets lenses that feature a green hue when inactive.  With the 4 arc sensors, this helmet will go from a shade 4 to an adjustable 9-13 shade in less than 1/10000s of a second.  

To power the auto-darkening function of this helmet, a solar power source along with a replaceable battery are used.  Giving these helmets an increased battery life, much longer than it’s competition.  

The YesWelder line of helmets includes an extensively adjustable headgear.  Paired with the oversized comfort cushions, adjustable settings, and better support, you will be able to wear these helmets for hours.

 

 

DekoPro (Affiliate Link)

 

Another budget-friendly Welding helmet, the DekoPro offers Auto-Darkening features from a shade 4 to an adjustable 9-13 shade and will change from light to dark in 1/25000s of a second. 

The DekoPro welding helmet is also equipped with sensitivity and delay settings adaptable for different environments and task duration.

This helmet is also lightweight and features an adjustable headgear to tailor a custom fit to your personal preference.

 

Hobart Inventor Series (Affiliate Link)

 

Our Second pick for Budget-Friendly Welding Helmets is the Hobart Inventor Series.  With a Large 9.3 square inch viewing area, you can be sure to see your weld pool from start to finish.

4 independent arc sensors provide dependable arc detection, darkening this helmet from a shade #3 to an adjustable #9-13 in 1/25,000s of a second.

The Inventor Series helmets feature a Grind Mode.  This prevents the lens from darkening, allowing you to visible grind material, without having to switch protective gear.  

 

Tekware Moto 90 (Affiliate Link)

 

Our Top Pick for a budget-friendly welding helmet is the Tekware Moto 90 Auto-Darkening Helmet. 

A hemispherical design helps protect you from all sides, while still offering a large viewing window with True Color View Lenses.

4 premium arc sensors combined with a  highly sensitive probe can emit a signal that makes the screen darker instantly, 1/10,000s of a second to be exact.  And with adjustable sensitivity and delay controls, this helmet can be set up to your exact needs.  The viewing area starts at a shade 4 in Grind mode and can be set to shade up to 13 in cut and weld modes.  

The Tekware Welding Helmet is battery powered, but also has a solar cell, which not only helps prolong the life of the battery but also protects the users in the event of battery failure.  

This lightweight helmet along with its 4-way adjustable headgear has the flexibility to be fitted to the required head type and comfort desires. 

 

Best Value Welding Helmets

These next welding helmets will give you the best bang for your buck.  They can be more expensive but the quality you get out of them won’t disappoint.

Save Phace Gen Y (Affiliate Link)

 

Save Phace has been a leader in face protections for years now.  And over the last few years has been developing Welding Helmets.  

Made from impact-resistant nylon allows you to get into tighter areas, while still having full coverage of your face.  Save Phace is the first company to feature an adjustable ADF (4/9-13 shades) integrated into a 180-degree lens.  These helmets claim to give you ear-to-ear vision however, I will say that the shade of the lens is a bit too dark to clearly see in your peripherals.  

The Gen Y series comes with grind mode as well, so cleaning up after your welds doesn’t require switch protective gear.  

Their high-quality halo headgear allows you to fully customize this helmet by moving it closer or farther away from your face.  And Its lightweight design ensures the wearer will not suffer neck fatigue, even after a long day of welding. 

 

Esab Sentinal A50 (Affiliate Link)

 

The Esab Sentinal A50 features a full-color LCD touchscreen control panel that allows the user to set ADF shades, sensitivity, and delay.  Shades can be set from 9-13 when welding and 5-8 when in grind more. Grind more can be accessed on the touchscreen as well as with the external button on the upper right side.  Also on the touchscreen is the memory function.  With this, the user will be able to set 8 different settings for specific jobs.  

The Sentinal A50 offers a streamlined shell design that features spherical lens covers, that when in grind mode allows more natural light to increase clarity.  

4 arc sensors will change the viewing area from light to dark in 1/25,000s of a second.  

The 5 point Halo Style headgear offers extreme comfort and balance. A Low-profile design, central pivot point allows for maximum head clearance while the helmet is in the up position.

 

 

 

 

Miller 281000 Digital Elite (Affiliate Link)

 

Our Top Pick for the Best Value is the Miller 281000 Digital Elite.  The Digital Elite features 4 modes for welding and cutting applications, making it the most versatile welding helmet on the market.   These modes include Weld(shade 8-13), Cut(shades 5-8), Grind(Shade 3), and X-mode.  

X-mode is a feature that helps block sunlight and continuously detects the arc, even when sensors are blocked.  So if you are welding outside on a sunny day or are tucked away in the radiator support of a Honda Civic, you can guarantee the 4  Arc sensors will always protect you from Arc Flash.  

With Delay and Sensitivity Controls, you can set up the reaction time of the ADF to 1/20,000s of a second.  And a large viewing area will ensure you can see your weld pool and create perfect beads every time. 

 

Premium Welding Helmets

These Welding Helmets are the top dogs when it comes to features and functionality.  However, they also come with a Premium price tag.

Lincoln Electric VIKING™ 3250D FGS (Affiliate Link)

 

Considered to be a single solution helmet, The Viking 3250d FGS provides enhancements where productivity, safety, and optic clarity are key.  

With the shade 5 side windows, peripheral vision is utilized by adding an extra 24 degrees on each side of the 91-degree viewing range.  With the digital controls, you can easily change the mode, shade, delay, and sensitivity settings.  4 Arcs sensors will detect an arc in 1/25,000s of a second and dim the viewing area to an adjustable 5-13 shade level.  

With the integrated grinding shield, the need for a separate clear shield is eliminated.  And with the 161-degree viewing area and anti-fog lens, you will be able to see your working area fully. 

The 4C Lens Technology offers a no blurriness or distortion and a consistent and even shade at any angle. 

 

3M Speedglas 9100 (Affiliate Link)

 

The 3M Speedglas 9100 is a highly functioning welding helmet that offers features that very few competitors have.  With the 9100XXI ADF you get improved optics that allow you to more readily recognize colors.  An Upgraded user interface makes selecting shade values, sensitivity, and delay a breeze.  And with the memory mode, you can set 2 individual settings for those values.  

An external grind mode can be activated with gloves, and without having to remove the helmet.  Making the switch easy and flawless, and allowing you to be more productive.  

With the 3 arc sensors, the ADF will react in 1/10,000s of a second.  The user had the option of selecting dark shades of 5,8, and 9-13 and a light shade of 3.  And with the expansive field of view, the user can see the work in progress with minimal obstruction.

With the 9100 series, 3M made headgear that avoids the sensitive areas of the head.   With self-adjusting pads and forehead bands and by having a better contour around the head, the headgear will stay in place without having to be overly tight.

 

Optrel Crystal 2.0 (Affiliate Link)

 

Our Top Pick for the Premium Helmets is the Optrel Crystal 2.0. We all know that Swiss-made products are top-notch, and their welding helmet is no different.

The Crystal 2.0 uses Crystal Lens Technology that offers a crystal clear view of before, during, and after the weld is made.  On  Autopilot,  automatic detection of the brightness of the arc darkens the lens automatically to the appropriate shade.  

The lens can also be operated in manual mode can be adjusted between shades 4 and 12 for the user’s preference.   And with 3 arc sensors, the lens will go from light to dark in .100ms. And with the Twilight Feature, the lens will gradually lighten to ease eye strain.

The user also has full control over the sensitivity and delay settings based on their welding scenario.

Grind Mode allows the user to switch to a shade 2 with external control.   So grinding with this helmet is exceptional compared to shade 4 or 5 that other helmets use.   And when in manual mode, a red LED flashes to remind you you are in grind mode, to prevent accidental flashes.  

For More maximum comfort and safety, the Optrel Crystal 2.0 features an integrated particle filter to protect the user from smoke, aerosols, and dust while working.

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