Are you grappling with the choice between wearing bulky welding helmets or opting for goggles? This is a decision many welders face, especially newcomers who may not yet grasp the importance of FULL-FACE PROTECTION.
If you find yourself in this dilemma, know that I’ve been there too. I once wondered what difference they made, as both are meant to safeguard your eyes during welding.
But, as I’ve learned over the years, it’s not that simple. Welding helmets offer far superior safety. However, goggles do have their advantages. It’s crucial to understand the ideal applications of each gear, their differences, and use them appropriately.
If you’re already using any of these eye protection equipment, let me know with your vote. It will help me guide you better and also allow you to compare your choice with other readers, benefiting from their preferences.
A Closer Look At Welding Goggles
Welding goggles are specialized eyewear designed to protect your eyes during welding. Most of those PPEs are equipped with fixed-shade lenses to shield against the intense light produced by welding, but they are not always as effective as helmets. In my experience, they are better suited for gas welding, which uses acetylene rather than an electric or plasma arc.
Most such goggles are less proficient at blocking the high levels of UV and IR radiation generated during arc welding. Especially when arc welding at high amperages, your face will be exposed to large amounts of UV radiation. And guess what? This can cause a sunburn-like effect and potentially even pose the risk of skin cancer.
But, when it comes to CUTTING, welding goggles can still be useful. Those processes do not produce as much bright light and dangerous radiation as arc welding, making them a viable option. Due to their limitations, goggles remain a backup to helmets for welding in our workshop.
Advantages
Welding goggles typically offer a wider field of view than hoods.
Compared to helmets, a pair of goggles is much more compact, lightweight, and easier to carry.
It’s more comfortable to work wearing goggles, rather than having your entire face covered.
Those are more economical.
Disadvantages
They often do not provide as much protection as helmets, particularly for advanced welding processes like MIG.
The goggles would shield your eyes, but the rest of your face will remain vulnerable to sparks, hot metal slags, and other debris flying around while you weld.
They won’t guard you from the toxic fumes and smoke created while welding.
Exploring Welding Helmets
Most welding helmets provide significantly better protection than goggles, with some models covering the entire head. The key difference lies in the lens: helmet lenses are equipped with advanced filters that effectively block out UV and IR rays.
And guess what? Even half-mask welding hoods offer complete coverage of the front face, shielding against heat and radiation. Despite being bulkier and less convenient than wearing spectacles, auto-darkening helmets are the SUPERIOR CHOICE for ensuring safety.
And here’s the fun part: you can customize your welding helmet according to the specific welding process, which is usually NOT possible with most goggles on the market.
Benefits
Alongside your face, the entirety of your head, or at least most of it remains protected when you use a welding helmet.
The lenses used in helmets are significantly more effective than most goggles at safeguarding your eyes from arc burns.
Certain welding applications call for hoods with special features, such as underwater welding helmets and pancake hoods.
It also protects your head from impact when working in closed spaces.
They offer much better safety against sparks and flying debris.
A full-size helmet, especially one with a powered respirator, protects you from inhaling dangerous fumes.
There are many accessories and attachments available for welding helmets.
Limitations
Helmets are much heavier and bulkier.
They are costlier.
Depending on the size of the lens, your field of view might be much smaller than when using a pair of goggles.
Also Read: History of Welding Helmets
Welding Goggles vs. Helmets Comparison
| Point of Difference | Welding Goggles | Welding Helmets |
|---|---|---|
| Eye Protection | Usually less effective than helmets at blocking harmful radiation. | Very effective at keeping out UV and IR light. |
| Ease of Use | Goggles are easier to use due to their simplicity. | Welding helmets are also easy to use, but not as simple as goggles. |
| Face Coverage | Only the eyes are protected. | Unless you get a mask with a particularly large lens, your field of view will be limited. |
| Advanced Features | Welding goggles typically don’t have many special features | Hoods are usually more feature-rich and often come with various special features. |
| Size and Weight | Goggles are much smaller and lighter. | Welding helmets are much bigger and weigh significantly more. |
| Price | Significantly cheaper than helmets. | Being larger and offering more protection, welding hoods are naturally more expensive. |
| Intended Use | Gas welding or small arc welding jobs for short periods. | All sorts of welding jobs, including complex fabrication projects that would involve high-amperage arc welding. |
| Visibility | Goggles offer a greater field of view than most hoods. | Good visibility but lesser field of view in most cases. |
| Durability | A pair of welding goggles is more prone to getting damaged. | Made of tough materials, helmets are more durable and can even guard your head from heavy impacts. |
Goggles or Hoods: Which Is Better in 2024?
One of my favorite things about welding gear is how they keep upgrading over the years. The helmets you get today offer far more safety, comfort, and value for money than what you could buy some years ago. So, how do goggles and hoods fare against each other as of now, and what should you expect in the coming years?
Well, in 2024, welding masks are definitely superior in most aspects. Although some high-end goggles offer features such as auto-darkening and sufficient UV/IR protection, hoods have more advanced features. Interestingly, some modern helmets are equipped with electromagnetic arc sensors, Bluetooth, and augmented reality, which are very recent innovations.
That said, there’s always a chance that the coming years will see the development of better goggles that are on par with helmets. However, the latter is much more useful for their CONVENIENCE, VERSATILITY, SAFETY, and PERFORMANCE. So, I would definitely RECOMMEND getting the best welding helmet over a pair of goggles, considering all options in the market.
Key Takeaways
Both welding goggles and helmets have their strengths and downsides, making either a viable option depending on your needs.
If you’re a beginner, looking for affordable eye protection for gas welding and simple arc welding tasks, a pair of goggles should suffice.
However, professionals and hobbyists working on complex fabrication projects, especially those involving advanced arc welding methods, would benefit more from using a hood.
Helmets are the superior choice overall in terms of safety and versatility. Nevertheless, opting for goggles instead won’t compromise safety as long as they serve the intended purpose.
For cutting tasks, either option works fine. Goggles are an option in this case due to their lower cost, lighter weight, and greater comfort.
I have a goggle for hobby welding projects and I was thinking to upgrade to a helmet. Now I have a better clarity about the requirements and features. Thank you!
You’re very welcome! I’m glad the post helped clarify things for you. Upgrading to a helmet is a great choice, especially if you’re getting more serious about your projects. If you have any questions as you make your decision, feel free to ask. Happy welding!