Best Welding Helmet Under $100 of 2021: Complete Reviews With Comparisons
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There are still many old-style welding helmets available in the field today. These helmets are simple hard plastic protective face shields with heavily tinted viewing areas for blocking the light from welding guns, torches, and grinding disks. Many modern helmets can fall under a list of the best welding helmet under $100.
The best affordable helmet does not have to be so traditional that it lacks every bit of modern technology decades of welding innovators have already accomplished.
You will find affordable helmets with advantages over the old welding helmets invented in the past few decades. In these reviews, we will be discussing five modern welding protective headgear.
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Best Overall – Yeswelder LYG- L500A
Overview: Best Welding Helmets Under $100
Editors Choice
YESWELDER LYG-L500A
Main Features
- Optical Class 1/1/1/2
- 3.64 x 1.67 in Viewing Area
- Weight 1.9 lbs
- Lithium Ion Batteries Required
YESWELDER creates high-quality welding tools and protective gear for many welders. The M800 series welding helmet is a fantastic option if you are just getting started.
It has excellent features that you would typically find in a more expensive welding helmet. With multiple designs, you also can choose a helmet that fits your personality the best.
The viewing area is ideal for providing added productivity to your welding. You will not experience tunnel vision with the large size. The helmet does feature four arc sensors and a switch time from light to dark in 1/10000s.
The Pivot Style Headgear is included in most YESWELDER welding helmets. The headgear with this helmet features an oversized cushion, which is nice if you sweat a lot under a helmet. The headgear also provides multiple-point adjustability and helps reduce weight pressure from your movements.
This helmet is ideal for beginners and looking for a part-time solution for welding. Most long-term solutions do not consider it for a welding helmet, and It works best for occasional use.
What We Like
- Affordable ADF welding helmet
- True Color view
- Light Weight
- Provides great comfort
What We Don't Like
- Not a long-term solution
- Flash burns or Arc Flashes have occurred
Most Affordable
TOOLIOM TL-EF9242
Main Features
- True Color View
- 3.62 x 1.65 in. Viewing Area
- Weight 1.65 lbs
Another product to check out when looking for an affordable welding helmet is the TOOLIOM TL Series. TOOLIOM offers a wide range of welding helmets, and many of them have aesthetic decals. However, the TL Series welding helmets have a simple, all-black design, similar to the YESWELDER we previously reviewed.
A remarkable feature of this helmet is the manually operated controls you can set. Although it features auto-darkening, the helmet also lets you adjust the shade, delay, and sensitivity. It also has a grind button feature if you need that operation in your welding process. All of these features provide tons of value for an affordable helmet option.
You should be aware of a few drawbacks with his helmet. This helmet does not feature many operating modes in comparison with the competition. There isn’t a light shade, so it is not suitable for non-arc welding tasks.
What We Like
- Includes magnifying lens slot
- True Color view
- Exterior headgear knobs and shade knob
- Sweat absorbing headgear
- Manually adjust controls
What We Don't Like
- No light shade; not suitable for non-arc welding tasks
- Heavier option at 2.35lbs
Lightweight
Lincoln Electric K3419
Main Features
- Oversized Sweatband
- 3.82 x 1.73 in Viewing Area
- Weight 1.5 lbs
Lincoln Electric is a Fortune 1000 company that specializes in welding products. It is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and it follows a trendy business model.
Lincoln has it all from welding machines, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment, welding consumables, welding robots, and protective gear. Lincoln manufactures the best welding helmets, and one of its products is the K3419-1 welding helmet.
The viewing lens measures 3.82 by 1.73 inches. Weighing only 483 grams, the Lincoln Electric K3419-1 welding helmet is the ultimate lightweight and comfortable choice.
The Lincoln Electric K3419-1 welding helmet complies with the ANSI Z87.1 and CSA Z94.3 safety standards.
This helmet also supports multiple welding operations, which is also an added benefit and value. The helmet features GMAW, GTAW, MMAW, plasma arc, and carbon arc cutting.
Most features in the helmet are in the operational controls instead of the aesthetics of the helmet. Interestingly enough, the helmet does not specify an optical class rating and does not feature a TRUE color ADF.
What We Like
- Wide ADF range
- Solar powered
- Easily replaceable AAA batteries
- Fully adjustable sensitivity and delay
What We Don't Like
- Most expensive on this list
- Smaller viewing size
- Specs do not indicate optical class rating
Best Eye Protection
Dragonite Welding Helmet
Main Features
- Unique Shell Design
- 3.86 x 3.46 in. Viewing Area
- Weight 2.68 lbs
- Lithium Ion Battery
Dragonite is not as popular as the other welding helmet models that we have discussed, but has very impressive products. This auto darkening helmet is nothing short of a great helmet at an affordable cost. Compared to the other helmets on this list, it has a large viewing area and supports different types of welding.
This Dragonite welding helmet has great saftey features to protect your eyes. The cap can automatically detect the arc in the welding process effectively. It has a high speed switch rate of 1/25000 seconds.
The helmet comes with most of the common features that we expect in a good helmet, such as true color view, a secure headgear, and a clear large view.
The functionality of the helmet is helpful for different occasions considering the cost of the helmet. It can be use for plasma cutting, grinding, TIG, MIG, stick welding and much more.
What We Like
- Wide ADF range
- Useful for multiple welding occasions
- Sweat absorbent headgear
- Optical class 1/1/1/2
What We Don't Like
- Replacement parts are hard to find
Large Viewing area
FOOWOO Welding Helmet
Main Features
- Unique Shell Options
- 3.93 X 2.4 in. Viewing Area
- Weight 2.05 lbs
FOOWOO specializes in a wide range of welding helmets. It employs advanced machinery and skilled workers to come up with strict compliance to the ISO9001 international standards.
With more than 15 years in the global market, FOOWOO produces top-quality products for both professional and entry-level welders.
The FOOWOO FDWH welding helmet also boasts a 1/1/1/2 optical class rating, and it meets the safety and technical standards of ANSI Z87.1 and EN379. It is a solar-powered welding helmet with an auto-darkening feature. The built-in auto-shading filter switches from bright to dark in 30,000th of a second.
The FOOWOO FDWH is lightweight and comfortable. It has a smooth, rounded perimeter, and its headgear has been designed to adjust to a personal fit. Its viewing lens measures 3.94 by 2.36 inches, the widest viewing area among all of the welding helmets on this list.
Moreover, while the other helmets here only have two arc sensors, the FOOWOO FDWH has four.
It also uses a solar panel and an advanced circuit to keep the helmet auto-darkening up to 5,000 hours.
What We Like
- 1/1/1/2 Optical class rating
- True Color Viewing
- Largest view area among all of these models
- Low Volume Alarm
What We Don't Like
- Uses two button-type lithium batteries
- Minimum DIN5 shade is too dark for light torch soldering
Frequently Asked Questions
There are affordable welding helmets for sale under $100 in the market that some products even resort to false advertisements to sell.
Nevertheless, very affordable welding helmets live up to all features as advertised. The products included in this list are excellent options. They are very reasonable, yet they pack plenty of modern features that can make any welding task easier.
Modern welding helmets vary in the shading settings available for operation.
Some auto-darkening welding helmets only have a minimal shade range, but others cover a complete spectrum.
To determine if a particular budget auto-shading welder helmet is safe enough for a specific welding task, check its clarity rating and shade range.
Welding goggles and auto-darkening lenses have shade ratings that vary between one and 14, shade one being fully transparent and no shade at all. Viewing lens shade requirements differ depending on the level of optical radiation a light source emits.
A safe welding helmet should be usable for a variety of welding applications. High-amperage electric arc welding emits optical radiation that necessitates protective gear with a shade 10 rating or higher.
Gas welding techniques require varying protective gear shades depending on the specific task.
When binding metals together using gas, such as acetylene and oxygen, you should wear protective eye gear with a shade rating between four and eight.
A four-rated lens ensures you have enough protection, while shade eight ensures you can still see the workpiece. On the other hand, cutting and brazing with gas welders require a shade rating between three and six. Torch brazing requires a minimum protective shade of three, while torch soldering only needs a rating of two.
The first thing to do as soon as you get your first protective gear is to learn how to adjust your auto-darkening welding helmet.
Most professional welders and beginners prefer solar-powered welding helmets over plain battery-operated models. Solar-powered welding helmets save more battery life and are therefore more cost-effective, especially when working out in the sun.
Additionally, solar-powered welding helmets absorb the UV light produced during welding, which means the batteries are recharging while the helmet is in use.
A disadvantage of solar-powered welding helmets is that they are relatively heavier than battery-powered auto-shading welding helmets. This disadvantage is that the built-in solar panels also need built-in batteries to store and convert any collected radiant energy.
