Choosing an Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

The right helmet must be able to worn easily and comfortably for a full day’s work, providing flexible adjustments, while protecting their eyes and face from spatter and sparks and harmful light rays.

Today’s helmets are considerably more functional than those of even 10 or 15 years ago. They are designed to accommodate a welder’s specific needs on any job. All, including the most inexpensive, must meet strict safety standards across the globe. In the United States, that standard is ANSI Z87.1 and in Canada it is CAN/CSA Z94.3, for example. These standards address such concerns as light leakage and flame and impact resistance.

Traditional helmets

Some welders, particularly many professional pipe welders, still opt to wear traditional welding helmets with a traditional glass lens and fixed shade, which remains darkened at all times. While these helmets do provide rugged and inexpensive safety protection, they also have a few disadvantages.

Welding helmets featuring a fixed shade can be more difficult to use because a welder has to lift the helmet every time he or she wants to examine the weldment and joint, set his position and prepare for welding and then flip the helmet down again when it’s time to strike the arc. This repetitive movement can case neck strain and fatigue after a full day’s work. Additionally, in tight or restricted spaces, it can be difficult to move the helmet up or down.

Also, for less-experienced welders, it can be difficult to keep the MIG gun, TIG torch or stick electrode in the correct position to begin welding in the joint after the helmet is lowered into place. Poor weld starts can result in weld defects, something any welder obviously wants to avoid.

Some processes, like TIG welding on thinner materials, call for lower shade levels to adequately see the weld puddle to control the arc and judge appropriate travel speed.

Also review the helmet’s light sensitivity settings. Many helmets available today have settings that can toggle between between ranges, providing shades ranging from 6 to 9 or 9 to 13. This scale allows welders to optimize the shade for greater comfort on any given application. Anyone who moves between applications require changes in welding machine voltage, amperage or wire feed speed settings or changes between welding processes  can benefit from this flexibility. For example, welding on thick materials at high amperages generally requires higher shade levels. Low amperage MIG or TIG welding is best performed with low shade levels to assure adequate visibility of the welding arc puddle.

 Premium models will also allow the user to control delay and sensitivity. Modifying the helmet’s arc sensitivity helps to assure it will darken as the user desires. For example, if there are other welders operating very close by, the helmet’s arc sensor sensitivity can be reduced to help prevent triggering or darkening when those nearby welders strike their own arc.

Delay controls can be used to lengthen or shorten the amount of time it takes for the helmet to return to the light state following the completion of a weld. This can be helpful when tack welding, when the weld duration is short and the operator plans to move quickly. On the other hand, performing lengthy welds on thick materials may require that the delay be set for longer periods of time so that the operator does not have to view the larger, hotter weld nugget at the end of the weld until it has cooled for a second or two. Generally delay can be set for 0.5 seconds up to two seconds.

Internal controls are generally found on premium helmets and offer control over additional parameters.  In this case, the helmet has two shade ranges 6-9 and 9-13. It also has continuously variable shade, delay and sensitivity as well as a battery test control.

External controls are convenient but require additional wiring and can be prone to damage on the outside of the helmet.

Auto-darkening helmets are powered in different ways. Some feature replaceable lithium batteries. Others use a combination of solar cells with user replaceable lithium batteries, while other models feature solar power with a battery assist. Any of these methods work well. The choice comes down to personal preference. Helmets with user replaceable batteries offer the potential for longer total service life of the helmet as those with non-user replaceable batteries are generally anticipated to have a service life of five to seven years. On the other hand, users handling models with replaceable batteries are advised to have replacement batteries on hand. If the helmet has an on/off switch, the user must remember to turn the helmet off after use.  

For anyone involved in extensive welding, a heavy helmet can significantly increase fatigue. Newer, lightweight helmets make welding safer, easier and more comfortable. Many weigh only between 534 and 602 grams (18 to 21 ounces), even with a full-coverage shell. Some models, with smaller view sizes and more compact shells, are approaching weights as low as 15-13 ounces.

Don’t forget to try a helmet on to ensure a comfortable fit. Check that the headgear adjusts up, down, forward and back. Many headgear assemblies do not include a fore/aft adjustment to set the helmet’s distance from the face.  This can be a factor for persons with large heads or especially large facial features. Also, make sure it can easily tighten around your head. Try it on and see if the rate of fall and degree of tilt allow it to lower in a controlled manner. This means that some helmets have no damping, so that the helmet harshly falls into position. Others allow the user to set the resistance and therefore control the rate of fall and the end point to which the helmet stops when lowered into welding position. Also, check how the helmet behaves in the upward position. Does it softly lock into a detent, helping to keep it in the upward position while you work at your station? Is it well balanced in both the down and up positions, so that the helmet does not pull the user forward. Helmets with poor balance will add to neck strain and general fatigue over the course of a work shift.

Check the standard sweatband at the forehead. Is it soft and absorbent or not substantial enough to increase comfort while keeping perspiration from your eyes?

Some helmets are hard hat adaptable.
Some are not.

Beyond auto-darkening capabilities and easy-to-wear fit, today’s high-tech helmets can feature other options. Many models, for instance, are magnifying "cheater" lens capable to help older and/or near-sighted welders to see the weld puddle with sufficient clarity. For environments requiring hard hats, as in construction and many other job site environments, some some models can be equipped with an adapter that allows the user to wear both the hardhat and welding helmet for full site safety compliance while welding. 

Some auto-darkening helmets also feature grind modes, allowing the helmets to double up as grinding shields. This feature is great for weld prep or post-weld clean-up activities.

A helmet for everyone

Because helmets are highly visible and worn constantly on the job, they’re also a great vehicle for welders to allow their personalities to shine through at a jobsite or on the shop floor. There’s more to them than merely safety and utility.

Today’s welding helmets come in a variety of colors, not just standard black. Personalization doesn’t to stop there. Many models offer personalization kits with decals, while others come with a range of available pre-imprinted graphics, including such novelties as comic book superheroes, hot rods, flags, skulls, tattoo patterns and even angel wings, which were designed with female welders in mind.

While choosing the right helmet for your needs might, at first, seem daunting considering the wide variety of safety features, convenience and comfort options and personalization available. Suffice it to say, however, that in this sea of choice, there is a helmet out there for every welder and every welder’s budget.