Best Welding Helmet Reviews 2023 – Auto Darkening, MIG/TIG

What We Think:

No matter what type of welding you do on the job or on a daily basis, the best welding helmet is the 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet.

The auto-darkening filter responds in just 0.1 milliseconds and will automatically detect a welding arc and force the model to darken, which keeps your eyes safe and also lets you work faster and more efficiently because you do not need to adjust it yourself.

3M Speedglas Welding Helmet designed to protect your eyes against infrared radiation and ultraviolet rays too.

Windows located on each side of the helmet increase your peripheral view, but these windows have filters that adjust in five different ways to lighten or darken each side.

Designed to mimic the natural shape of the human head, this 3M Speedglas Welding helmet has an ergonomic design that increases your comfort for extended wear and use.

Best Auto-Darkening Welding helmet suitable for stick, MIG and TIG welding. It features larger knobs for making adjustments while wearing gloves and padded straps inside.

Read 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet Full Review.

What We Think:

Though it might lack some of the features of our top pick welding helmet, this Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Series Black with 4C Lens Technology still comes with lots of features that easily secured it the number two spot.

Those features include its 4C lens technology, which lets you see more and see clearer when using it in an inactive or active state and a grind setting that works well on some jobs.

This Lincoln Electric 3350 series welding helmet comes with all necessary lenses as well as a bandana that you can wear under the model and its own carrying bag.

As a pivoting welding helmet, you’ll find that you can move more comfortably when wearing this, that it won’t get in your way and that it actually moves as you move.

The Lincoln Electric 3350 Series Auto-Darkening Helmet weighs under four pounds, which will significantly reduce the pressure and tension on your head. With an adjustable design, it comes with padded areas and straps that adjust to fit your head.

If you're looking for great MIG welding machines, check our definitive buying guide here. Read more about Lincoln Electric 3350 reviews.

What We Think:

We include Esab Sentinel A50 Auto-Darkening in our welding helmet review because it boasts incredible clarity, and in some cases looks like you’re not even wearing a welding helmet at all, while providing all the protection you need.

The Esab Sentinel A50 has an Optical Class Rating of 1/1/1/2 being best in class for vision accuracy (very low distortion), diffusion of light (no spots where light will block vision due to impurities), and luminous transmittance (even shading). The last class is where it struggles a bit: angle dependence. From some angles you will get an uneven shading, but it’s within acceptable levels.

In addition to those impressive numbers, the Esab Sentinel A50 provides a wide view screen (3.93” x 2.36”, or about 9.27 square inches), auto-darkening shades from 5 to 13 (8 memory settings, and an external button for shades 3 and 4 for grinding), and is remarkably light weight (1.4 lbs) for this type of helmet, reducing strain on your neck.

As an added bonus the Sentinel A50 amber coloring on the view screen keeps exterior colors normalized. This means your arc will still appear blue instead of some other wonky shade.

Read Esab Sentinel A50 welding helmet Full Review.

What We Think:

Weighing just 1.13 pounds, this Miller Digital Elite welding helmet is one of the most lightweight models available, and that lightweight design ensures that you can complete all your jobs without the weight of the model leaving you tired or sore.

It has a nine-inch by nine-inch viewing area that gives you a better view of your working area, and its digital design saves on energy and helps you see clearly too. The lithium batteries included provide hours of power and let you use it inside or when it’s cloudy outside.

As an auto-dark welding helmet, it detects arc welds in front of you and forces it to automatically darken to keep your eyes safe.

It comes with five lens covers that you can use on the outside and two lens covers that work on the inside, and you’ll also get a magnifying lens holder and a bag for taking it to different job sites with you.

What We Think:

This BH3 Auto-Darkening welding helmet from Jackson Safety BH3 comes with Balder technology and an auto darkening lens filter that meets all workplace standards.

Three knobs inside let you adjust the shade, delay and sensitivity without fumbling with knobs on the outside, and the band that surrounds your head has its own knob that adjusts for a looser or tighter fit.

A variable shade range of nine to 13 protects your eyes from the arcs produced and make it suitable for ARC, TIG, and MIG jobs.

Made from lightweight plastic, Jackson Safety Welding Helmets have a design that protects more of your face as well as your neck and other parts of your upper body from arcs and lights. That shell has a more durable design that absorbs impacts to help you stay even safer.

The front cover plate has a slightly curved design that that reduces fog and keeps heat from building up inside the model.

TIG welding machine is a great investment for your home but you should never discount safety that's why you must get yourself a reliable helmets as well.

Read More: Jackson Welding Helmet Reviews

What We Think:

With this Hobart 770756 Impact Variable welding helmet, you can weld for hours without worrying about your eyes because it will react and darken the model in just 1/25,000 per second after detecting an arch or flash.

The shell used on the outside of the model is resistant to impacts to help further protect your head and face. It comes with both a grind mode and a shut off mode that lets you turn it off almost instantly.

Though it comes with a number three light shade, it also has a variable shade range that you can use at numbers eight through 11. The viewing area measures 7.05 square inches to ensure that you can see the total area in front of you in both an active and inactive mode.

It has knobs for adjusting the sensitivity and delay as well as for lifting it off your face and adjustable straps that increase your comfort.

Read More: Hobart Welding Helmet Reviews

What We Think:

Another welding helmet available from Miller is this, which has a classic design that includes a solid black background, gray knobs on either side of it, a solid black background and the Miller Electric logo in the center of the welding helmet.

Weighing just two pounds, it is so lightweight that you may forget you even have it on, and its viewing area offers a clearer view of the area in front of you than other models do.

It comes with a number three lens shade that will also work at a higher setting that increases the shade range between eight and 13.

It comes with a solar battery inside that can use sunlight for power, but it can also use a standard AAA battery that will last for up to 2,000 hours when clouds are out or you can’t work outside.

It also features a ratchet that helps you adjust the fit of the model based on the size of your head.

What We Think:

Another welding helmet available from Miller is this, which has a classic design that includes a solid black background, gray knobs on either side of it, a solid black background and the Miller Electric logo in the center of the welding helmet.

Weighing just two pounds, it is so lightweight that you may forget you even have it on, and its viewing area offers a clearer view of the area in front of you than other models do.

It comes with a number three lens shade that will also work at a higher setting that increases the shade range between eight and 13.

It comes with a solar battery inside that can use sunlight for power, but it can also use a standard AAA battery that will last for up to 2,000 hours when clouds are out or you can’t work outside.

It also features a ratchet that helps you adjust the fit of the model based on the size of your head.

What We Think:

With this Instapark ADF Series GX-500S Solar Powered self darkening welding helmet, you no longer need to carry batteries with you or worry about changing out the batteries because it uses solar energy to darken the model as needed.

That filter responds in just 1/5,000 per second to ensure that you never damage your eyes, and it can instantly darken without you turning any knobs or making any other adjustments. Instapark optimized the optical clarity to reduce eye strain too.

Its funky design includes a solid black background with blue graphics across the top and sides that feature blue flames and a bright blue skull. It comes with a viewing area of 3.5-inches by 3.75-inches and both a Variable shade adjustment and a resting shade.

You can use this for MIG, TIG, and arc, and this welding helmet meets all standards put in place by professional organizations and agencies to ensure your safety on any job site.

What We Think:

Whether you do plasma cutting, MIG, TIG or even stick, you can use the Antra AH7-860-001X solar powered auto-dimming welding helmet to your advantage.

Antra even designed welding helmets for use with grinding applications, and it comes with four premium sensors that help the model respond quickly to any flash or arc.

It is compatible with both cheater lenses and magnifying lenses and has a viewing area of 3.78-inches by 3.5-inches.

A sensitivity knob instantly adjusts the sensitivity of it and filter based on your specific application, and it has delay settings that lets you pick how quickly you want it to respond.

It comes with a variable shade range from number five to number nine and then from number nine to number 13.

Not only does it respond to arcs in 1/30,000 per second, but the model also uses a solar battery that you can replace if needed.

What We Think:

Designed for MIG, TIG, and MMA applications, the Antra AH6-660-0000 Solar Power welding helmet includes a grinding feature for keeping your eyes and face safe while working.

The four sensors placed around it identify the type of work that you do and help the model know when to turn on the auto-darkening feature, and it has a larger viewing area on the front that allows you to see more of your work area. Its shade variable of 4/5 to 9/9 also makes it suitable for different welding jobs.

A knob on the side of the Antra AH6-660-0000 lets you switch between the amount of shade you want, but you can also select the grind option when doing different types of jobs. It is compatible with different lens types too, including magnifying lenses and cheater lenses, to better see the work in front of you.

You can use a knob on the welding helmet to adjust the sensitivity and delay too.

What We Think:

A 3.94-inch by 3.86-inch oversize viewing area is just one feature you’ll love on this Instapark ADF Series GX990T Solar Auto Darkening.

It features an unusual design that includes a skull on the top and flames that wrap around the welding helmet, and that design uses darker shades of both blue and black.

Four sensors on the model detect arcs and flashes and then darken the filter on it to ensure that those flashes don’t damage your eyes.

As a solar model, it can absorb light produced by the sun as well as light produced as you weld to power the helmet, which ensures that you have power when you’re working inside or out of direct sunlight. It has an extensive shade range of number five through number 13 and a resting shade of number four.

It responds in 1/30,000 of a second and features a durable outer shell that is resistant to impacts.

What We Think:

Access all the features that you need via buttons and controls on the inside of this Antra AH7-220-0000 Solar Power. One knob lets you adjust the sensitivity, while a second know lets you adjust the delay, and a small switch in the center instantly makes this model work with either welding application or grinding applications.

Though it uses just two sensors instead of four, those sensors have convenient locations around the model that help it respond just as quickly as those with four sensors do.

A 3.62-inch by 1.63-inch viewing area is larger than other models in this price range, and Antra designed it to work with both magnifying and cheater lenses. It has a minimum light shade of four and a maximum range of between nine and 13.

To ensure that you have the constant power source that you need, the manufacturer added a solar battery inside that absorbs and transforms sunlight into power.

What We Think:

For protection when MIG or TIG, you can’t go wrong with the Fibre-Metal by Honeywell Piperliner, which meets all industry standards.

Made from Superglass Plus designed by 3M, it has a self-extinguishing design that will actually put out any sparks that land on the welding helmet to keep it from catching on fire.

The material used on the outside of the model is also resistant to moisture and will not crack or split like other models do after becoming wet.

Honeywell opted for a more compact design that reduces the space between the model and your skin or head, which allows it to absorb more of the pressure of an impact.

It has a rubber headband inside that you can easily adjust to increase your comfort, and you can adjust that headband while working too.

The model, which the manufacturer guarantees are made in the United States, will flip up to help you see better, but the attached headband keeps it on your head.

What We Think:

When you graduate from a welding program and need to save some money while starting your career, this Hobart 770286 Flip Front welding helmet can help.

Though it lacks an auto-darkening feature and some of the features of our higher rated models, it does have an easy to use design with a front that flips up to let you see everywhere in front of you, but you can drop the model back down to protect your face and eyes while working.

It has a simple lens on the front that measures 4.5-inches by two-inches that provides a solid view of your working area.

Adjustable straps make it easy to adjust the fit for your head and face, and knobs on the side help you flip the model up without taking your gloves off first.

The included lens has a number 10 shade that is suitable for many welding jobs, but you can switch out that lens for using the model on other jobs.

What We Think:

One of a unique auto-darkening welding helmets that we came across is this iMeshbean Pro Cool Solar Auto Darkening Grinding, which features a solid white background with a fun and quirky design of a large mouth, complete with bright pink gums and jagged teeth, that surround the face plate.

Once you look past that design though, you’ll find a model that meets all OSHA standards to help you stay safe.

Those features include a filter shade on the front that can protect your eyes from infrared and ultraviolet lights when doing arc, TIG, MMA or MIG, but it also works well for plasma cutting too.

Instead of using batteries, it gets its power from solar rays and will automatically absorb sunlight to give you the power that you need, but it can also power itself from the lights produced as you weld.

It automatically darkens after noticing an arc and will respond in 1/30,000 per second.

What We Think:

Not only is the Antra AH7-X30P-6404 Digital Controlled Solar Powered model suitable for plasma cutting and MIG, it also works well for those who do TIG and MMA model, and it has a grinding feature as well.

The 3.86-inch by 3.5-inch viewing area is a little larger than the standard size found on other models, and it comes with four premium sensors that cut down on redundancy while ensuring that the model responds quickly to even the smallest of arcs.

It also uses a digital control that helps you avoid mistakes to ensure that you always use the right settings.

Designed to work with both cheater and magnifying lenses, it has digital controls and settings that you can see in even the lowest of lighting conditions, and you can make the adjustments that you need via the interior controls.

It has a higher sensitivity level than other models and comes with a bright LED display.

What We Think:

This Flexzion Auto-Darkening has an elongated design that allows it to more adequately protect your chin and neck from arcs and other potential hazards.

Available in a Lightning Skull design, it features a solid black background with lightning, flames, and skulls printed over the shell in shades of blue, white and gray. That shell is flame-retardant to protect your face and head, and it is lighter than other models to keep it from weighing you down.

You can pick the setting that you want for using the model during grinding applications, and it features a design that lets you adjust both the delay and the sensitivity. Both of those buttons are on the inside of the model, which keeps the buttons from getting in your way.

Though it has a solar powered design, it can also rely on internal lithium batteries to ensure that you have power when wearing the model inside or away from the sun.

What We Think:

Not all welders want basic welding helmets that uses just one color, which is why AUDEW makes this Solar Powered Self Dimming, which uses more color options and brighter shades in its design.

The design includes a large skull on one side, bones along the front and even more bones on the opposite side. An adjustable knob, which you can use with bare hands or gloves, sticks out from one side and makes it look like the skull has a cigar in its mouth.

It comes with an adjustable strap that you can remove, try with your head and create a custom fit before slipping right back inside the model, and this strap ensures that the model fits more comfortably.

Designed for use in both grinding applications, it features a 3.62-inch by 1.66-inch viewing area and an automatic power control.

AUDEW designed it to work with a solar battery, which helps it respond in 1/30,000 of a second or less.

What We Think:

Even if you aren’t part of the Gen-X Generation, you’ll still appreciate this Save Phace Chameleon Gen-X Series Mask when working.

This auto-dark welding helmet comes with a number 10 shade lens that works with the ADF lens holder, which has a 180-degree rotation and an ADF 3/10 fixed shade that meets industry standards for safety in the workplace.

Designed to look similar to a gas mask, it offers plenty of free space inside that lets you move your head while increasing your comfort.

The halo headgear that comes with this welding helmet completely surrounds your head and has nine points that adjust to fit the exact shape of your head, and this headgear also comes with a headband that absorbs the sweat you produce. At 23 square inches, the viewing area on this model is one of the largest viewing areas currently available.

Made from high-quality resistance nylon, it can absorb shocks and impacts that might otherwise lead to injuries at work.

What We Think:

Though some people will claim that you should spend a lot of money, this Z ZTDM model proves that you can get an auto darkening model at a low price.

Designed for MMG, TIG and MIG, it can work in other applications too and comes with a feature that will automatically darken the filter on the front in just a fraction of a second.

We think that you’ll also like the design, which features flames in different shades of blue against a black background with matching patterns on the front and sides.

The 3.66-inch by 1.69-inch viewing area is a little smaller than those on other models but is still large enough to give you a full view as you weld. A knob lets you adjust both the delay time as well as the sensitivity.

It has a solar function that uses sunlight to create the power necessary for using all its features.

What We Think:

The Lincoln Electric K3064-1 Variable Shade Auto-Darkening welding helmet features shades of white, blue and black as well as slightly geometric flames to make you stand out among all the other welders while working.

At just 1.5 pounds, Lincoln Electric welding helmet  is one of the lightest models that you’ll find today, and that lightweight design is great for use on longer jobs because it won’t weigh down your head or neck.

This is also a larger model designed for larger heads, but you’ll want to check the fit before you purchase it.

The Lincoln Electric K3064-1 features a viewing size of 3.82-inches by 1.73-inches that helps you see clearly without the model interfering with your field of view, and its auto darkening feature helps it respond in just 40 microseconds.

The two arc sensors work with a solar cell power supply that gets power from the sunlight. It has an extensive operating temperature range that lets you use this in more places too.

What We Think:

When you wear this Nesco 4656 Auto Darkening Solar-Powered on the job site, everyone will know that you have a fun personality and a sense of humor right off the bat.

Designed to look like the model worn and used during World War II, it features a graphic on one side of a beautiful bombshell of a woman sitting on an actual bomb ready to do a little work of her own as well as rivets painted on the edges of the model.

It also meets all safety standards for TIG and MIG.

Made from a durable material, this Nesco model is more lightweight than other models to reduce head fatigue, and the material used in the model is both flame retardant and resistant to corrosion.

Nesco 4656 comes with an outside sensitivity knob that lets you make this adjustment more easily and a variable shade that adjusts between DIN 9 and DIN 13.

What We Think:

Another option from AUDEW is this Adjustable Self Darkening Solar, which features a flame pattern on each side that uses shades of yellow, gray and white.

It comes with a fully automatic on and off feature as well as a viewing area that measures 3.62-inches by 1.66-inches, which is standard across many of these models.

Separate knobs inside let you control the delay and sensitivity of the model.

As an auto-dark model, this AUDEW welding helmet monitors the area in front of you for any flashes or arcs that can damage your eyes and darkens it in only 1/25,000 of a second.

Though it has a number four lens that works in a light state, it works with a lens of between numbers nine and 13 in its dark range.

It comes with a solar cell as well as a lithium battery that acts as backup power.

What We Think:

One of the best-fixed shade models that you can use in most welding applications is this Jackson Safety Fixed Shade W10 HSL 100 model.

It features a more narrow design than other models do, which helps you work in tighter and cramped spaces without it pressing uncomfortably against your head, and that outer shell is resistant to common hazards like moisture and impacts.

The front of it is larger than others to protect more of your neck and upper body.

Another benefit of Jackson Safety Fixed Shade welding helmet is that it is compatible with the hardhats that you might wear when working on construction sites.

It comes with a standard filter plate in a number 10 shade that is suitable for most jobs, but Jackson Safety designed that filter plate to come off, which lets you use with a different plate of your choosing based on the job at hand.

What We Think:

The TR Industrial 88024 Shade 11, ANSI Z87.1 MIG/TIG Flip-Up model has a flip-up design that lets you pull the lens and face mask up to get a better look at your project, and once you flip that mask down, it offers all the protection that you need on the job site.

Made from glass, the filter has a darker and deeper shade that helps you see the project you need to work on without the arcs produced as you weld from damaging your eyes.

It meets all safety standards put in place by OSHA and other leading organizations too.

At 4.5-inches by 5.35-inches, the viewing area on this model has a larger shape that eliminates blind spots to further increase your safety. The headband inside adjusts in two different ways to help you reach the comfort level that you need.

An included number 11 shade is suitable for most welding applications and jobs too.