7 Best Gold Welding Lens – 2022 Buying Guide and Reviews

Welding can be a dangerous process for your eyes without the necessary protective gear. When welding, not only are there lights too bright to see through but also harmful radiations. A welding lens works by blocking these rays and letting you see the puddle beneath the arcs. A gold welding lens is the darkest among them all and can block the brightest type of arcs.

Finding the right gold welding lens is necessary for your safety. There are some aspects to look into while purchasing one. Here, you can find detailed information regarding seven of the best gold welding lens available on the market. That aside, we have included a buying guide for you to understand their qualities better. You can also find some details regarding radiation and other relevant factors below.

Why and Where Do You Need a Gold Welding Lens

During the welding process, two types of radiation emit from the arcs. They are the UV and the IR rays. Then there will be too bright lights that will hinder you from observing the weld puddle. It will not let you make perfect welds. And of course, the danger of those radiations is still there.

A welding lens can have darkening level ranges (DIN) from 3 to 14. The higher the number, the brighter light it can block. Gold welding lenses generally come with 8 to 14 DIN. You will need that high DIN mostly for MIG welding with argon and stick welding. Basically, welding with a higher amp requires more DIN as they emit brighter light and radiation.

About the UV radiations, three types of them come from a welding arc. They are UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. UV-A, having a higher wavelength, can go through your cornea and is not too harmful. UV-B and UV-C get blocked by corneas and cause arc eye.

The rays can cause irreversible damages, and arc eye is a painful condition. It is why no matter what, you should get a gold welding lens while performing a high amp welding process.

Best Gold Welding Lens Reviews 2022

1. Best Welds Hardened Glass Gold Filter Plate Shade 10

Coming with a pack of one, the Best Welds Hardened Glass Gold Filter Plate is the item you should take for your heavy-duty welding projects. The welding lens has a high DIN of 10. However, like many other gold welding lenses, the item has variations with darkening levels from 9 to 12.

As its name suggests, the welding lens has a durable and hardened filter plate. So, it is really tough and will last a long time. The lens can deflect radiation of both high and low spectrum and block out bright lights.

Manufactured by Best Welds, the item weighs 1 lb. During the welding process, the lens will stay cold even while working with high heat.

This lens has a size of 4.5 × 5.25 inches, which is an ideal size for most. You can equip the item with any compatible welding helmet or goggles.

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2. Radnor 4 1/2" X 5 1/4" Shade 11 Gold-Coated Polycarbonate Filter Plate

Another high-quality gold welding lens is the Radnor 4 Shade 11 Gold-Coated Polycarbonate Filter Plate. The lens has a darkening level of 11, which is good for intense welding methods. Additionally, the package will contain four shade lenses in one, so you can give some to your workmates.

You can also go for its 9 to 12 DIN variations, based on the welding project you do. This gold shade lens comes with a 4.5 × 5.25 inches size. That is enough to cover your eyes totally while you can still see most of the welding area. It is installable on welding helmets that accept the size.

This lens has the same size as the Best Welds Hardened Glass Gold Filter Plate. But the former comes with four in one pack. On the other hand, the latter has a much durable body. The Radnor lens is also lighter than the Best Weld one.

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3. US Forge 99078 Shaded #10 Gold Cover Plate

US Forge did an excellent job while creating the US Forge 99078 Shade #10 Gold Cover Plate. It is crafted with high-graded hardened glass that survived most of our testing. The gold welding lens has a standard size of 4.5 by 5.25 inches, making it suitable for most welding helmets.

The difference between this one and the Radnor 4 Shade 11 Gold-Coated Polycarbonate Filter Plate is that the former has a much harder body. Meanwhile, the Radnor lens comes with a higher DIN level option in their product. Since the US Forge lens is glass-hardened, it will last longer than the plastic-made Radnor lens.

The US Forge 99078 has an issue, however. The lens has poor packaging and can get stained from the bubble wrap. But that doesn’t change the fact of how well-made the lens is. In fact, it can block lights a lot better than many other lenses you can find.

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4. HARRIS GLASS GOLD Shade 12 Welding Hood Lens Helmet Filter

If you want a gold welding lens with a wider shape, the HARRIS 1 Glass Gold Shade 12 is the item you need. This shade lens comes with a DIN number of 12, while versions from DIN 9 to 10 exist. It is made from tempered glass and offers great longevity.

The item comes with a gold glass shade lens and additional ten lens covers. These clear covers will protect your lens from any scratches, stains, and other damages while using or shipping the lens. It has a size of 2 × 4.25 inches. So, you can use it with any helmet that fits that size.

The welding gold lens is wider than Best Welds Gold Filter Plate while offering an additional DIN number (12). Meanwhile, it weighs low compared to the latter item. The Best Weld Gold Filter Plate has a more durable body.

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5. Gateway Safety 24G11 Polycarbonate IR Filter Welding Lens

We have another welding lens with a polycarbonate material that provides a strong shielding against radiation and bright lights. The Gateway Safety 24G11 is an advanced IR filter with a size of 2 × 4.25 inches. But you can also get it with a 4.5 × 5.25 inches size if that is what your helmet fits.

Also, the item has a shade of 11. But you can go for any shade 8 to 10, depending on your welding needs. The downside is that you can’t get a shade 12 or 13, hindering you from high-amp welding processes.

This gold welding lens can deflect heat to an ultra-level and has a tough yet light body of 1.76 oz. You get a clear vision when equipped with this lens. It blocks harmful UV rays too.

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6. Forney 57070 Lens Replacement Gold Welding Filter

We all know that Forney is a popular brand regarding welding equipment. Their Forney 57070 Gold Welding Filter has a high radiation blockage ability. On the other hand, it has one of the lowest costs on this list.

Coming with a shade-9 glass, the lens features a 4.5 × 5.25 inches body. You can also go for its 8 to 13 DIN versions. There is also a wider version of each shade available for different welding helmets. The lens is easily installable on some of Forney’s welding helmets. They include the models 55684, 55673, 55669, 55672, etc.

Keep in mind that the lens is made of tempered glass. That makes it durable but heavy. When Forney said that the lens blocks 99.9% of harmful rays, they weren’t exaggerating. We found out that the lens can deflect more harmful radiation than most other gold-coated lenses.

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7. Hobart 770406 Gold Shade Replacement Lens

Whether you want a top-notch gold shade lens or a replacement for your welding helmet, the Hobart 770406 is what you require. This lens offers a shade 10, while you can also purchase the shade 9 and 11 ones.

The gold welding lens has a size of 2 by 4 inches. You can go for helmets that allow that size to equip it on them. Like many others on this list, Hobart 770406 also has a tempered glass body. That makes it sturdy enough for long-lasting use.

While comparing Hobart 770406 with Forney 57070, you will find that both are heavy-duty lens with high shade levels. But they have a size difference, and the former is lighter. On the other hand, the latter item offers more radiation protection.

We should also mention that the lens weighs around 3.2 oz only, making the weight unnoticeable. It’s a perfect lens for making perfect welds.

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Buyer’s Guide

Information regarding gold welding lenses or welding lenses, in general, is unknown by many. But in truth, they are pretty simple. To get a compatible welding lens based on your welding set up and protect your eyes, you need to research the products enough. Here is what you should focus on more-

Reason Behind the Gold Welding Lens

The welding type your will be conducting with the gold welding lens affects directly how the lens will be. As we mentioned, different welding process needs different amperage ratings. The higher amp needs darker lenses as they will emit brighter light and radiation.

For instance, if you want to perform stick welds, the lens should have a darkening level of at least 11. Check which welding process requires how much darkening and get a gold welding lens according to that. Regarding the level they have different names like 2x4 auto darkening lens, passive welding lens etc. 

Size of Your Gold Welding Lens

The size of the welding lens matters on two occasions. Firstly, you may want a wider lens for a larger screen. You are not alone then. But a lot of welders still prefer a narrow view to focus on the welding area. So, it depends on how you feel comfortable.

Then there is the concern of already having a welding helmet. You are likely looking for a replacement lens for it in that case. Check the size of your old welding helmet lens and get a lens that matches that size.

DIN Level

Gold-coated welding lens has a darkening range between 8 to 14. Again, it comes to what your intended welding process is. Shade-14 is only necessary for the highest level of welding amp, like carbon arc welding. This level is also suitable for watching solar eclipses.

Cover On the Lens

Most high-quality welding lenses come with a cover on them. Like a smartphone screen, a lens needs a protective layer on its glass to protect it from scratches, stains, etc. If your welding lens gets scratched, it becomes almost useless. So, make sure to get a gold welding lens with a proper lens cover.

Glass Material

To ensure the durability of the lens glass, you can go for a tempered glassed lens. It is hardened glass that is really durable. The downside is that it makes the lens heavy. If you don’t like heavy welding lenses, check out polycarbonate welding lenses. It is a material that ensures a durable yet lightweight lens body.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Shade Range of Gold Welding Lenses?

You can find gold welding lenses with various shade numbers. But all of them will be within darkening levels 8 to 14.

Is Gold Welding Lens Shade 10 Good?

We can’t call lens shade-10 bad. But it is not the perfect shade either. Since the shade range of gold welding lenses is from 8 to 14, a shade-10 can be considered an average.

Which Size of Gold Welding Lens Should I Get?

The lens size you should choose depends on the size of helmets you will equip it on. You can find shade lenses with sizes like 4.5 × 5.25 or 2 × 4.25. Now, if you already have a welding helmet, check its glass size. Then get a welding lens that matches that size.

Are Heavy Gold Welding Lenses Too Bad?

Being heavy for a gold welding lens is only bad if you try to use it with your hand rather than equipping it on a helmet. When installed on a helmet, the weight can be totally ignorable.

Final Note

Since you have read it all so far, we hope you now have enough knowledge and information to find a high-grade gold welding lens. As we mentioned in our buying guide, you should check your welding set-up and everything before choosing a shade lens. Otherwise, the item can be a lost cause even if it is actually an excellent item.

Unfortunately, we have noticed that very few welding lenses have customer reviews on them. So, you have to rely on the information given by the manufacturers to determine its quality. You must research everything before the purchase. We wish you good luck with that.