Ten Best Cool Welding Helmets Review & Some Important Facts

Protecting your head, face or neck is crucial while working as a welder. So, an excellent welding helmet should be part and parcel of your daily life as it will protect you from harmful rays that might damage your eyes as well as protect you from retina burns. However, that doesn’t mean you should get yourself a boring welding helmet. Although most of these helmets are always similar in design, customizing yourself a badass helmet would be a tick. I mean, when looking for a welding helmet, ensure it is both effective in functionality and cool in appearance. There are varieties of quality, effective yet cool welding helmets to showcase your personality while still shielding your cute face. To know more about this, walk with us closely.

What Makes The Coolest Welding Helmets?

There are a number of features that distinguish badass welding elements from common ones. First off, cool welding helmets bring out a fashionable look while also delivering full functionality. Below are features that bring out the cool look in these welding helmets.

Features of cool welding helmets

1. Auto-darkening feature that enables your welding helmet to automatically darken when its sensors recognizes a welding arc.
2. Quality vision glass with high quality clarity and comfortable optics.
3. Unlike common welding helmets that uses black lens that are not so effective of filtering out excessive UV rays, coolest welding helmets are designed with 3M speedglas Auto Darkening Filter to filter out infrared radiation and strong UV rays that are harmful to your eyes.
4. They use the 4C technology in its lenses for true and advanced color viewing.

10 Best Cool Welding Helmets Review

1. USA seller AEW Auto Darkening Solar Powered Welders Welding Helmet

If you want to achieve both classiness and safety protection, this helmet will definitely serve you right.  Firstly, this helmet comes in a variety of colors as well as a different type of prints thus blending style and functionality together. Additionally, it is very comfortable and light, weighing just a single pound.

Secondly, the lens of the helmet comes with an auto-darkening feature which is very ideal for protection against UV and IR radiation. It also has a very low profile design thus ensuring it balances quite well on the uses head whenever they put it on. Maximum clarity is also achieved with this helmet thanks to its large-sized lens that allows you to see without strain.

2. Jackson Safety HSL-100 Welding Helmet

Endowed with the NEXGEN 3-Iin-1 digital auto darkening filter as well as other welder’s favorite digital control, the latter ensures that it gives you nothing short of absolute precision. This also brings in more versatility to this helmet as it has weld, torch and grind modes. Nonetheless, this helmet utilizes high quality materials in its making, to ensure it serves you for the longest time. In fact, it design meets all the industry standards required by both CSA and ANSI Z87.1-2010.

Also, it comes with two replaceable solar lithium batteries to ensure you never run out of power while working. On top of that, it exhibits shades that are adjustable from 9 to 13 to give operators excellent light levels based on their type of welding. Also, its amber view lens comes with both density and delay adjustments for different natures of work. Lastly, this helmet comes with a viewing area that measures approximately 3.8 × 2.5inchs

3. Miller Electric 282000 Digital Performance Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

Unlike most helmets, the helmet above is endowed with three distinct arc sensors. These sensors render it a consistent Lens response of any type of welding. Apart from that, it comes with a highly advanced lens with clear lens technology for absolute clarity and contrast. Therefore ensuring you can see clearly even when having them on around low light areas. This helmet also exhibits three different operating modes hence more versatile. These are weld, cut, and grind modes.

In addition, it has large to push buttons that give the user easy time to adjust modes as well as the settings. Additionally, it comes with extra adjustability settings to ensure you get a perfect fit irrespective of how big or small your head might be. Most users have given this helmet thumbs up for its utmost comfort due to its light nature. The latter weighs precisely 2.89 pounds thus being very comfortable on your head. On the downside, it is slightly more costly when compared to other helmets of its caliber.

4. ESAB 0700000800 Sentinel A50 Welding Helmet

One of the most alluring features associated with this helmet is that it comes with a very large viewing area. To be more precise, it has a viewing area measuring exactly 100 × 60mm. Besides that, it is a five-point adjustable ergonomic headgear. This means it gives all its users a very reliable comfort level. In fact,  it is designed to balance well on the user’s head.

The helmet has a low profile outlook as well as a central pivot point thus allowing utmost head clearance whenever you wear it. Unlike other helmets, this one comes with a color touch screen panel. This panel has up to eight distinct memory settings and an externally activated shade four grind button. Therefore, you can tackle any type of welding with this helmet.

Design wise, it has a very attractive shell design. That is constructed from high impact nylon to ensure it protects you even against exterior forces dispensed on it. Last but not the least; it comes with a hard gat adapter option that you can use with an ESAB hard hat.

5. Lincoln Electric K3616-3 Viking 3350 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

On sites such as Amazon, you will find this helmet going for about 309 dollars which is super expensive compared to other helmets. However, it’s worth it because it’s super cool in appearance. Apart from that, it is available in amazing colors and patterns. According to lincon electric the maker, this helmet weighs exactly 9 pounds hence quite comfortable on your head all day long. It also measures exactly 13 × 11 × 10 inches.

In addition, the lens area is quite enormous to allow users to have great clarity irrespective of their welding type. Its low profile design also plays a major role in ensuring the later fits and balances completely on your head.

6. Save Phace Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

If you are in pursuit of a cheap yet very functional helmet, then let me introduce you to this latter that goes for only 85 dollars. Apart from that, it utilizes the lightest materials in its making to enhance its comfort on your head. The fact that this helmet is crafted from high heat and high impact nylon makes it among the lightest welding helmets available today. It also exhibits a face forming profile design thus allowing you to fit into tighter spaces.

Its shading levels can be adjusted manually from nine to thirteen just by turning its inbuilt dial. In fact, its rotary knob can be used to adjust the sensitivity to suit the welding process. On top of that, it exhibits a nine point adjustable feature. Thus, this helmet is suitable for SMAC, MIG, TIG as well a spot welding. More also it comes with a 180 degrees ADF holder lens. As if not enough, it has a helmet carry bag for easier carriage. Also, its design meets all the required industry standards thus offering you quality protection all through. There is also a replaceable sweatband inscribed 

7. iMeshbean Pro Large View Solar Auto-Darkening Welding & Grinding Helmet

This is yet another super versatile helmet that can be used during Arc, Mag, Mig, Stick, and Tig types of welding. It comes with an adjustable shade control and a ratchet adjustable head-strap that guarantees a perfect fit. In addition, it has a built-in button for easier adjustment so that it can fit perfectly regardless of your head size.

The helmet has a battery card slot which is very essential when you need power back up. A sensitivity adjuster is also employed to adjust the sensitivity with respect to the operation situation. Once you buy this helmet, it comes with two extra lenses for replacement in case one spoils. The latter also has an auto-darkening feature which helps to protect your eyes from harmful sparks and radiation. Its construction also meets all the required CE and ANSI Z87 standards

8. Antra Wide Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

The above helmet comes with four premium redundant arc sensors as well as highly responsive detecting and controlling units. Therefore, this provides it with a super fast switching time and accurate auto shading. On top of that, it comes with an interference suppression technology to mitigating false triggering. It is also super versatile and can do Mig, Mag, Ac Tig, and DC Tig welding. With this helmet, comfort won’t be compromised thanks to its super lightweight nature.

When it comes to lens adjustment, the latter allows an adjustment range between four and thirteen. The lens is an auto-darkening lens with exterior shade settings and a grind switch. Last but not the least; it is very affordable costing nothing above 50 dollars.

9. DEKOPRO Welding Helmet

Here is another badass helmet that offers nothing short of quality protection at a very affordable price. First off, it has an auto-darkening filter that switches from light to dark in 1/25000 sec. This protects you from harmful UV and IR radiation. It is also equipped with sensitivity and delay settings for adaptability across different types of environments.

The welding helmet portrays better clarity as well as color recognition.  It is also equipped with a clear visor viewing 3.62 ×1.65 lenses. On top of that, it comes with a battery slot and solar panel for power backup. It also supports a lens adjustability window that ranges between 9 and 13.

10. 3M Speedglas 100 Welding Helmet

Equipped with a 1.73 by 3.66-inch viewing area, the above helmet ensures you have adequate space to see through. It also has sensitivity adjustment which makes it more versatile by supporting all Stick, Mig, and Tig welding types. If you are a pattern lover, this helmet will definitely suit you right as it comes with a variety of colors and patterns to pick from.

Besides, it exhibits a very light nature weighing only 1.7 pounds.  Also, its making meets all the required industry regulations assuring you quality protection. A removable sweatband is also included on this helmet to ensure it wicks away moisture and any arising odors. 

Key Features To Look Before You Buying Cool Welding Helmets

If you are looking for the best cool welding helmets, chances are that you will come across numerous models. Some of these models might look the same, whereas they are worlds apart, as far as their features are concerned. This is the reason why you should be keen to check a number of features before buying a cool welding helmet out there. The good news is that we have outlined some of the critical features that you should check when making your cool welding helmets selection out there. They include:

1. Type of cool welding helmets

The type of cool welding helmets is one of the critical factors that you should look out for when buying this gear. To begin with, there are two types of welding helmets. They include:

• The standard type
• The auto darkening type

The standard type, also known as the passive cool welding helmets are known to be affordable as they are normally made of plastic. You will note that it comes with shade 10, which offers the much needed protection. Besides this, the glass connected to shade 10 is normally infrared and ultraviolet coated. The user has to wear this cool welding helmet in the up position while positioning the electrode, gun, or torch in place.

Once you are done with the positioning exercise, the user can now strike the arch. However, just before striking the cool welding helmet is immediately flipped in position by a quick snap or the node of the operator’s neck.

If you are a first-timer, this kind of helmet might prove to be difficult to use due to the difficulties involved. However, over time, you are likely to become a pro especially when it comes to positioning the gun or the electrode.

See more: Best Welding Helmet for Beginners

On the other hand, auto-darkening cool welding helmets are light reactive welding helmets. Technically, they are more advanced than the standard type. Also, these helmets are quite modern compared to the passive ones.

To start with, the auto-darkening helmet normally has a viewing lens of shade 3 or 4 whenever it is inactive. This way, the welder is able to see through it. However, when the sensors on the welding helmet sense an arc start, the lens normally darkens to shade 8 to shade 13 depending on the type of welding or heat received by the sensors of the helmet.

All this normally happens within a fraction of a second. It is important to note that auto-darkening cool welding helmets normally operate on batteries and can be a little bit expensive compared to passive welding helmets. However, it offers better services than the standard one.

2. Field of view

Besides the above-mentioned types, you should pay attention to the field of view before buying this gear. However, when it comes to the field of view, user’s preferences matter a lot. For some, they might prefer a wider field of view. However, there might be a category that might prefer cool welding helmets that come with a smaller field of view.

It is important to note that the field of view stretches from 6 square inches for light tasks to 9 square inches for complicated tasks. Although the field of view depends on one’s preference, it is imperative to consider the amount of out-of-position welding one has to do.

3. Time of lens reaction

This basically refers to the amount of time the lens takes to switch the shade from a normal inactive shade of 3 or 4 to the active shade of 8 or more. Ideally, this duration should be as short as possible. Note that the lesser the time taken by the lens to switch between different shades, the better. This way, the welder’s eyes will be shielded from the high-intensity light produced whenever one is welding.

You will release that the entry-level welding helmet lenses are normally rated at 1/3600 of one second. However, the industrial helmet lenses are normally rated at 1/20000 of one second. If you are looking for a cool welding helmet for short welding, it is important that you choose helmets with a 1/20000 lens reaction time rate.

4. Sensors

The cool welding helmet normally comes with a number of sensors. However, the number of sensors the helmet has normally vary. For instance, entry level cool welding helmets normally have 2 sensors while industrial welding helmets have 4.

It is important to note that the more sensors a welding helmet has, the better the coverage. This is usually the case if you mostly deal with out-of-position welding where sensors might be obstructed.

5. Delay control

With an adjustable delay control, you will be able to set how long the lens will need to remain dark after the arc work is finished. Technically, a short delay is ideal for the track welding process. This is because the welder will even be able to do the work faster. On the other hand, the long delay might be very helpful if you are dealing with high amperage welding.

6. Sensitivity control

Your welding helmet of choice should come with a sensitivity control feature. Ideally, it should be adjustable so that you can manage to adjust the amount of brightness that will trigger the darkening of the lens. In most cases, sensitivity control is normally important whenever you are welding at low amps and the arc is not very bright.

7. Is the welding helmet battery or solar-powered

Power is another critical element that you cannot overlook when buying this gear. In most cases, these gears are either powered using a battery or solar energy. If you choose the model that is battery powered, you can be sure that it will use a lot of charges and this can, in turn, make your electricity bills escalate.

Here, you might have to charge your battery more often. On the other hand, if you choose a model that is solar powered, you can be sure that you will save more on costs. All you need to do is to charge your battery in good time and you will be good to go. Since solar energy is free and renewable, you will be able to save a few bulks in the long run.

8. Weight

The weight of your welding helmet will affect the comfort that you will enjoy when wearing it. If it is heavy you can be sure that your shoulders might be strained in the long run and cause fatigue. This way, you might not be able to work with it for longer hours. However, if your cool welding helmet is lightweight, you can trust that you will be more comfortable as you will not experience any form of fatigue when working.

Also, your helmet of choice should come with multiple bands. This is because if the welding helmet has a single band, the weight of the entire helmet might get concentrated in one band, thereby making the user feel more fatigued.

9. Is it adjustable?

When buying a cool welding helmet, you should be keen to check if it can easily be adjusted up and down, front and back. The more adjustable the model is, the better the welding helmet. Also, your welding helmet of choice should be easy to tighten around the head. This way, it will not fall off your head whenever you bend.

10. Optical class rating

This feature normally determines the quality of your welding helmet of choice. Ideally, your welding helmet of choice should have a rating of the optical class of 1/1/1/1. This actually shows that the lens cartridge has a high optical quality, homogeneity and is able to scatter light more optimally. Also, it shows that its angle is dependent. If your model has a lower optimal rating, you can be sure that you will get optimal results.

11. Warranty

Your welding helmet of choice might develop issues or can get damaged a few months after purchase. Also, it might start malfunctioning a few days after buying it. To be on the safe side, you should choose one that comes with a warranty from the manufacturer. With this warranty, you will be able to save more as all these repairs will be done for you, free of charge. Therefore, you should choose a model that has a longer warranty period.

12. Certifications

Besides the warranty and the other factors mentioned above, you should be keen to check if your welding helmet of choice is certified or not. Ideally, it should have a certification that falls under the safety national standard ANSI Z871.1-2010.In addition, look out for a plus sign on the helmet in order to be certain that the model is certified for high impact.

13. Customization

Different welding helmets normally come in different styles, designs, and colors. Depending on your personality, you should choose the one that meets your needs. Initially, cool welding helmets were limited to black and gray colors. However, as we speak, these gears are now available in a number of colors. In fact, some of the modern models now have attractive graphics and colorful designs. Generally, the more customized a welding helmet is, the better the model.

14. Price

When buying a welding helmet, you should set a budget for it. This is because some models will cost more money than others. In fact, some of the high-end models might require you to dig deeper into your pocket.

However, there are other models which are relatively cheap and affordable. If you are operating on a budget, you can go for the latter. More importantly, you should not compromise the quality of the welding helmet, all in the name of saving money. Remember that cheap is always expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why do people buy auto-darkening welding helmets?

To start with, you will note that these welding helmets normally provide several benefits. In most cases, they normally allow welders to see through the glass without having to flip the lenses up and down.

In addition, they directly protect the user from arc radiation, thanks to their options which be optimized depending on the work conditions. Since these helmets automatically darken whenever they notice the presence of excessive light or radiation, you can be sure that the user’s eyes will be safe from such elements.

When should the battery be replaced?

Some welding helmets are normally powered by batteries. At some point, this battery normally runs out of charge and you have to replace them. One indicator that you need to replace your welding helmet’s batteries is if you notice that the lens is no longer functioning optimally.

At some point, it might start darkening more than it should, whenever it is exposed to the sun. Note that if you have used your batteries for many years, the time is ripe for you to replace them. This is because the longer you use the helmet, the higher the chances of the batteries running out.

Ideally, how big should the lenses be?

Most of the models that you find out there normally have lenses with dimensions of 3.5 inches in length and 1.75 inches in height. Such helmets are ideal for regular welding tasks. However, if you want to engage in professional welding, you should consider looking for a helmet with bigger lenses that are at least 3.5 inches in length and 2.5 inches in height. Generally, the size of the lens normally depends on the complexity of the work and the amount of protection needed.

Should the welding helmet come with a warranty?

Yes. If your welding helmet of choice comes with a warranty from the manufacturer, you can be sure that you will save more on cost in case it gets faulty or malfunctions a few days or months after purchase. Ideally, you should go for the model that has a longer warranty from the manufacturer.

How should I store the welding helmet?

Ideally, you should purpose to keep this gear in the original package it came with when you bought it. Better still, you can store in a duffel bag that is big enough to accommodate it. Your preferred storage area should be moisture-free. Also, this area should be free of excess heat. Finally, it should be stored in a location where it cannot easily fall and get damaged.

Final thoughts

To protect yourself from harmful radiations, heat, burns, and even sparks when welding, it is important that you invest in a high-quality cool welding helmet. The above-mentioned guide has outlined some of the best models that will not disappoint you. Consider these models today and you will be able to get the value for your hard-earned money. They are truly incredible.