The Best Welding Lens

About Welding Lenses

• Safety experts at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommend the use of darkened lenses to help protect welders’ eyes against corneal burns from the high ultraviolet light produced by welding. Employers must provide these lenses for their employees. To choose lenses, start with the darkest lens and then gradually choose lighter lenses to allow the best, clearest view of the work area.

Passive Lenses

• Passive lenses are those that fit into the viewing area of the welding helmet and do not change color during the welding operation. Passive lenses are available in a variety of colors to provide a range of darkening ability. Most helmets have a #10 lens, making it the best type for the greatest number of welding applications. Passive lenses have ultraviolet and infrared coatings that make them safe to use for eye protection during welding operations. The primary difficulty when using passive lenses is that the helmet must be snapped down into place on the welder’s face at the correct time to avoid corneal burns. This may be a problem for beginning welders who must learn to time the positioning of the electrode and lowering of the helmet in quick sequence. In addition, failure of the helmet to lock into place properly can lead to accidental eye burns.

Auto-Darkening Lenses

• Auto-darkening lenses were developed to provide automatic protection for the welder’s eyes during short welding operations where lifting and lowering the helmet continuously would be impractical. Auto-darkening lenses are the best type for this kind of repetitive operation. Colors can range from #8 for low-amp operations to #13 for high-amp operations, according to the Miller Welds website. Welders should be aware that some auto-darkening lenses can take more time than other types to darken sufficiently for the task. They should test their equipment before starting and adjust their welding operations accordingly.

Lens Colors

• Generally, welding lenses are available in a dark green color, the traditional color for welding lenses. Also available are gold lenses that provide the same UV protection but provide a clearer view of the work area. Which type is best for any particular work task is generally a preference of the individual welder.