Choosing a shirt to wear maybe a simple day to day activity, but not for a welder. It is no brainer that welding is a dangerous activity. It not only involves harmful fumes from the materials welded, but also heat and sparks which can cause you injuries.
Therefore, it is important that you do not ignore safety, and protect yourself from the potential injuries by having safety gears. This is where the welding shirt comes in. It is a vital gear that every welder must own to avoid injuries when working on simple tasks like bevel cuts or complex projects. The shirt’s fabric must have a tight knit to protect you from the high heat and flames. Your shirts should also be of the right size to prevent any potential accidents.
Therefore, what should you consider when buying protective clothing? Apart from protecting your skin and attire from hot metals and heat, a good welding shirt should also be comfortable. Though there are different types of welding shirts in the market, it is difficult to find one that is suitable for your needs.
It is a challenge to find a perfect blend of quality, safety and comfort at an affordable price. In order to guide you through this process, we have done a wide research on some of the products and their reviews. This article will provide you with useful information about reliable welding shirts that can help you to properly care for yourself during the welding process.
Top 5 Welding Shirts in the Market
It is the best flame resistant welding shirt. Its composition which consists of cotton and nylon makes the shirt comfortable to wear. The composition of the fabric is 88% cotton and 12% nylon, a perfect ratio making it suitable for welding. It weighs 1 pound with a package dimension of 1*1*1inches. Good news is that unlike other shirts that get damaged when washed by machine, this shirt can not only be washed by machine but also by hands. This saves you time and energy that you would have used to wash it by hand.
Welding, being a hectic work, can make you sweat. With the regular clothes, the bad odor can easily spread. However, the shirt’s anti-odor treatment feature enables the shirt to resist the bad odor. In addition, the shirt absorbs moisture which makes it to get less dirty. It also makes it suitable to use in any season, be it winter or summer. The two button chest pockets are suitable for keeping tools such as screwdrivers and pins. Although it will cost you more, it looks like any other normal shirt which is an added advantage.
Pros
- It fully supports machine wash.
- The shirt features anti-odor treatment.
- It is flame resistant.
- The fabric keeps moisture away.
- It is perfect for pyro technicians.
- Comes in variety of colors.
- It has two adjustable cuffs which enhances fit.
- With its button closure, it can fit any body size.
Cons
- The knitting is not very strong.
- It is expensive.
This is one of the best welding shirts as it offers comfort and total protection. It is made from 100% cotton. The shirt’s design enables it to keep up with the vigorous welding activities. 
The shirts design allows for it to be washed by machine. Not only does it come in different sizes, but it also comes in various colors. For maximum comfort and easy fit, the button closure of the shirt is adjustable.
Pros
- The shirt is comfortable.
- It comes in multiple colors and different sizes.
- Its nice sleeve vents feature provides comfort.
- The welding shirt meets the safety standards.
- It looks like a regular shirt with its classic look.
- It is a high quality shirt due to its fabric quality and sewing.
- You can wear the shirt during summer thanks to its light weight.
- The material is durable therefore able to withstand washing and rigorous activities.
Cons
- The sleeves are a little bit short for tall people.
The shirt is designed to be a perfect fit for you. It weighs 1 pound with a dimension of 16*12*1 inches. The shirt has the button down design with seven buttons for maximum safety. As a fire resistant, it is great for welders. The cotton fabric ensures safety and comfort thereby ensuring you are protected while working. It also has two chest pockets with buttons which can store your smaller items. The shirts come in various sizes thereby providing options to welders of different sizes. Plus, it provides color options such as grey and khaki colored alternatives.
Pros
- The shirt is comfortable as it is made from cotton fabric. You are also able to have a thin shirt under it without losing its comfort.
- Its thickness provides you protection from the heat and flames.
- The welding shirt comes in different sizes which enables it to fit just right for most welders.
- The metal snaps on the shirt are durable, tested and trusted.
- It meets the safety standards.
- The shirt is light in weight thereby making it possible to put on a jacket over it for extra protection.
- It is made of high quality materials.
- The material is durable and will serve you for a long time.
- It is affordable.
Cons
- Some welders feel that the textile material is a bit stiff.
This shirt is perfect for the professional welders. The shirt is only consisting of cotton material. When you wear this shirt while working, you are assured to get full comfort. The fabric is strongly knitted to last long thus it will not wear nor tear easily. It is suitable for machine wash and any washing detergent. This saves you time and energy. It has a nice feature which is its free size that we can all appreciate. The feature enables the shirt to fit any body size. In addition, the free size prevents any discomfort.
As a welder you have some small tools that you use all the time. The shirt provides two front pockets that you can use to keep your tools and easily access them. Since a pencil is important in your work, the shirt comes with a pencil slot to store your pencil.
Pros
- The shirt allows for machine wash.
- It comes with a pencil slot in the button patch.
- The fabric does not shrink after washing.
- It is a relaxed and a comfortable fit. You will not feel constricted when moving about.
- It is flame resistant which enables it to protect you from heat and flames.
- The shirt meets up the required standards.
- The buttons remain in place even after active work.
- It is durable and can resist vigorous use.
Cons
- It is a little bit expensive.
With a dimension of 14*11*1 inches, it weighs 7.1 ounces. Its light weight makes the shirt comfortable to wear. The shirt features flame shield design which ensures you are safe while welding. Its composition is made up of 100% cotton that is knitted and treated. This provides you with maximum comfort when you wear the shirt. With its crew neck design, it ensures you feel comfortable around the neck and not feel chocked. The shirt looks presentable as it looks more like a sweatshirt since it lacks the button down design. In addition, it comes with a check patch pocket on the left side.
With its rib knit collar design, the shirt has three buttons that you can opt to button up or not. the shirt can obviously be used by women even though the Rasco company states it as for men. On the low side, it only comes in two color options; navy blue and khaki. The welding shirt is also tested and approved in line with certifications such as the NFPA 2112, ASTM F1506 and CGSB 155.20. The shirt is a long term investment due to durability. The fabric can resist the wear and tear experienced during washing.
Pros
- The Rasco Men’s Navy FR Henley T-shirt comes in different sizes to fit varying body sizes.
- It meets the required safety standards.
- The cotton fabric makes the shirt comfortable to wear.
- It has various nice designs that makes it suitable to work with.
- The shirt has rib knit cuffs and collar.
- It is also flame resistant thereby protecting you from potential injuries.
- Its preshrunk cotton fabric prevents it from deforming after several washes.
- The shirt’s knit quality is good and it is easy to clean and maintain.
Cons
- It is a bit pricey.
Benefits of using welding shirts;
It is important to have protective work wear as a welder to reduce risk of accidents and health problems. The welding process is dangerous as intense UV radiation is emitted. Exposure to this rays can cause skin cancer and burns in the long run. Hot flying metals can also pierce your skin and cause some serious damages to your health. The welding shirts should shield you and your garments from harm. It protects you from a long term effects of exposure.
Health protection
Due to the constant risk that welders face while working, their health is always at stake. Therefore, the welding shirts protect them from the harmful UV radiation that increases chance of skin cancer. It also protects your skin from heat and flames that can cause burns leading to serious health problems.
High performance
As a professional welder, you should use a welding shirt for better performance. You do not have to worry about getting injuries when wearing a welding shirt. This enables you to concentrate on the work you are doing. As a result, you are able to achieve quality results. Wearing a good quality welding shirt improves your overall performance and productivity.
Clothes protection
A welding shirt shields the clothes worn under from sparks produced through the welding process. With the flame resistant feature, the welding shirt protects your clothes from the damaging heat and flames. When sparks land on normal clothes, they can easily catch fire. However, flame resistant materials can self-extinguish when exposed to flames.
Comfort
The material composition of the welding shirts is soft and tightly woven. This provides you with comfort when working. The anti-odor treatment feature keeps your shirt smelling fresh even after a busy day. With a fabric that wicks away moisture, the shirt remains comfortable in a hot environment. In addition, the sleeve vents on the shirts provides air circulation inside thereby increasing comfort.
Durability
The materials used to make welding shirts are good knit quality which makes them strong, hence durable. The shirts are strong enough to endure abuses and machine wash without risk of getting damaged.
Flexible
Different welding shirts are made with different types of materials. The materials enable the shirts to be used either during winter or summer. Welding shirts with the ability to wick moisture away can be used on both hot and cold areas. Weight is also a factor that determines the places that the shirts can be used. Light weight shirts are suitable during summer while heavy materials for cold weather.
Affordable
Good news is that most welding shirts are affordable to the welding professional. Their durability makes it a long term investment. Although you should stick to your budget when you are on tight budget, you should never compromise your safety.
Versatile
The welding shirts are versatile in the sense that they come in different ranging sizes. The different ranging sizes provides a perfect fit to different body sizes. Furthermore, the button chest pockets provide storage for your small tools while you are working.
How to Care for Your Welding Shirts,
First, you should know that leather materials use little water. There is no need to soak leather shirts as it damages the shirts rather than doing them good. Therefore, you should not soak your welding shirts.
Secondly, washing the shirts only requires water, sponge and soap. They should not be the rough nor tough types. For example, the water can be cool or cold but never hot. The soap you use should be mild preferably liquid soap to avoid causing damage to the to your shirt. When you are hand washing, the sponge you use should have bristles that cannot cause harm to the shirt. The bristles should be able to scrub clean without affecting the quality of the shirt. It is also important that you wash the shirts of the same material alone when using the washing machine.
Thirdly, after washing, you should refrain from squeezing the shirt to dry. Spread the shirt in an open space to allow it to air-dry. Air drying protects the fabric from getting damaged. Examine the shirt for any damages when it is dry. Furthermore, make it a routine to check them before every use to make sure it is safe to use.
Lastly, hang the shirt when not using it. You should not hang them in direct sunlight nor humid area. Do not keep the welding shirts in sealed bags as the mildew and mold will destroy them.
Frequently Asked Questions;
Q1: What does the term FR (Flame Resistant) mean?
A: FR stands for flame resistant protective clothing. It refers to a material’s ability to self -extinguish when the source of fire is removed. You should note that the flame resistant feature does not mean that the clothing is fire proof.
Q2: Which is the most common injury when welding?
A: Many welders suffer from burns which are as a result of sparks landing on skin. Welding activity is an intense process and welding arcs causes burns to eyes and skin within minutes of exposure.
Q3: Which protective clothing is essential for welding?
A: The essential protective clothing for welding includes safety glasses, helmet, welding pants,general fire resistant clothing, gloves and shoes.
Q4: Which ways can you prevent hot sparks from getting trapped in your clothing?
A: Do not roll up your pant cuffs nor sleeves. In doing so, hot metal or sparks could get trapped in the folds. Avoid tucking in your pants in the boots. Wearing pants over your boots prevents particles from falling inside the boots.
Q5: Must my welding shirt be flame resistant?
A: The answer is yes, all welding protective gear should be flame resistant. This is because welding involve dealing with high temperatures, superheated metals and live electrical currents. The dangerous working conditions poses potential injuries and accidents. The welding shirt must therefore be flame resistant to provide maximum protection when you are working.
Q6: What should I consider when choosing flame resistant clothing?
A: When choosing flame resistant clothing, you should consider the following factors; the fabric quality, type of stitches used, durability, thermal protection, comfort, static resistance, stability, ease of washing, color availability and the price. You should also ensure that it meets the required standards.
Final thoughts;
Wearing a welding shirt is not something to ignore or think about. Rather, it is a must for your health. Choosing the best welding shirt depends on how long you plan to work. Whether it is a long term project or a short one. Although using a welding shirt can be uncomfortable especially during summer, you should never compromise your safety for comfort. Safety is the most important factor to consider when picking up a welding shirt. Safety ensures that you are well protected from heat, radiation and flames while working. While picking a welding shirt, be sure to check for your preferred specifications.
Investing in a welding shirt is a great deal which requires you to make a right and informed choice in getting the perfect shirt. With the mentioned welding shirts, the pros outweigh the cons. Therefore, whichever shirt you choose, you are guaranteed maximum safety and comfort. We hope that we have lessen your work on researching about the best welding shirts and you can now make your choice. However, on top of our list is the Bulwark Men’s Flame Resistant Cotton Work Shirt. It is the best choice. Carhartt Men’s Flame Resistant Lightweight Twill Shirt has the best flame resistant properties. While Revco Black Stallion Work Shirt has the thickest fabric material compared to the others, Wrangler Men’s Fire Resistant Work Shirt is the most durable. In addition, Rasco Men’s Navy FR Henley Welding T- Shirt gives you value for your money.
