A PAPR stands for “Powered Air Purifying Respirator”. PAPR welding helmets usually consist of a belt-mounted or backpack air blower which traps contaminants in a filter and feeds clean air through a tube and into the helmet.
Breathing in welding fumes is a respiratory hazard that can cause serious health issues such as metal fume fever. Having proper ventilation and a clean air flow when poisonous fumes are present will increase your safety by reducing exposure to the fumes.
If you’re welding in an enclosed space, with low ventilation, or on material that emits poisonous fumes (such as galvanized steel), then a PAPR helmet is definitely something to look at getting. Safety should be your number one consideration when welding and hazardous fumes can pose a real threat to your health.
Do I need a PAPR welding helmet
The need for a PAPR helmet depends on the material that’s being welded and the ventilation in the workspace. Employers must follow OSHA respiratory protection guidelines. Typically, if you cannot obtain adequate ventilation then you will need a PAPR. In many applications, fume extractors and respirators may be used together.
A half mask respirator that fits under the welding helmet may be suitable where exposure to fumes is very low. However, if you’re a professional welder that has extended exposure, then a PAPR is a much safer option. Air fed welding helmets aren’t cheap, but can you really put a price on your safety?
Benefits of a PAPR helmet
- Better protection. Different types of respirators are rated by OSHA with an assigned protection factor (APF) which indicates the level of protection from fumes that they provide. Half mask respirators have an APF of 10, whilst PAPR helmets have an APF of at least 25, offering much more protection.
- More comfortable. Half mask respirators that squeeze under your welding helmet and stick to your face can be quite uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time. Allowing your skin to breathe with cool air blowing across it is a hell of a lot more comfortable.
- Don’t need to shave your beard. Welders who wear half-mask respirators are not allowed to have a beard. These tight-fitting respirators require the welder to the clean-shaven so it touches their face and is not obstructed by facial hair. A PAPR does not require this and there’s plenty of room for facial hair under the helmet.
Best PAPR Welding Helmets
1. 3M Speedglass G5-01
🥇 Best Overall
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(5.0 / 5)
(4.0 / 5)
(4.8 / 5)Our top pick is the 3m Speedglass G5-01, which is a market-leading PAPR and probably the most popular used by professional welders. The clean air is powered by the Adflo Heavy-Duty PAPR which supplies up to 50 times cleaner air than if you were breathing without protection.
The headgear has been redesigned for extra comfort by distributing weight evenly across the head and giving the option of attaching a cushioned padding for the back of the head for extra comfort. It’s also easily adjustable and you can change the angle at which you look through the filter and the distance from your eyes.
A really cool feature is how it lets you control the air flow. The duct system lets you choose where you want to feel the air to flow the most by adjusting the levels of air that come out of each of the outlets. This allows you to direct the air into the visor or into your face.
The G5-01VC welding filter has Natural Color Technology which makes colors seem more defined. You can also choose between three different settings: natural, cool and warm tones depending on which one of these works best for you.
One of the notable design features of this is the flip up feature where you can flip the lens up and have a clear visor underneath. The flip up is easily detachable and is perfect for if you spend a lot of time grinding and don’t want to keep the full weight of a helmet. The clear visor is also really big and gives a much larger viewing area than many normal helmets on grind mode.
There’s so many great things about this helmet but the final two are the optional light on the front and the bluetooth capability. Basically, there’s a light on the front that runs off the battery pack which you can turn on if you want to get a bit more light in the work area. There’s also an app that you can connect to via bluetooth and save your favorite settings and control it remotely. Overall, you just can’t beat this at the minute for top of the range PAPR. See more in the full product brochure.
2. Miller PAPR t94i-r
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(4.5 / 5)
(4.6 / 5)This PAPR system really is Miller’s answer to the 3m Speedglass. The T94i-r has a flip up option, whilst the similar T94 is just the regular helmet with no flip up. Flip up helmets are handy for professional welders who are regularly grinding. You also can’t simply flip the hood when you’re done welding, so it’s much more handy being able to get rid of just the lens so you can see without taking off the whole helmet.
The clarity is great as you’d expect from this helmet, although it’s nothing exceptional. The visibility is generally good with the side windows and flip up option. The Clearlight technology is also helpful for improving clarity.
The PAPR has an APF of 25 which purifies air up to 99.7% and the battery life lasts for around 6-8 hours on low. So it’s good, but not the best. I’m also not that keen on the design; it’s a bit stumpy and bulky. Overall there’s no doubt it’s a quality helmet but we feel it just misses the mark of the 3m Speedglass.
3. Optrel Crystal 2.0 e3000x PAPR System
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These swiss-made PAPRs offer exceptional respiratory protection and clarity. The e3000X PAPR system provides the highest safety class (TH3) of respiratory protection, with air up to 500 times cleaner than if you were breathing normally. In total, 99.8% of harmful air particles are filtered out. The battery life is also one of the best available with almost 20 hours of use. The belt system is also nice and light.
Once you couple this with the Optrel Crystal 2.0, you get an amazing experience of visual clarity and perfectly clean air. Optrel offers a range of other great helmets available with the e3000x, such as the Panoramaxx, but we love the clarity of this helmet. This helmet actually has the record for the best brightness level on the market with 31 percent light transmission in the inactive state. The light state really lets you see clearer when wearing it compared to most other helmets and is basically like looking out of a window.
The only way this lets itself down is that it doesn’t have the finishing touches of the 3m Speedglass. Yes, it’s got great clarity and air quality, but the headgear simply isn’t as comfortable or adjustable. There’s no fancy features, no flip up helmet, although it is available at a cheaper price. If you’re more of a hobbyist, I’d probably lean towards this because of the price, however, if you’re a professional and are going to be wearing it all day every day, I’d lean towards the 3m.