A welding helmet (100) includes a helmet shell (105) contoured to substantially cover a user's face, and a neck guard (140) removably attachable to a bottom portion of the helmet shell. The neck guard has a predetermined contour (150), aligning with a portion of the helmet shell contour (110), and is configured to cover at least a portion of a user's neck when the welding helmet is fitted to the head of the user. The neck guard is removably attachable to the helmet shell by a mechanical fastening arrangement, which can include a plurality of fasteners (175).
