You probably know that you can lose your fingers if you are not careful with welding. Did you know that you can lose your eyesight if you don’t wear the right kind of protective gear?
Article summary
Welding glasses, goggles, and helmets typically have shade numbers ranging from 5 to 14. Whether you need a 10, 12, or 13, depends on the type of work that you’re doing.
When we tested various products, we found that the best welding glasses, goggles, & helmets were produced by Lincoln & Miller. If you’re in the market for a cheap pair, the best welding glasses are made by YesWelder.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the following things:
- Which shade number you should get
- Whether to get goggles or a helmet
- Which products we recommend
Continuation
Protective gear is something that a lot of people take for granted. They mistakenly think that any pair of tinted glasses will work, including their favorite pair of wraparound ones. And if they find it uncomfortable, they don’t wear a pair at all and ignore the blinding light as they work.
They are unaware that wearing the wrong eye gear or not wearing any can have disastrous consequences. To keep your eyes protected, you must use the right kind. There are different ones available, but we will discuss the most commonly used ones: shades 14, 13, 12, 10, and 5.
Best welding glasses & helmets
We’ve searched the market for the best welding glasses & helmets to keep your eyes safe! If you’re simply in the market, here are our recommendations. Scroll down the page to see which welding glasses shade number applies to each type.
Here’s a look at the rest of what we’ll be going over.
Table of Contents
- Best welding glasses & helmets
- Shade Number 14
- Shade Number 13
- YESWELDER
- Shade Number 12
- Shade Number 10
- Shade Number 5
Choosing between goggles vs. a helmet will just be a preference for the craftsman. The helmet is the best option for those who prioritize safety and don’t mind the added bulk. Goggles are best for those who need a clearer vision when working and fewer intrusions. If you decide to wear goggles, you need to be extra careful to avoid injury to the exposed parts of your face and neck when working.
Glasses and some helmets normally use lenses with fixed shades. Some newer units come with auto-darkening lenses that automatically adjust the shade when the sensors detect an arc.
When inactive, it has a shade number of 3 or 4 and will darken up to number 13 when it finally detects light. The maximum protection these auto-darkening lenses have varies, but the majority of them use 13 as the maximum.
The minimum numbers recommended by OSHA will not just depend on the type used but also on the amperage or arc current. Their ideal protection and ranges are as follows:
- SMAW – from 7 to 11
- Gas Welding – from 4 to 6
- GMAW – either 7 or 10
- Oxygen Cutting – from 3 to 5
- Flux Cored Arc – either 7 to 10
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding or GTAW – either 8 or 10
- Heavy Air Carbon Arc Cutting or CAC-A – 11
- Light Air Carbon Arc Cutting or CAC-A – 10
- PAW – from 6 to 11
- Heavy Plasma Arc Cutting or PAC – 10
- Medium Plasma Arc Cutting or PAC – 9
- Light Plasma Arc Cutting or PAC – 8
- Carbon Arc – 14
They normally range from 2 to 14, with 2 being the lightest. There are also special ones that offer zero protection, even numbers 1.5 and 1.7. Welding activities generally require numbers higher than 2.
Shade Number 14
If you want the darkest possible option, you need to look for welding glasses with shade number 14. It is so dark you can hardly see anything with it, which makes it unsuitable for use outside work.
The dark shade allows the filtration of up to 99% UV and IR radiation, making it ideal for any work. They’re great for arc welding at high amperage like TIG. They are typically used for heavy industrial work and not for small projects like those done at home.
These look completely black and are mostly available with glasses and some helmets with fixed lenses. Ones with auto-darkening lenses often do not have this level of protection available.
Shade Number 13
You can go a shade lower, number 13. It will still keep your eyes well-protected and is a grade alternative if you find shade number 14 too dark for you. Pros who prefer dark lenses often prefer to use these compared to ones labeled number 14.
These are also cheaper. That is why they are common on any protective eyewear, including those equipped with auto-darkening lenses. This is often the darkest option available for welding glasses. It will only be used for non-industrial projects involving light and heavy-duty work. You can also use this level of protection for all types of welding that you may do.
YESWELDER
If you’re seeking out lens 13, YESWELDER is a good option.
| Name | YESWELDER |
| Dark shade | DIN5-DIN9 / DIN9 – DIN13 |
| Feature | True color, auto-darkening |
| Item Weight | 7 ounces |
| Light shade | DIN4 |
| Lithium battery | 600mAh |
| Low battery warning | Yes |
| Package Dimensions | 9.53 x 8.39 x 4.37 inches |
Pros
- They’ve got thousands of reviews.
- They’re more compact than a welding hood and easy to use.
- Really good quality for the money.
- Great to do work under a car.
Cons
- They come from China.
- They’re not the most comfortable.
- You’ll want to use the mask to avoid getting sunburnt.
Shade Number 12
For many, the welding glasses equipped with shade number 12 are more comfortable to use than shade numbers 13 and 14. This is because these are just enough to let them see the light coming from the arc while being comfortable for them to do so even for hours.
Some get eye strain when they use darker lenses. They are also ideal for use in all types of welding, ranging from light-duty to non-industrial heavy-duty use. They’re especially great for those with high amperage.
Both glasses and helmets offer these protective lenses. Most older models of helmets with fixed or auto-darkening lenses have this as their darkest one.
Shade Number 10
If you know that your projects will only require you to use a medium amperage, use welding glasses with a shade number 10. They’ll still be suitable for you.
They are typically considered the middle ground because they are not too dark or light. But despite being marked as number 10, you can see that different lenses marked as such seem to have a different shade. They can either be greenish or blackish.
Products that use this level of protection tend to be manufactured for specific uses because of this issue. Specific models are often created for specific types and not for general use.
Despite this, they can be used for all types, but not when using high amperage. Do note that those doing work inside a garage may find them too dark for them to work with.
Aside from traditional glasses, they are available in helmets with fixed and auto-darkening lenses.
Shade Number 5
For light work, shade 5 welding glasses are usually sufficient. It should not be used if your work activity involves arcs, such as MIG and TIG.
They’re not dark enough to shield your eyes from the very bright light of the arc. That is why these are used only for cutting and grinding metals. It can also be used for brazing and other torch work, including an oxy-acetylene one.
These not only come in black or green tints, but various manufacturers also make mirrored and polarized versions. It makes them look like ordinary sunglasses. There are even some sunglasses with this level of protection you can use for the light welding-related activities we mentioned.
If you need to wear prescription glasses if working with these machines, it may be a bit harder for you to choose the right pair. It’s especially the case if your pair of prescription glasses is already tinted.
Those in the middle of the range are a safe bet in such cases. Aside from choosing the right one, you must also choose the right product to accommodate your prescription glasses.
KwikSafety
For shade 5 welding glasses, you’ve got a cheap option in KwikSafety.
| Name | KwikSafety |
| Feature | Anti-fogging |
| Frame Material | Polyvinyl Chloride |
| Lightweight | Yes |
| Shade | 5 & 10 |
Pros
- They were very cheap.
- They’re easy to wear and lightweight.
- They’re great for oxy-acetylene uses.
- They come with a free shade 10 lens.
Cons
- They have very little adjustability.
- They’re a bit bulky.
- They’re not for any serious amount of welding.
