Best Professional Welding Helmets, Hoods & Masks

As a welder, your safety depends on having the right personal protective equipment (PPE). A quality welding helmet is arguably the most important tool in a welder's arsenal, protecting the eyes and skin from intense light, heat and sparks generated in arc welding. Enjoy fast, free shipping on all orders over $300 as a thank you for supporting a proud American business. See our 2024 Helmet Selection Guide for guidance in choosing your next welding helmet.

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Miller Classic Series Vs Hex 291189 front view
$126.00
$161.01
SAVE $35.01
Miller Welding Miller Classic Series Vs Hex
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Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Terracuda Welding Helmet #K3039-4
$75 MFR Rebate
$367.50
$545.00
SAVE $177.50
Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Terracuda Welding Helmet
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3M Speedglas Welding Helmet 9000 W/O ADF Welding Filter
$76.60
$98.74
SAVE $22.14
3M 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet 9000
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Our most popular welding helmets include:

Miller Digital Infinity Series Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

Miller Digital Infinity Series

Lincoln Electric Viking 3350 Series auto-darkening welding helmet

Lincoln Electric Viking 3350 Series

Miller Classic Series Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

Miller Classic Series


clearance sale on select miller welding helmets

How to Find the Best Welding Helmet

Whether you’re a welding professional or a hobbyist, choosing the right welding helmet is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Welding helmets must provide adequate protection to your face and eyes while remaining comfortable enough to wear throughout the welding process. So what sets welding helmets apart? Welding helmets are differentiated mainly by price, shade style, comfort and style.

How Much Should You Spend On A Welding Helmet?

Some welding helmets can cost as little as $45 while others can cost nearly $3,000. The amount you should spend depends on what features are important to you. Welding helmet prices depend on their construction, whether they are auto-darkening or passive shade and any other optional features. For example, some welding helmets feature powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) that deliver filtered air for the operator to breathe. PAPR systems can be necessary when welding in environments with little or no ventilation.

Passive shade and auto-darkening welding helmets for sale online

Auto-darkening Vs Passive Shade Helmets

The primary difference between passive shade welding helmets and auto-darkening helmets is the lens. With a passive shade helmet, the colored glass doesn’t lighten or darken, while auto-darkening helmets have lenses that automatically darken when you start your torch and turn clear when you shut it off.

Traditional Passive Shade Helmets

Many professional welders favor a traditional helmet with a glass lens and fixed shade. These traditional passive lens helmets provide inexpensive protection. But every time you want to examine your welds you have to lift the helmet, then re-position and secure it when you flip it down. It's a quick and simple movement, but multiplied by hundreds of times over the course of a day and it can use up a lot of time and energy and put a strain on your neck.

Auto-Darkening Helmets

Auto-darkening helmets not only protect against harmful light emissions, but the helmet’s shade easily changes back and forth between light and dark states without having to lift or completely remove the helmet. They're comfortable and come in a wide range of colors and graphics, so you can bring a bit of personality to work with you. Panoramic auto-darkening helmets add another layer of comfort and efficiency with a 180° field of view.

 Passive Shade HelmetsAuto-Darkening Helmets
Pros
  • Lower cost
  • Replacement lenses are less expensive
  • Quickly change out lenses
  • Lighter weight
  • No batteries required
  • No need to adjust sensitivity controls
  • No need to lift or remove helmet to see your work
  • Reduced chance of repetitive neck stress injury
  • Narrow helmet design suited for work in tight spaces
  • Semi-transparent state provides UV and infrared protection
  • Some helmets have side windows for better visibility   
Cons
  • Difficult to see tip of torch when you start welding
  • Head movement to snap the helmet down can cause neck injury  
  • Need a variety of lenses for every welding environment
  • More expensive and slightly less optically sound
  • Only fully adjustable shade helmets provide a complete range of tints  
  • Lenses are more fragile
  • Replacement lenses are considerably more expensive
Examples

Two Great Passive Shade Helmet Options: 

Two Great Auto-Darkening Helmet Options: 


Safety & Visibility Standards

When it comes to welding helmets, safety is king. Standards such as ANSI Z87.1 and CEN 1/1/1/1 ensure that welding helmets provide adequate clarity and protection for welders. Different brands utilize these standards to guarantee the quality and performance of their helmets.

Welding helmet visibility standards compared

ANSI Z87.1 - US Standard for Eye Protection

All welding helmets in the U.S. must comply with the ANSI Z87.1 standard, ensuring passive eye and face protection even if the lens fails. This standard mandates a light transmittance test to regulate visibility at each shade setting, measuring visibility from 0-100% (0% being no visibility, 100% being a clear view). Each lens shade must meet specified minimum and maximum light transmission percentages to ensure optimal clarity and eye protection, reducing fatigue. Compliance with ANSI Z87.1 guarantees both safety and performance in welding helmets.

CEN 1/1/1/1 - European Standard for Optical Clarity

You may have seen welding helmets advertised with "1/1/1/1" clarity. These numbers refer to the EN 379 CEN standard for optical clarity, and are required for auto-darkening welding helmets sold in Europe. Ratings evaluate the light quality and scattered light from the welding cartridge across four classes (x/x/x/x):

1. Lens distortion

2. Lens uniformity and impurities

3. Consistent darkness of the lens

4. Clarity and darkness consistency when viewing the arc at an angle

Helmet ratings range from 3 (lowest) to 1 (highest) and are expressed as x/x/x/x (e.g., 1/1/1/2). These optical clarity ratings are separate from ANSI welding helmet requirements.

Other Visibility Standards

Some welding helmet manufacturers use their own visibility standards. Miller helmets, for example, utilize ClearLight 2.0 technology, which provides even greater clarity and color accuracy than helmets that meet the 1/1/1/1 standard.

Auto-darkening welding helmets for sale online

How A Welding Helmet Should Fit

Your welding helmet should fit snugly and securely against your head. Your helmet should only move when your head moves, and should not rattle when you move. When trying on a helmet, be sure to wear any bandanas or welding caps you would normally have on when you’re actually welding. Make sure the helmet is light enough and comfortable enough to wear for long periods. Lighter, more comfortable helmets will usually cost more but can be well worth it when you weld for extended periods.

Welding Helmet Styles

The pattern and design of your welding helmet should your unique style and personality. Are you a patriot? You’ll love Miller’s Digital Infinity Stars & Stripes helmet. Or perhaps you’ll prefer the badass look of the Departed Digital Infinity helmet. More of a minimalist? Check out the Miller Classic Series VSi helmet. Regardless of your style, you’ll find that cool welding helmet you’ve been looking for in the diverse selection available from Welders Supply.

Welding Helmet Accessories—Welders Supply Has Everything You Need

Whether it’s your first welding helmet or your fifth, it’s inevitable you’ll need to replace a lens or a battery holder. You may also want to add a respirator or a sweatband/strap pad. Welders Supply has virtually every helmet accessory available at the lowest possible prices. If you don’t see what you need, we’ll do our best to track it down for you.

Helmet Accessories Available at Welders Supply:

  • Replacement headgear
  • Replacement lenses
  • Batteries and battery holders
  • Respirators and replacement filters
  • Sweatbands and pads
  • Helmet bibs
  • Ear and Neck protectors

Related Categories

Our welding helmet supplier carries an assortment of welding helmets for all different types of welding and applications. From flux core helmets to torch cutting, we've got it all:

Shop Welders Supply for the best deals on welding safety equipmentauto-darkening helmets or Miller helmets.
Tillman Elk Skin Welding Gloves #850
Tillman Elkskin Welding Gloves
$33.75
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Jackson Nemesis Safety Glasses Smoke/Mirror #25688
Jackson Nemesis Safety Glasses Smoke/Mirror #25688
$6.25
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Jackson Safety VIBE Earmuff #20774
Jackson Safety, VIBE Earmuff
$20.65
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Miller Classic Series Welding Helmet with ClearLight™ Lens Technology, VS Black #287803
Miller Series Welding Helmet with ClearLight™ Lens Technology, VS...
$109.25
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Tillman Leather Welding Jacket #3280 Man wearing fashionable yellow jacket made from top quality leather torso only
Tillman Leather Welding Jacket
$88.65
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ANSI Class 2 Break-Away Hi-Vis Safety Vest, Orange
CLASS 2 BREAKAWAY POLYESTER HI-VIS SAFETY VEST (ORANGE)
Starting at $7.15
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Miller Fastip Contact Tips #2061(86,87,88,89,90)
Miller Fastip Contact Tips 2061(86,87,88,89,90)
$49.30
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Miller Millermatic 211 #907614 - 6 Free items with purchase
Millermatic 211 Autoset Mig Welder #907614
$1,935.00
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Tillman Mechanics Glove #1490
Tillman TrueFit Mechanics Glove
$15.15
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Revco BSX Welders Backpack
BSX Welders Backpack, Tool Bag, Gig Bag
$119.25
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