Shopping for the best auto darkening welding helmet can be tricky because there are a lot of options to sift through. So, we decided to take the time to put together this buying guide on some of the best auto darkening welding helmets on the market.
We cover a wide range of welding helmets for every budget.
Welders only have one pair of eyes like everyone else, but they have to put them at risk every time they go to work. Luckily the best auto darkening welding helmet you’ll come across today is a hundred times better than the ones you’d be stuck with a few years ago.
You’ll look like a Stormtrooper from a Star Wars movie, but wearing one will ensure you don’t end up with damaged vision when you’re older. Before we look at their benefits, we’ll quickly discuss how a basic welding helmet works and the disadvantages they bring.
Table of Contents...
How A Basic Welding Helmet Actually Works
A basic welding helmet will protect you from ultraviolet and infrared light thanks to special coatings, but it’s where their effectiveness ends. Built into the heavy plastic helmet will be a dark tinted piece of glass in one particular shade.
This dark tinted glass will help protect you while you’re working, but it can’t change its shade. The best auto darkening welding helmets obviously do, which is where the name comes from. Here are a few disadvantages you’ll face using a standard welding helmet.
Main Disadvantages of A Standard Welding Helmet
It’s not just your vision at risk when you opt for an old school welding helmet. It will affect your work in a very negative way, which will cause even more havoc if you weld on a regular basis. Let’s look at why you’ll want to invest in the best auto darkening welding helmet:
- Keeping Your Gun or Torch Positioned Correctly
- When You’re Working in Various Restricted Places
- Your Comfort Is Always of The Utmost Importance
- Flipping Your Helmet Up and Down Will Waste Time
Keeping Your Gun or Torch Positioned Correctly
Imagine you’re on a gun range about to fire at the target. You’ve spent the last-minute lining up the shot, but before you pull the trigger you have to pull down your helmet. Do you think your aim will still be lined up when you’re finally ready to fire?
The same thing applies to standard welding helmets because your vision is already skewed. If you wanted to line everything up correctly you would have to do it before flipping your helmet down unless you were experienced, which could mess up the end result.
VIDEO | How Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets Work
When You’re Working In Various Restrictive Places
Flipping your welding helmet up and down might be necessary, but in some situations, it simply won’t be possible. You’ll have no choice but to proceed with the job even though you’re at a disadvantage. This will happen when you’re working in restrictive places.
For example, if you’re lying underneath a car you can’t expect to push it through the chassis. You’ll also have to work in areas where your head is twisted. Only you will know if you’ll always be working in an environment where you’ll be free to mess around with your helmet.
Your Comfort Is Always of The Utmost Importance
Your neck muscles are extremely delicate and you don’t want to do anything to hurt them over the course of the day. They’ll already need to handle the weight of the helmet on your head. You’ll feel a discomfort if you’re flipping it up and down all day.
This isn’t just because you want to be free of pain when you arrive home at night. When you are in discomfort it will be harder to concentrate on your work. The last thing a welder needs is their mind to be preoccupied when they’re carrying out a dangerous job.
Flipping Your Helmet Up and Down Will Waste Time
When you’re working hard you will want to finish the job as soon as possible. It’s tough to do that when you’re constantly flipping your helmet up. You’ll have to do it if you want to know what is going on in the workshop. Keep it down and it will be hard to see everybody.
It’s especially annoying when you’re carrying out specific tasks too. A good example is when you’re tack welding. How many hours do you think you’d save each week if you didn’t need to lower and lift your helmet while working on this one specific task alone?
How Auto Darkening Welding Helmets Work?
The exact way in which auto darkening lenses actually work is extremely complicated. They are all unique in their own special ways, but the basics will be the same. We’re going to discuss those basics to help give you an idea of how your eyes will be protected better than ever before.
There are three individual parts that make up an auto darkening lens and we’ll look at each one separately. Afterwards, we’ll touch on how they all work in unison with each other:
Ultraviolet and Infrared Filter
The UV/IR filter is the same thing you’d see on a standard welding helmet and it’s always working. In other words, if your auto darkening helmet wasn’t switched on the filter would still offer you protection. It has 6 layers of aluminum oxide and 5 layers of silver.
All those metallic layers inside the filter will reflect and absorb almost 100 percent of the UV/IR radiation within the shade range of the best auto darkening welding helmet. The total thickness of all these layers only stands at 0.7 microns which is almost nothing.
Polarization Filters
These polarization filters will have a LC cell squeezed in between each one. They are what stops the visible light from shining through. If you had a couple of filters sitting at the same angle they would be at their darkest setting giving your eyes maximum protection.
If two filters were sitting at 90 degrees the lens would be at its darkest, so what do you think would happen if one of them moved? It would end up letting more light through. The light reaching your eyes would brighten up or darken depending on which direction they moved.
LC Cells
The LC cells sit in between each polarization filter, but what exactly is their purpose? The liquid crystal cells are essentially there to turn the light. Once you stimulate them with electricity you will suddenly be in control of how far the light will bend.
This would happen when you switched your auto darkening welding helmet on. When liquid crystals are flat on the ground they can twist light by up to 90 degrees, but when you add electricity into the mix it’s possible to bend it until they refract zero light.
VIDEO Overview of the Miller T94i Welding Helmet
How Everything Works Together In Unison
When your best auto darkening welding helmet is sitting on the ground the liquid crystals squashed between each polarization filter twist the light a full 90 degrees. The exact shade will differ, but it will be dark because it’s a built-in safety feature.
Once you switch your auto darkening welding helmet on everything will untwist. The shade will be light enough for you to see through easily. Once you’ve finally struck the arc your helmet will take over and switch to a dark enough shade to keep you safe.
Please Note: We’ll touch on this more in a while, but you shouldn’t worry about the lens not darkening until an arc is initiated. It will happen so quickly you’ll never be able to notice it.
— Main Features —
Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
By now you’ve probably decided you can’t stick with a standard model, so the hunt will be on for the best auto darkening welding helmet you can find. At the end of the day it’s probably going to come down to the amount of money you’re willing to spend for the right tool.
You might be okay with spending a lot if you’ll use it non-stop, but if not, there are good cheap solutions. Perhaps it would be best if we discussed the main features you should look out for. You’ll get to decide what you’re willing to give up to save money.
The Maximum Size Of Your Lens
If you’ve welded before you’ll be aware of a standard lens size, but when looking for the best auto darkening welding helmet you’ll want the largest one possible. Who doesn’t want to have an easier time seeing what they’re doing?
When you’re working on standard jobs it’s not going to affect you very much, but sooner or later it will. A larger lens will help a lot when it comes to things like working in tight spaces at funny angles.
How Much Your Helmet Weighs
Earlier on we talked about the disadvantages of standard welding helmets. One of them was getting a sore neck flipping your helmet up and down all the time. Owning the best auto darkening welding helmet will eliminate this.
Unfortunately, you could run into another kind of problem. If the helmet is too heavy it’s going to be tough wearing it all day, so you should aim to look for the lightest one available within your budget.
Overall Comfort of The Helmet
Having a light welding helmet is crucial, but weight isn’t the only factor you have to take into consideration. The overall comfort of the helmet when it’s sitting on your head is equally important.
If you don’t feel comfortable your work will never be perfect, but new technology has helped the best auto darkening welding helmets come on leaps and bounds. Even little things like padded front straps add up.
Total Clarity of Your Lens
Seeing out of your lens comes in a couple of different forms. We’ve already talked about the size of your lens, but its total clarity plays a big role. It’s actually rated according to the EN379 standard.
Four very specific things are taken into consideration. You’ve got the accuracy of vision, diffusion of light, consistent shade, and angular dependence. If you’re lucky enough to see a perfect reading it will say 1/1/1/1.
It Needs A Large Shade Range
You need to see your MIG gun, TIG torch, or anything else you’re using when welding. This means before you start the shade on the best auto darkening welding helmet is going to be positioned at #3 or #4.
Once you’re using different welding processes and the amperage is all over the place you’ll need enough shade range to protect your eyes properly. If your helmet covers shade #9 to #13 all should be okay.
A Very Quick Reaction Time
This is something we touched on earlier on to prevent you from worrying. You need to know when the sparks start flying your lens is going to protect you. The only thing that matters is how quick the reaction time is.
This is the time it will take to switch from light to dark after it’s detected an arc. You want a reaction time of at least 0.0001 seconds to safeguard your eyes. On better auto darkening helmets, the reaction time might be 0.00005 seconds.
Sensitivity And Delay Settings
The best auto darkening welding helmets will have sensitivity and delay settings. Sensitivity relates to how bright the arc needs to be before the shade changes. If a welding process isn’t too bright high sensitivity is crucial.
Your delay setting is how long the welding helmet will stay at a specific shade after you’ve completed a job. There are perfectly good reasons why you’d want the delay to be extended or shortened depending on what you’re doing.
Battery and Solar Powered
Solar powered helmets will let you charge it up using the sun or light from the arc. It’s still not ideal because you’ll always need to make sure it’s charged. The same thing will apply to helmets powered by batteries.
If you find a welding helmet charged by both solar power and batteries you’ll get the best of both worlds. Hopefully you also pick up one with an indicator on it letting you know how much juice you have left.
It Meets the Safety Standards
We said you could pick and choose between the top features when looking for the best auto darkening welding helmet, but this is an absolute must. It’s not just because you can get in trouble if your helmet doesn’t meet the standards.
The reason a welding helmet meets the standards in the first place is because it’s vigorously tested. It’s passed all those tests, which means there is a much greater chance your helmet will protect you from harm.
Antra AH6-260-0000
Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet if you’re on a budget.
Tech Specs (3M Speedglas 100 / Black Welding Helmet ):
- Rated for : MIG, Stick, TIG >20 amps
- Switching time, light-dark : Approximate 0.1 ms @ 73°F (23°C)
- Switching time, dark-light : Approximate 40 – 250 ms
- UV / IR protection : Shade 12 (permanent)
- Viewing area : Approximate 3.66 x 1.73 in (93 x 44 mm)
- Light state : Shade 3
- Dark state : Shade 8–12 (variable)
- Battery lifetime : Approximate 1500 hours
Antra Technologies Co is a Chinese company with a base of operations near Shanghai. They’ve been in the industry for almost a decade and their products have received a huge amount of attention. One of the reasons is because they’re excellent and very cheap.
Today we’re going to look at what is almost certainly the best auto darkening welding helmet in the world on price alone. We’ll look at a few of the standout features you’ll want to know about. If you’d like to dig into the helmet any deeper click on the link below.
You’ll Get A Large Lens With Premium Sensors
The lens on your Antra AH6-260-0000 is 3.86 X 1.73 inches in size, which is more than enough to see what you’re doing. The best thing about the lens on this helmet is the 4 premium sensors it has built into it.
It’s the arc sensors that are going to keep you safe when everything starts flashing. A couple of sensors would usually be enough, but they can be blocked if you’re working in tight spaces so it’s nice to have more.
It Will Cover All Types of Welding Processes
You can’t call something the best auto darkening welding helmet if it’s incapable of carrying out all kinds of welding processes. It’s also good enough for plasma cutting and everything else you can throw at it.
This comes down to the shade rating of the Antra AH6-260-0000. The official shade variable rating is 4/5-9/9-13. It’s good for TIG, MIG, MMA, and any other processes capable of damaging your vision.
The Controls On The Helmet Are Easy To Use
Your helmet will automatically power on and off, but the controls on the helmet are easy to use. This relates mostly to the sensitivity and delay settings, which you’ll likely be using on a regular basis.
If you wanted to adjust the delay setting so dark turned to light in 1 second instead of 0.1 seconds it would be simple. Everything is positioned to let you place a hard hat adapter on top of your helmet too.
A Quick Reaction Time Will Protect Your Eyes
The arc sensors have to sense light in the first place, but it’s the reaction time that will save your eyes. We spoke about this earlier and an expensive helmet was said to have a much quicker reaction time.
You’ll love the fact the reaction time on the Antra AH6-260-0000 is only 0.00004 seconds. This is quicker than both times previously mentioned and shows the company has focused on this as one of their biggest features.
Do you remember earlier on when we talked about the clarity of the lens being rated using the EN379 standard? This one doesn’t quite reach 1/1/1/1, but it’s close and good enough for anyone to appreciate.
The actual rating of the Antra AH6-260-0000 sits at 1/2/1/2, so it’s a couple of digits away from being perfect. The reason why that rating is still exceptional is because the helmet costs practically nothing.
Uses A Solar Cell and Replaceable Batteries
The best auto darkening welding helmet should always have a solar cell and replaceable batteries so you’re on the safe side. When you purchase this helmet you’ll even get a couple of batteries thrown in for free.
Another cool feature you’ll like that relates to power is the battery indicator. You’ll never find yourself in a position where your helmet stops working. It even shuts off automatically after 10 minutes to save your juice.
Jackson Safety BH3
Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Features:
- Jackson Safety BH3 Auto darkening filter lens (ADF) has the best EN379 ratings (1/1/1/1) for optical clarity, diffusion of light, variation of luminous transmittance, and angular dependence, so the welder can see clearly at different angles
- Variable shade range from 9 to 13 to help shield and protect the wearer’s eyes from radiant energy during welding (mig welding, tig welding, arc welding); is equipped with sensitivity and delay settings for adaptability for different environments and task durations
- Lightweight, high-density plastic shell helps to protect the wearer’s face, forehead, neck, and ears from weld sparks and spatters; the aerodynamic curved front cover plate offers reduced heat built-up, reflections and fogging better than HSL-100
- Meets ANSI/ISEA Z87.1+2010 standard for high mass impact protection and welding use, and DIN Plus requirements for production quality
- Three headgear adjustments. Compatible with magnification filters and hard hats (sold separately)
If you’re looking for something a little more high-end Jackson Safety is definitely a brand to look out for. They make the best auto darkening welding helmets as far as safety and comfort goes. Let’s look at a few main features you’ll find on the BH3 model.
It Has the Best EN379 Rating Possible
When you pay more for an auto darkening welding helmet you want the best specs possible. You’ll get that with the Jackson Safety BH3, because you won’t find a better EN379 rating as this one sits at 1/1/1/1.
This means your optical clarity, diffusion of light, angular dependence, and variation of luminous transmittance will be perfect. It does make a difference to a seasoned welder tackling lots of jobs.
The Welding Helmet Is Extremely Light
The Jackson Safety BH3 auto darkening welding helmet only weighs 2.1 pounds. It’s not the lightest one on the market, but it’s been designed to cover every inch of your face from your forehead to your neck.
It’s not only the fact it covers everything that makes the helmet weight stand out. It has been built using a very high-density plastic shell to guarantee your safety no matter what you’re working on.
Designing a lightweight helmet wasn’t enough for Jackson Safety. They had to add in additional things to take your comfort to the next level. For example, the aerodynamic curved front cover will stop any heat from building up.
It will also help with reflections and stop the lens from fogging up. The headgear adjustments built into the helmet will let the wearer play around with it until it feels as comfortable as possible on their head.
A Lens With A Few Additional Benefits
This has the same shade range you would expect from any of the best auto darkening welding helmets. It stretches from #9 to #13, which is good enough to darken the lens when you’re performing any job.
There are also a couple of other features the lens will offer you. The viewing field size is 3.8 x 2.7 inches and it has a superior angle of view. Sensitivity and delay settings are built into it too.
The Reaction Time Is Lightening Quick
Sometimes the reaction time of your helmet won’t just help with your long-term vision. If it doesn’t get dark fast enough you could still end up with tired eyes at the end of the day, so faster is always better.
The reaction time on the Jackson Safety BH3 is only 0.00015 seconds. When something happens in 0.15 milliseconds you won’t even notice it. You’ll need to hunt hard to find something a lot better.
3M Speedglas Auto Darkening Welding Helmets
3M is a huge company based out of Belgium and they sell a collection of quality auto darkening welding helmets. To give you a better selection to choose from we’re going to look at a few main features on some of their more popular models:
1 – 3M Speedglas 100 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet (07-0012-31BL)
2 – 3M Speedglas 9100 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet (06-0100-30)
3 – 3M Speedglas 9100 MP Auto Darkening Welding Helmet (27-5702-20SW)
3M Speedglas 100
Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet for affordable professional quality.
Tech Specs (3M Speedglas 100 / Black Welding Helmet ):
- Rated for : MIG, Stick, TIG >20 amps
- Switching time, light-dark : Approximate 0.1 ms @ 73°F (23°C)
- Switching time, dark-light : Approximate 40 – 250 ms
- UV / IR protection : Shade 12 (permanent)
- Viewing area : Approximate 3.66 x 1.73 in (93 x 44 mm)
- Light state : Shade 3
- Dark state : Shade 8–12 (variable)
- Battery lifetime : Approximate 1500 hours
Comes With A Large Variety Of Dark Shades – When the welding helmet is light it will rest at shade #3. Once it detects an arc it’s capable of moving between shade #8-12. It doesn’t quite reach shade #13, but it’s very unlikely you’ll ever notice the difference.
Has A Viewing Area Of 6.05 Square Inches – The total viewing area on this model is only 3.66 x 1.73 inches in size. Although it’s definitely not the biggest you’ll ever see it still gives you a total of 6.05 square inches, which is more than adequate for non-professionals.
The Battery Will Last A Very Long Time – Even though the 3M Speedglas 100 doesn’t use solar power the battery will still last a very long time. Estimates for the CR3032 say it will last a total of 1,500 hours before you’ll need to replace it.
Sensitivity Adjustments Give You Options – You’ll be able to make sensitivity adjustments at 3 different levels on this 3M auto darkening welding helmet. You’ll be able to adjust it when you’re using TIG, MIG, and stick welding processes.
3M Speedglas 9100
Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Features:
- Fully assembled welding helmet is ready to use
- Auto darkening filter (ADF) transitions from light to dark shade in approximately .1 milliseconds after welding arc is detected
- Helmet helps provide protection from ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation
- Optical quality gives worker a precise view of the work area
- Ergonomically designed head suspension offers comfortable wear and fit
Advanced Headband Features:
- Two adjustable crown straps for increased stability and weight distribution
Padded front headband designed to evenly distribute pressure - Swivel-mounted smooth ratchet system for simple, precise tightening and ergonomic fit
- Snap adjustment of nine different helmet angles
- Large knobs for simple adjustment of “prep” and “parking” pivot positions, even while wearing gloves
- Fits head sizes 6.25 to 8 (50 to 64 cm) approximately
Overview | 3M Speedglas 9100
The Reaction Time Is Tremendously Fast – We’ve covered the importance of reaction times on numerous occasions and this model is one of the quickest yet. When it detects an arc the shade will be able to change from light to dark in around 0.1 milliseconds.
Comes With A Much Larger Viewing Area – If you were disappointed with the viewing area of the last 3M model this one might cheer you up. With 12.11 square inches of viewing area it’s basically twice the size, which will come in handy on every single job.
Video | 3M Speedglas 9100 | Auto-Darkening Overview
You Can Lock In A Specific Shade Easily – When you’re working you might want to lock in a specific shade and you’ll be able to with the 3M Speedglas 9100. They’ve added in lots of other innovative features like a tack welding comfort mode to aid your eyes.
Helmet Is Designed For Lots Of Comfort – The extra-large helmet is only 1.4 pounds, so you’ll hardly notice when it’s on your head. It also has a couple of crown straps designed to distribute the weight on your head while offering you extra stability.
3M Speedglas 9100 MP Air | V-300 Air-Regulating Valve
Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Features:
- Supplied air respiratory system
- Includes V-300 air-regulating valve, belt, breathing tube, complete helmet assembly with ADF
- Welding helmet can provide overhead protection
- Increased peripheral vision
- Excellent optical quality and function
Includes : V-300 air-regulating valve, belt, breathing tube, complete helmet assembly with ADF.
It Allows for Easier Breathing On The Job – This model is extremely fancy, because it has a lightweight Supplied Air Respiratory Protection System. This will help the user breathe a lot easier when they’re working in tough conditions.
Temperature Can Be Reduced for More Comfort – It also comes with a V-300 Vortex air-cooling valve, which will let you control the temperature inside the helmet. It will be able to reduce the air temperature entering the welding helmet by 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Side Windows Increase Peripheral Vision – The viewing area is important because it lets you know what you’re doing, but it’s always nice to be aware of your surroundings. The side windows on the 3M Speedglas 9100-Air will increase your peripheral vision.
Comes with Extra Adjustments You Can Make – We’ve usually focused on the sensitivity and delay settings when talking about extra adjustments you can make. This model has even more with 5 levels of sensitivity control and an adjustable recovery delay.
Learn more about 3M Speedglas welding helmets on their site.
Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmet For You
If you do any kind of welding work you’ll want the best auto darkening welding helmet available. We’ve looked at a few today and any one of them could be worthy contenders depending on how much you want to spend.
The best way to decide is by reading all the unbiased reviews on Amazon. If you click on any of the links you’ll be taken to the appropriate page and you can see what hundreds of other people have to say.
