Welding helmets are personal protective equipment used by professional welders, designed to help to protect the eyes, face, and neck of the welders from flash burns, sparks, infrared and ultraviolet light, as well as intense heat. 3M is one of the top manufacturer of welding helmets, including the 3M Speedglas 9100 Multi-Protection Helmet, the 3M Speedglas G5-01 Helmet, and Speedglas G5-01 Helmets amongst others.
Top Welding Helmets
3M welding helmets offer integrated respiratory protection and is quickly adjustable for both welding and grinding. Well known for their for protection and reliability, the popular 3M Speedglas welding helmets uses 3M™ Speedglas™ Natural Color Technology, which provides truer colors and contrasts. With wide side-views and auto-darkening technology, 3M Speedglas has revolutionized welding head & face protection and can integrate with the 3M Adflo and Versaflo PAPR systems.
Knowing what helmet to choose can be difficult and is based your application, comfort and fit of the helmet and the regulations the helmets meet so you remain compliant and safe. Below is a breakdown and comparison of the top three 3M Speedglas welding helmets to help you choose the best one for your needs.
3M Speedglas 9100 Multi-Protection Helmet
The 3M Speedglas 9100 Multi-Protection Helmet, also known as a 9100 MP Helmet, is designed to offer 5 levels of welder protection including:
- Head
- Eye
- Face
- Respiratory Tract
- Ears (hearing)
What makes the auto-darkening 3M Speedglas 9100 MP Helmet exceptional is the extraordinary comfort that it offers while being very easy to use.
Comfortable Fit
The headband of the helmet is designed such that all sensitive areas of the head are avoided. The self-adjusting twin pads for the forehead band ensure a snug fit, without the need to be wound in an overly tight manner.
Ergonomic Design
Made for Small, Medium, and Large head sizes of diameters ranging from 6.25" to 8", the helmet is designed such that the distance between the shield to the wearer’s face can be easily adjusted.
Adaptability
The helmet tilt angle can be conveniently adjusted, without removing the helmet from the head. Moreover, when you attach or detach the 3M Speedglas 9011 QR helmet, you won’t need to remove your hard hat, thereby keeping your head protected at all times.
In addition, the helmet allows for a simplified workflow. The 3M 9100XXi kit (special front and welding filter) comes with external controls to facilitate ease of switching between welding and grinding, without removing the gloves.
Applications
The 3M Speedglas 9100 Multi-Protection Helmets are ideal for use during Grinding. It can also be used for other applications such as
- MMA
- MIG/MAG
- TIG
- Low amp TIG
Safety Regulations
The 3M Speedglas 9100 Multi-Protection Helmet the following standards:
- US OSHA Assigned Protection Factor of 25
- EN 166B
- EN 379 standard
- ANSI Z87.1
- ANSI Z89.1
- CSA Z94.3
Click here for more information on the 9100 MP Helmet from 3M
3M Speedglas G5-01 Helmets
The 3M Speedglas G5-01 Helmets were designed with due consideration from the insights offered by welders who worked at high amperage in conjunction with on-site safety professional. Hence, these auto-darkening helmets boast some remarkable features.
Compatibility
The new 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet G5-01 is compatible with both the 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Respirator as well as the 3M™ Versaflo™ Supplied Air Regulators (available separately).
Variable Color Technology
The 3M Speedglas G5-01 auto-darkening welding filters (ADFs) are enabled with the 3M Speedglas Natural Color Technology. This enables a more realistic color view for the user in a light state. Moreover, it allows the user to select their preferred mode - warm, standard, or cool color – in the dark state.
Adjustable Airflow
Personalized settings for airflow is an added advantage of the 3M Speedglas G5-01 helmet design. The user can choose to direct the airflow to the face, or the visor. They can also regulate the amount of air coming in from the top as well as the side outlets. What's more? All of these adjustments can be easily made while wearing the helmet. This ensures added comfort while in use.
Task Light
The helmet-mounted task light proves to be ideal, even for long hours of work, thanks to the powerful 3M Adflo battery pack.
Light Weight
The 3M Speedglas G5-01 welding helmet achieves an OSHA-assigned protection factor of 1000 while ensuring even weight distribution even with the large head cover and fabric shroud, making it the lightest APF1000 helmet from 3M.
Applications
The 3M Speedglas G5-01 helmet is ideally designed for heavy-duty, high-amperage welding, especially tack welding and grinding.
Safety Regulations
The 3M Speedglas G5-01 helmet adheres to the following safety standards:
- Welding helmet - EN175:B
- Welding filter EN379
- Protection plates EN166:B
- Visor plate EN166:B
- 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Respirator EN12941 (TH3) / NPF 500
- 3M™ Versaflo™ Supplied Air Regulators V-100E, V-200E, V-500E EN14594 (3B) / NPF 200
Click here for more information on the G5-01 Helmet
3M Speedglas G5-02 Helmets
3M Speedglas G5-02 Welding Helmet
The newest 3M Speedglas helmet was designed with the suggestions and insights from occupational customers as well as other subject matter expert were duly considered. The 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet G5-02 is the first welding helmet with a curved auto-darkening filter in a one-of-a-kind welding helmet.
Natural Color Technology
With the help of improved optics and the highly sought-after Curved Welding Lens, the 3M Speedglas G5-02 welding helmet enables the user to more readily recognize colors.
Eye Protection
The product helps protect the wearer's eyes and face from sparks, spatter, harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV), and infrared radiation (IR) resulting from certain arc gas welding processes
Unique Blend of Slim Design and a Wide View
Thanks to the curved welding filter of the 3M Speedglas G5-02, users can now revel in a slim helmet with a large viewing area, something which wasn't possible with earlier modes. Not only does this add to the comfort of the user, but also helps reduce reflections and ensures minimal obstruction of the view. In addition, the thin ADF glass pack ensures an overall lighter helmet.
Largest Auto-Darkening Lens
With a staggering size of 150x76 mm, this helmet provides an exceptionally large viewing area, with light state 2.5 accompanied by variable dark shades 8-12. In addition, it also offers an adjustable delay function to set dark-to-light opening time. All that a user needs to do is choose just the right settings for each task. This can help reduce eye strain by a large extent, while also enhancing the quality of the welds.
Bluetooth Connectivity
By simply connecting the helmet to their mobile phones via an app, users can enjoy seamless access to the control panel. To ensure further ease of use - controls like Shade and Sensitivity are placed in accessible locations, on the helmet itself.
Enhanced Vision
Designed for high-end TIG welders, the 3M Speedglas G5-02 welding helmet offers the best-in-class peripheral vision while also creating a new standard for precision ADF viewing. Moreover, the smartly placed exhaust vents ensure that other limitations like humidity, heat, and fogging of the filter are nearly absent.
Safety Regulations
The 3M Speedglas G5-02 welding helmet meets the following standards of safety:
- EN379:2003+AI:2009
- ISO 16321 "TIG+"
Applications
The 3M Speedglas G5-02 welding helmet is primarily designed to facilitate worker safety in welding processes like:
- MMA (Stick)
- MIG/MAG
- Low amp TIG
Click here for more information on the G5-02 Helmet.
As you may have noticed, one of the striking features that make these helmets superior than most others is the auto-darkening filter. ADF enables amateur welders to start the arc and to position the electrode properly in the joint with ease It helps them improve their welding skills in the long-run. As far as experienced welders are concerned, the ability to shift positions while welding, without lifting and lowering the helmet every single time, helps enhance their productivity by manifolds. If you too have been wanting to equip your workers with the best welding helmet, we strongly suggest you take your pick from the ones listed above!
Frequently Asked Questions about 3M Welding Helmets
Which welding helmet should I use with a 3M PAPR system?
Designed to help keep welders fresher, cleaner and more comfortable, the 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) System helps deliver fresh, filtered air around the face and head. Its slim profile, lightweight design and long-lasting battery provide comfort and protection all shift long.
All three helmets are compatible with the 3M Adflo PAPR system.
Which 3M welding helmets enable Bluetooth Connectivity?
The following welding helmets provide Bluetooth Connectivity:
- 3M Speedglas G5-01VC Heavy-Duty Welding Helmet
- 3M Speedglas G5-02 Curved Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
Once you securely pair your smartphone to your choice of head gear, you can then program up to ten memory modes (settings for dark shades, sensitivity, delay, etc.) with your phone. Using the app, you can get various insights such as - when your welding filter was first activated, hours on, hours in the dark state, hours in the light state, and the number of on/off cycles. The app also gives you instant access to user manuals and parts list related to your helmet.
How to clean a 3M Speedglas welding helmet?
In order to clean your 3M Speedglas welding helmet, you can use a soft cleaning wipe and sodium hypochlorite solution. Make sure the contact time of the cleanser with the helmet doesn’t exceed one minute.
In case you are using a commercial disinfectant cleaner, follow the user instructions and/or EPA label for the selected disinfectant.
How fast should a welding helmet darken?
The 3M Speedglas welding helmets with auto-darkening filters usually take about 1/25,000 of a second to darken.
