A welding helmet includes a helmet shell contoured to substantially cover a user's face, and a neck guard removably attachable to a bottom portion of the helmet shell. The neck guard has a predetermined contour, aligning with a portion of the helmet shell contour, 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.