After scouting over 20 welding helmets on the market, we finally resolved to our undisputable pick which is the Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet. It’s the safest, most reliable welding helmet that we tested, and it completely won us over with its compatible design and advanced plasma cutting processes. This best welding helmet boasts of protection and durability that caters to all kinds of operations and levels of experience. You’d be surprised to know that the Antra can also double as a grinding helmet, if required. If you’re willing to spend a reasonable amount for a welding helmet that guarantees long-term protection, applicability, and considerably greater overall performance, then this is the best welding helmet to buy.
Top Pick: Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet
The Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet features a black design with Magnifying Lens Compatible Design and Cheater Lens. Buyers can utilize this best welding helmet for plasma applications, MIG, TIG, and ARC applications. With its rugged design and lens, it is capable of high-protection with a durable level of resilience that can be altered as per their requirements. Our team of experts also found that the Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet comes with a sensitivity knob for custom adjustments and step-less display for added convenience and protection. Moreover, it features a large-viewing screen with 4 Premium Sensors. One of the best features of this best welding helmet is that you can exactly look directly at the light without the unit darkening; this means that the Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet has a solid sensitivity level for all kinds of operations.
After considering all possible statistics of the best welding helmet for different categories, our team of experts felt the importance to feature the best welding helmet that’s expensively priced on the market. And that’s how we discovered the Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet. Powered by a replaceable lithium battery, this best welding helmet meets certain powerful standards that clearly states that it belongs to an expensive race. It’s available in 10 eye-catching designs, from standard black to unique prints. To sum it up with its design, the Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet somehow manages to offer superior protection while looking great, at the same time. Welders understand how essential it is to have a welding helmet that grants clear vision, protects faultlessly, and lastly, is comfortable in all welding positions; coupled with similar mottos in the industry, the Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet is fit for insistent welders everywhere. Some additional features include 4C lens technology, large-viewing display, perfect 1/1/1/1 Optical Clarity, and internal shade control.
Looking for something that won’t give you a hard time? The Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet is a different breed in world full of mediocre welding helmets that are designed to serve only one purpose in way that it lacks versatility. Welders need something more innovative than just a standard welding helmet. And it’s even more appealing to them when the product’s reasonably priced, that is budget-friendly. This best welding helmet offers welder-friendly controls and compatible design. For when you wish to make quick adjustments on the fly, the Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet features exterior controls that are easy to find, even with welding gloves on. You have a sensitivity knob as well as and the shade adjustment knob situated on the exterior sides on the helmet. The former one is designed to make adjustments for different ambient lights with a variable sweep knob, while the latter one is to make quick variable shade adjustments easily. To sum it up, this welding helmet features versatile controls to allow more comfortable adjustments, especially wearing you’re wearing it.
What do you need to know about welding helmets?
The only two primary differences that welders will tell you between helmets is the lens and the kind of protection that particular helmet provides you. What a welding helmet does is protect welder’s eyes and head so that the welder can carry out the task without worrying about any serious burn or sight-related problems. You should know that there is advanced technology used to make such kinds of helmets more effective and secure for many operations come. Before we get on to our best welding helmet recommendations on the market, it is equally important to grasp the importance of welding helmets. They are designed to protect you from the serious dangers of arc radiation that contain infrared and ultraviolet rays. Welding also helps you keep your head straight with no neck strain, plus you get something new to brag about! The ones that we have find most effective and safety-driven are the Auto-Darkening Helmets. Auto-darkening helmets getting darker with an increase in the light; they are designed to maintain accurate torch position and easy handling which doesn’t compromise on the overall performance on the welder. With this, you can make simple adjustments in light sensitivity until you find the perfect setting to get a clear view of the task at hand. You’ll find different variations in auto-darkening helmets, they are professional and intermediate, and lastly, battery and solar powered.
What to look for in the best welding helmet?
Weight
All things considered, the weight of the best welding helmet has to be lightweight. The lighter the helmet the less pressure on your neck which may cause discomfort and reduce your level of concentration while welding. There are many lightweight welding helmets out on the market today that are made of the lightest, yet durable materials to completely eliminate discomfort and provide a more efficient welding experience.
Safety
After the lightness of the best welding helmet, the second most important criteria that determines the quality of the best welding helmet is safety. It’s a given that all welding helmets must be powerfully secure to be used frequently. This includes the quality material strength of the helmet, the quality of the lens, etc.
Switching Time
The switching time is the time frame that it takes for the welding helmet to go from on light sensitivity mode to another. The faster the switching time, the more protected you are from the infrared and UV rays. Price pays a clear determinant in the switching time, but we have compiled a list of impressive welding helmets with a fast switching time while being reasonably priced, at the same time.
Viewing Screen Size
Generally speaking, any welding helmet’s viewing size has to be sufficient for welders to get a clear view of the activities happening in front of them. This is an important feature to consider when purchasing the best welding helmet on the market. Although a smaller viewing size may also work brilliantly for some welder, there are many beginners and professionals who require a larger viewing screed display for more convenient and accuracy.
Our best pick: Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet
Top Pick: Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet
The Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet has everything you could possibly need from a welding helmet. It features a convenient grind setting on the exterior for making quick adjustments while wearing it. This best welding helmet features 4 Premium sensors, out of which two are hyper sensitive and the other two are overly sensitive. With correct adjustments, you can easily control the amount of sensitivity reading its large-viewing screen for you to clearly see the light. Moving forward, we also compared this best welding helmet is actually less costly than other solar power welding helmets and it also offers a brilliant graphic design. It’s a lightweight, but durable helmet made with plastic that works impeccably overall. One might reconsider since it’s made of plastic, but rest assured, it’s equally as sturdy and durable than what one might expect from the best welding helmet. The Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet is designed to provide all-round protection so you don’t have to worry about deflecting sparks because this best welding helmet has got you covered. It has a comparatively longer bottom to protect the neck area as well. It also covers most of the head, leaving only a small portion in the back, yet you’ll find that that particular area is out of harm anyway. This kind of protection ensures that fumes do not enter the insides of the helmet and cloud or cause any sort of vision discomfort. Another important feature to consider is this helmet’s switching time that’s built remarkably well and adds great value to the overall welding helmet. When it comes to purchasing a welding helmet, buyers feel more protected when the product is certified in a way the promises added protection and overall longevity; which is why this best welding helmet is CSA/ANSI certified and is capable to meet versatile welder needs.
If there’s any space between affordability and durability, that space is proudly occupied by the Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet. For beginners as well as professionals, we’re certain that this best welding helmet works incredibly fast, fits comfortably, and offers excellent welding visibility beyond compare.
Our upgraded pick: Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet
Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet
The Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet is perfect for serious welders because during testing it turned out to be a rugged, comfortable, and highly durable welding helmet. This best welding helmet might just over-achieve your expectations as it features the largest viewing screen in the industry with an adjustable darkening feature that is capable of delaying the darkening, if required. It consists of outer and inner lens that is simply easy to replace with faster accessibility. The size of this best welding helmet is comfortably design with a wider hood. Even though the hood is lightweight, it delivers incredible sturdiness and protection to the face, and neck from hot fumes when wearing it. Suitable for all intense applications including MIG, TIG, etc. as its performance at power with its overall dynamics. The Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet boasts of a solid auto-darkening feature that ensures that welders don’t find it difficult to make certain sensitivity adjustments quickly and easily while welding. It features a wide range of sensitivities-DIN 6 to DIN 13- to allow welders to work in versatile lighting without any hassle. Moreover, it comes with 1/1/1/1 auto-darkening cartridges- Optical Class, Diffusion of Light Class, Variations in Luminous Transmittance, and Angle Dependence of Luminous Transmittance Class. This results in accurate and clear vision for all types of welding operations. This new 4C technology stands undefeated in the welding helmet industry, and one of the reasons why we love this expensive welding helmet is because of this outstanding quality only. In addition to its wide range of sensitivities, the Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet also consists of a solid grind system, plus a low battery indicator light for added convenience. On the controls of this best welding helmet, you get magnifying Cheater lens that are easy to add, a rigid protective cartridge frame holder to securely lock the cartridge in place, and an internal variable shade control and a separate knob for continuously variable sensitivity.
There’s nothing better and easier than the Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Welding Helmet. Some call this best welding helmet a ‘welder’s dream’ that will allow you to completely accomplish perfect welding tasks without compromising on performance and durability.
Our affordable pick: Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet
Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet
We know there’s no perfect welding helmet that’s suitable for everyone, but we know the importance of price when it comes to purchasing the best welding helmet on the market. Experts clearly state the co-relation of price over performance in many purchasing decisions, which is why our team of experts have brought an easy pick of an affordable price, the Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet. It delivers best-in-test durability, welder-friendly controls, and incredible flexibility. It’s so powerfully compact that you may never consider buying more for more ever again as long as this best welding helmet exists. Let’s talk about its internal controls: it features DIP switches that are designed to set the auto lighting delay time, and a grind/weld mode switch that doubles as a grinding helmet as well if required. Moving forward, this best welding helmet accepts magnifying lenses that eliminate blurs and discomfort of vision, especially for serious welders and the geezers. It also comes with 3 outer-protective lens in addition to its magnifying ones. What’s even more significant about the Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet is that it’s built for auto-darkening purposes- it features a suitable range of arc sensors that add more reliability during welding operations. It also features extra protective instincts, unlike any other on the market, plus it’s lightweight, durable, and incredibly long-lasting.
All-in-all, the Urparcel Auto-Darkening Solar Welding Helmet is an excellent helmet with easy assembly, extra-safety features, and easy to handle controls. Overall, if you want a feature-packed helmet, this is the best welding helmet for you.
Best welding helmet for the money
Variable-Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
The Variable-Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet is our top pick for the money. It has promise for all kinds of welders who want some modern upgrades and innovative dynamics that are fully compatible without any additional modification required. This best welding machine provides protection for MIG, TIG, flux, and arc welding. It’s made from high impact nylon that has a relatively fast switching speed and welder-friendly controls. If you want to break from expensive welding helmets, this is the best one to get that’s affordable with a decent reputation for the money. You’ll find that the view lens of this best welding helmet are just the perfect size, extremely easy to adjust, and comes with an impressive build overall. It features a solar-powered auto-darkening lens, shade 9-13 adjustment that’s situated on the exterior of the helmet, plus a comfortable 5-point ratcheting headgear with a replaceable sweatband. What’s significant about the Variable-Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet is that it’s tough enough to not break and that it is completely adjustable. It makes a great companion for the beginner up to the pro. Since it is made from a heavy-duty material, it’s not the lightest you will come across on the market, considering how impressive the overall handles are, it’s worth a buy. After struggling with an insufficient welding helmet, many of those who have used the Variable-Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet have deemed it to be the best and the most trust-worthy equipment on the market. For you safety-junkies, it also keeps you out of harm if ever an electrical failure were to occur.
Best welding helmet for safety
Jackson Safety BH3 Welding Helmet
What’s safer than a welding helmet that is designed with safety as the primal objective? The Jackson Safety BH3 Welding Helmet might be a relatively expensive choice when compared to the competition, but that doesn’t stop it from being popularly known for its dominating safety standards. Another deciding factor of this best welding helmet is that features a rare auto-on auto-darkening filter. It features an advanced auto-darkening technology with a 1/1/1/1 classic optical clarity as defined by EN379 standards. It comes with enhanced visibility, color recognition, and variable shade 9-13. With the cleverest dynamics ever made, we found that this welding helmet’s filter offers crystal-clear clarity that’s safer to use. If you’re looking for a serious welding helmet that spoils you with its intense safety checks, so you’re buying this one that’s as serious about welding as you are. With its innovative Balder Technology, the Jackson Safety BH3 Welding Helmet comes with an auto-dimming feature, plus opening time delays. It’s a lightweight, durable, and well-rounded welding helmet that offers reduced heat build-up and better reflections than any other conventional welding helmet on the market. Additionally, its aerodynamic shell also makes fume deflection music simpler and easier than the competition. If you accept equipment that have an impressive record of multiple safety checks and certifications, then this is the best welding helmet for you. You get even better flexibility with its Nemesis protective eyewear that is designed to fit comfortably underneath the helmet. Now who wouldn’t want this state-of-the-art piece for their future?
Competition
Below is a list of 5 closely-competitive welding helmets on the market that are similar in terms of performance, durability, and design, but still they feature a few unique capabilities that make them our top picks on the list.
Instapark ADF Series GX-350S Solar Powered Welding Helmet
This welding helmet that takes all possible aspects of welding protection into account. It delivers more performance than expected, and this is why the Instapark ADF Series GX-350S Solar Powered Welding Helmet is our best welding helmet for a competitive market. It’s powered by built-in solar cell equipped with dual arc sensors to maximize the ADF from light to dark adjustments as soon as the arc is struck. What this impressive welding helmet does is reduce the excessive time frame by half, providing a network of fast and consistent accuracy in terms of variation adjustment that is capable of satisfying both beginners and professionals alike. This also results in completely eliminating the constant wearing and removing of the helmet to change torch placements. This kind of flexibility is proven to make the welding process more efficient and the welder more productive in his/her work. Even though this best welding helmet is made from lightweight composite materials, the entire structure of the helmet is custom-made by a ratcheting headband and well-padded interior for absolute convenience. Furthermore, it even comes with a large viewing screen and complete UV/IR protection to make welding seem more smooth and accurate. Our team spent a long time to in determining the kind advantages a particular welding helmet brings with, including endurance; and rest assured, this best welding helmet proves to be the perfect fit. To sum it up, this welding helmet provides a greater depth to use a variable shade adjustment option while, at the same time, having an eye-catching graphic design.
Jackson Safety SmarTIGer W40 Variable ADF Welding Helmet
The Jackson Safety SmarTIGer W40 Variable ADF Welding Helmet meets high impact standards with its tig-welding mount type and frustration-free certified mark. It offers the ultimate angle of view with state-of-the-art visibility and improved color recognition. Gone are the days when welders had to strain their eye-sight to get the job done just right because this best welding helmet does that for you, but in a more efficient and healthy manner. Its curved front cover plate allows for more accuracy and less clouding and heat build-up. The Jackson Safety SmarTIGer W40 Variable ADF Welding Helmet comes with the Torch Dancer graphic that allows for a more appealing graphic design, so you just don’t have to purchase this welding helmet for the performance, even its looks are quite commendable. About this welding helmet’s basic,, yet upgraded pick-up points: it features a variable shade 9-13 with adjustable sensitivity and impressive opening time delays. Plus, with the Jackson Safety SmarTIGer W40 Variable ADF Welding Helmet it’s always easy to make the most of its optical clarity with Balder technology that takes seriously the art of welding even more than you do. We recommend this gear as an entry-level auto-darkening filter that professionals might value the most. Its smart insight and clever control make it possible for professionals to compare it to other conventional welding helmets in the near future. Other features include: protective eyewear, High Impact 2010 standard, sturdy perimeter, Auto-On ADF, Magnification Lens Holder, headgear, and a solid 5-year warranty.
Miller 251292 Classic Series 8-12 Variable Welding Helmet
The Miller 251292 Classic Series 8-12 Variable Welding Helmet offers better optic quality better than its competitors, and it is made out of durable materials. It yields a good amount of protection that’s best used by beginners more than proficient welders on the market. It doesn’t matter for what welding operation you make use of this welding helmet, you can be rest assured that’s it is going to keep you protected for operations to come. We found that the headgear of this best welding helmet is lightweight, with a soft headband to add more comfort. Moreover, it comes with an ANSI standard which means that it’s fully-certified to provide protection even during intense welding operations. It is made of durable nylon material with an added number of glass layers for additional safety and multiple light sensitivity features. It has two arc sensors, a conveniently large viewing screen, and solid delay control from slow to fast. What we loved most about the Miller 251292 Classic Series 8-12 Variable Welding Helmet is that it has a fast responsive system with the ADF that solves many problems at one go. One of the most loved features of any welding helmet is when it can be adjusted and handled in a fair and effortless manner, and this best welding helmet grants exactly that. With very less to spend on, it fits comfortably with simple assembly and optimal control handles inside and outside to cut back disturbances while welding.
Rhino RH01 Carbon Fiber Welding Helmet
The Rhino RH01 Carbon Fiber Welding Helmet was last year’s best ADF welding helmet and it still stands as one of the best on the market this year. It is made of lightweight nylon shell. It is designed in such a way that it provides maximum protection of both the welder and its overall quality for operations to come! What we loved most about the Rhino RH01 Carbon Fiber Welding Helmet is its auto-darkening mode with grind as that grants more control over to the welder in terms of making sensitivity features according to their requirements. The variations are 9-13 for the dark shade of welding and 4 for light shade and grind mode. This best welding helmet offers any selected setting in 1/25,000 second reaction time. If you’re someone who is more accustomed to the frequent in-and-out action, then this helmet’s aerodynamic design and comfortable headgears will make it much easier. If not that, if you’re someone who loves to lock down for a long while, then this helmet comes with an internal low battery signal indicator that immediately notifies you when the battery’s low. It also features other functions such as 800 amperes of plasma arc cutting and welding, shielded metal arc welding of about 550 amperes, and 500 amperes of TIG, MIG, and air carbons. To conclude, the biggest reason why you should seriously consider this welding helmet is because it is engineered to provide optimal safety and comfort to welders like never felt before. And we believe that only the Rhino RH01 Carbon Fiber Welding Helmet can provide that so brilliantly.
Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet
Our last competitor on the list is the Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet. This is one of the least expensive welding helmets we’ve found and its reasonable comfortably also. It features a standard viewing screen that might some call just above average as there are many large viewing screen welding helmets available on the market, but none at such an impressive price range. Nevertheless, it features a decent visibility with a face-shield that’s to-the-point and sturdy. If you love doing some heavy welding work with a flip front welding helmet, then this is the best choice for you. It comes with a solid ANSI certification which means that the Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet is safe to use on site. You won’t find such a basic, regular full-face welding helmet anywhere on the market. We understand the demand for advanced welding helmets, but old is gold. Our team of experts picked this last because of its no-frills demand. We found that the face shield is made of textured black plastic that comes with two screws for making adjustments to keep the face shield in correct upright position. Plus, it features a rotary knob quick-adjusting head band with perforated foam forehead pad to adjust the tension of the helmet while wearing it. It even comes with a dark plastic 10 shade/filter lens with its own hinged flip up outer lens cover that guarantees crystal-clear vision for all kinds of welding operations. All in all, this makes the best welding helmet for those who prefer traditional over anything to get the job well done.
Wrapping it up
In any event, one should work hard to get something valuable and worthy, especially when it comes to purchasing such a complex safety gear that is mastered by experts everywhere. With such great power in your hand, comes great responsibility, so we suggest you carefully consider each of our recommendations before jotting down one the best welding helmet on the list. Given these points, our team agrees with the Antra AH6-260-000 Solar Power Welding Helmet as the best welding helmet coupled with serious safety standards and powerful performance controls for welders. Comparatively, we have 9 other versatile, yet powerful welding helmets that we’ve carefully picked out from the market that have lots of features to offer to both beginners and professionals alike. After all, we always leave it up to your preferences to decide which one is most suitable one for you. Be that as it may, the overall construction of a welding helmet is always the same, but with a few upgrades in certain features such as sensors, lens, switching time, controls, weight, etc. With help of our welding helmet review, naturally, you’re bound to make a final decision and finally begin welding with this new helmet much sooner than anticipated.
Jen Miller is a former electrical engineer and product specialist with more than 20 years of product design and testing experience. She has designed more than 200 products for Fortune 500 companies, in fields ranging from home appliances to sports gear and outdoor equipment. She founded Jen Reviews to share her knowledge and critical eye for what makes consumers tick, and adopts a strict no-BS approach to help the reader filter through the maze of products and marketing hype out there. She writes regularly and has been featured on Forbes, Fast Company, The Muse, The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha and MindBodyGreen.