What Is an Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet?

A welding helmet is an essential form of personal protective equipment (PPE) for professional welders. Welding torches produce extremely bright visible light as well as invisible infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light. Exposure to this light can cause eye injury or even blindness. 

There are welding helmets, however, that feature protective lenses. Some of them even have an auto-darkening feature. Known as auto-darkening welding helmets, they've become a popular alternative to traditional welding helmets with fixed lenses.

Overview of Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets

Auto-darkening welding helmets are characterized by the use of selectable lens shades. Like all welding helmets, they feature protective lenses. The lenses will block potentially dangerous light so that you can safely look at workpieces while welding them. Auto-darkening welding helmets are different in the sense that they feature multiple shades, whereas traditional welding helmets typically only feature a single shade for their respective lenses.

How Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets

You might be wondering how auto-darkening welding helmets work exactly. While available in different styles, most of them leverage multiple lens shades. Auto-darkening welding helmets will only use a single shade at any given time. The shade represents the darkness of the lenses and, thus, the type of light the welding helmet will block. But you can choose from one of several shades when wearing an auto-darkening welding helmet.

Most auto-darkening welding helmet haves a knob on the side. Turning this knob will cycle through the available lens shades. To use an auto-darkening welding helmet, you'll need to select an appropriate lens shade by turning this knob. The auto-darkening welding helmet will then switch to this lens shade as you begin to weld.

Benefits of Using an Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

With an auto-darkening welding helmet, you can select the best shade for your welding application. Other types of welding helmets only feature a single shade. Known as passive welding helmets, they feature a single lens shade.

Auto-darkening welding helmets receive their namesake from their ability to darken automatically. They won't use the selected lens shade -- at least not initially. Rather, auto-darkening welding helmets will only darken their respective lenses to the selected shade when exposed to the light of a welding torch.

Auto-darkening welding helmets are relatively inexpensive. Prices vary depending on many different factors, such as the brand, material and lens type. Nonetheless, auto-darkening welding helmets are cheaper than you may realize. This makes them a popular choice for both recreational and professional welders.