10 best masks for welders: review, photos, price

Anyone involved in welding, no matter whether it is an amateur or experienced welders, knows that reliable eye protection is a serious problem.A good welder's mask costs a lot, but a high price does not mean a high-quality light filter or reliable protection. It takes a long time to choose a welding shield or mask, carefully checking their operation in practice.

What to look for when choosing

The first condition when considering possible options is product certification under the “Personal Protective Equipment” category. If a manufacturer or seller of welding helmets does not have approval for a specific model from a state certification body, then it is better not to consider its products for work.

A good welding helmet, as well as a welder's hand shield or glasses, are expensive. Their design is simple, so there are a lot of fake or substandard personal protective equipment on the market. And if the model is successful, then the number of fakes increases several times.

In addition, there are clear criteria that you need to pay attention to when choosing a welding helmet:

1. Weight. Unlike a manual welding shield, the welder will have to attach the mask to his head, so the lighter the better.
2. The fastening system, the operation of locking screws that fix the protection on the welder’s head in a certain position.
3. Material.The housing can be made of plastic or electrical cardboard. Models with a metallized coating are less common. This option would be more preferable for those welders who work with powerful electric welding machines.
4. Quality of the filter. The most important characteristic. Usually selected by the welder himself for a specific type of work.
5. Ventilation. During work, the welder's face sweats, so fresh air is needed.

Ventilation of the under-mask space is important if you have to work with welding for a long time. In this case, the mask should not be too large so that the resulting vapors and gases do not poison the breath.

Many professional models are equipped with a built-in fresh air fan, providing the welder with a normal atmosphere inside the protection. In addition, the fan helps to get rid of icing of the filter if you have to weld metal in the cold.

The welder's mask should completely cover the oval of the face up to the ears, not reaching the neck a couple of centimeters. Otherwise, it will be difficult to bend your head. A completely enclosed design is safer than simple panel models. But sometimes a welder has to sacrifice safety for comfort.

In closed welding helmets it is impossible to wear a warm cap, and in addition, this is also a significant weight. After several hours of work, the neck begins to hurt, so the welding mask should be light, compact, easy to adjust and quickly removed if a hot spark or drop of metal gets under the welder’s protection.

A selection for you: Electric welding for beginners: nuances of welding work and analysis of the main mistakes. Types of welding machines – subtleties of choice and application features. Welding kits – what is included in the package, how to choose a good one.

What should be the design of a protective mask?

Most budget models have a rectangular shape. The upper and lower parts may have roundings, but their presence or absence does not affect the functionality of the protection. The best budget models usually have a flat face shield, as a light filter is installed on the front of the body. This simplifies the installation and replacement of glass.

More expensive models are given a more rounded shape, and soft upholstery is installed inside, sometimes even leather.

A “hoop” is installed in the upper part of the body for mounting on the head. This is the most important part of any protection, since the level of comfort depends on how tightly and comfortably the mask fits. Most often, the fastening is made of plastic or woven polyamide belts, which is not very convenient. The welder often has to put on a sports cap or textile balaclava.

Particular attention to fasteners. In most models, the welder can fix the protection in 3 positions - lower, upper and intermediate (visor). In addition, it is possible to secure the shield in an intermediate position using a screw lock. This is the part of the welding helmet that breaks most often. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the thickness and material of the parts. In high-quality masks, the retainer is made of impact-resistant plastic, in cheap ones - from ordinary polypropylene.

Inexpensive welding helmets are “sewn” from dense and hard electrical cardboard – fiber. Case thickness 1.2-2 mm. The result is a rigid and dense frame on which you can attach anything you want, from an additional light filter to a backlight.

Fiber housings have a number of advantages:

1. 40-60% lighter than plastic ones.
2. It is well processed, cut, drilled.
3. Not afraid of shocks or falls on concrete.Welders are not afraid to drop fiber protection on concrete, whereas for plastic, every fall can be fatal.

Hot drops of metal do not stick to the fiber surface. The advantages of plastic welding helmets include a more convenient body design and a pleasant design.

Features of the filter

Typically, masks are sold with a filter size of 90x40 mm or 120x60 mm. The latter option is used primarily by car mechanics and welders to repair car bodies in poor visibility conditions.

In any mask, the viewing window must be covered with double glass. The outer one is ordinary, transparent, 2 mm thick, used as filter protection. During the welding process, molten metal splashes out into tiny droplets. After several sessions, the glass becomes covered with plaque and microscopic dots of adhering slag. The welder's field of vision is reduced several times.

The next criterion is the parameters of the ultraviolet filter. The level of darkness (light transmission) of a filter for welding helmets is determined in DIN units. The specific value must be selected depending on the type of welding work according to the table.

You should avoid cheap protective filters based on colored transparent plastic. As a rule, this is polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylic or polycarbonate. Over time, the plastic filter on the welding helmet becomes cloudy and even cracks.

In addition to painted glass filters, electronic liquid crystal filters are used in welding protection. These are chameleon masks. In this case, in addition to the filter itself, an ultraviolet sensor and a battery (battery or solar panel) are installed on the housing.The darkening level can be adjusted, which makes it possible to work with the same mask with different types of welding machines.

The liquid crystal filter has several disadvantages:

1. At low air temperatures, liquid crystals change their characteristics. In cheap models, the filters even freeze.
2. The battery can also freeze, so it is better to choose a mask with an additional solar panel.
3. If there is a strong impact (falling on concrete), the filter may crack; accordingly, the liquid will flow out, and the mesh of the contact tracks will be torn. On painted filters, the appearance of a crack, as a rule, does not affect the performance of the welding helmet.

But the level of comfort with an LCD filter is higher, which is why most professional-grade welding helmets come with adjustable filters.

If the models have an LCD filter, then you need to clarify the lower limit of the sensitivity of the liquid crystal film to ultraviolet radiation and the recovery time of transparency.

The first parameter is important to know if you have to perform welding work in a group. Often the welding helmet reacts to ultraviolet radiation from glare coming from the welding machine next door. Such a device will cause more trouble than provide comfortable working conditions. In cheap fakes, the LCD filter often works even from direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Such welding helmets can be chosen only for rare cases of welding work, and exclusively indoors.

Best Budget Welding Helmets

Quality welding radiation protection does not have to be expensive or complicated.A welding mask should provide several conditions that, if desired, can be found in inexpensive but well-made protection.

There are three such requirements:

1. High quality glass filter.
2. Convenient head mounting.
3. Thoughtful design.

In this case, it is desirable that all elements of the mask can be adjusted and, if necessary, changed or upgraded. Budget-class welding protection is relatively inexpensive, so you can experiment and try to modify the mask for yourself.

Simple but convenient SVONA-110x90

The review of the best welder masks and face protection from the SVONA brand opens. Suitable for first experiments in independent welding without a mentor. It costs about 10 times cheaper than imported euromasks for welders, at 200-300 rubles. a piece.

Positive sides:

1. A light filter made of tinted mineral glass brand TC3 (DIN9 class) is the minimum permissible level of protection, but for small-scale welding work its capabilities are sufficient.
2. Viewing window in Euro format 110x90 mm. A polycarbonate cover is placed on top of the filter, protecting it from accidental impacts on the glass.
3. Lightweight body (450 g).

The body of the welding helmet is made according to traditional patterns; in the upper part there is a “comb” of the vent, through which hot air is expelled from the inside to the outside.

One of the disadvantages is the weak body material – polypropylene. It can withstand the cold, but becomes soft when used for a long time, especially in the heat of summer.

Welder protection FoxWeld VARTEG V-3500

Inexpensive welding helmet made in China and certified to EN379 for use in the Russian Federation. Equipped with a liquid crystal filter (DIN9-13) powered by built-in lithium batteries (2 pcs.) and a solar panel.

Characteristics:

1. The body design is completely closed, while there is support on the welder’s shoulders and chest.
2. The window size is 90x35 mm, the total size with the solar panel is 110x90 mm.
3. Operating temperature range from -5℃ to +55℃.
4. Case material – impact-resistant polypropylene.
5. The faceplate of the mask can be raised on the mount and positioned in five different positions.

Among the positive qualities, note the light weight - 400 g and the presence of a delay when turning on the transparent mode (up to 1 second). This will avoid glare if the molten metal is still too hot and bright. In addition, complete closure of the sides and back allows welders to work in windy places (installers at high altitudes) with a significant amount of dust and abrasive in the air.

Among the shortcomings, welders note the insufficiently dense internal finishing of the mask. There is also no reliable sound insulation, so it is not recommended to carry out welding work near sources of strong sound (running engines).

Protective mask for welders SPEC VM-400

A classic version of the old-style welding protection, well-thought-out shape, simple design. The body is made of polypropylene, the fastening straps can be plastic or canvas with textile trim. Users note at the initial stage difficulties in adjusting the fastening, but the mask is clearly not designed for several welders.

Therefore, having set it once, you can be sure that the belt lock will not fall apart. Although lifting and fixing the welding helmet on the welder’s head also causes some difficulties.

It is worth noting:

1. Good quality of the chameleon filter, high performance of the filter, at the level of professional models.
2. There is a power switch, which saves battery (CP2032 battery - 10 years of operation plus solar panel).
3. The location for installing ultraviolet sensors has been optimized.

As a result, there is a minimum number of false alarms and there are practically no cases of overlapping automatic switching sensors with items of equipment. This means that there will be no situation where the filter is accidentally turned off during operation (“picked up bunnies”).

The mask is convenient because the manufacturer has provided the possibility of replacing the liquid-crystal filter with tinted welding glass. Even with high quality, the liquid crystal filter will sooner or later fail, but the glass will work forever.

Protective mask RZ10 FAVORIT ZENR

Despite the unusual shape of the body and slightly unusual design of the protection, this is one of the successful models of an inexpensive welding helmet. The cost of the protective equipment is 450-500 rubles. Produced by Suksun OMZ, one of the leading manufacturers of protective equipment.

Despite the low price, Favorit ZenR has a well-thought-out design and good quality eye protection for welders and grinders.

Particularly noteworthy are the protection features:

1. Light weight of the mask – 360 g.
2. Convenient and well-thought-out design for attaching the protection to the head.
3. It is possible for the welder to put on a balaclava or a knitted cap.

The body is made of a heat-resistant composite based on polymer and synthetic fibers. The material withstands direct contact with molten metal splashes and sparks. Non-flammable, the welding helmet can be used in the range of -30℃ to +80℃.

The main element is a light filter made of tinted mineral glass of our own production, size 110x90 mm. There is protection in the form of a polycarbonate overlay on the front plane of the filter.

The only disadvantage of the mask is the incomplete protection of the sides and the area around the welder’s chin. The Favorit ZenR was designed for use in conjunction with the installer's soft fabric liner. The mask and balaclava completely protect the welder's face, back of the head, sides of the head, chin and neck. In addition, the fabric provides good thermal insulation, which is especially valuable in winter.

But the most important thing is that the fabric backing protects the neck and chin from ultraviolet radiation, thereby protecting the worker from the so-called “welder sunburn”.

Resanta MS-3

Thoughtful form of protective mask. A simple chameleon mask in design, but there is nothing superfluous. Many welders praise it for its convenient grip at the bottom of the body. The mask is easy to lift by hand even with a tarpaulin mitten. At the same time, there is a lot of free space inside. This means there will be plenty of clean air, and the welder’s face will not be covered with perspiration.

The light filter is based on liquid crystals, in the off position it provides dimming at the DIN4 level, in the working position – DIN 9-13. According to reviews, some craftsmen manage to wear welder or grinder glasses under their masks. The combination is unusual, but it often helps if you need to cook for a long time with currents of 150 A.

Disadvantages of Resant MS-3:

1. Relatively heavy – 490 g.
2. The polypropylene body is declared by the manufacturer to be shock-resistant, but in practice it is better to avoid unnecessary impacts.
3. Small viewing window size 90x39 mm.
4. High price, as for a simple model - 2800 rubles.

The adjustment is still not very convenient, but, according to reviews from welders, you easily get used to it, and, as a rule, there are no problems with setting the desired level of darkness on the filter.

The best welding helmets for professionals

Most high-quality welding protections are made in Scandinavian countries. They are the most expensive and reliable in operation. You can also buy a Chinese clone of European models, the price will be lower, the quality will vary, but in general China copies mostly successful models of welding equipment.

Cedar K-704

An improved version of the old welder's masks from the KEDR line. In fact, this is one of the attempts to get closer to modern Swedish or Finnish means of protection. Positioned as a universal type mask. Used by welders for gas welding and electric welding.

It is expensive, up to 10 thousand rubles, for these funds the manufacturer offers the following list of bonuses:

1. Short turn-on time – up to 3 ms.
2. Large viewing window – 98x88 mm.
3. Radiation control system consisting of 4 sensors.

In addition, there is a discharge indicator of the built-in (non-removable) battery. You can add a lithium battery as a backup, but the main charge still comes from the solar panel.

The mask is balanced with the headrest, that is, when open, the face shield does not pull the welder’s head forward or backward.

Special welding mask SAVAGE(ESAB) A40

One of the most successful protection options for a welder. It has been produced in Sweden for more than 15 years and is copied en masse by Chinese manufacturing companies. The welding mask uses a high quality chameleon filter with adjustable darkening value and window opening and closing speed.

Advantages of SAVAGE A40:

1. The comfortable fit of the mount, there are headrests and soft stops, makes it more convenient for the welder.
2. High quality light filter.Many welders claim that purchasing a mask is worthwhile just because of the high-quality LCD filter in the 9-13DIN range, which allows you to work with any type of welding.
3. The window size is 100x50 mm, there is color correction and sensitivity of ultraviolet radiation sensors.
4. Weight is 450 g, but with an additional protective body kit it can reach 500 g.

The price of a protective mask is up to 10 thousand rubles.

EVERMATIC protection with conventional filter

Produced in Finland, as well as in China and Turkey. The relatively low price of protection has made Evermatic one of the most popular and popular models for performing large-scale welding work, as well as among amateur welders who are interested in amateur welding at home.

The average cost of Evermatic is approximately half the price of top Swedish models. The design of the mask uses a conventional 110x60 mm tinted light filter made of mineral glass. At the same time, the characteristics of the 4-10DIN filter are more suitable for welders working with semi-automatic carbon dioxide.

Moreover, the housing insulation system is designed in such a way as to prevent any ingress of carbon dioxide inside, into the submask space and at the same time into the welder’s lungs. Another safety element is a flip-up filter. On the one hand, this is convenient for monitoring the results of welding a section; on the other hand, the folding filter allows the welder, if necessary, to quickly inhale fresh air without removing the fastener.

Like most professional models, the Evermatic case is made of fire-resistant reinforced polyamide. Therefore, a situation where a cheap polypropylene mask starts to burn due to a molten drop hitting the surface is almost impossible.

In addition, the rounded shape of the body and the light weight (470 g) of the mask enable the welder to work in confined spaces without clinging to fittings and structures being welded.

Protective mask Svarog AS-4001F

It cannot be said that the protection design is fundamentally better or worse than other models. Svarog AS-1001F is built according to the standard mask design for a welder. The body is made of polyamide with a reflective varnish coating.

Advantages:

1. Convenient body shape, wide sides, and a ventilation gap in the upper part.
2. Excellent quality filter. This is perhaps the main advantage of SVAROG over other models.
3. Built-in system for supplying fresh air to the under-mask space.

In addition, there is a battery charge indicator that powers the sensors and the LCD filter. Although, according to the reviews of many welders, the fan and indicator could be abandoned, since they do not affect the quality of welding, they only increase the weight.

Disadvantages include:

1. Increased weight.
2. The case is easily scratched and loses its appearance.
3. The filter and battery cannot be changed.

In addition, SVAROG’s price is too high, about three times higher than the top Swedish and Finnish protective welding masks.

Model EVERMATIC NANKIS

Expensive welder mask. Its cost is approximately 1.5 times more than top Swedish models such as SAVAGE-ESAB.

At the same time, Evermatic Nahkis differs from leading brands in that its design uses a conventional tinted mineral glass filter, albeit with improved surface protection. Light transmission level DIN9-DIN10.This means that the welder can use the mask when working with any equipment, including plasma cutting of metal.

Models like Evermatic Nahkis are classified as specialized for a number of reasons:

1. The mask does not have a body as such. It is replaced by a soft leather helmet with a protective shell made of synthetic material.
2. The shape and cut of the helmet mask are such that its elements completely cover the welder’s head, back of the head, and neck, no matter what position he is in.
3. The viewing window is embedded in the helmet on a rigid polyamide frame with a suspension, thanks to which the light filter can be folded upward, like a visor.
4. The soft walls of the helmet allow air and water vapor to pass through well, so you can work comfortably for a long time in protective clothing.
5. The low weight (only 290 g) makes it possible for the welder to work in an awkward position, for example, welding parts of the underbody of a car with his head raised high. The textile lining protects the welder’s face well from cold air and drafts, which cannot be said about other models made of polypropylene or polyamide.

Another plus that no other welder protection model has (except Favorit ZenR). The soft leather and textile texture absorbs external noise well, but at the same time perfectly conducts the sound of the human voice. If you need to communicate with colleagues or customers, there is no need to remove the welding helmet.

For a private user, Evermatic Nahkis will be an unreasonably expensive purchase. But this is truly one of the best masks. It has no equal in terms of protection. This welding helmet will most likely be useful to professional welders who perform complex repair work on automotive equipment.

To choose a welding helmet, you need to work in several models, compare them, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages, and only then can you draw a conclusion about the suitability of the protection.

Tell us about your experience in selecting the best welder’s mask – what were you guided by, what positive and negative aspects should you pay attention to?