I have 2 welding helmets are work. A $100 helmet, and a $450 helmet. There is a huge difference in the 2 helmets. The $100 firepower is a passable helmet. If you don't know any better, it will do. When I started at the machine shop about 5 1/2 years ago, I bought the firepower because I had an old school flip lens helmet for offshore work, and since I was a new hire at the machine shop, I didn't want to shell out big bucks for a helmet. After a few months, when I knew I was going to stay there and be there welder, the only other welder we have, bought a Jackson true sight III. He was bragging on how good it is. So he let me use it for a little while. I had to have one. The clarity in the Jackson is unbelievable compared to any other helmet I have used, but you get what you pay for. Also the next thing to address is, do you ware glasses? How old are you? If you ware reading glasses, then you need a cheater lens. 125 readers, you need 125 cheaters. 250 readers, you need 250 cheaters. ECT. As for the side view thing, that is unnessary, unless you are welding in very tight conditions where you have to look to the side to see what you are welding.