Welding is not a safe job by any means. You will need protective gear to keep yourself safe from any potential harm. You can go blind if you do not cover your eyes with any protective gear. That’s why welders use either welding goggles or helmets to keep themselves safe.
If you have to buy anyone, you may be undecided between welding goggles and helmets.
So, let us help you in deciding which should be suitable for you.
Comparison Table On Welding Goggles and Helmets
Both welding goggles and helmets have their upsides and negatives. However, they are quite distinct from each other in a number of aspects. But first, we should give you a brief overview of these two gears. Then we will move on to their distinctions.
| Topic | Welding Goggles | Welding Helmet |
| Protection region | Eyes | Eyes, face, and neck |
| Price | Less expensive | More expensive |
| Weight | Lightweight | Heavy |
| Side-effects | No mentionable side-effects | Fatigue and pain in the neck |
What is Welding Goggle
Welding goggles are specialized goggles that are made to protect the eyes of a welder. These are made in different shapes compared to normal goggles. The glasses not only cover your eyes from the front but also cover the sides of your eyes. If it is the right size for you, the goggles should extend from the eyebrows to the cheekbones.
Moreover, these glasses also protect your eyes from harmful rays like UV rays produced while welding. However, this will not obstruct your vision. The lenses are pretty clear. So you don’t need to worry.
Pros-cons of Welding Goggles
There are some mentionable positives and negatives of welding goggles. Let us discuss them below:
What is Welding Helmet
Welding helmets offer protection of your face along with the neck. They protect the face from any types of radiation and debris that can scatter during the welding job. Moreover, the American National Standards Institute has set a standard for welding helmets to prevent any accidents.
Read More: Best Welding Helmet Under $100 | Top 12 Reviews
Pros-cons of welding Helmets
Welding helmets have their own upsides as well as downsides. Why don’t we discuss those now?
Welding Goggle vs Welding Helmet: Difference
There are some key differences between welding goggles and welding helmets.
Protection Area: Welding goggles cover the eyes only. On the other hand, welding helmets cover your eyes, face, and neck.
Convenience: Welding Helmets are quite heavy as they cover your face and neck. Using a welding helmet for a long time can cause pain and fatigue. Contrary to helmets, welding goggles are easy to wear. These are also very lightweight. Hence, there is no chance of fatigue.
Visibility: Welding goggles provide better visibility compared to welding helmets. During the early stages of welding helmets, users had numerous complaints regarding visibility. However, the introduction of LCD technology has resolved that problem. But, they can not provide the level of visibility offered by welding goggles.
Safety: The primary concern for which both of these are used is safety. However, the protection these two can give is somewhat different. Although both the goggles and helmet can protect the eyes, the goggles cannot provide protection for your skin, as it remains exposed.
Welding helmets on the other hand cover your full face and neck along with the eyes. This prevents any scattered debris from affecting your skin. Furthermore, your skin is also protected from harmful radiation by the helmet.
Read More: How To Install Cheater Lens In Welding Helmet?
Welding Goggle vs Welding Helmet: Similarities
Both the welding goggles and helmets are made to protect you while welding. So, they are bound to have some similarities.
Firstly, welding goggles as well as welding helmets offer protection to your eyes.
Secondly, welding helmets can reflect UV radiation, optical radiation, sparks, heat, and many more harmful things just like welding goggles.
Similar to welding goggles, welding helmets do not hinder visibility.
Most importantly, both the helmet and goggles protect your eyes. This prevents any chance of photokeratitis, a problematic condition for your eyes.
Welding Goggles vs Welding Helmet: Which One To Choose
For ensuring the best safety, there is no better alternative than a welding helmet. However, if you want something light and less painful, you can choose welding goggles. But, in that case, you have to be cautious to protect your exposed face.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many cheap helmets do not have proper certifications. Moreover, some cheap helmets have problems with visibility as you cannot swap out the visor. However, it is better to use a cheap helmet instead of not using one.
Yes, you can definitely see through welding goggles. Although they restrict the entry of harmful rays, they do not obstruct vision by any means.
You will be exposed to radiation and scattered debris if you weld without goggles. This can cause severe medical conditions like photokeratitis and blindness.
You can use handheld shields or welding goggles if you do not have access to welding helmets.
Welding goggles are designed to block any harmful rays from entering your eyes. These can protect your eyes from radiation and debris.
Verdict
Whether you buy a welding helmet or welding goggles, it ultimately depends on you. However, you must not weld metals without either of them. You may go blind permanently.
This article provided the necessary information regarding these two gears. This should help you in choosing which one is the best for you. We are saying it again, please wear either one of them before welding.
We wish you the best of luck.