The Beginner's Guide to Welding Goggles

When shopping for welding-related personal protective equipment (PPE), you may come across welding goggles. Not to be confused with welding helmets, they are commonly worn by professional welders. Welding goggles are designed to protect welders' eyes from injury. As a result, they are a common type of welding-related PPE. To learn more about welding goggles, including how to choose a pair, keep reading.

What Are Welding Goggles?

Welding goggles consist of protective eyewear that are designed to protect against eye injury when welding. Also known as welding safety glasses, they typically feature two specialized lenses with an adjustable band. You can wear welding goggles like most other goggles. Just stretch the band around the back of your head and adjust the front so that lenses cover your eyes.

Eye injuries are common among professional welders. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), one-quarter of all workers' compensation claims filed by professional welders involve eye injuries. Welding, of course, produces intense heat and ultraviolet (UV) light, both of which can cause eye injury. Welding can also create debris that's projected towards the eyes. If your job involves welding, you should invest in a pair of welding goggles to protect against eye injuries such as these.

Tips on Choosing Welding Goggles

There are different types of welding goggles. To take advantage of this essential form welding-related PPE, you'll need to choose the right type of welding goggles.

Pay attention to the lens filter when choosing welding goggles. Different welding goggles have different lens filters. The lens filter is a layer that's applied over the lenses. It's designed to absorb or reflect UV light. Some lens filters are only designed to protect against certain types of UV light. As a result, you'll need to choose welding goggles with an appropriate type of lens filter for your welding application.

You should choose welding goggles that fit your head. Otherwise, you may not be able to comfortably wear them. Most welding goggles have an adjustable strap. You can tighten or loosen this strap to achieve the perfect fit. Other types of welding goggles, though, lack a adjustable strap.

Keep in mind that welding goggles aren't a substitution for a welding helmet. While they are both forms of welding-related PPE, welding goggles only cover your eyes, whereas a welding helmet will cover your entire face. You can usually wear welding goggles under a welding helmet.