The World’s Coolest Welding Helmet

Ergonomidesign has helped inventor and entrepreneur Åke Hörnell to design auto-darkening protective head gear for professional welders since the mid 1990s. The original Speedglas 9000, inspired by medieval knights, was launched in 1996 and gained instant recognition among welders all over the world. Not only did the helmet look great, it also proved to be very comfortable to wear - allowing welders to focus on the task at hand even in the toughest of conditions.

The latest incarnation, Speedglas 9100, has evolved to be even more emotionally pleasing. “You go ‘wow’ when you first see it, ‘wow’ when you try it on, and ‘wow’ when you start using it,” says industrial designer Oskar Juhlin, part of the design team at Ergonomidesign. The new design has added a few functional benefits as well as improved protection, improved ventilation, improved adjustability, and improved viewing angles.  

In the beginning of the design process, the design team conducted in-depth studies of real-life welders using observational studies and focus group interviews. Further down the road, the design team revisited the welders, this time to test alternative design concepts. The collaboration resulted in specific design improvements to increase work efficiency.

The ground-breaking Speedglas design has helped turn a one-man company into a multi-million dollar business and global market leader. In 2004, the company was acquired by the global technology company 3M. Furthermore, Speedglas has received numerous international design awards, most recently the prestigious Red Dot "Best of the Best", and has even been commemorated on a national postage stamp in Sweden.