Specialty Welding boots may sound like something that is easy to overlook when it comes to establishing your welding accessory list, am I right?
The truth is, just about every professional welder knows how important a solid pair of welding boots truly is. Just ask any welder who has had to weld overhead, I can almost guarantee you when they speak in saying that they were or were almost burned, it’s from experience, not hearsay. This is where having one of the best welding boots comes into play. You need to have something that can withstand the heat, stay durable, and not reduce your efficiency on the job.
A couple of key things you need to make sure your choice boot has:
Extremely tough and rugged, these are sure to last. They have specifically been built with a tough sole to prevent slippage in damp working conditions. The Dr. Martens MG ST is built with double stitching and heavy duty laces and lace eyelets. Shall we go on?
The uppers on these boots are water resistant and built of full grain leather designed to withstand the elements that mother earth gives us. Expect a nice bit of ankle padding and a removable insole designed to provide that extra comfort that you wouldn’t expect. A steel toe guard rounds out the list of awesomeness about this particular welding boot.
Pros
Excellent non-skid tread
Lightweight vs other steel-toe boots
Cons
The sole can be soft
Consider adding to gain arch support
Timberland PRO Men’s 53530 Metguard Steel Toe Boot
Developed specifically for welders, this Timberland 53530 as a fantastic metatarsal guard that provides exceptional protection. Designed to conform to the wearer’s natural foot shape, they’re much more comfortable than what you’d expect from a welding boot. Waterproof and high-quality kevlar stitching help to round out the fantastic characteristics of this boot. Roomy steel toe caps help keep your toes safe in a violent and dangerous work environment, and rubber sole makes this great for working in wet and oily workspaces.
These boots are a bit heavier than others on the market, but it’s because they’re designed to be so durable. A downside to these boots is that users have reported of the backstitching slowly coming apart, causing them to have a shorter lifespan than some are hoping to achieve for the price.
Pros
Immediately comfortable
Full-coverage protection
Cons
A little heavy
Can be sized slightly narrow
Rocky Duty Men’s Modern Paraboot
This surprisingly fashionable pair of hardened leather boots is made to protect. They have a patent leather cap toe that will prevent splatters from harming your foot as well as an all leather design. Their long 10” design is meant to fully cover the leg and provide a level of full-coverage of sorts. The EVA footbed will also ensure that the foot is incredibly comfortable during any o your welding activities. Considering the fact that you will likely spend a great deal of your time welding on your feet, this can be a great help. The rubber lugged outsole is also helpful for allowing you to maintain your grip during work.
Pros
Padded footbed
Knee-high coverage
Cons
Not very supportive
Order half a size down
Caterpillar Men’s Assault Work Boot
The assault 6 in steel toe is designed to provide full coverage for your forefoot during work; these boots are meant to provide excess security for those who work the more hazardous jobs. They feature CAT’s climasphere inner lining and insole, making them another incredibly comfortable option for those who use them. Also, the slip-resistant outsole of these boots gives adequate grip – a feature that will definitely come in handy during work. These are a great option for those individuals who require a bit more durability from their boots.
Built as a compact wire-feed MIG welder, it was built to run off of the common household power of just 115 volts. It can weld thing gauge steel all the way from 24 gauge up to quarter-inch steel plate!
Something many MIG welders will appreciate about the Hobart Handler 140 is that it is a flux core setup capable of running either steel, solid, or aluminum wiring making it very versatile for welders in a variety of jobs. Automotive, household work, heavy duty projects, you name it and this welder can handle it!
The Hobart 500559 Handler comes ready to weld right out of the box and is jam-packed with the Hobart 5/3/1 (5 years) limited warranty.
Video credits to Northern Tool. It discusses the Hobart Handler 140.
In an industry that exposes the body to high levels of heat and danger – such as welding- it is of the utmost importance that one places a high degree of importance on finding adequate protection for their body. Not only does welding put one’s lungs and facial features in danger of but it also places the hands at the mercy of the heat. With that being said, welding can be dangerous, if the body doesn’t have sufficient gear protecting it.
Thus, it is very important to usesafety tools while welding so that one can take out the best from the process without causing diseases. It is very important to protect one’s hands while welding, as the sparks, can cause critical burns and even make the person disabled and losing function of his hands. The list of the best welding gloves of 2018 has been compiled to make sure that our readers have access to the highest quality material there is on the market. Not only do we want to make sure that you have access to the best welding gloves but, we also want to make sure that you stay away from those gloves that protect nothing – not even themselves – from the hazards of welding.
One of the major issues that many gloves were experiencing decades ago is that they lacked any level of comfort. For example, unlike gloves that were made before the start of the 21st century, the gloves that welders wear nowadays feature things such as custom linings (cotton, fur etc.) that greatly enhance their comfort levels. One of the major reasons why gloves weren’t worn (and welders were getting damaged so often) was that the gloves fit horribly. Fit is another criteria that we have to put a lot of emphasis on during our reviews – because of the important part that it plays in providing wearers with a comfortable experience.
Video credits to Kevin Caron, Artist. It goes over how to pick the safest welding gloves.
Flame Resistance
While the entire purpose of having welding gloves on during a weld is to make sure that your hands are protected from flames, not all gloves are created equally in this respect. The majority of welding gloves are created from a leather material with the most prominent materials being: Elkskin, Cowhide, Deerskin, Pigskin, and Goatskin leathers. Of course, throughout the review we will make sure to inform you of the type of leather that each glove is made of (because of the importance that it plays in making sure that you are safe.
Density
The denseness of the welding glove plays a much bigger part in your safety than making sure that your hands are protected from the flames. The denseness of the glove’s materials lets you know what they are meant to be used for. Look below to see the denseness of each glove material particular denseness and what they are meant to be used for.
Elkskin: Relatively soft compared to the other leathers that welding gloves are made of and is best used for stick welding
Cowhide: When you think of cow skin leather think of the leather that footballs are made of. It’s one of the thickest leather materials for welding gloves featured on this guide and is best for MIG welding.
Deerskin: Fine grain deerskin leather typically comes in at 1.25mm to 2mm thick and is best for MIG welding.
Pigskin: Grain lining pig skin leather is typically .5-.7mm thick and gloves made of this material is best for stick welding.
Goatskin: Goatskin leather is traditionally 1 mm thick and is suitable for TIG, MIG, and Stick welding
What do you check when you purchase welding gloves?
We can keep our hands safe while welding by using heavy-duty gloves which are fire and heat resistantto allow for continuous welding even when there are lots of sparks.
The gloves should be made out of lightweight material in order to allow for continuous use without tiring the hands.
We also need to check theventilation of these gloves so that our hands do not reach uncomfortable temperatures due to the heat generated during the welding process.
Welding Glove Reviews
US Forge 400 Lined Leather Welding Gloves
The US Forge 400 aims to provide complete comfort as well as protect the hands from the dangerous sparks and molten metal coming fromwelding processes. The gloves are made using soft and supple leather to provide for ease of use while welding for longer periods. US Forge has used its years of experience to further make the Forge 400 an excellent welding glove by adding an internal cotton liner for increased comfort and protection. The multi layering effect that the US Forge gloves have ensures that they are able to provide ample protection to your hand, which makes them great for MIG welding.
The gloves feature a unique lock stitching process, which ensures a tighter grip and allows the gloves to be used roughly. The gloves also have reinforced frictional areas which make the glove durable and wear and tear resistant. The gloves are flame-resistant and the leather is thicker to protect the hands from heat and burns. The US Forge 400 gloves also protects the hands from the dangerous ultraviolet rays which can be fatal for the skin and is found to cause cancers.
Advantage:
Lightweight (weighs only 11.2 oz)
Has a thickness of 0.5 in
Lincoln Electric KH641 Leather Welding Gloves
The Lincoln Electric KH641 gloves have a long-style design to give the wrists as well as the upper arms protection from welding sparks and flames. They are made of soft leather with lining in the inner parts of the gloves to allow for more grip and comfort while working those long hours. The fully welted seams featured on these gloves keep the KH641 from tearing apart prematurely-a feature that’s especially important for a heavy-duty activity such as this. Another plus for these gloves is that they have a frame that measures in at 13-1/2 in long, which gives added protection to the wrists from spattering.
The gloves feature lock-stitch construction and are very durable forheavy-duty usage. The seams are welted to make sure that the gloves do not tear off even in the application of a large amount of force. The gloves are flame and heat resistant while also lightweight for an easy usage process.
Advantage:
Ample coverage for the wrists from splattering and heat.
Lincoln Electric Traditional MIG/Stick Welding Glove
The Lincoln Electric Traditional Welding Gloves feature a dual-tone black and red color scheme with flame decals for those welders who like to be stylish everywhere every time. The gloves are made up of high-quality cowhide for easy use as well as for fire and heat and heat resistance. The inner part of the gloves has a sock lining for more comfort as well as for proper ventilation.
The gloves have a special Kevlar stitching with welted seams to ensure durability even after years of usage. They also feature protection againstultraviolet rays and also feature OSFM technology. They are suitable for welders withMIG setups too.
Advantage:
They have a cool design
Spacious features
US Safe Sparks Welding Gloves
The US Safe Sparks gloves have a dual-toned color scheme and is made up of superior quality cowhide. The gloves feature extra padding for support to the hands while working and the interiors are also lined with cotton for extra comfort. The lining also provides ventilation to keep the hands at a normal temperature while working on hot welds.
The gloves feature Kevlar stitching which is also double-stitched to ensure that the gloves can take a rough beating without any wear or tear. The gloves are also fire and heat resistant for protection against welding hazards. They also feature ultraviolet protection which protects the skin from various types of dermatological diseases. The Kevlar stitching also allows these glove to provide ample functionality in a multitude of other areas. For example, how often do you find welding gloves that can perform their primary function as well as work for gardening, wood cutting etc. The longer than normal design of the Sparks welding gloves also keeps the wrists safe during a weld – splattering isn’t a worry when these are worn (at least not as much as when other gloves are worn).
Advantage:
Multi-purpose design
Miller 263343 Arc Armor MIG/Stick Welding Glove
The Miller 264433 Welding Gloves are made using the best quality cowhide with inner lining for superior grip as well as increased comfort. They also have a two-toned color scheme consisting of black and blue colors. The gloves also have a double padded palm and wrist regions for greater support forlong hours of welding. The ergonomic placement of the leather in the Miller Arc Armor ensures that you are able to retain finger motion while they are in use.
The gloves feature double stitching for keeping up with prolonged usage. The gloves are made of a flame and heat resistant materials for added protection and also features a longer length to keep the wrist as well as the lower arm safe from welding sparks.
Advantage:
Ergonomic design
Made of quality materials
Comfortable
Why is it important to protect your hands while you’re welding?
Of course welding can be fun, if it’s done correctly. As a people we tend to focus on the enjoyable aspects of activities and forget about the negatives that come along with it. When you weld you can create beautiful, useful things – if you take care of yourself while doing it.
Listed below are the reasons why having proper hand protection is so important.
Open current
An open current of electricity is always near when you’re welding – that’s what an arc is. When you weld you do not want to have your flesh bare and able to be affected by the current. I’ve heard that death by electricity isn’t the most enjoyable thing in the world.
High heat
Again, when you’re welding you’re exposing your hands to high levels of heat – you’re blending 2 or more pieces of metal together. The obvious issue with this is that when you don’t have proper (or sufficient) hand protection you open your body up to the possibility of taking on high degrees of burning. On that same note, splatter from the weld is another big issue that comes up during the weld.
Welding Glove Review Wrap-Up
Overall we see that the gloves mentioned here fulfill the criterion given above and provide the required comfort, protection as well as ventilation to work for longer times without tiring our hands. These gloves are cheap too, so there is ultimately no reason left to work bare-handed while welding. A bit of safety can go a long way in making lives better and the same thing applies here too – they can likely be considered the best welding gloves on the market. A $20 glove will go a long way to keep the welder safe, comfortable which will result in productivity peaking as the worker can work freely without fear of getting harmed by the process of welding. He can instead use the welding process to his advantage, by completing his work fast and also will experiment to find the best weld for the given metal.
