Not only do welding helmets help you see while you’re welding, but they are also essential when it comes to safety. They can help protect your eyes from arc flash and your face from debris. However, a high-quality welding helmet will cost you around $300. So trying to find the best welding helmet under 50 dollars can be extremely difficult, especially with all the cheap low-quality ones that are flooding the market nowadays. Luckily for you, we’ve sifted through all the garbage welding helmets to find the best ones, so you don’t have to.
Welding Helmets Under 50 Dollars
1. Antra AH6-260 Review
Latest Price: $45.95
It wasn’t much of a challenge finding the best overall welding helmet under 50 dollars. The Antra AH6-260 has pretty much everything you’d need in a reasonable budget helmet. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a high-end helmet, but it still gets the job done.
With the Antra AH6-260, you get a decent-sized viewing area, four arc sensors, and a variable range from #5-9/9-13. Plus, it was surprisingly lightweight and featured above-average headgear. So wearing it for more extended periods was not much of an issue.
Surprisingly those aren’t even half of the features you get. The Antra AH6-260 also has built-in Interference Suppression technology that helps reduce false triggering, a problem that is all too common in cheaper welding helmets. It also includes a switching speed of 1/25,000 seconds, four arc sensors, and a shade #4 grinding feature.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be pretty shocked when you first try this out. You’ll think you practically stole the helmet because of how well it performs. Keep in mind, though, that since this is a cheap welding helmet, it won’t be perfect. However, for a welding helmet under 50 dollars, the Antra AH6-260 is the best you can get.
2. YesWelder LYG-L500A Review
Latest Price: $32.88
For our “best helmet for the price” pick, we had to go with the YesWelder LYG-L500A. Even though it’s one of the newer ones on our list, this welding helmet has been becoming extremely popular among many welders. Once you see the features, you’ll understand why.
To start with, you get all the necessary features you’d need to use this helmet in MIG, TIG, or Stick Welding. Those features include a viewing area of 3.64” x 1.67”, a variable shade range of #9-13, and a fast switching speed of 1/10,000 seconds. YesWelder even built in the True Color lens technology, which you don’t often find in welding helmets under $50.
With a price this cheap though, there were some things I didn’t like but expected. For example, after extended use, the LYG-L500A didn’t provide much in terms of comfort. It wasn’t as bad as some other helmets I’ve tried, but I probably wouldn’t use it on longer welding jobs. Two other small things I should mention that bugged me was it also doesn’t include a grind function, and it is only solar-powered. Don’t let the flaws scare you since this is something you should expect with a cheap welding helmet.
Even with those flaws, I found myself enjoying this helmet. The clarity was exactly what I needed, even if it wasn’t as good as the Antra AH6-260’s clarity. I also never got welder’s flash, and I usually expect that when I use a low-end helmet. So if you want to save a little extra money, I’d choose the LYG-L500A over our top pick.
3. Tacklife PAH04D Review
Latest Price: $29.97
The Tacklife PAH04D is another budget welding helmet that stood out above the rest. It features all the things you’d expect to find in a more expensive helmet for a fraction of the price. You even get the bonus of an extended warranty and surprisingly great support, which isn’t something you see a lot with helmets in this price range.
With a perfect clarity rating of 1/1/1/1, you won’t have any issues seeing your weld puddle. And as every welder knows, the better the clarity, the better the weld. You can also expect a lot of versatility with the PAH04D welding helmet thanks to the full shade range from #3/4-8/9-13, grind feature, adjustable sensitivity and delay, and a reaction time of 1/25,000 seconds. The shade range #3 was one of the big reasons this helmet stood out, too. It provides a 3x clearer view in light state than shade #4 would.
All the controls for the PAH04D are located on the outside, increasing your chance of damaging them. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you’ll occasionally bump them and mess your settings up, resulting in getting flashed. However, it does make it easier to adjust them when they’re on the outside.
It was also somewhat flimsy, but that isn’t much of a surprise with a welding helmet of this price. This is probably due to it being lightweight, which does make it more comfortable. Combine that with the adjustable headgear, and you won’t have issues wearing it for extended periods. You also won’t be able to use standard-sized filter lenses for this helmet because it fits a smaller size, but it doesn’t affect the view whatsoever.
4. Instapark ADF Series GX-500S Review
Latest Price: $32.99
The Instapark ADF Series GX-500S isn’t something you’d want to use at a big industrial welding job. However, if you’re a hobbyist or just a student looking for something to get you through welding school, then this would be something to consider buying.
It does have the smallest viewing area on our list, measuring around 3.63” x 1.65″, however, compared to other helmets on the market at this price, its above average. Plus, with a clarity rating of 1/1/1/2, you get a clarity that knocks those other helmets out of the park. You even get a variable shade range from #9-13, but you don’t get the shade #3 in light state like the PAH04D, just the shade #4. It also only has two arc sensors instead of four, which is a big reason this wouldn’t be great for a big welding job. Even with some of the limits of this helmet, it surprisingly still had a fast reaction time of 1/25,000 seconds.
The biggest downside of the GX-500S honestly has to be the non-replaceable batteries. Now it is solar-powered, but once the batteries go, you’ll be out a helmet. Thankfully though, with the meager price and one year warranty, you’ll quickly get your money’s worth.
5. Antra AH7-360 Review
Latest Price: $49.99
The last welding helmet on our list is one that should look familiar. The Antra AH7-360 is very much like the AH6-260, just with a few upgraded features. And because these two helmets are very similar, you can already expect the same excellent performance as the AH6-260
Some of the similarities of the two helmets include a variable shade range of #5-9/9-13, four arc sensors, and a fast reaction time of 1/25,000 seconds. It also even has the same helmet design, auto on/off feature, and a grind feature. But, when it comes to the viewing area, the AH7-360 comes out on top with a more significant viewing area of 3.78” 2.09”. Antra also changed the placement of the controls on the AH7-360. Unlike the AH6-260, they’re on the inside rather than on the outside. Since they are on the outside, you’ll have less chance of bumping them, causing damage, or messing up your settings.
With the upgraded features, the AH7-360 is priced a little more than the AH6-260. The differences between the two are not that significant, so I picked the AH6-260 so you can save a little money while still getting the same excellent performance. However, if you don’t mind spending the extra money, I’d suggest choosing the AH7-360, so you get a slightly bigger view area.
Joe Stephens
Joey has over 20 years of experience working in the welding industry and now works with providing readers with intensive reviews. Joey has also self-published an e-book and has written countless articles regarding welding information and safety.
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