We all have little idea about the welding works, how sparkle and fumes induces when arc hit the metal joint, these reactions creates lot of heat and gases, which can be very hazardous for the human health. Hence, we will talk about important tool that will help you to provide safety during welding operations and that are Welding helmets with respirators.
The common welding helmets, which don’t have proper air circulation in out of the helmet, these helmets are equipped with advanced feature that help in providing complete air circulation and protection from harmful elements. But when we compare the price of these helmets they are little bit on the expensive sides and more fragile and less durable to normal ones along with the weight aspect bit on the heavier side and lot of guidelines related to assembly and installation procedure.
That’s why it is necessary to aspect all the elemental features and necessity of the welding helmet with built in respirator. In this article we have enlisted top 5 best welding helmets with built in respirators features, functions and pros and cons. So that to help you choose the best Welding Helmets model as per your budget and uses.
What is a welding respirator?
Contents
Welding works bring lot of hazards and harmful things along it, hence in order to be safe and work effectively for longer hours without effecting your health. For this welding helmets are very important. And now we discuss one kind of welding helmets with built in respirator. When we talk about welding helmets with built in respirator, they are equipped with special headgears, which are necessary for protecting against toxic smokes and other gaseous hazards. When it comes to design they are basically comes in 3 types and there uses is totally depends upon working environment and conditions.
The 3 kinds of a welding helmet with respirator:
- Powered air respirators;
- Air supplied respirators;
- And half-mask respirators.
The selection of the helmet is totally depends upon the level of fumes and gas generates during the welding operations. The basic need of this helmets is to prevent inhaling of the hazardous gas zinc, nitrogen oxides that has been usually generates during welding operations. There are number of other harmful elemts that may have induced during welding work. Hence, in order to avoid these harmful exposure sof dangerous gaseous, there is very much requirement of the proper ventilation and air circulation system around the welder. This is where the most convenient and practical equipment will be good quality welding helmet with built in respirator.
5 Welding Helmets with Built-In Respirator for the Money
So, here is the list of top helmets with respirators available in the market.
1. Air Purifying Respirator High Efficiency Welding Helmet
Package includes and specifications
- Sale Unit: CASE
- Brand: 3M
- Trade Name: Adflo Speedglas
- 3M Number: 36-1101-30SW
- Series: 9100 FX-Air
This is number one in our list of best welding helmets available in the market, when we talk about 6-1101-30SW Powered Air Purifying Respirator helmet it comes with High-Efficiency System with 3M Speedglas, which is major advantage of this product, however this helmet comes at a very expensive price, which cannot be cost effective for normal welders. It has all advanced features with advanced technology, which provides very steady and continuous flow of air, making it best for heavy and long hours of welding works. It also has full coverage of the face as well as neck for protection from any accident that could happen while welding, and provide full protection from UV/ IR radiation, sparks and so on.
It has a very large viewing area, which is very beneficial for having wider vision of the workplace and this will also help in enhancing the peripheral range of welders observation. It also has very hard and sturdy head cover, which is durable enough for resisting impacts on head and it is convenient to all 3M speedglas welding serious helmets. The main highlight of this helmet, which outstand this helmet from others is PAPR, i.e. Powered Air Purifying Respirator. PAPR helps in filtering out air particulates to entering inside the helmet, which is very important safety measure at respiratory level and will enhance the working efficiency of the welders.
Pros:
- Very Ultimate quality of optical clarity
- It offers Full face, and neck protection
- Main highlight of its Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR
- Very Comfortable headgear.
- Very environmental friendly
- Very Light and sturdy design
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not for DIY and normal users.
2. Allegro Air Pro Welding Helmet
Package includes and specifications
- AIR SHIELD/HELMET: NIOSH approved, Made of ABS, APF 1000, Low profile and lightweight (3.62 lbs) (1.64 kg)
- LENS (SHIELD): Eye Protection: ANSI Z87.1+, Protection Factor: APF 1000, Made of anti-fog polycarbonate
- VISOR (WELDING HELMET) w/ AUTO-DARKENING FILTER (ADF): Made of glass filled polyamide (Nylon), Permanent outer UV/IR filter coating to protect welder eyes
- BLOWER: ABS lightweight blower – weighs only 2.8 lbs. (1.13 kg), Noise level is under 70dB, Adjustable flow rate is 7.6 CFM (210 liters/min) to 8.2 (226 liters/min)
- Complete assembly NIOSH approved and equipped with two easy removable NIOSH approved HEPA filters (42 CFM, Part 84)
The second one in our list is Allegro Industries 9934-W EZ Air Pro Welding Helmet with PAPR technology. This assembly makes it a very high performance and effective for long hours of welding works, which can be effective in diverse environments and conditions. Along with these qualities this respirator helmet comes with advanced protection technology for shielding from debris and air pollutants. Along with these advanced features, this helmet has very constant air circulation.
It has auto darkening filter, which helps in diminishing the light and arc sparkling without even worrying about the manual switching. These feature will make responsive power and efficiency of the passive lens very advanced and quick and hence the lens transfers itself from light to dark mode in no time. When we talk about design and built of the helmet, it is very lightweight and low profile, which make it very convenient and suitable for both naïve and professional welders. This helmet is NIOSH approved, which makes it assembling very quick has been provided with proper manual guide for other basic information.
Pros:
- Its NIOSH approved, which makes quick assembly
- Very Low profile
- Lightweight design makes it comfortable to wear.
- Has very effective Auto-darkening filter
- Anti-fog feature
Cons:
- It did not comes with battery holder
3. Jackson Safety Airmax Elite PAPR
Package includes and specifications
- Protects from the respiratory dangers of welding fumes and heat stress
- Air welding helmet with flame-retardant face seal protects against sparks
- Contains NIOSH HE filter assembled with pre-filter and spark arrestor
- Features dual-speed blower unit
- Includes breathing hose with flame retardant cover with air flow indicator
The third contender in our list is Jackson Safety Airmax Elite welding helmet with BH3 Air head top (40839) which makes it very high end PAPR tech helmet. It also has very advanced protective features, which protects welders from sparks, radiations and other harmful hazards. This helmet has protection upto the shoulder area making it one the best choices for operations like edging, cutting and grinding works. It can be very effective helmet for both beginners as well as professional welders.
Its auto darkening filter provides very clear view, which maximize the efficiency of works. You can easily adjust the visibility and optical clarity of the helmet as per the level of the operation. Its filter feature three layers technology that will help you in guarding against particulate containment. It is equipped with lithium ion battery, which is efficient enough for powering it for continuous 8 hours. Along with these things, package has smart charger, which shows power requirement of the battery and thus helps in protection against over charging. The major drawback of this helmet as, when battery fails the helmet, which is expensive to buy separately.
Pros:
- Package contains a smart charger protects over charging
- Very Lightweight design
- Has Three-layer auto-darkening filter
- NIOSH proved helmet
- PAPR respirator comes with airflow indicator
Cons:
- Can be too responsive
- Battery is very expensive
4. ArcOne Respirator PAPR Welding helmet with Face Shield
Package includes and specifications
- Hard Hat / Visor: ANSI Z87.1-2010 Eye Protection, ANSI Z89.1-2009 Type 1 Class G Head Protection
- PAPR: APF (Assigned Protection Factor) of 1,000, according to OSHA 3352-02 2009
- Flip Down Welding Visor with 5500V Digital Filter
- This loose fitting hard hat provides complete respiratory, face and head protection and can be combined with most ear muffs.
- Includes PAPR system, PUR hose and hard hat / grinding visor with flip down welding visor
The maximum number of helmets available in the market, which are very good but they are compatible with the high temperature and doesn’t offer high end safety measures, then we would suggest to go with ArcOne SR500 Respirator PAPR Kit, which comes with Hard Hat Grinding Visor and Welding Face Shield. This helmet is known for its protection and it is designed with keeping all safety measures in mind as it has ANSI Z87.1-2010 rated cover protection. It also has Type 1 class G head protection, which make its best in market.
When it comes to assembling guidelines, brand has provided proper guidelines so that even a beginners can assemble it very easily. The assembling can be tricky as it suggested to read the user manual very carefully before making it in use. Talking about the respirator technology it comes with SR500 PAPR Respirator, which is adequate enough for welders safety. This respirator will provide very clear and purified air free from all types of dust and contamination. This helmet can be very effective choice for the welders who used to work for long hours. It has very sturdy and light weight design, which make it comfortable for long hours of welding works.
Pros:
- It has SR500 tech with Built in with PAPR
- Has Digital filter
- Very Lightweight design
- Very Comfortable and durable headgear for long hour working
- It Comes with a hard hat and PUR hose
Cons:
- Very Expensive
- Not suggested for beginners
- The issues regarding adjustability of the headband.
5. Optrel PAPR System Helmet
Package includes and specifications
- Optrel e3000 papr with e680 helmet #4550.100
Here comes the final champion in our list of welding helmets with built in respirators, the reason of keeping this helmet by Optrel, fifth in our list because it comes with both advanced and classical features and specifications, which can be effective enough for professional welders. It comes with 4550.100 E3000 PAPR System, which makes compatible helmet available in the market.
It has auto darkening filter feature, that enables shifting shade with in quick interval of time, which is less than 0.1 ms. This helmet is considered to be in the top welding helmet models available in the market. When we talk about its built quality, it is sturdy and durable structure, with good eye protection along with head protection. Its weight is around 0.16 ounces, which is very light and allows the welders to work for long duration of time. This features make this helmet one of the best choice for those welders who work for long hours.
It is also equipped with air cooling valve technology through which welders can easily adjust the air temperature inside the helmet. These features great air circulation inside out of the helmet and gives a very high end working efficiency.
Pros:
- It has very Lightweight design
- Modern structure with classical touch
- It has Auto-darkening filter
- 4550.100 E3000 PAPR System
- Very High level of protection
Cons:
- On expensive side
- Not suitable for beginners.
Buying Guide for Best Welding Helmets with Built-in Respirator
Whenever you consider to go with the welding helmet with built in respirator, then the things you must consider in order to buy a perfect helmet and selecting your final product. There will be number of questions in your mind, why these features are important to consider before buying an welding helmet, because these features makes you have knowing all good and bad qualities of the helmet and helps you to have perfect product of your choice. For easing out your work, we will give you proper buying guide, features you should look before going to buy a welding helmet, so without wasting further time we will directly show the elements you should check out before making a purchase.
Ventilation
This is one of the most important element required during welding processes, as there is lot of heat will generate during welding process and ventilation is significant feature to make your face surrounding temperature regulated. Ventilation feature is very important that can prevent the helmets ecosystem oxygenated. Welding works produce number of gaseous during process and if proper ventilation is not provided then these gaseous can cause some serious harm to the welders. Hence, we must buy a helmet that has proper respirator on it.
Working environment
Other important factor to look while doing an welding process is the environment, where you have to your welding works. This factor is important because, welding helmets with respirators need an proper airy environment to work with the efficiency for what you have bought them in the first place. Keep track of the area whether it is properly ventilated or not, the place you are working is efficient for the heavy welding works. These factors are very important to consider before you selected to buy a welding helmet with built in respirator. In case you don’t have much knowledge about the environmental facts then you can buy some of the proper books available in the market. So that you must have factual knowledge before buying the helmet according to the working environment.
Shields
During welding works, safety of both face and eye is an important aspect, hence buying helmet with proper shield is very important for welders personal safety. Welding helmet specially the one with built in respirator, this factor is very essential to be in it. Hence, before considering to buy a respirator it is very important to check whether the helmet has shields or not. Some of the cheap helmets would also have respirators, but in the aspect of protection for face and eye they are not that efficient, hence be aware before making purchase.
Comfort
Whenever we would like to have welding respirator, then along with safety comfort is also a significant factor to consider. For example, some how you have a respirator helmet, which is very uncomfortable in fit, then we would not be able to wear it for long working projects, which will affect your working efficiency. Hence, it is very necessary to read and check out reviews of the product from genuine websites like amazon and others, before you want to buy one, because buying an uncomfortable helmet can damage your body parts like ears and eyes and that is what you do not want in first place. Hence, we would first suggest you to ensure the quality of comfort and security of the respirator and then proceed to buy it. Always be a smart consumer and do not trapped down in fancy advertisements and false interpretations.
Protection and safety
Another important factor to consider before buying a welding respirator, its safety and protection factors. Because welding is very dangerous and tough task to do and if you do not purchased the good quality respirator helmet than, there is high probability that you might hurt yourself. Hence, it will be not the smart thing to save little money by buying cheaper products and then to spend much higher amount of money on medical expenses. So that’s why safety and protection factors are very important aspect when you want to buy an welding helmet. You can get all these factors by researching about the best helmet offers at different price point and buy them according to your choice.
Durability
The helmet should be made up of high quality material for longer time use otherwise it is just wastage of money. Cheap respirator helmets are not that durable and may would have broken very easily. This factor is very important because during working you may sometimes throw your helmets here and there, and cheap helmets with low quality build may be dented or broken with minor accidents, which will directly affect your working efficiency and work. Hence it is very important to buy the respirator helmet with sturdy and high quality build for having longer ability to work and without any kind of obstruction
Battery power type
You must have knowledge about the every respirator helmet works on battery, because battery helps you to provide proper arc calculation and other different functions while welding. If you had bought the helmet, which does not give long working hours, then we would not suggest you to go for these kind of helmets. If you want to have detailed information about the helmet battery life then you have to check reviews and other research work for making smart purchase and you can also the showrooms of the helmets brands and try out them on your own for personal experience. By gaining the knowledge about battery life you can easily make good choice and have best product according to your use.
How do you select a welding respirator?
As we all know that welding respirators works best where there is no proper ventilation in the work place, hence there we would need a high quality and heavy duty welding helmets with built in respirators, for effective protection from hazardous gaseous and heat.
Talking about the variety of the helmet are available in the market that you can choose as per. But in order to understand which welding helmet would be best for you for the specific and particular part of the welding operations, you have to dig deep in this procedure to make an smart choice.
There are number of factors you may look for finding proper welding helmet with built in respirator, like as we refer to Assigned Protection Factors, known as the APF. The APF meter indicates the protection level that a welding helmet with built in respirator be able to provide, while using in and average ventilated work field during welding operations.
After determining the APF meter of the helmet at specific concentration and condition, we have to multiply the APF of the respirator to the limit exposure of the substance. Through this method you have an idea about the level at with a welding helmet with built in respirator will help in protection against specific concentration of hazards. So without wasting further time we will move to the list of top beat 5 welding helmet available in the market.
Conclusion
The importance of the welding helmet with respirators can be very significant, as in case of the welding places where there is no proper air ventilation present. That why in order for your health safety welding helmets are very important for welder, who usually have professional welding operations. It is very important to make full research and read proper review and have detailed knowledge about all the different features that welding helmet with respirator provides.
Read more: Best 3m speedglas Welding helmets
As most of them provide some if not all the necessary requirement for welding operations, we highly recommend the Air Purifying Respirator with 3M speedglas welding helmet. This later offers a variety of specifications and features that are most suitable for all welding applications, including cutting, editing and grinding. It can be used for long-hour projects that require comfort as well as a safety measurement. The most affordable one is Jackson Safety Airmax Elite PAPR supplied air respirator system. However, you should make sure to choose the best that suits your needs and your working conditions.
I hope you liked our article about best 5 welding helmets with respirators, and we are able to solve for dilemma and search for best option. In this article, we have discussed about their specifications, features and their pros and cons. So, if you are interested with any one of them please go for buying them. Please feel free to share this article with your friends & family and if you have any suggestions and queries related to it feel free to contact us.