Welding helmet price varies and so does the quality of them. A standard welding helmet price falls between the range of $30 to $200. But there are expensive choices nearly costing $3000 with remarkable features to upgrade or customize.
Such an expensive welding helmet is the 3M Speedglas Heavy-Duty Welding Helmet G5-01 . This heavy-duty 3M Speedglass Welding helmet costs around $2,251.
So, there’s no limit to spending more on your welding helmet. But surely you can buy something at a lesser cost by simply identifying your need in your workspace.
In this blog post, we have only listed welding helmets ranging from as low as $30 to $70. We have enlisted welding hoods, welding helmet headgear, hardhats, and auto-darkening cheap welding helmet to weld better.
But what is your daily welding job and what type of welding you do is more important before buying a cheap weld hat. So let’s get a look over the most common type of welding and then we can shortlist your requirements.
Are You a Mig Welder?
So, MIG welding is the most common type of welding with two variations. One requires a base wire & the second one requires a flux core. MIG welders are often the household DIY enthusiastic ready to get their job done comfortably. If you are a MIG welder who is not ready to spend a lot on welding gear then this blog will help you a lot. With our Top 10 Cheapest Welding Helmets suggestion, You can actually buy them now in 2023.
Are You a Stick Welder?
Arc welding, also known as stick welding. is the old fashioned way of welding. Usually, we see this process of welding in the construction field or in industrial-based welding operations. If you are a stick welder then I would suggest you go beyond the cheapest suggestions.
But, depending on the shade of the welding helmet, you can get a low-budget welding helmet for your stick or arc welding too. Usually, stick welding requires a shade of 8-12 to protect the eyes. So a cheap helmet protective enough from shade 8-12 can be your go-to choice.
Are You a TIG Welder?
TIG welding is extremely versatile and requires both hands to weld. One for feeding the rod and the other one to hold the TIG torch. The TIG torch creates the arc to weld metals like aluminum, steel, nickel alloys, and others. Mostly the automobile frame welding process that we experience is the work of a TIG welder.
A TIG welder mostly needs a welding helmet shade level of 9-11. Though some prefer a shade range of 8-13. TIG welding generates a lesser amount of UV radiation. So, you can choose a helmet with lower shade levels to conduct TIG welding.
List of Top 10 Cheap Welding Helmets for 2024
No matter the type of welder you are, if you are looking for a cheap, low-budget welding helmet for your daily necessary welding. Then the following top 10 cheapest picks will help you out.
Forney 55666 Welding Helmet, Shade-10 – $29.99
Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet – $13.44
TOOLIOM 1/1/1/2 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet – $31.99
VEVOR Welding Helmet Large Viewing 4.25 x 3.23 – $51.19
Towallmark Auto Darkening Welding Helmet, 3.95”×3.9” – $39.99
Weld force with 3.62-inch x 1.65-Inch Viewing Area – $22.99
TOOLIOM Large Viewing 3.94″x3.66″ Welding Helmet – $49.99
Lincoln Electric Viking™ Industrial Passive™ – $63.16
YESWELDER LYG-M800H 3.93″X3.66″ LYG-M800H – $68.99
Welder Mask Jackson Safety Welding Helmet – $68.72
Top 10 Cheapest Welding Helmet Comparison
What is the Best Budget Friendly Welding Helmet?
I would recommend checking out the LYG-M800H, TOOLIOM Auto Darkening & VEVOR True Color Solar powered auto darkening welding helmet. These are the cheapest yet reliable welding helmets for 2024.
As all of them are auto-darkening, so right with the arc flash you get your visibility in the correct order. The VEVOR one provides the TRUE COLOR vision, so in a budget of $30-$50, these are the best cheap welding hat for me in 2023-2024. Let’s explore them in a detailed format.
Forney 55666 Fixed Shade Welding Helmet
With $29.99 pricing, there are in total 3 variants of the Forney Bandit welding helmet. This Forney 55666 is the first variant of Bandit named Bandit I. Then there is the Bandit II, product code Forney 55673, and Bandit III, product code Forney 55672.
This Forney 55666, 55672, and 55667 only vary in terms of the lens and viewing area. While the Forney 55666 has a lens size of 2inch * 4inch, the Forney 55672 has a lens size of 4inch*2inch with a fixed style. The Forney 55672 has a lens size of 4inch*2inch with a lifting style the Bandit I.
As a cheap welding helmet, the Forney 55666 has a 4-star rating on Amazon, and many users have not recommended it for daily use. But, this is a helmet that can be customized to fit comfortably. As it is worth less amount of money, the Forney 55666 can be the helmet you can conduct your upgrade.
We have listed this low-cost helmet in our list as it is lightweight and the built quality is average. With a fixed 10 shade, you can easily this budget-friendly helmet for your Arc welding. I would suggest you use the Forney 55666 as a second go-to helmet.
Hobart 770286 Flip Front Welding Helmet
This is a Flip Front style helmet meaning you need to flip up the lens to see the work you have done. This Hobart 770286 is the cheapest welding helmet we have enlisted here. Yet it is suitable for beginner’s variable welding jobs.
I have imprinted a 3d visual on my cheap Hobart helmet and mostly it beautifies my workspace. Other than the time when I really use it for lighter welding tasks.
But I just use it when my Loncoln Viking Auto Darkening needs a new battery or when I weld some light stuff.
This Hobart 770286 is a simple hard hat-type helmet that is cheap and lightweight. The best part of a cheap welding helmet is its adjustability. If you incorporate an auto-darkening lens into this helmet, then the fun is on another level.
To be honest, sometimes we don’t need any $400 welding helmet just to weld the pipe around the basin. So, then there comes my customized Hobart 770286 doing the job in a deadly manner.
Tooliom 1/1/1/2 Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Not many helmets come with an eye-catching flame design under the $31.99 price range but Tooliom 1/1/1/2 does. This is a complete package of a budget-friendly helmet with an auto-darkening lens under the $40 budget range.
It is an auto-darkening low-profile welding helmet. It has 2 arc sensors with a transitioning delay from 0.1 seconds to 1.0 seconds. The transitioning time means the time taken by the lens from a dark state to a bright state.
No matter what type of welder you are, the Tooliom 1/1/1/2 optical clarity helmet is suitable for MIG, TIG & STICK welding. So, this is a good cheap welding helmet for light welding.
Besides being a lightweight helmet, this is also a solar-powered low-budget welding gear. It also provides true color in response to the arc. While other helmets without true color features show a greenish vibe while welding.
The comfortable headgear attached to the Tooliom makes it a great fit as a low-profile auto-darkening welding helmet. It has a head circumference knob, meaning you can adjust your tightening level. The flip adjustment knob is also present in this helmet to perfect your distance from shield to face. This headgear also supports 130 degrees of rotation. Lastly, like all other top-tier helmets, the Toolion also has a head wear range adjustment to make your welding more comfortable.
Considering everything that Tooliom 1/1/1/2 Auto-Darkening welding helmet features, this can be a great cheap welding hat. If you are a hobbyist welder fixing regular staff in your house then this is the cheap welding helmet you should buy.
Based on its performance, this is the best cheap welding helmet to buy in 2024!!
VEVOR Large Viewing with Side View 4.25" x 3.23"
This is low-cost lightning-fast auto-darkening welding gear for your daily welding & grinding work. As per Vevor, this helmet transforms to a dark state within 1/30000 sec right after detecting the arc. This Vevor welding helmet has 4 arc sensors around its 4.25″ x 3.23″ large viewing area.
Compared to other low-cost welding helmets, Vevor offers better clarity while arc welding. But this is not the most appropriate true color or natural color technology-enabled welding helmet. But, it surely is the most stylish one within the $55 budget range for sure.
The best thing I love about the Vevor is the wide shade range for different welding modes. It has DIN4 for grinding, DIN5-9 for cutting, and DIN9-13 for welding. So, it doesn’t matter if you are in need of a mask to weld or to cut or grind.
You can wear the Vevor side view welding helmet and your eyes are protected with its variable shade range. The control operation is also very smooth in it, you will find 5 buttons to operate it all.
Now, the headgear part. This is a 3D comfortable wear headgear attached welding helmet. It has the typical tightening knob on the back and a side button to adjust your rotation angle.
But, one thing that is uncommon in this low-budget configuration is the GoPro mounting capability. This is the best budget-friendly welding helmet that comes with a GoPro mounting gears. 2-4 screws and two liver that comes within the box provide stable GoPro mounting. With this budget, I prefer the Vevor as a budget-friendly welding helmet.
This is basically an editor’s choice as a good cheap welding helmet of 2023.
Towallmark 3.95”×3.9” Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Another auto darkening low-profile cheap welding helmet for your everyday light welding tasks. It has 4 arc sensors and a variable shade range like the Vevor large viewing welding helmet. Towallmark is in the similar budget range like the Tooliom & Vevor. The features you will find with this are similar too.
I like the button positioning of the Towallmark to change shade or tighten the fit and function selection. The headgear knob, delay knob, shade switch, and function keys along with the sensitivity range button are on the same side. This increased my productivity to change anything during welding.
The true color feature is on the average level. But the versatility range of welding operation along with grinding and cutting makes it a great fit for a low-cost welding gear. It has 4 arc sensors and shade range of 4~5/9-9/13 for diffierent operation mode.
Unlike Tooliom 1/1/1/2, Towallmark has the flexibility to rotate 180 degree. It also has a soft sponge protection like the Vevor.
No matter your needs, like TIG, Stick, MIG or Cut, the Towallmark will satisfy your need and comfort requirement within just $40 budget range. It has breathable and sweat absorbing material inside the welder mask.
As a cheap auto darkening welding helmet, this is slower than the Vevor side viewing welding helmet. Towallmark’s transition time is 1/25000 although the clarity level is same 1/1/1/2.
Above everything, I loved the Towallmark package. It comes with a welding hood, replacement lens, extra 2x lithium battery, a pair of professional welding gloves and a storage bag. This is a mouthful package to be received under $40.
Weldforce Welding Helmet with 3.62-Inch x 1.65-Inch Viewing
This is a cheap helmet with comparatively small viewing angle. I always say that, if you are buying something cheap then always look for something that is easy upgradeable. This Weldforce piece is something like that. The small viewing problem can be easily sorted as it receives a standard 4.5*5.25 inch filter.
Many top-tier helmet has a resting shade of #4 or #5 for the bright state. But the Weldforce auto darkening helmet has a shade #3. So, this is a great advantage for a budget friendly welding hat.
For the last few days, I have been using the cheater magnifying lens to try its performance and I liked it. But, one thing that is a bit negative is that the 2 arc sensors it has. While providing true color and auto darkening feature, I find it necessary to have 4 arc sensors and even the budget demands it.
Weighing only 1.5 pounds, this might felt to you as a cheap helmet but it is lightweight and comfortable. The plastic built quality will earn a 4 star easily as a low profile welding hat.
I found the MIG welding process with Towallmark very appealing. My previous welding helmet was like a black sunglass to look into the process but in Towallmark, the shade 3 is really a treat to the eye. The auto darkening response was also good be experience.
As a low profile budget friendly helmet, I would recommend you to get this helmet for your MIG welding process. If you are a beginner than this is a 4.5 star rated helmet in amazon for light welders.
Tooliom Large Viewing 3.94 * 3.66 Welding Helmet
Another true color feature enabled auto darkening welding helmet with variable shade setting. Its 3.94 * 3.66 inch auto darkening lens has a optical clarity level of 1/1/1/1. The transition period is comparatively higher than the Tooliom 1/1/1/2 welding hood and it’s less than 1/30000 seconds. Like the Towallmark auto darkening helmet, this Tooliom has all its knob on the same side and it’s good for productivity and higher operational efficiency.
This badass looking welding helmet is suitable for TIG/MIG/MMA or CUT perfectly. Compared to the Tooliom TL-8500Bs-A, the TL-31800H has a large viewing area.
With a 4.4 average rating on Amazon, this home project welding expert is a treat to the eyes of many welders. With a similar headgear function like the TL-8500Bs-A, this costs $10 extra for the weld and plasma cut grinding.
Unlikely to the Weldforce which has a bright light state of shade 3, this Tooliom large viewing has a bright state of shade #4. Although, you wouldn’t understand the difference if you are not a pro welder.
The functionality is quite reached here. You get 4 arc sensors, solar cells, and battery indication above the lens. Multiple, head comfortable breathable cushion is there and the adjustment was pretty perfect.
Although it sometimes tilted a bit lower than I expected but for lighter welding, I loved it’s performance.
Last Words for Cheap Weld Hats
In conclusion, finding a cheap welding helmet does not mean sacrificing quality or safety. With options available at affordable prices, it is essential for welders to prioritize protection and comfort without breaking the bank.
Additionally, considering different types of welding hats can provide added benefits such as better visibility, reduced fatigue, and improved ventilation.
Investing in the right welding helmet and hat can ultimately enhance efficiency and productivity while ensuring personal safety on the job.
Make an informed choice when selecting your welding gear to safeguard your well-being and optimize performance.