Last Updated on January 8, 2022 by Luis Ferency
The wrong welding helmet can lead to a slew of issues. It has the potential to turn off your working mode and disrupt your mental tranquility throughout business hours. Because the helmet is worn at all times during welding, it becomes an appendage of the welder. Because the helmet never goes off while you’re performing, you must be comfy with it.
Indeed, uncomfortable gear has a significant influence on your work and has the potential to spoil your day. This is why, in order to work correctly, you need to learn everything there is to know about your equipment.
Furthermore, learning about different helmets enhances your comprehension and aids in the development of a solid welding profession. The good news is that a decent helmet provides both protection and mobility.
There are many different types of welding helmets in the marketplace. Your efficiency, welding cleanliness, and safety may all be improved with the appropriate helmet.
Helmets for newbies, finding the appropriate helmet has become a difficult task. This article will explain the many types of welding helmets and their benefits and drawbacks. And you’ll be able to discover the appropriate helmet for your requirements.
Different Types Of Welding Helmets
There are different types of welding helmets available to the general public. Each has its own set of characteristics and benefits for welders. You must choose one based on your requirements, choices, price, and characteristics. The most important thing is to ensure that the welding helmet you select complies with the State Regulatory Standards.
I’ve prepared an instructive article detailing several types of welding helmets to assist you weld more appropriately.
Let’s go through each type further in-depth:
1. Passive Welding Helmet
It is the most simple welding helmet available. The passive welding helmet isn’t a flashy, updated helmet, but it doesn’t detract from its usefulness. It’s well-crafted and built of long-lasting materials. It shields the user from flying items, UV radiation, and the intense heat produced during welding.
The most frequent lens found on passive welding helmets is 10; however, other lenses may be purchased.
The difficulty with this sort of helmet is that you have to take it off before you can see what you’re performing. This could be an issue if you’re a newbie to welding because you can’t see your work via the lens.
On the other hand, many skilled welders may use a passive welding helmet to set up their job and perform the weld.
- Advantages
Few advantages of passive welding helmets are:
- Lenses are cheap and simple to change.
- It’s uncomplicated and simple to use.
- It is far less expensive than other modern helmets.
- Disadvantages
As above we have mentioned its advantages, now let’s discuss its drawbacks:
- Lenses are easily broken.
- After every arc, you need to lift the helmet to inspect your work.
- The lens is kept dark.
This was a Passive Welding Helmet.
2. Leather Welding Helmet
The leather helmet covers your entire face. It’s best used for outside welding since it eliminates glare. They have glass protection for your eyes and wrap over your head, covering all from your shoulders up. They have a darkened glass that can be flipped down and up.
- Advantages
- It’s comfortable and durable.
- It’s perfect for working in confined places.
- It protects your whole face and eyes from the spark.
- Disadvantages
- Less adaptable than other welding helmets
- Wearing for long periods might be unpleasant
3. Pancake Helmet
A pancake welding helmet may be unfamiliar to newbies. Their pancake-like form has earned them their moniker. A balsa box is a key factor that makes them required for outdoor welding. The balsa box is a tiny wooden box that covers the face and holds the lens in place. The balsa box may be used as eyewear, blocking off any light that may bounce off the interior of the shaded lens.
This is very useful for outdoor welders, particularly pipeline welders.
- Advantages
- Pancake helmets are light in weight and can be used for a longer time.
- The wooden box glasses block light from both sides and behind you, allowing you to see clearly.
- The helmet’s pancake design protects your face from all sides.
- The balsa box’s smoothness makes it a pleasant fit.
- Disadvantages
- These are only used for pipeline or outdoor welding.
- It’s not suitable for indoor use.
4. Solar Welding Helmet
These helmets include a locked battery that can’t be changed because it’s supposed to be replenished by sunlight. The helmet will be powered by the cell at first, but solar will keep it running. Even though you’re not in direct sunlight, the batteries power your helmet, and the Ultraviolet rays generated when the arc is active are used as a solar power supply, charging the batteries.
- Advantages
- As the power pack doesn’t perform much work, solar helmets might be cost-effective. Moreover, while the helmet is not in use, the lens is automatically turned off. This enhances the solar helmet’s cost-effectiveness.
- Disadvantage
- The fact that a solar helmet is not prepared to be used is one of the causes why many welders are hesitant to operate it. And one has to remember to put it in the sun the day before a project to recharge it. Failure to do so would result in valuable work time being squandered, which might be highly costly.
Choose Best Helmets
There are many different viewpoints on which helmet type is the best. However, the headgear you choose should be depending on your own preferences, the activities you need to do, and safety regulations.
The headgear should be durable and robust enough to endure external pressures while also protecting you from the heat generated. Take into account the safety regulations, your wallet, and your choices while selecting the right helmet.
You will not only comprehend the many types of welding helmets after researching this topic, but you will also be able to choose which type is best for you based on your employment conditions. To make a more accurate and faster welding helmet, the producer generally blends two or more kinds.
If welding is a component of your profession, spend some time researching the many types of welding headgear in the marketplace before making a decision. This minor effort pays off in the long run.
Conclusion
So, here it comes to the end of this article, and indeed, after reading this writing, you would have understood how much a helmet is an essential component of your safety during welding work; and moreover, we have discussed few types of welding helmets that will help you in choosing the best one for you

Terje Chuck from Dallas, TX has welding experience of 30+ years. He believes in providing quality metal products while keeping the work environment safe and clean. He is one of our biggest resources that is skilled at interpreting blueprints to assemble them in a structure as per specifications.