In the market for some of these “best welding glasses” but confused by all the choices out there and wondering what’s best for you? Also, can you weld with all of them or not?
Should you just use them for welding or only for plasma and oxy – cutting and what’s the point of buying them then at all…
Well, you can do both but… I found this fairly confusing myself when I first started looking, there really are a lot of options out there and I wanted to make certain that I (and you) had a wide choice of welding goggles to select from whilst ensuring that they met the standards I’d want myself for each job.
I’ve rounded up 10 options that fit all welding uses and all budgets. You’ll be pleased to know that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get the job done.
They are quite cheap but are they safe?
Keep in mind that welding goggles or glasses of any kind of UV protection, brand, or shades and shade number that are on the market do not offer full face protection when arc welding.
In 98% of welding operations and all types of welding, you should use a welding helmet or at least some kind of a facial safety gear that will protect you from hazards of UV radiation and weld splatter on naked skin! This is our article about the best welding helmets and their budget alternatives.
So, if that is out of the way let’s check out the top 10 and then see how to work through your options to make the right choice of glasses for your needs.
Best Arc Welding Safety Glasses Comparison Table
| Image | Name | Specials | Shade Level | Welding Applications | Protection | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YESWELDER Auto Darkening Wellding Googles R100A | Get 10% Off With Coupon: “-10% WELDPROS” | Shades 5,7,9,11 and 13 lenses | MIG, TIG, Stick, and Gas welding and Cutting | Protective Mask | Check Current Price |
| No products found. | Miller Electric Welding Goggles | No products found. | Shades 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 lenses | Gas welding & Cutting, MIG, TIG, Stick | Mask and Hood | No products found. |
| YESWELDER Auto Darkening Solar Powered Z200F Welding Goggles | Get 10% Off With Coupon: “-10% WELDPROS” | Shades 9-13 lenses | TIG, MIG, MMA | Glasses Only | Check Current Price |
| No products found. | Safety Glasses Protective Glasses Shade 10 | No products found. | Shades 5, 10 lenses | MIG, TIG | Glasses Only | No products found. |
| No products found. | Titus Cup Type C Frame Industrial Quality Welding Glasses | No products found. | Shades 5, 8, 9, 11 and 14 lenses | Gas welding & Cutting, MIG, TIG, Stick | Goggles Only | No products found. |
All welding glasses reviewed here to meet the standards of ANSI Z87.1 – 2003 (also referred to as ANSI Z87+), which ensures that viewing lenses have met the expectations of independent testing, showing that they can withstand high-velocity impact.
| Image | Name | Specials | Lens | Welding Applications | Resistance | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No products found. | Pyramex Safety Shade 3.0 Safety Glasses | No products found. | Shade 3 IR Filter Lens | Cutting, Grinding and Oxy/Acetylene processes | Scratch resistant | No products found. |
| No products found. | Hobart 770095 Welding Oxy-Acetylene Goggle | No products found. | Shade 5, can set Shade 14 compatible lens | Cutting, Grinding and Oxy/Acetylene processes | Not Scratch resistant | No products found. |
| No products found. | Hobart 770726 Shade 5 Mirrored Lens Safety Glasses | No products found. | Mirrored Shade 5 Shatterproof Lens | Cutting, Grinding and Oxy/Acetylene processes | Scratch resistant, Shatterproof | No products found. |
| No products found. | Flexible, Impact Resistant Odyssey II Protective Safety Goggle | No products found. | Shade 5 Polycarbonate Lens | Cutting, Grinding and Oxy/Acetylene processes | Scratch resistant | No products found. |
| No products found. | Miller Electric Shade 5.0 Welding Safety Glasses | No products found. | Shades 5 Polarized lens | Cutting, Grinding and Oxy/Acetylene processes | Scratch resistant | No products found. |
Best Welding Safety Glasses Reviews For Arc Welding
1. Miller Electric Auto Darkening Welding Goggle
These are the most expensive welding goggle products that I tested and these offer a similar service to the server auto shade darkening welding glasses that you’ll find in the possession of top-end welding professionals.
They are the best safety glasses on the market in this round-up but the price puts them out of most budgets and while they work great under a hard hat, are lightweight, and come with a face shield sort of lets you use this instead of using welding masks.
It only offers the same welding glasses shade protection as my top pick, which is less than half the price of these. These safety goggles are best used for: gas welding & cutting, MIG, TIG, Stick.
Pros
- Great for working in confined spaces
- High quality, comfort, visibility and mobility
- External control buttons
- Comes with a replaceable protective hood
- Hard hat and magnifying lens compatible
Cons
- Fogging can occur
- People can find hood too small
- Low battery life
2. YesWelder Auto Darkening Welding Goggle R100A
These goggles are my top pick and not just for the features and price but, they also come in a very compact package that allows genuine freedom of movement when welding and they’re super lightweight.
The eye covering can provide complete darkness when you’re carrying out precision welding and the covering is fully flame-retardant and can be used on occasions with minimal spatter.
R100A auto-shade darkening welding goggle from YesWelder. The compact auto-darkening lenses are excellent and this is a very reasonably priced product for its class. There are various types of welding processes that can be done with these goggles – MIG, MAG, MMA, TIG, Arc, Plasma Cutting as well as Grind mode option.
Pros
- Best for money goggles option
- True color view with 2 sensors
- Outside control panel to control sensitivity, shade selection and grind mode
- Free face mask included
- Compatible with hard hats and eyes protection gear
Cons
- Welding long periods without a face mask can cause burns
- Goggles can cause damage to the nose bridge
- The face mask can make welder uncomfortable (snug fit) and fog and airflow problems can occur
- Auto-darkening sensitivity should be set up before work
3.YesWelder Auto Darkening, Solar-Powered Arc Welding Goggles | Z200F
If you are looking for a cheap auto-shade darkening, welding glasses to help you with your small household projects, this YesWelder are perfect for you. They offer a true color view feature that eliminates green tint and gives you a better view of your weld.
This pair of welding glasses are a lightweight, hard hat and welding respirator compatible. They are best used in tight spaces, where welding helmets come short, but keep in mind that they cannot replace a welding helmet in terms of welders protection.
YesWelder Z200F are best used in different types of applications (MIG, MMA, and TIG). These welding glasses come with 1 premium polycarbonate lens and a dark shade number (DIN 9 ~ 13).
Even though these are a great pair of welding glasses, using them for a longer welding project is not recommended as they will not ensure proper UV protection for a long time and may cause eye damage.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- True color view, solar charge cell
- Lightweight but durable pair of welding glasses
- Hard hat and welding respirator compatible
- Best used in MIG, MMA and TIG welding
Cons
- Not suitable for longer welding projects
- Auto darkening function can be slow and cause damage
- Different shadow levels on the different parts of lenses
4 . Novel Safety Glasses Of Shade 10 Arc Welding Goggles
These Shade 10 welding glasses are much more suited for being worn while welding. They’re extremely lightweight and very comfortable. The earpieces can be fully adjusted to suit your head which is a very nice touch.
They’re also good value and reasonably priced for what they are.
I like the fact they’re made in Germany, a country with a reputation for solid engineering. However, welders, be warned – they won’t cover your face and you need to be careful when you weld to avoid burning yourself.
They can be used for short term or observing a MIG and TIG applications, but lens Shade 10 is not enough to protect you from any serious welders light.
Pros
- Changeable polycarbonate lenses
- Scratch resistant, lightweight and comfortable
- Low price, slight peripheral vision
- Made in Germany
Cons
- Welding longer periods can cause face burns
- Green lens glasses
5 . Titus Cup Type C Arc Welding Goggles
These two-piece welding glasses are ideal if you want to be able to change the shade of your glasses without auto-darkening. These are going to best suit someone who is a hobby welder who flits between many different types of projects.
They won’t work with ordinary glasses though and you might be better off with a welding hood if you want to do a lot of arc welding as they won’t give your skin any protection from UV rays.
hey come with optional lenses shade 5, 8, 9, 11, or 14 which makes them great for almost all arc welding applications (MIG, TIG, Stick)
Pros
- Scratch resistant frame
- Easily removable polycarbonate lenses
- Optional Self-Adhering EvaFoam face pads (to be applied by user)
- Adjustable length nose bridge and head strap
Cons
- Weak spots on ventilation and bridge can let trough small amounts of light
Best welding glasses For Oxyacetylene Welding And Plasma Cutting (Only!)
1. Pyramex Safety Shade3.0 Emerge Safety Glasses With Reader Lenses Option
Note, these glasses are for filtering IR and UV light. Don’t use them to view a solar eclipse, though. Why not? Because a solar eclipse will leave you near blind if you do stare at it wearing these. You should have a welding glasses shade 14 to view a solar eclipse.
In fact, while enjoyed these safety glasses for wearing, I’d only use them for working alongside someone who was welding. They’re not good enough in terms of shade lenses (5) to keep your eyes safe while working yourself.
No products found.
Pros
- Pair of glasses that offers 99% UV protection
- Very comfortable, lightweight but durable
- Scratch resistant lens coating
- Best used for cutting, grinding and oxy/acetylene processes
Cons
- Does not offer welders or troch process protection
2. Hobart 770095 Cutting and oxyacetylene Welding Glasses
These flip upfront screen goggles are again limited to a low glass shade number but unlike some of the other models – you can get the lenses replaced using McMaster-Carr brands replacements and then you can get Shade 10 or even Shade 14 if you want.
They will fit superbly well over your prescription glasses and are dark enough.
In addition, you can work alongside someone who is TIG welding or MIG welding without any problems being flashed by the welding arc.
No products found.
Pros
- Best used for oxy/acetylene, cutting and grind applications
- They come with welding shade 5 lens, but can fit shade 14 lenses also
- Flip up feature for easier work
Cons
- Users can feel uncomfortable wearing them, as if they were made for overhead welding
3. Hobart 770726 Shade 5 0 Only Cutting and oxyacetylene Welding
Simple, cheap, and cheerful. If you want welding safety glasses that you can rely on but don’t want to pay the earth for them – these may be your best option. These are mirrored shade 5.0 only, which means you can only use them for cutting or brazing – don’t arc weld with these.
Shades lenses dark enough for these tasks and if you want to carry out welding processes they won’t protect your eyes adequately. You’d end up with, possibly, permanent flash burn. They won’t fit over prescription glasses either.
No products found.
Pros
- Shatter and scratch proof coated shade 5 lenses
- Soft foam frame to protect from dusting
- Best used for plasma cutting, oxy/acetylene processes
- Very comfortable, they fit great
Cons
- They fit tight so prescription glasses can’t fit
- Plastic frame looks fragile
4. Sellstrom Odyssey Ultra Comfortable Only Cutting and oxyacetylene Welding
This anti-fogging pair of safety glasses shade level 5 will help you with your everyday Plasma cutting, oxy/acetylene processes. That means you need to keep them away from anything other than brazing or cutting. However, they are very comfortable to wear.
Lenses will stop both IR and UV rays within reasonable limits. That means they provide enough UV protection to be worn outside on a sunny day. They offer an air vent system that keeps fogging to a minimum.
No products found.
Pros
- Best used for cutting, grinding, oxy/acetylene processes
- Great shade level 5 green lens, UV protection, scratch resistant
- Built in upper and lower vents to help with air flow
- Heat resistant band
Cons
- Prescription glasses won’t fit under them
5. Miller Electric Shade 5.0 Only Cutting and oxyacetylene Welding
These Miller Electric welding glasses again only cover up to shade 5 that’s enough to protect someone who is cutting or brazing form light exposure or who is working near someone welding to prevent being flashed but it’s not enough to weld yourself.
This pair of safety glasses are, however, extremely comfortable to wear and the Oakley-style means you might even swap your regular shades for them.
They’re not made for welding but they’re dark enough (glasses shade 5) to fit your everyday Plasma cutting, oxy/acetylene processes.
No products found.
Pros
- Lens protect from 99.9% UV exposure
- Lens shades 5, which is enough for cutting, grinding and oxy/acetylene applications
- Very comfortable and lightweight
- Shades can also be used as everyday eye protection from sun
Cons
- Even though lenses are scratch resistant, they can get scratched rather easily
- Small amount of light can get trough peripheral vision
Features To Consider When Buying Welding Glasses
If you’re going to buy welding glasses you need to keep this in mind:
- They must be able to provide full protection for your eyes from both the front and the sides
- They must fit you properly and be comfortable when you wear them
- They should allow you to move around fully without ever restricting your view
- They should be hard-wearing and durable and they should clean without leaving smears on the glass
- They should never interfere with or restrict the way that you weld
Sizing And Fit
Safety glasses absolutely must have adequate side protection. When particles start flying, they rarely obligingly come from straight in front of you. Wrap-around frames or those with side shields can help you keep your sight.
You welding safety glasses should also feel comfortable when you put them on.
You ought to try them out for weight and their overall fit – you will be wearing them for long periods of time and if they’re not comfortable to wear, you may be tempted to leave them off.
Check the padding around the nose and ears too – not enough and they can start rubbing.
The easiest way to decide what works in this respect is to try on many different pairs until you find the most comfortable to wear.
Materials
Your welding safety glasses should be made from very durable plastic-like polycarbonates or types of nylon 66 synthetic polymer called polyamide – they will be exposed to high levels of heat – if they melt while you’re wearing them, this will be a disaster. You should also ensure that the lenses in your welding safety glasses are scratch proof and break-resistant.
Impact Resistance
ne vital aspect of choosing welding safety glasses is that they meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for industrial impact resistance. This applies to clear polycarbonate lenses – the standard is Z87.1.-1989.
This will protect your eyes when your safety goggles are hit with debris, sparks, splashes, etc.
Level of Protection
You also need to ensure that you select your welding safety glasses for the appropriate level of lens shade. Mostly you will find this comes in a range between shades 5 and 14. (2)
Shade 5 to 8 is suitable for most forms of gas welding whereas shades 10 to 14 are suitable for electric arc welding. You may see lower than shade 5 welding glasses on sale but these are for soldering, brazing, and cutting only and they cannot be relied upon when welding.
In the case of Shade 5 only googles, we’d recommend that you keep these for brazing, cutting or working alongside someone who is welding.
They might also be worn under a welding helmet but we wouldn’t recommend them as your primary form of eye protection.
Dust is a genuine hazard when welding and you should choose welding safety glasses that are as well-sealed as possible to keep the dust out of your eyes, welding safety drops a lot when you have something caught in your eyes.
Anti-Fog Design
Fogging occurs when your breath gets trapped inside the glass and causes your safety glasses to mist up.
You can tackle this with direct venting (this uses several slits in the safety goggles to allow moisture to escape) and indirect venting (still using slits but these are covered).
However, you should be aware that venting does add some risk of injury and that indirect vents fog more often than direct vents do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Safe To Wear Safety Glasses All Day?
Yes, not only is it safe to wear safety glasses all day long, (there is absolutely no risk of damaging your vision whatsoever), it’s much safer than the alternative of losing an eye when not wearing them. If you’re working and need eye protection then you should always be using welding safety goggles.
Can Dirty Glasses Cause Headaches?
Yes, anything on the lens of your welding safety goggles can cause headaches. This is because it can prevent you from properly focusing your eyes. It will reduce the clarity of your vision at first, and eventually, it can trigger a headache. This is why you should always keep them clean.
How Much are Welding Glasses?
Well, it depends on your needs. The cheapest welding safety glasses are very cheap, indeed, though they won’t last long. The most expensive offer automatic shade darkening (welding time) and a shade darkening welding goggle don’t come cheap. You can spend hundreds of dollars on a top tier professional set of safety glasses.
Can You Weld With Sunglasses?
Technically, you could. Once. After that, you would almost certainly have permanent eye damage. Sunglasses do not provide shade 5-14, they don’t even come close. Nor do they provide enough eye protection while welding. In short, don’t ever wear sunglasses for welding they’re for tackling UV light only.
Price Range
At the end of the day, how much you spend is going to be up to the way you use your safety glasses. The best guide is to buy for every use that you will have – if that’s mainly working alongside welders – take something like the Hobart or Jackson glasses which come in at less than $20 each.
My top pick is only around $70 RRP and the YesWelder safety glasses pack a lot of punch into a pair of glasses. Though they aren’t a replacement for a welding hood.
If, on the other hand, you really need an alternative to your welding hood – the Miller auto-darkening glasses are probably your best bet but they’re going to cost you the best part of $200.
