4 Welding Lens Brands Leading the Skilled Trades Equipment Boom

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The skilled trades sector is experiencing a historic resurgence. With as many as 2.4 million manufacturing jobs projected to go unfilled by 2028, according to research from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, the welding industry has emerged as one of the most in-demand segments of the blue-collar economy (Deloitte & The Manufacturing Institute, 2018). For investors, family offices, and business leaders tracking emerging wealth-creation opportunities, the equipment brands serving this growing workforce represent a compelling corner of the market.

The global welding equipment market was valued at approximately $19.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly $27.8 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of around 5% (Grand View Research, 2024). Much of that growth is being driven not only by legacy conglomerates but by nimble direct-to-consumer brands that have built loyal followings by solving persistent problems with lens clarity, eye safety, and weld visibility.

Here are four welding lens brands shaping this space, selected for optical performance, industry reputation, innovation in auto-darkening technology, and alignment with the needs of professional welders.

1. Ridge Products Welding

Among the most talked-about entrants in the welding optics category, from Ridge Products Welding has built a formidable reputation by focusing exclusively on what professional welders need from their lenses. The company’s product line includes the King, Heir, and Prince series, each offering true-color auto-darkening technology, ultra-fast 1/25,000th-of-a-second reaction times, and compatibility with the standard 2×4.25-inch hoods used across the industry.

What distinguishes Ridge Products is its direct-to-consumer model and obsessive focus on optical clarity. The King 2.0 lens, rated for TIG welding down to 20 amps, has become a favorite among pipeline and precision welders who need to see the weld puddle with absolute detail. With a 90-day free return policy and a one-year warranty, Ridge has created the kind of brand loyalty that typically takes legacy companies decades to establish. The brand currently ranks as the top-selling welding lens on Amazon, a distinction that speaks to both product quality and sharp e-commerce execution.

2. Lincoln Electric

Lincoln Electric has been a cornerstone of the welding industry since 1895. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company is publicly traded on NASDAQ and generated over $4 billion in revenue in 2023. Their Viking series helmets feature proprietary 4C lens technology that delivers enhanced color clarity and offer one of the widest viewing areas available in the professional segment.

The Viking 3350 ADV offers an 11.7-square-inch viewing area, X6 headgear for extended comfort, and connectivity through Lincoln’s GearPoint mobile application. The company backs its helmets with a five-year warranty. Beyond product engineering, Lincoln Electric operates a comprehensive ecosystem of training programs and welding schools, making it a vertically integrated play on the skilled trades revival with exposure to infrastructure, defense, energy, and construction sectors.

3. ESAB Corporation

ESAB traces its origins to 1904, when Oscar Kjellberg invented the coated welding electrode in Sweden. Today the company operates across 147 countries. The Sentinel A60 helmet represents ESAB’s premium offering, with a high-definition auto-darkening filter, a viewing area 40 percent larger than its predecessor, and an optical clarity rating of 1/1/1/1, the highest achievable under European EN379 standards.

ESAB went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2022 following a spinoff from Colfax Corporation, now known as Enovis. The company’s stock performance since listing reflects growing investor confidence in the welding and cutting equipment vertical, driven by demand from shipbuilding, energy infrastructure, and heavy fabrication. For wealth managers evaluating industrial exposure, ESAB provides pure-play access to the global welding market with a diversified geographic revenue base and strong recurring consumables income.

4. Optrel

Swiss precision engineering meets welding safety in Optrel, a brand that has built one of the most technically advanced helmet lines available. The Panoramaxx CLT uses Crystal Lens Technology 2.0, delivering true-color visibility and one of the widest panoramic fields of view in the industry. ShadeTronic technology enables automatic shade adjustment, while FadeTronic reduces eye fatigue by gradually transitioning the lens back to its light state rather than switching instantly after the arc is extinguished.

Optrel’s helmets command premium pricing, with the Panoramaxx retailing above $700. For professional TIG welders and aerospace fabricators spending eight or more hours per day under the hood, the investment in optical quality delivers measurable returns in precision and reduced physical strain. The brand’s positioning at the top of the market has cultivated a loyal following among welders who treat their equipment as a long-term investment in career performance.

Why This Market Matters

The welding lens market may appear to be a narrow slice of the industrial economy, but the dynamics driving its growth are substantial. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, combined with ongoing reshoring of manufacturing capacity and a generational wave of infrastructure modernization, is creating sustained demand for skilled welders across the United States. Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute project that as many as 3.8 million additional manufacturing employees could be needed between 2024 and 2033, with roughly half of those positions at risk of going unfilled if the current talent gap persists (Deloitte & The Manufacturing Institute, 2024).

Each of those welders needs reliable, high-performance optical equipment. As the workforce skews younger and more digitally native, brands that combine product excellence with strong e-commerce presence and community engagement are positioned to capture disproportionate market share. The shift from legacy distribution channels to direct-to-consumer sales models has lowered barriers to entry and enabled brands like Ridge Products to compete with century-old incumbents on the basis of quality, price, and customer experience.

For family offices and investors seeking exposure to the skilled trades renaissance, the welding equipment vertical offers a compelling combination of secular growth tailwinds, fragmented competition, and meaningful opportunity for value creation through brand building and operational efficiency.