Whether you are a professional welder, hobbyist, or a novice welder, one of the most important aspects and elements of welding is protective gear. In particular, your welding helmet. The best personal protective equipment is even more important than the type of machine you are using. Your face and eyes are critical to not only your career or hobby, but your life. We’ll discuss some important factors to look at while purchasing a welding helmet, as well as some of our most popular welding helmets.
The two most important aspects of a welding helmet are safety and comfort. The best technological features available should also be considered. The helmet must be comfortable or you won’t be as likely to use it as it should be. Or you will find yourself purchasing another helmet. Not every welding helmet on the market today may be right for everyone. Make sure to spend time researching different models and styles if you’re not familiar with a particular brand or type of helmet. Check for size, viewing area, protection, durability and level of comfort. The helmet should be secure. A lightweight helmet will mean less pressure on your back and neck while you’re welding. Don’t compromise on durability for sake of lightweight, however. Physical attributes such as lens size, adjustability, and location of controls should be considered.
Make sure to periodically clean your welding helmet of dust and dirt. Use cleaning kits to keep the lens coating in great condition. Some helmets are susceptible to being stored in direct sunlight, dusty areas, or humid locations. To ensure to get the full value of your helmet, make sure to follow storage instructions from the manufacturer.
Miller Digital Elite
One of the best in the business, the Digital Elite helmet series offers a lot of bang for its buck, making it one of the most popular in the industry. The helmets feature 4 arc sensors and four modes that include: weld, cut, grind, and X-mode. X-Mode is an innovative mode exclusive to Miller, which prevents sunlight from darkening the lens before welding starts and low amperage lens opening from obstructed sensors. The helmet offers a 9.22 sq. in viewing area, as well as cut shades #5-#8 and shade cuts #8-#13. The helmet is lightweight and is great no matter what level of welder you are.
3M Speedglas Welding Helmet 9100 with Auto Darkening Filter
When you hear 3M you think excellence, truly the leader in innovation, 3M has one of the best auto-darkening helmets in the industry. The helmets have a 2.8 x 4.2 in viewing area. A great feature about about these helmets is that they feature sensitivity adjustment that allow use with MIG, TIG, Stick welding processes, with grinding and torch modes. One thing that makes these helmets truly stand out is the level of comfort that they offer with their headgear.
Lincoln Viking Welding Helmet
Finally, one of the most popular selling welding helmets has been the Lincoln 3350 Viking Welding Helmet, a top-of-the-line auto-darkening helmet with four arc sensors and internal shape control. The 3350 series offers a wider viewing area along with all of the great features welders have come to expect from this leading line of welding helmets. The four arc sensors are especially important for preventing eye damage from flashbacks. While two arc sensors may not pick up a flashback if they are obstructed, four sensors provide maximum protection for a welder’s most important asset good eye sight. The helmet controls are both accessible and intuitive, ensuring that you always have the best setting in place when you strike an arc.
Check out Baker’s Gas for all of your helmet needs. You can find everything from helmets, replacement lens, headgears, and much more. There is currently a promotion going on in which you can save up to $20 on any purchase of $150 or more, check out the promotion here.
