Good question.. 

And we can help arm you with the information to answer this question for yourself..

When selecting a welding helmet it's hard to know what is important and what is nice to have. Instead of talking about features first which is just confusing we are going to talk about what you actually want and need. Then if you want further information on helmets that deliver on those wants & needs with cool features, then we'll tell you where you can find the info and show you a few cool videos. But first things first..

Here's what we think is important: 

SAFETY

Put your safety over and above the cost of the welding helmet. You only get one pair of eyes and one pair of lungs. Your lungs are supposed to last a lifetime but there is no warranty and no where you can buy spare parts. 

COMFORT

If you are a professional welder you'll be wearing a welding helmet all day, every day and even on weekends if you're anything like us... It needs to be comfortable and integrate ergonomics with performance. Whip lash isn't the only thing that can damage your neck and headaches aren't only caused by last night. 

VERSATILITY

As the old saying goes.. Dress for the job you want and not the job you have. The same is true with welding helmets, kind of. What we are trying to say, badly, is that just because you don't need certain features today doesn't mean you won't need them down the track. For example you may need to TIG in the future or you may require powered air protection? Wouldn't you prefer to invest in a welding helmet that can do TIG, can be upgraded to Powered Air and will last you over a decade as opposed to a helmet that you buy for $60 bucks and chuck in the bin a few months later. A welding helmet is an investment not a cost saving exercise. 

PERFORMANCE

There are many aspects to consider when looking at the performance of a welding helmet. However, let's narrow it down for you. What do you ACTUALLY use it for? You use a welding helmet to view your weld right? So we recommend choosing the welding helmet with the biggest and the best vision. Easy right. This should be your starting point then you can build from here dependent on what's important to you. 

So now we know what's important... But you don't really have any answers yet on which welding helmet to buy. Just more questions. 

From here we recommend you do three things: 

1) Read This - This article goes into detail about the features that back up the important factors above.

2) Watch These Videos... Actually watch them at the same time. It's a cool experience and you save time. 

3) View the available Speedglas 9100XXi Welding Helmets:

Want to view the Speedglas Welding Helmets 9100XXi - Click Here

Want to view them with powered air - Click Here