Safety is the key issue when wearing a welding apron; meaning that it protects you and your clothing from hot metal and slag that is generated while welding, grinding or using a cutting torch.

As you might imagine, burns are the most common injury for a welder. 20-25% of them result in a hospital visit. Spatter and sparks can cause second and third-degree burns. They can also ignite clothing materials.

Welding Aprons

The quality of a welding apron will certainly depend on the fabric or material used in its construction. Welding aprons should be made from an extremely durable material like cowhide or pigskin leather.

The use of aprons whether made from traditional cowhides or unique pigskins provide a high level of protection when any welding task is involved.

There are two basic types of aprons available. There are half aprons that offer lower waist protection and full aprons that protect the welder’s entire front side.

Some aprons are made of heavy denim or cotton. These are available at very reasonable prices compared to their leather counterparts. High-quality aprons use flame retardant cotton to better protect the welder from high heat or even open flames.

All of the materials mentioned above helps to insure that the apron won’t ignite when sparks fly. However, it is crucial to know that some aprons are only flame-retardant treated. These will lose flame resistance properties after laundering.

It is important to pick a welding apron that provides the right combination of strength, protection and comfort.

Something worth mentioning is high heat from welding can make colors bleed from certain aprons onto clothes. Keep this in mind when choosing and wearing your new apron.

Additional safety apparel for welding

There are more options beyond jackets and gloves that can help keep you safe during welding.

Welding sleeves: Partial welding sleeves can be used in place of a full jacket in some applications. Similar to jackets, welding sleeves are available in a variety of materials including FR cotton and combination, which uses a hybrid of materials to achieve the protection of leather with the lightweight breathability of cloth.

Welding caps/bandanas: These items can be worn underneath a welding helmet for additional protection and comfort. Caps and bandanas are available in a variety of materials and designs.