Best Welding Helmet Reviews 2021

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Best Welding Helmet Reviews

There’s no question that welding helmets are crucial to your work as a welder. You can’t strike that arc without anything that protects you from sparks, spatter, and radiation. Whether you’re a professional or an amateur welder, you need a reliable welding helmet. Knowing all of that, you’re probably wondering what the best welding helmet is.

When reading the best welding helmet reviews, you’ll realize that there are a lot of choices out there, depending on your budget and preference. Fortunately, we narrowed down the choices to four models, each with their own strengths and bit of weaknesses, as no gear is perfect.

Lincoln 3350 Welding Helmet

First on our list is the Lincoln Electric 3350, which comes on top as the best welding helmet overall. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Lincoln Electric is a trusted brand in the welding industry. This is the best unit you can buy with your money.

The 12.5-square-inch viewing window is just crystal clear. Thanks to the superior optical clarity rating of the lens (1/1/1/1). Also, with 4C lens technology, you get the true color view of the arc. The sensors are so sensitive that the auto-darkening lens kicks in even at low amperage TIG welding. Note that its auto-darkening speed is 1/25,000 second.

One of the things you notice right away when you wear this helmet is how comfortable it is. The X6 headgear spreads the weight of the helmet evenly, eliminating sore areas on your head when you’re done working.

The grind button is on the exterior of the helmet, so you can quickly switch to grind mode and then back to weld mode. There’s no need to remove the hood to do that. An external grind button makes a helmet convenient and, really, just streamlines your workflow.

The Lincoln Electric Viking 3350 has been around for more than 7 years, yet it remains a great choice among welders today.

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Lincoln 3350 Black Welding Helmet

Hobart Impact Welding Helmet

The Hobart 77056 Variable Auto-Dark Helmet rivals the Lincoln 3350 as the best overall welding helmet. Both have great features. The Hobart Impact has 3 arc sensors that trigger the auto-darkening of the lens. The fast reaction time (1/25,000 second) keeps your eyes safe from any hazardous levels of light.

With this helmet, you can adjust shade levels from 8 to 13. It gets extremely dark for the most demanding type of welding, but you also get great low-light capabilities.

One of the things that you may love about this safety gear is how light it is. It’s one of the lightest welding helmets out there, and it’s also one of the most comfortable to wear. These are why it’s one of the best.

Hobart Impact Variable Auto Darkening Helmet

welding jacket example
  • Grinding Mode
  • 1/25000 of a second Reaction Time
  • Lightweight and Durable
  • TIG capable
  • Shades 8-13

ESAB Sentinel A50 Welding Helmet

The Sentinel A50 has one of the most ergonomic designs. Its 5-point headgear makes it comfortable to wear and doesn’t make your neck and shoulders sore after a long day of work.

With a 3.93 x 2.36 viewing area and an optical clarity of 1/1/1/2, this helmet is more than enough, especially for the average welder. In addition, the low profile design provides a lot of space, so it doesn’t feel tight. This helmet is only 1.4 lbs, lighter than many professional welding helmets, including the Speedglass.

There are a number of things that make this helmet easy to use. First, the LCD display is similar to a smartphone screen. You can easily see the control panel, so changing your settings isn’t like looking for a needle in a haystack. The grind mode button is big. You can access it near the upper right corner of the viewing window. A large indicator inside the helmet tells you you’re on the grind mode. The TIG amperage rating is below 2 amps, which makes this helmet great to use when you’re working with tin sheets.

The ESAB Sentinel A50 has a replaceable front cover lens. If this amber lens gets old or worn, you can replace it with a new one in about 10 seconds. Perhaps one thing that doesn’t appeal to some welders about this model is its curved lens, which creates glare along the sides.

ESAB Sentinel A50 Black Welding Helmet

Antra AH6 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

Whether or not the Antra should be on top is a matter of argument. But there’s no arguing against its being a solid welding helmet. This is worth your money for a number of reasons.

Because welding helmets are supposed to protect your face and neck from sparks, take comfort knowing the Antra AH6-260-0000 meets ANSI Z87.1 standards. That means it’s built to withstand the tough conditions in your work area and should be able to block or deflect sparks and spatter.

Then again, the next important aspect of welding helmets is comfort. Is the Antra comfortable enough? Well, it’s light enough to minimize head and neck fatigue after long hours of welding. The adjustable head strap allows anyone to wear the helmet.

Some user-friendly features include a battery indicator that shows you whether the battery is still good. There’s also the power-off delay that keeps the filter working for ten more minutes when you’re not welding. This is one of the budget helmets to check out that works just like the more expensive models. If the lens cover is damaged, there are 5 replacement lenses that come free with the unit.

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Antra AH6 Welding Helmet

Conclusion

There are numerous features that a welding helmet can have and we have picked a few reputable and quality helmets and reviewed them here.

There are many welding helmets on the market, and it’s worth taking your time to find the one which matches your budget and feature requirements. Don’t forget to check out the warranty too.

Being one of the most important parts of your safety gear lineup, it’s very important to make sure the helmet you pick matches the type of work you are doing.

Further Reading – Best Welding Helmet Under $100

Sam Cobb

Sam Cobb

Chief Editor

Hi everyone, my name is Samuel but all of my friends call me Sam. I have been a very hands on person ever since I was a kid. Back in those days I was more interested in wood work and have always been a very keen gardener. I find physical projects very rewarding and love having something practical that I can use that I have made with my own hands.

As I have progressed with my DIY skill set I have focused more and more on working with metal. Now my favorite projects are combining my metal working skills with my wood working skills.

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