Best 3M SPEEDGLAS Welding Helmets – Top Picks & Reviews

The “FX” in the name refers to the flip-up front cover. You can raise the front visor and still have protection while you grind. Otherwise, this is the same helmet as the Speedglas 9100 XX, meaning it has the largest, nicest filter glass in the 9100 series. Some users have problems with the flip visor, such as accidentally raising it, or trying to raise it but triggering the auto-dark instead.

Complaints like these may seem minor, but one purpose of welding helmets is improving productivity. These things get in the way and add wasted time. Another complaint by some owners is glare problems on the curved front glass. This is common with curved glass covers. It bothers some welders but others don’t mind it.

The Speedglas 9100 FX comes with a head cover to deflect sparks from above or sides, protecting even down inside the helmet. Most welders in shop settings have grinding and welding going on all around, making this a nice feature. Accessories include a hard hat adapter and it works with passive and powered air 3M respirators.

The 9100 XX has three sensitivity levels for MIG, TIG or stick welding. Digital grinding controls are easy to operate with gloves and auto-darkening is adjustable from shade levels 8 through 13. The “XX” designation means there’s twice the viewing area of the 9100 X, delivering 12.5 square inches of viewport.

Generous side windows in shade level 5 enhance peripheral vision. This not only helps to prevent collisions, it keeps you from getting lost while running beads on very long pieces like vehicle frames. Battery life is rated up to 2000 hours.

This welding helmet is for professional welders. Among these users, there are only a few complaints, but they are consistent. The first is that sometimes the swivel won’t hold the hood up well enough, and it can swivel down at unexpected times. This annoying issue can lower productivity. Another minor problem for some welders is fogging the lens with exhaled breath. This seems to last for only a few seconds. If this is a problem for you, consider the 9100 FX, with better exhaust vents that prevent this.

Every helmet reviewed here is for professionals. The best thing about 3M’s 9100 Series is its modular system. The same basic helmet shell can be upgraded with better headgear, larger or nicer filter glass, mounted to a hard hat or fitted with a respirator. The 9100 V is the most basic model, with the smallest viewport. Less glass on the front means room for a solar panel, extending battery service life.

If you’re not up to spending a lot of cash right away, you can upgrade the 9100 V to the larger X or XX filter glass in stages. The only upgrade you can’t make is the flip front cover of the FX, which has a different shell. Once you’ve installed the rest of the upgrades over time, you could buy the FX shell and transfer everything onto that piece.

The 9100 V offers the same side windows with shade level 5 as its higher-priced companions. Like the rest of the series, the auto-darkening filter glass is rated for MIG, TIG and stick, with sensitivity settings down to 1 amp.

The Speedglas 9100 X welding helmet has smaller glass than the costlier XX and FX models. It’s 30 percent larger than the 9100 V. That’s still small enough to provide for a solar panel on the front, which the XX and FX don’t have the room for. Professional welders love the clarity of the optics and the high quality auto-darkening, but many feel it’s too heavy for all-day work. Others say the weight is offset by the comfortable headgear.

The 9100 X offers variable sensitivity down to 1 amp for reliable auto-darkening even when TIG welding. The shade level on the main lens is adjustable from level 8 to 13. Some welders don’t like the amount of light allowed into the helmet from the outside, but this seems to be a minor issue.

These helmets are known for their longevity, with many reports of welders using Speedglas welding helmets for 10 years or more. The 9100 X keeps that tradition while offering a modular upgrade path to larger glass, better headgear and add-on respirators.

The Speedglas 100 is a step down from the no-compromise nature of the 9100 series, but still offers professional quality and features. The auto-darkening is adjustable down to 10 amps, still sensitive enough for TIG welding but less responsive than the 9100 series filters at 1 amp. This is a cost savings that helps keep the price down.

Owners of the Speedglas 100 love the optical clarity, good comfort and light weight of this helmet, which comes in about the same as the 9100 XX. There are some complaints that it’s hard to see out of when welding overhead. One big concern is that there’s no auto switch-on feature when you pick up this helmet, so you have to remember to turn it on before you strike an arc or you’ll flash yourself.

The Speedglas 100 welding helmet upholds 3M’s reputation for durability and longevity. The shell is very impact resistant and can easily handle an all-day beating. Light weight and quality filtering make this is a quality first helmet that can be worn full-time.