Best Welding Helmets for Beginners – Reviews & Buying Guide 2023

Did welding materials spark your interest enough to start welding? You would need the best welding helmet for beginners to step into the game for starters. Being new to welding, you might feel either overwhelmed or underwhelmed when choosing the best welding helmet. Moreover, welding helmets are a necessity, so you need to start looking for one as soon as you take an interest.

When I started my welding business, the first thing that came to my mind was choosing my welding helmet? But after having spent many years in the welding business, I can choose the best according to my experience and research. 

A beginner’s welding helmet must be lightweight, easy to carry, and must have auto-darkening features or a dual shade lens option. Also, the lens that filters bright rays of welding and protects your eyes from UV rays is the most important feature of your welding helmet. One of the major welding problems is the heat of the welding arc and exposure to harmful rays. Therefore you need a welding helmet that provides full face and neck protection.

Luckily for you, we have been testing many welding helmets, and we will recommend only the best ones. No need to waste your time or money. You can choose from the under-given best welding helmets for beginners. In addition to the best welding helmets for beginners, we have provided you with some useful features that need your attention when getting a welding helmet. Let’s get right into it. 

TOP PICKS

Best Welding Helmets for Beginners 2023

1. Jackson Safety BH3

Featuring perfect 1/1/1/1 optical clarity and advanced blader technology, Jackson safety BH3 provides enhanced visibility. In addition to that, the auto-darkening filter lens has a shade range of 9-13. This welding helmet for beginners provides a guard from arc welding. Also, not many welding helmets come with a curved fume-deflecting design, but BH3 has that! Moreover, the headgear can be adjusted to three positions. Thus allowing you to minimize or maximize the distance between the face and helmet. You may also check: Best Budget Welding Helmets

To top it all off, Jackson Safety BH3 has all auto-darkening welding helmet properties. You can easily modify the delay settings along with sensitivity. However, the shade is changed automatically at the speed of 0.00015 seconds. Here’s a good deal that comes with the package of the BH3 welding helmets. You get Jackson headgear that is compatible with different Jackson’s welding helmets. Plus, it comes with a five-year-long warranty that shows its long-lasting performance. Lastly, adding extra comfort, the design keeps down the fog and heat inside the welding helmet. 

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2. DEKOPRO Welding Helmet

DEKOPRO MZ-236 has an adjustable sensitivity option, 9-13 shade range, grind mode access, and two sensors. The optical clarity of this beginner helmet’s lens is close to perfect, that is 1/2/1/2, which gives an accurate view. Also, it takes only 1/15000 seconds to change the lens’s filter from light to dark. Along with a speedy switch, you can set it to delay setting as well. All this combined gives high safety to your eyes. Moreover, this welding helmet meets the standard of ANSI safety. 

This beginner welding helmet is extremely easy to use manually. You get grind mode access, delay setting, shade range, and headgear knob, all on the sides of the welding helmet. This helps in quick functioning during welding as you can readily adjust shades and modes! 

Being lightweight, this helmet provides comfort to the welder. In addition to that, the welding helmet comes with an adaptable headband that can fit different head sizes. Making long-time welding easier, it features solar power plus a lithium battery that can last for 5000+ hours. For durability, DEKOPRO MZ-236 is made up of long-lasting and friction-resistant Polypropylene material.

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3. Miller Electric 282000

When it comes to welding helmets or equipment, Miller doesn’t disappoint. First of all, the Miller Electric welding helmet owns clear light technology that gives an optical clarity of 1/1/1/2. Also, it is an auto-darkening welding helmet that helps to protect your eyes during welding. It features 4 Arc sensors that work best for low Amp welding at a reaction time of 1/20000 seconds. You can trust this for safety as it is certified as a safety standard by ANSI. 

Miller electric 282000 auto-darkening welding helmet is highly convenient and versatile. The reason for that is its three different modes. Namely, weld, cut, and grind. Moreover, you can use X mode for TIG and MIG. This electric welding helmet allows easy adjusting of various welding settings like delay, shade, and sensitivity setting. Another attractive feature is its long-lasting battery that can last for 3000 hours! 

Let’s talk about design; Miller 282000 is made to be lightweight and gives a decent look as well. The headgear is highly moveable that can adjust to different head sizes. For the most part, this welding helmet gives zero stress to the neck, which makes welding easy and safe. Also, I liked the large push buttons that helped me switch the modes according to my choice. Lastly, a bag, five protected front lenses, and two shaded lenses are included in the package. 

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4. Lincoln Viking 3350

Do you hate single patterned welding helmets and need something more unique? Lincoln Viking 3350 has ten different colors and patterns you can go for! This auto-darkening welding helmet is famous for its 4C lens technology that helps in a clear and vivid color view of the arc and puddle. But design is not the only thing it brings to the table. This welding helmet for beginners features 4C lens technology that gives perfect 1/1/1/1 optical clarity. You get the true color optical view, and according to studies, this welding helmet has the best viewing clarity out of all! 

Moreover, the viewing area is comparatively large, so you can have a full view while welding. Also, it features four Arc sensors that function at great speed to protect your eyes. 5-13 auto-darkening shade range, external grind mode access, and hard hat compatibility increase the value of Viking 3350. Furthermore, the headgear is extremely comfortable. It’s easy to adjust and comes with a front and back cushioned surface. This provides huge comfort to your neck and protection to your head while welding any type of material. Having a three years warranty shows the durability of the Lincoln Viking 3350. You can easily switch between shades and grind modes as you can select them manually by rotating the side controlling knobs!

Pros 

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5. Yeswelder Welding Helmet

Yeswelder manufacturers have given various models of welding helmets you can select from. For beginners, we recommend getting the Yeswelder LYG-Q800D model. This is made up of propylene and nylon plastic material, and its main strength is anti-strong arc light. Moreover, you get perfect protection from infrared rays and UV rays due to shade 16. 

Approaching its features, firstly, it has a large front view with an optical clarity of 1/1/1/2. Secondly, the side viewing material is DIN5 non-auto-darkening. This welding helmet for beginners allows you to have a full view of welding progress without moving your neck back and forth. Also, having three modes help in welding various materials. Similar to all welding helmets, you get delay, shade range, and sensitivity adjustability but with more speed! The shade range varies from 4/5-9 and 9-13, and you can switch without much hindrance. 

Another asset of this welding helmet is that it comes with a cheating lens. Aside from that, a storage bag is also included. To give you easiness, it features a neck cushion on the adjustable headgear. Work for a long haul without worrying about back pain!

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6. TEKWARE Anti-fog Welding Helmet

With a switching speed of 1/10000 and 1/1/1/2 optical clarity, TEKWARE gives an amazing true color optical experience. This beginner’s helmet is best suited for TIG, MIG, and MMA weldings. Also, the two arc sensors offer standard safety to your eyes. The large front viewing area is of auto-darkening filter lens, whereas side viewing areas are non-auto-darkening. Making sure that the welder does not experience any kind of disturbance, this welding helmet is anti-fogging. This means that there will be no fogging up or blurriness on the lens. You will get high-quality vision while welding. 

In addition to all this, it is highly adaptable to fit different spaces between your face and lens. Having grind mode access on the external side of the helmet makes it easy to use. 

With a shade range of DIN 4/9-13, you get various shades that provide a clear sight while welding. Additionally, the material does not disappoint either. The material is flame-resistant and lightweight, which gives you safety and comfort at the same time. Moreover, you get double cushioned headgear that soothes your neck and protects your head.

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Buying guide for the best welding helmet for beginners

Worried about choosing a welding helmet as a beginner? Well, we got your back. When it comes to the best welding helmet for beginners, there are a few important features that show the value of a welding helmet. Good for you! We have given you a perfectly full buying guide to help you select a welding helmet as a beginner. We have made it simple so that beginners can understand with more clarity. Let’s get to it.

Safety: 

We know you must have heard millions of times that safety is the most important thing. As a beginner, you need to note that the welding helmet must cover your eyes, neck, face, and head. A perfectly secure welding helmet comes under the safety standard of ANSI or CSA. Protecting yourself from the harmful rays that emit while welding is crucial. Therefore, make sure that the welding helmet fully protects you.

Viewing area:

Needless to say, the viewing area of the welding helmet will affect your welding performance. Note that every welding helmet shows the viewing area in inches. We recommend getting a larger viewing area for TIG welding or more visibility. However, for beginners three and quarter inches viewing area is required and is a good size to start welding. 

Type of welding helmets:

Here’s the deal, there are various divisions of welding helmets based on different points. But, there are two main types of welding helmets, namely Auto-darkening welding helmets and passive welding helmets. Basically, the difference between both is in the varying shade of the lens. Passive welding helmets have set dark tinted lenses generally of shade 10. In comparison, auto-darkening welding helmets have variable shades that adjust accordingly by Arc sensors. Welders who weld a single material can get passive welding helmets; however, for different types of welding and materials, get an auto-darkening one. 

Arc sensors and shades:

These are the things you need to look at if you are getting an auto-darkening welding helmet. Don’t get confused; all you need to know is that there are 2 to 4 arc sensors. They protect your eyes more efficiently. The shade range of an auto-darkening is 4-13, which darkens and lightens according to welding material. One more thing that you need to pay attention to in the auto-darkening helmet is switching speed. 

Power source and battery life: 

Welding helmets work on a battery or solar power. Frankly, your best option is getting one that has both. Worry not as both of the power sources give all features needed for a better welding performance. The thing that you need to check out is battery life. According to research, the most impressive power source in welding helmets is lithium batteries. 

Comfort:

As welding helmets will be on your head the whole time you are working, getting one that fits is the key. Aside from that, the welding helmet should be easy to use, easy to wear, and should have a cushioned surface inside. Also, the weight of the helmet plays a huge role in comfort. All this will help in your productivity and will not hinder your progress. 

Price:

No need to stress over getting an advanced welding helmet as a beginner. Get one that comes at an affordable price and provides protection to your head, neck, and face. Expensive welding helmets do not always mean they are the best; the ones that give all the above features at an affordable price are preferred more. 

Final words

We hope you got more understanding of welding helmets and chose the one that you find the best. Whether you are starting welding as a part-time or as a full-time job, all these welders will serve well. Make sure to get the one you find the most useful. To make your decision procedure easy, here are our top welding helmets: 

• Best Auto Darkening helmet-Lincoln Viking 3350: This takes first place due to its amazing 4C technology along with its easy controls. As a beginner, this will help you a lot as it is highly adjustable and works well for heavy-duty welding as well! 
• Best Cheap welding helmet- DEKOPRO welding helmet: The second pick is DEKOPRO MZ-236. Due to the fast switching speed along with clear view welding, we had to mention this. Plus, you get all this at an affordable budget. 
• Best Budget Welding Helmet-Yeswelder LYG-Q800D welding helmet: Lastly, we have Yeswelder LYG-Q800D welding helmet. It provides overall safety along with a wide 180-viewing area. 

Faqs

1. Should I get a cheap welding helmet as a beginner?

If you are on a budget, then that’s a wise choice; just make sure you are well protected. Or you can get a budget-friendly welding helmet. 

2. Which is better for beginners, a passive or an auto-darkening welding helmet?

Both get the job done, however for convenience, auto-darkening welding helmets are preferred more. 

3. What minimum shade should I get in a welding helmet?

According to ANSI, shades 11 and 12 are for welding at 60-160 amps, 160-250 amps, and 250-500 amps, respectively.

4. Which power source is best for beginners?

Solar power is a great energy-efficient power source that beginners can go for.