Welders who work in peak summertime without a welding umbrella know how hot it is out there.
Being a welder myself, I know how it feels.
Welding in the sun for long hours can be tormenting.
However, buying a welding umbrella was the best decision I made for working out in the open.
They give shade, act as a filter for weld fumes and discharges, and protect the welder from heat as well as the harmful rays of the sun.
Without any further ado, let’s dive right in:
Contents
What is a Welding Umbrella?
Spatter burns, inhaling weld fumes along with the sunlight and all the protective gear can be very lethal and honestly quite a nuisance.
Hence, Welding umbrellas are the perfect solution for welders who work outside.
They are not like the regular umbrellas available in the market which provides minimum to no protection and gets damaged easily.
These umbrellas are strong, sturdy and thus provide extra protections from spatter and weld fumes.
Also being flame resistant, they can withstand any welding processes which usually take a long time to complete.
Welding umbrellas come with a tilt-and-lock mechanism similar to the ones sometimes found in some patio umbrellas, that is if you are working in one specific direction you can tilt the umbrella as you want to and lock the position.
Generally strong and sturdy, These umbrellas can hold out against extreme weather conditions like heavy storms, etc.
Welding umbrella: Buying Guide
Having a lot of options in the market, it is somewhat difficult to choose which one to buy based on your needs.
Especially when you are new to this.
We have listed down some features that are must-have for a welding umbrella.
Key Features
1. Vent: Make sure that the umbrella comes with a vent. In the older versions, it was traditionally absent and caused a lot of troubles for the welders.
Vents are very necessary as they act as a small ventilation system that lets the heat generated off welding and sun to escape.
Providing the welder with a cool environment to work in.
2. Lock-and-Tilt: These are another major feature that is a must-have for all welding umbrellas, but sadly some of them don’t come with this feature.
When the sun decides to hit you from another direction, what would you do?
Lock-and-Tilt was introduced to tackle this issue, that is you can tilt the umbrella in any direction you want and lock it in that exact position.
3. Stand: One of the key features of the welding umbrella should be the availability of a stand.
Some umbrellas do not come with a stand and it can be quite a headache to find the one which perfectly fits for the particular welding umbrella you own.
However, nowadays there are magnetic welding umbrella holders that you can use as a stand.
4. UV Protection: As a welder, you are subjected to a lot of health hazards and you don’t want to add another one to the list.
Making sure that the welding umbrella comes with UV Protection will be quite a relief especially for those who work long hours in the sun.
Polyester is one such fabric that helps with UV Protection.
Optional Features
These include such features that are not readily available with all the welding umbrellas but can be helpful if you have them.
1. LED Lighting: If you work at night you must definitely have this feature in your welding umbrella.
LED lights help you with proper visibility in the dark. They also come with an ON and OFF switch which gives the option to turn them whenever they are required.
2. Portability: Welders typically have stationary work. However, some welders have a mobile welding business or are travel welders and portability is a major concern for them.
Only a very few choices give the option of the portability carry bag and other related features.
Thus, can be easily transported to wherever you want.
3. Fiberglass Ribs: This is not a necessity, however having them make the welding umbrella strong, sturdy, and probably will last a lifetime.
Top 3 Best Welding Umbrellas
I have used many heavy-duty welding umbrellas during my welding career and can spot a good one from a mile away now.
With all the expertise and extra research recently, I came up with this list of best welding umbrellas to choose from.
1. Black Stallion UB150 FR Industrial Umbrella And Tripod Stand Combo Set
Stallion’s welding umbrella tops the list as they are great for any sort of outdoor welding purposes be it frame welding for your trucks in the daytime or heavy pipe works in the field, this umbrella has got your back.
It comes with a fiberglass flame-resistant rib along with the much-wanted vents for welders. Making it fireproof and spatter proof.
Coming with the tripod stand and carrying bag, they provide every feature of portability that a traveling welder is looking for.
Moreover, A strong aluminum frame makes them highly durable.
2 Lapco 160 UM7VB heavy-duty work umbrella
Lapco is known for its highly durable long-lasting welding umbrellas.
Coming from a well respected and reputable brand, this umbrella is feature-packed from head to toe.
Unlike the conventional frames made of fiberglass, these come with lightweight aluminum frames that are powder coated for extra protection.
Also coming with a vinyl body, they provide a water-resistant environment for those welders working in rain.
However, these are not flame resistant. So, as a welder, you must lookout for any mistakes and be extra careful while working with this welding umbrella.
3 EliteShade Sunbrella 9Ft Market Umbrella
Last but not the least, elite shade welding umbrellas are the perfect solution for welders who work long hours in the open.
They also come in multiple colors unlike the other welding umbrellas, not a big fan of these but still a great option for some welders out there.
Moreover, the Eliteshade umbrellas come with UV protectors as well, actively protecting you from the harmful rays of the sun along with the heat which is exchanged with fresh air via the air vents.
The lock and tilt mechanism is also present in these umbrellas giving you the freedom to tilt it whenever you want.
So those were the top 3 welding umbrellas according to me and the thorough research I did on them.
Conclusion
With this post, I tried to explain the importance of welding umbrellas for a welder working outdoors.
There are other alternatives available as well if you are not comfortable with it such as welding tents and welding booths.
Anyhow the price you pay for a welding umbrella might be a little bit expensive, but it will be well worth it especially for travel welders.
Happy Welding!
Image Source – wenatcheeworld