Whether you weld full-time or part-time, everyone who welds knows how important selecting the best welding helmet for your needs is.
A good welding helmet becomes an extension of the welder, which results in higher production numbers and better-quality welds.
MIG welding can put down a lot of metal in a short time, so you need to be confident in your welding helmet’s ability to withstand hours of high heat and provide reliable darkening time after time.
You’re in the right place if you’re a MIG welder and could use a new welding helmet. After hours of research to find out which are the best welding helmets for MIG, I’ve narrowed down the list of the best to the five top performers.
Here they are, with a short review of each one of them:
Review contents
Best Welding Helmet for MIG – Guide and Review
Here is a quick guide to the different types of welding helmets available, so you can decide which is best for your needs.
Auto-darkening Welding Helmets
Auto-darkening welding helmets are becoming increasingly popular as they offer several advantages over traditional ones.
They automatically adjust the level of protection they provide based on the arc light intensity, meaning that you don’t have to constantly change your helmet while welding.
This can save you a lot of time and hassle and means that you’re less likely to expose yourself to harmful UV rays accidentally.
Passive Welding Helmets
Passive welding helmets have a fixed shade lens, meaning you’ll need to adjust your position to protect your eyes from the arc light.
These types of helmets do not provide as much protection as auto-darkening helmets, but they are often lighter and more comfortable to wear for long periods. A passive helmet may be a good option for you if you’re only doing occasional welding or working in well-lit conditions.
Solar Powered Welding Helmets
Solar-powered welding helmets use solar cells to power the auto-darkening filter, so you don’t need to worry about batteries running out mid-weld.
These types of helmets are more expensive than other types, but they offer the convenience of not worrying about replacing batteries.
Battery Powered Welding Helmets
Battery-powered welding helmets are the most common type of helmet on the market, as they offer a good balance of features and price.
The downside of battery-powered helmets is that you’ll need to replace the batteries regularly, which can be a hassle. However, most batteries will last for several welding sessions before needing to be replaced.
Fiberglass Welding Helmets
Fiberglass welding helmets are made from a lightweight material, making them more comfortable to wear for long periods.
They also offer protection from UV rays and arc light, although they are not as durable as other types of helmets.
Fiberglass helmets are often cheaper than different types of helmets, making them a good option if you’re on a budget.
What to Look for When Buying a Welding Helmet
When you’re in the market for a welding helmet, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind to choose the best one for your needs.
Here are a few factors to consider:
- The type of welding you’ll be doing. There are helmets specifically designed for different types of welding, so be sure to choose one that’s appropriate for the kind of welding you’ll be doing most often.
- The level of protection you need. Some helmets offer more protection than others, so consider how much exposure to welding fumes and heat you’ll be getting and choose a helmet accordingly.
- The design and features that are important to you. Welding helmets come with various features, from automatic darkening filters to ventilation systems, so decide which features are most important to you and look for a helmet that offers them.
Best Welding Helmet Brands
If you’re in the market for a new welding helmet, you might wonder which brand is the best.
There are a few factors to consider when choosing a welding helmet brand, such as price, features, and durability.
To help you decide, we’ve compiled a list of the best welding helmet brands on the market today.
Miller Electric
Miller Electric is one of the leading manufacturers of welding equipment and supplies. Their products are known for their quality and durability.
Lincoln Electric
Lincoln Electric is another top brand in the welding industry. Their products are also known for their quality and durability.
Hobart Welders
Hobart Welders is a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Their products are known for their quality, performance, and value. They offer a wide range of welding products and supplies.
ESAB Group
ESAB Group is a global leader in designing and manufacturing welding and cutting equipment and consumables. Their products are known for their quality, performance, and value.
AUDEW Solar Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Arc Tig Mig
This auto-darkening welding helmet can be used to weld and grind. It will protect your eyes and face under the harshest welding conditions.
Welders know that being able to see is everything. Audew uses a 92mm x 42mm window to give you the best field of view possible.
When you buy this welding helmet, you’ll get the complete picture of your welding zone, so you don’t miss anything.
It’s Adjustable
You can change the performance of this welding helmet to suit your needs. In grinding mode, you get the protection of shade 4, but in welding mode, you can select between shade 9 to shade 13 based on the light conditions and how many amps you’re running.
The auto-darkening features respond in a mere 1/30000 second, and you can adjust the sensitivity of the auto-darkening. No matter what conditions you’re in, this welding helmet is ready.
It Looks Great
While this welding helmet uses a standard shape, the paint job is anything but. It’s got a black background with a grid of silver welding beads, three skeleton hands, and a nasty-looking skull painted on the right side.
This helmet will protect you while you’re welding, and you’ll look great doing it!
Features:
- Lithium batteries with solar charging
- 1/30000 response time
- Large viewing window
- For welding or grinding
- External darkness adjustment
- Shades 9 to 13
- The excellent skull paint job looks custom
DEKOPRO Welding Helmet - Solar Power Auto Darkening Welding Helmet - Adjustable Shade Range 4/9-13 for Mig Tig - Arc Welder Mask (Blue Eagle)
DEKOPRO Auto Darkening Solar Welding Helmet ARC TIG MIG Weld Welder Lens Grinding Mask New Black Design
Coocheer Solar Arc Tig Mig Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet MIG
But don’t let the good looks fool you; this helmet is made to work.
Auto Darkening
You don’t have to worry about missing the mark when you strike an arc wearing this welding helmet. It’s auto-darkening, so you can see where you’re about to start your weld.
This helmet will go from light to dark in only 1/30000th of a second, so damage to your eye is not the question. The time to transition from dark back to light is between .8 seconds and .15 seconds, which seems instant.
Battery
You won’t be replacing any batteries with this welding helmet. It’s got some high-quality lithium batteries installed, which are recharged by the solar cells while you weld!
The projected battery life is ten years, so this helmet should last long. Don’t forget to charge your batteries in the sun after a prolonged storage period to avoid arc flashes.
Shades
With this quality welding helmet, you can choose which shade of eye protection you prefer. On the grinding setting, you get the security of shade 4, which is perfect for sparks.
On the welding setting, you can choose between shade nine and shade 13, so you always get the darkness you need without changing glass filters.
Features:
- Sensitivity adjustment
- Solar cells and lithium battery10 year life expectancy
- Grinding function96mm x 48mm window size
- Polypropylene mask material
- Adjustable from shade 9 to 13
TOOLIOM Welding Helmet Auto Darkening Solar Powered with Adjustable Shade 4/9-13 for TIG MIG ARC Flaming Skull Design Welder Mask
TEKWARE Large Viewing True Color Solar Powered Auto Darkening Welding Helmet, Hemispherical 4C lense, 4 Arc Sensor Wide Shade Range 4/5-9/9-13 Welder Mask for Mig Tig Arc Grinding Plasma, Black
Neiko 53932A Auto-Darkening TIG/MIG Welding Helmet
It’s auto-darkening and has all of the features welders prefer.
It’s Unique
It seems normal until you look below the viewing window, where the fire-resistant plastic morphs into a skeleton! You don’t see welding helmets that look like this every day. If you buy this one, you’ll know that it’s yours.
All the parts are there, including the nose, jawbone, and teeth, and it’s all painted nicely in an impressive red, white, and black paint job that pops. If you’re looking for a different welding helmet from the rest, this one’s for you.
Arc Flash Protection
The Neiko welding helmet uses auto-darkening technology by way of a lithium battery with solar assist. It has a darkening adjustment from shade 9 to shade 13, which you can change while welding.
The lens changes from light to dark in an impressive 1/25000 second, so you know you’re minimizing any damage to your eyes. There is no grinding setting on this welding helmet.
Included
If you subject your welding helmets to heavy use, you already know that you’ll need some extra parts to keep your helmet up to snuff. Luckily for you, Neiko has that covered.
This welding helmet includes an extra cover lens to maintain the quality of your vision and a spare lithium battery you can use when the first one wears out. That’s the extras you need to keep welding for a long time.
Features:
- Battery power with solar assist
- Includes an extra cover lens and lithium battery
- Lightweight
- large viewing window
- Shade 9 to shade 13 adjustable
- Working temperature 23 degrees to 130 degrees
- UV and IR protection for your face
HZXVOGEN 3.94"X3.66" Large Viewing Screen True Color Solar Powered Auto Darkening welding Helmet 4 Arc Sensor Wide Shade 4~5/9-9/13 for TIG MIG Arc Weld Grinding Welder Mask (Model:LY800F)
YESWELDER Large Viewing Solar Powered Auto Darkening Welding Helmet, True Color Highest Optical 1/1/1/1, 4 Arc Sensor Wide Shade 4/5-9/9-13 Welder Mask Hood with Grinding for TIG MIG MMA Plasma
Amdirect Welding Helmet Solar AUTO Darkening MIG
This welding helmet features a cool design that has a black background with blue flames and lightning bolts.
It will provide you with 16 levels of UV protection and is suitable for all types of welding except for laser.
Dual Arc Sensors
When you use an auto-darkening welding helmet, you want it to work. Nobody enjoys looking at a flash of light brighter than the sun, which can damage your eyesight to boot.
To avoid instances of being flashed, Amdirect has used a dual arc sensor configuration with this helmet to double the light sensitivity. One sensor on each side of your face ensures your window goes dark whenever you need it to.
Response Times
When researching auto-darkening welding helmets, always compare the performance of the lens response times. On this welding helmet, the lens changes from light to dark in 1/30000 second, which is pretty standard.
The turn time from dark back to light is between .8 seconds and .15 seconds, which you can adjust to your liking. This welding helmet matches far more expensive ones in the performance department.
Grinding Function
When I learned to weld, I had to remove my helmet and put on a face shield to grind.
Now, all you have to do is change your welding helmet from welding to grinding with the twist of a knob. It instantly goes to shade 4 of UV protection, which is perfect for sparks.
Welders love how easy it is to switch back and forth between welding and grinding using this helmet; it saves lots of time.
Features:
- Ten years life expectancy
- Lithium battery with solar cells
- Adjustable turn time and sensitivity
- Grinding function
- Dual arc sensors
- 96 x 48mm viewing lens
- Shade 9 to shade 13 UV protection
AUDEW Adjustable Solar Auto Darkening Welding Helmet TIG MIG
This welding helmet from Audew has a paint scheme that will make the guys at work jealous.
It also has all the quality features that come standard with Audew welding helmets.
Transformers
If you’re into Transformers, this is the welding helmet for you. It has an excellent paint scheme that looks fantastic. The background is all black, but some robotic silver accents are added, and the Transformers logo is on the chin.
Megatron is displayed on each side of the helmet, and he looks angry. The paint job is top-notch and glossy, and it seems like you had it done at a custom shop with an airbrush.
Headgear
Regarding fit and comfort, you must closely examine the headgear chassis that comes with your welding helmet. Audew has one of the best headgear in the business, and you’ll appreciate it.
The crown adjustment lets you control the height of your helmet on your head, the ratchet knob in the back allows you to adjust to the size of your head quickly, and the two side knobs allow for tilt adjustment so you can always see your work. For fit and comfort, this welding helmet can’t be beaten.
Adjustments
Unlike other welding helmets that make you select an exact shade for darkness selection, this one lets you adjust variably. That means you can fine-tune the darkness you need for the particular situation.
That’s the kind of high-quality feature only found on welding helmets at four times the price of this one. The shade range is from 9 to 13, and the sensitivity of the auto feature can also be adjusted. Serious adjustments make this a severe welding helmet.
Features:
- Transformers-themed paint job
- Variable shade adjustment
- Comfortable headgear
- Grinding mode
- Large viewing window
- Lithium batteries and solar cells
- Sensitivity adjustment
- 9 to 13 shade UV protection
iMeshbean® Pro Cool Skull Style Solar Auto-darkening Welding & Grinding Arc Tig Mig Helmet Adjustable Shade 9-13 with 2 Pcs Extra Lens Covers #1052
Solar Power Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Blue Eagle Design with Wide Lens Adjustable Shade Range 4/9-13 for Mig Tig Arc Weld Grinding Welder Mask
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Final Verdict
If you’re a welder searching for a new welding helmet that’s great for MIG welding, all five listed above are quality choices.
However, I must name an overall champion whenever I research a product.
For the winner of Best Welding Helmet for MIG, I choose the AUDEW Adjustable Solar Auto Darkening Welding Helmet.
It’s got a great range of protection from 9 to 13 with an external variable control, grinding mode, comfortable and adjustable headgear, and a sweet Transformers-themed paint job.
Overall, it’s a product you would be comfortable paying twice as much for, but you don’t have to. What can be better than that?
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